“All believers together, believers of different traditions, to pray, fast, and perform works of charity.”
Pope Francis has called people of all religions to join together May 14, for a day of prayer, fasting and acts of charity, with the intention of the end of the pandemic.
Speaking before the midday Regina Caeli on May 3, Pope Francis said
Since prayer is a universal value, I have accepted the proposal of the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity for believers of all religions to unite spiritually this May 14 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 video is a first response to the appeal: You will see brothers and sisters around the world who are being affected by the worldwide pandemic. We hear their voices in a chorus of hope.
“Prayer is our greatest weapon against the virus.”
“What will we remember from this time? The things that unite us.”
“Let us pray to feel like Church, family, and to defeat the pandemic.”
“Let us pray so as to love neighbor.”
“In the face of the coronavirus, we cannot be demoralized.”
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.