The power of prayer: ‘One Minute for Peace’ turns 10 and remains extremely relevant

Photo: www.azionecattolica.it

“At 1 pm we are invited to dedicate a minute for peace – in prayer, for believers; in reflection, for non-believers – everyone together for a more fraternal world.” With these words, Pope Francis invites us to participate in the 2019 One Minute for Peace (UMMP) initiative.

We want peace. An urgency, a right, a need.

Promoted by the International Forum of Catholic Action (IFCA) since 2014, the initiative is now 10 years old. The theme ‘We want peace. An urgency, a right, a need’ was chosen as way to call everyone to pray for peace, and to inspire a commitment to dialogue and building a culture of encounter between individuals and communities, in accordance with the Beatitudes.

Children, women, the elderly, the frail and youth: The people most affected by the madness of war

The Dicastery for  Laity, Family and Life encourages and invites everyone, especially associations and ecclesial movements, to enact and promote this humble proposal that is addressed to every person, wherever they may be. The initiative is simple: at 1pm on 8 June – regardless of where you are, whether you are alone or in company, and what faith you belong to – you are invited to bow your head for a minute and pray for peace in Ukraine, in the Holy Land, in Myanmar, and in all places of conflict. This year, in particular, the number of active conflicts has heightened with tragic consequences for children, women, the elderly, the frail, and youth.

IFCA has provided the invitation to pray and further information about the initiative on https://www.catholicactionforum.org/.

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UMPP is an initiative that was first launched at 1pm on 6 June 2014, in support of the ‘Invocation for Peace’ meeting on 8 June in the Vatican Gardens which was promoted by Pope Francis together with the President of Israel (Simon Peres), the President of the Palestinian Authority (Maḥmūd ʿAbbās – Abu Mazen), and the Patriarch of Constantinople (Bartholomew I). Since 2015, the day of the meeting on 8 June 2014 has been commemorated.