Although the problems in Syria and other war torn areas of the world may seem far away from us here in the Cleveland Diocese, our Holy Father is reminding us that we are indeed one world.
This week, Pope Francis is leading thousands in St. Peter's Square and around the world in praying for peace. Here in our Diocese, many of our local parishes have been doing the same, praying for a peaceful resolution in Syria as well as peace in our own communities and homes.
"We will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance, invoking God's great gift of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation of conflict and violence around the world," the pope said September 1, before praying the noon Angelus with a crowd in the square. "Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace."
Pope Francis also called on this past September 7 to be a "day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East and throughout the world." The pope said he was inviting everyone, "including our non-Catholic Christian brothers, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative."
As well we know, the situation in Syria has been escalating for more than two years.
At the time of writing this column, President Obama was calling for military strikes to punish the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which the U.S. blames for a recent chemical weapons attack near Damascus that reportedly killed more than 1,400 people, including children.
Over the last two-and-a-half years, according to the United Nations, a civil war between Assad's government and rebel forces has killed more than 100,000 people, driven 2 million refugees out of Syria and displaced another 4.5 million inside the country.
While Pope Francis condemned the use of chemical weapons "with utmost firmness" and added that "those terrible images from recent days are burned into my mind and heart," he continued to call for non-violent means of resolving the situation.
"A judgment of God and also a judgment of history upon our actions are inescapable," he said. But still the pope insisted that "never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence."
Instead, Pope Francis called on all parties to "follow the path of encounter and negotiation and so overcome blind conflict."
Here in our diocese, we can follow our Holy Father?s lead in not only praying and fasting for peace in Syria, but throughout the world and particularly in our own communities.
In the past several months, we have witnessed stories of despair and poverty, violence against each other and political strife.
On a more personal level, many families and individuals are in need of peace in their lives as well. It is the times that are difficult in our lives that can bring us closer to Christ.
Prayer and fasting can be very spiritual ways of drawing closer to God and to our Church community.
As we continue to pray for peace for our brothers and sisters in Syria and around the world, may we bring a spirit of penance into our own lives.
In bringing peace to ourselves and strengthening our own relationships with Christ, we can bring peace to the world.
(The above column by the Most Reverend Richard Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland originally appeared in the Friday, September 13, 2013 issue of the Catholic Universe Bulletin, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Cleveland.)