• Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
The Texas Catholic
The Texas Catholic

Dallas, Texas

Today is Thursday, March 23, 2023
  • Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
Home
Top Story

Dallas bishops join Pope Francis, Christian leaders in prayer for pandemic’s end

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Pope Francis leads a global recitation of the Lord’s Prayer from the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican March 25, 2020. The pope and the Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant leaders who joined him for the prayer implored God’s mercy on humanity amid the coronavirus pandemic. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Joined by Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant church leaders and faithful from around the world, Pope Francis led the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, imploring God’s mercy on humanity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“As trusting sons and daughters, we turn to the Lord. We do it every day, several times a day, but at this moment we want to implore mercy for all of humanity so harshly tried by the coronavirus pandemic,” the pope said March 25 as he introduced the prayer.

“We will do so together, Christians of every church and community, of every age, language and nation,” he said.

“We pray for the sick and their families, for health workers and those who help them, for civic leaders, police and volunteers and for the ministers of our communities,” the pope said.

Holding the prayer on the feast of the Annunciation, when the angel told Mary she would bear God’s son, Pope Francis said that “with full confidence we, too, place ourselves in God’s hands, and with one heart and soul, we pray.”

In Dallas, Bishop Edward J. Burns and Auxiliary Bishop Greg Kelly asked Christians throughout North Texas to join the 1.3 million Catholics in the Diocese of Dallas in praying the Our Father at noon on March 25. Bishop Burns also asked the leaders of other denominations to join in this effort and several pledged their congregants to the effort, including the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, the Northern Texas/Louisiana Area Lutheran Church, and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

“It is important that in these days of trial and great fear at the threat of the coronavirus, that all Christians lift our voices together in prayer to ask God our Heavenly Father for an end to this sad, turbulent time; and to pray for all those who have lost their lives to the virus, those who mourn them, as well as those battling the disease and those suffering dire financial circumstances at this time. May our Lord Jesus Christ bring comfort and healing,” Bishop Burns said.

The Church of England asked Anglicans to join Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury in praying with Pope Francis and to share their photos on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #PrayTogether.

Archbishop Welby himself tweeted: “Please join us wherever you are. Prayer unites us in testing times.”

The Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, encouraged all members to take advantage of the opportunity for a global prayer in the face of a global pandemic.

“As people across the globe are in their scattered working places at home, we will have the opportunity to unite our voices in praying to God with the words that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us,” Rev. Tveit said. “At this challenging time, prayerful activities that unite us are a reminder that we are one human family.”

While many Christians woke extra early or stayed up late to pray at the same time as Pope Francis, others gathered for the common prayer at noon their local time.

Archbishop Jose Bettencourt, the Vatican nuncio to Georgia and Armenia, posted a photograph on Twitter of him praying with Georgian and Armenian Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant leaders at noon local time, three hours before the pope.

The Catholic bishops of Ireland called on their faithful to pray with the pope and, then, to join in prayer as Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, primate of Ireland, was to consecrate the country and its people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for protection from the coronavirus.

Earlier in the day, at the end of his livestreamed general audience, Pope Francis told viewers, “We will unite our voices of pleading to the Lord in these days of suffering when the world is harshly tried by the pandemic. May the good and merciful Lord hear the united prayer of his sons and daughters, who call on his omnipotence with trusting hope.”

While not praying with the Christians, rabbis around the world called on Jews to observe a half-day fast March 25, and Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau also asked that during the traditional afternoon prayers, called the “Mincha,” people add the “Selichot” prayers, which are prayers for forgiveness.

In addition, the Jerusalem-based Interfaith Encounter Association, which brings together Israelis and Palestinians of different faiths, announced an “Interfaith Prayer for Humanity’s Health” the same afternoon.

“As both the pope called Christians to pray at midday (March 25) and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel called Jews to pray at 4:30 p.m. that day — for the same goal to implore God to rid the world of the coronavirus pandemic — we thought it would be most appropriate to connect the two with an interfaith prayer in the middle,” the association said in a March 24.

When individuals and governments are taking “harsh measures” to slow the pandemic, the group said, “it is important to add the active aspect of prayer. When our main measures are physical separation from one another, it is vital add the connection of our hearts in mutual care.”

Contributing to this story were Michael Gresham of The Texas Catholic in Dallas and Judith Sudilovsky in Jerusalem.

  • Tags
  • Bishop Edward J. Burns
  • Coronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Diocese of Dallas
  • Faith
  • Pope Francis
  • Vatican
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article Pandemic casts spotlight on a nearly forgotten martyr: St. Corona
Previous article New Orleans archbishop tests positive, asks prayers for all amid pandemic

Related Posts

Pope asks Catholics to renew consecration of world to Mary every March 25 Pope Francis
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Pope asks Catholics to renew consecration of world to Mary every March 25

How to successfully accompany young Hispanic Catholics Uncategorized
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

How to successfully accompany young Hispanic Catholics

To be an apostle is to serve, not move up church's hierarchy, pope says Pope Francis
Wednesday, March 15, 2023

To be an apostle is to serve, not move up church's hierarchy, pope says

Texas Catholic Classics

A look at the five Dallas law enforcement officers who gave their lives while protecting citizens during a mass shooting in downtown Dallas in July 2016.

 

How a child with special needs inspired a high school volleyball team, community and a family who heeded God’s call to protect life.

 

After a young runner collapsed at a Dallas marathon, grace and providence unfolded for those involved in the valiant effort to help her.

   

In the summer of 2016, 50 students and 25 chaperones from Dallas Catholic high schools traveled to Nicaragua for a 10-day mission trip.

 

Early on a November morning, Kenndrick Mendieta bounded from the gym at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep toward the campus’ athletic fields as clouds lifted on a fresh new day.

 

Subscribe

Get the award-winning Texas Catholic delivered to your door. Use the menu below to subscribe now.


Subscription length




 

Photo Gallery

Click here to find your favorite Texas Catholic photographs.

The Texas Catholic Newspaper

Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Michael Gresham, Editor

3725 Blackburn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 379-2800

Our Affiliated Sites

Texas Catholic Youth

Revista Católica

Legal and Other

Contact us

Terms of service

Privacy policy

Site map

Site powered by TexasCatholicMedia

© 2013-2019 The Texas Catholic Publishing Company. All rights reserved.