Pope Francis prays during his General Audience on Sept. 25, 2013. Credit: Elise Harris/CNA
Posted on 06/07/2014 5:28:35 AM PDT by NYer
.- The Vatican has released the details for Sunday’s prayer between Pope Francis and the Israeli and Palestinian presidents, stating that although peace will not be immediate, it’s a starting point.
“The intent of this encounter is to open the road to peace,” Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa O.F.M., Guardian of the Holy Land, revealed to journalists in a June 6 press conference, telling CNA that “My hope is that this event will help to bring a new atmosphere in the Middle East.”
Speaking to other journalists, he explained that “the goal is not to change dramatically the peace process in the Middle East, but to bring back in the atmosphere among the people in the Middle East the desire, the real desire for peace.”
Detailing the itinerary for the prayer, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. stated that Presidents Shimon Peres of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine will arrive to the Vatican within a few minutes of each other, and will meet Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartolomeo I of Constantinople at the pontiff’s residence in the Saint Martha guesthouse.
Afterward the four will travel together by car to the Vatican Gardens, where a brief explanation of the celebration will be given in English.
The prayer, the spokesman noted, will be divided into three parts following the chronological order of the three faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Beginning around 7 p.m., the first part of the prayer will be recited in Hebrew, honoring the Jewish faith. It will include an initial prayer, a brief musical interlude, a prayer of forgiveness, a second musical interlude, a prayer invoking peace, and finally a Jewish musical meditation.
The second part of the prayer, dedicated to Christianity, will follow the same structure, and will be recited in English, Italian and Arabic. The third part, honoring the Muslim community, will only be said in Arabic.
Following the three parts of the prayer, Pope Francis will give a discourse invoking peace, and then invite the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to give their own, beginning with Shimon Peres, who will be followed by Mahmoud Abbas.
After giving the speeches, the Pope and the presidents, along with Patriarch Bartolomeo I, will exchange a sign of peace in shaking hands. Pope Francis and the two presidents will then plant an olive tree together as a symbol of peace.
Concluding the celebration, the four will stand side-by-side as the delegations of each come to greet them, and will then travel to the Casina Pio IV nearby for a private discussion, after which the presidents will depart for their own residences, while the Pope and Bartolomeo I go to Saint Martha’s.
I’m feeling much more hopeful after seeing the prayers.
What is dismaying is that people do not realize that there are three monotheistic (belief in one God) religions.
1. Judaism
2. Catholicism
3. Islam
They may use different names to address God, for example, YHWH, Lord, Allah, but they all believe in only one God.
Did you notice that the Catholic prayers only reference Jesus Christ as our lord or “God’s son”, but never as God. That even though the Holy Spirit is mentioned, there is no mention of the Holy Trinity? And there is no mention of the Blessed Mother?
Satanists also monotheistics; they believe in one God and they hate Him. They worship Lucifer like other religions.
What’s your point?
Only reference? Jesus IS the Son of God. In so stating this FACT, the prayer stands in stark contrast with the beliefs of both Judaism and Islam, both of which reject that title.
No it doesn’t. The prayer never mentions that Jesus is God, nor does it mention that the Holy Ghost is God.
Francis tailored his prayers to not offend his infidel visitors. Just like he refused to give a public blessing for fear of offending non-believers upon his installation.
Some successor of Peter he is!
Islamic prayers asked into the Vatican.
This is quite a territorial coup for Islam, they must be ecstatic.
Peace won’t happen until Jesus returns.
Are you now claiming that Judaism and Islam recognize Jesus as the Son of God?
Francis tailored his prayers to not offend his infidel visitors.
Yet another absurd and ridiculous assertion! The Nicene Creed begins with the words: "We believe in one God"; Judaism believes in one God and Islam believes in one God. The Holy Trinity - Three Persons in One God. How in the world can anyone explain that? The answer is that we in this world cannot. It is a mystery beyond our comprehension. How can there be three separate persons- The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost - but yet still all be the same God? This is truly a question that we take on faith as Catholics, because our limited human brains simply cannot understand it.
This is a prayer service, not a theology class.
You understand, of course, that "the Vatican" is a state. The prayer service will take place in the gardens, not inside the basilica. There are muslim tourists who visit the Vatican and offer up prayers all the time. Last year, a muslim attended a peace prayer service that was held in St. Peter's Square. I doubt he was reciting the "Our Father".
I understand what the entire world’s Muslims will understand.
Islamic prayers formally asked into the Vatican in a ceremonial reciting of Quran scripture to the Pope and the Jews, and televised.
This is an incredible territorial coup for Islam.
Why don’t you quote the full Nicene Creed and then tell any fool that’ll believe you that Jews and Muslims believe in the same God as that in the Creed?
Ask a Jew or a Muslim to recite the Nicene Creed. See what response you’ll get.
Maybe a few people need a couple of theology classes before they call for sacrilegious prayer services with infidels. It would do them good.
