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Message of the Minister General
for the Day of Prayer for Peace:
Assisi, 24th January 2002
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
May the Lord give you Peace!
«With Christmas we celebrate the restoration of peace between heaven and earth, between men and God». Thus, echoing the annunciation of the angels, the letter I sent to you for Christmas 2001 ended. But I immediately added an exhortation to pray that the gift of peace might «be accepted by all».
With this brief message, I invite you to give a prompt response to my exhortation with a convinced and general adhesion to the Day of Prayer for Peace, promoted by John Paul II, in Assisi on the 24th of January 2002.
Today, truly, «the peace of the world is at risk». It is urgent, then, that we all, Brothers and Sisters together, "go to" Assisi with the Pope and the other Representatives of the religions of the world to «pray as John Paul II said on announcing the prophetic initiative for the overcoming of opposition and the promotion of authentic peace». And he continued: «we wish to bring Christians and Muslims together to proclaim to the world that religion must never be a reason for conflict, hatred and violence».
And we, Franciscan men and women, feel ourselves questioned in our very persons, since we come from "the spirit of Assisi" thanks to St. Francis, known and revered by all as a symbol of peace, reconciliation and fraternity and because our vocation is to call «all to peace and harmony», as our seraphic Father showed us.
How can we, sons and daughters of Francis, wherever we live, be also authentic instruments of peace? First of all through prayer, because «prayer for peace as the Pope reminds us in his "Message for the World Day of Peace 2002" - is not an afterthought to the work of peace. It is of the very essence of building the peace of order, justice, and freedom».
Our provincial and local Fraternities, our Parishes, the Study Centres, the Monasteries of contemplative life and the Fraternities of the SFO:
- Should prepare and celebrate the inter-religious meeting of the 24th January 2002 in Assisi, in collaboration and communion with the other members of the Franciscan family and local Churches, in order to become a "place" of meeting for all men and women of good will;
- Become promoters of different meetings, such as Liturgies of the Word, prayer vigils, ecumenical gatherings, etc.
Let an incessant plea go up to the Almighty God until he grants the world the great gift of peace and till our hearts, «freed from the fumes of hatred, are opened to mutual pardon, to constructive solidarity and to peace» (John Paul II. 8.12.2001).
May the inter-religious meeting of the 24th of January 2002 be for all of us a further occasion of incarnating the "spirit of Assisi", in accordance with the "style" lived and entrusted to us by St. Francis, in the today day of the human family that is so much in need of seeing gestures of peace and of hearing words of hope.
Rome, 16th December 2001
Br Giacomo Bini, ofm
Minister General
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