Francis says he has accepted the invitation to mark the day with prayer, charity, and fasting for end of pandemicPope Francis announced at the end of the midday Regina Caeli on May 3 that Catholics will join in an initiative to dedicate May 14 to fasting, prayer, and charity, to implore the end of the pandemic.
He said:
Since prayer is a universal value, I have accepted the proposal of the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity that on this coming 14 May, believers of all religions should unite spiritually for a day of prayer, fasting, and works of charity, to implore God to help humanity overcome the coronavirus pandemic. Remember: 14 May, all believers together, believers of different traditions, to pray, fast, and perform works of charity.
The Higher Committee for Human Fraternity is an organization that was created after the Holy Father met on February 4, 2019, with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. They together signed the Document on Human Fraternity—a joint statement calling for the reconciliation of people of goodwill in service of universal peace.