Once again consider illicit teenage sex in the backyard rather than defiling the parents' bedroom.
Maybe at least some of the hostilities between the “big three” represented here is because each don’t feel that the other two take their faith seriously and have a derisive, dismissive attitude. Arguably petty and childish if true but maybe this is the reality here.
So while a good theological argument can be made by proponents of any side that members of any two are not praying to the “same god”, maybe that’s not the most important point here. Maybe while the prayers to the one true God are shouldered by one, the other two benefit (without realizing it) and all three come to a better understanding that despite the differences everyone is serious about peace.
Maybe that’s the benefit here, rather than ensuring all three are praying to the one true God. Because really, was that ever going to happen? Is the impossibility of that, a reason not to do it?
Perhaps you missed the earlier comment posted by freeper ebb tide that lists the prayers. The Jewish community prayers listed include Psalm 8, Psalm 25, and Psalm 130, The Christian community prayers include Psalm 8, a prayer of St. JPII, and the Prayer of St. Francis. The Muslim community prayers, according to those listed, do not include any recitations from the Quran. Perhaps you have a different source to support your statement?
It is stated in many sources, including Muslim and Fox Nation and if it ins’t accurate it also isn’t important, whether it turns out to be directly from the Quran or not doesn’t change anything whatsoever.
You can think that this isn’t a first if you want, but the global Muslims will see it as a victory and a first, a territorial gain, evidence of conquest.
God willing, the Muslims will look at all those gathered in prayer today - Jews, Catholics, Orthodox, christians and representatives from their Muslim community, and join their prayers, like you and me, with theirs, for Peace in the Holy Land.
This is the Feast of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit. May these prayers rise like incense and may God send His Spirit to open the hearts of all mankind.
Actually they are using a part of the gardens that have no religious symbols.
Don’t speak for me, and especially not in bold.
The Catholic denomination’s leadership has given the Muslims a major victory, an historical breakthrough.
The Pope’s request to hear Islamic prayer in the Vatican, is a first.
The pre-V2 popes and martyrs are “turning in their graves”.
What is happening today on the Feast of Pentecost is a travesty make no mistake about it.
May God have mercy on us all. The end can’t be too far off.
Yes, it’s extremely disturbing that this pope chose Pentecost Sunday to not proclaim the One True Faith, but rather, participated in blasphemous interreligious prayer.
>>HISTORICAL NOTE FOR PENTECOST
from the St. Andrews Daily Missal (1937)
Before His ascension into heaven, our Lord charges His apostles “that they
should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the
Father”, the out pouring of the Holy Ghost. On their return from the mount
of Olives, the disciples, numbering about one hundred and twenty, went back
to the Cenacle, where they all “were persevering in one mind in prayer with
the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus”.
After this novena, the most solemn ever made, occurred the miraculous
descent of the Holy Spirit, which by divine Providence, coincided with the
Jewish feast of Pentecost among the Israelites. This “most solemn and most
holy day” was the anniversary of the promulgation of the Law on mount
Sinai. Consequently a considerable number of foreigners who had flocked to
Jerusalem from all parts, were witnesses of the coming of the Holy Ghost.
“It was nine o’clock in the morning, when suddenly there came a sound from
heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where
they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire;
and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy
Ghost gave them to speak.”
Thus, “endued with power from on high,” the Church began at Jerusalem the
work of the Apostolate entrusted to her by her divine Lord. Peter, the
chief of the apostles, first addressed the assembly, and become already
“fisher of men”, brought by the first cast of his net, about three thousand
converts into the infant Church. On the following days the twelve met in
the Temple under Solomon’s porch, and like their divine Master, preached
the Gospel and healed the sick. Thus, “the multitude of men and women who
believed in the Lord, was more increased”.
Subsequently, spreading in all directions outside Judea, the apostles went
forth to proclaim Christ and to give the Holy Ghost to the Samaritans and
then to the Gentiles everywhere.
COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL
(John xiv. 23-31) for Pentecost Sunday
from the St. Andrews Daily Missal (1937)
“This is the day,” says St. Gregory, “on which the Holy Ghost descended
upon the apostles, and changing the hearts of those carnally minded men,
led them to the love of Himself. While the tongues of fire appeared
externally, the hearts of the disciples were enkindled within, and as they
beheld God under the appearance of fire, they became aflame with love
together with unspeakable sweetness of soul. For the Holy Ghost is love,
and therefore St. John says : “God is Charity.” Now love is proved by
action. St. John says again : “Whosoever says: I love God, and does not
keep his commandments, is a liar.” Our love for God is genuine if we resist
the attractions of pleasure in order to obey Him, and anyone who goes on
devoting himself to pleasure does not truly love God, since he acts
contrary to His will. Do not think, then, that you love Him unless you
prove it by good works. Let your speech, your mind, your whole life be
consecrated to the quest for God’s love, for in that love inertia has no
place” (Homily at Matins).
Christ was the model of this love, since He always did what His Father
commanded.<<
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