GUIDELINES FOR THE DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER FOR PEACE

VATICAN CITY, DEC 6, 2001 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff issued a communique today entitled "Liturgical-pastoral guidelines for fasting and prayer for peace" in preparation for the inter-religious meeting which is to be held in Assisi, Italy, on January 24, 2002.

The communique states that "following the terrible attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States, the Holy Father has repeatedly expressed his condemnation of those terrorist acts and his concern over the consequences of the military action taking place in Afghanistan." Two months on, "the situation is serious, tension is high and many consciences are troubled." For this reason, on November 18, John Paul II called for December 14 to be a "day of fasting" and invited "leaders of the world's religions to come to Assisi on January 24, 2002, to pray that opposing positions be overcome and that an authentic peace be promoted."

The communique analyzes the "essence of Christian fasting," recalling biblical precedents, the fasting of Jesus and the tradition of the Fathers of the Church; it also highlights that fasting is "inseparable from prayer and justice, it is oriented above all to the conversion of hearts without which ... it would have no meaning." The text goes on to furnish pastoral guidelines so that bishops may "explain the meaning (of the Holy Father's invitation to a day of fasting), ... evaluate whether it should be extended to members of other Christian confessions and ... followers of other religions, ... and prompt ... a serious examination of conscience on the Christian commitment to peace." It also falls to bishops to "establish a simple and effective method by which what is given up in the fast may be given to the poor, especially those who suffer ... the consequences of terrorism and war."

The final part of the communique is dedicated to the significance of pilgrimage and prayer. If the former is "a sign of the tiring journey that each disciple of Christ is called to undertake in order to reach conversion," the latter is "a fundamental moment that fills the 'vacuum' created within us by the purifying fast and the silent pilgrimage with listening to God." The pastoral guidelines invite bishops to "explain - with the collaboration of diocesan organizations - the value ... of pilgrimage with a view to the immediate preparations for the multi-religious meeting of January 24, 2001 in Assisi and to organize a vigil on January 23 as a spiritual preparation for that meeting.

...;GUIDELINES; FASTING; PRAYER;...;OCL;VIS;20011206;Word: 410;