Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the community of Sant’Egidio, comments on Pope Francis’ appeal to Afghanistan and explains the importance of prayer and fasting as instruments of hope and involvement in the tragedies that occur. far away.
By Francesca Merlo
In light of the tragedy that struck Afghanistan, marked by recent attacks and the desperate flight of thousands, Pope Francis once again calls on the faithful around the world to gather in prayer and refrain from meals. .
He made that call during his Sunday Angelus speech, which was repeated on his Twitter account @Pontifex. On numerous occasions during his pontificate, the Pope has called for such actions in the face of humanitarian tragedies.
“I call on everyone to intensify prayer and practice fasting: prayer and fasting, prayer and penance. Now is the time to do so. ”Emphasizing his call, he continued,“ I am serious: intensify prayer and practice fasting, asking for mercy and forgiveness from the Lord. ”
Prayer and fasting in the face of humanitarian tragedies
In an interview with Salvatore Cernuzio of Vatican News, Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant’Egidio community, spoke of the Pope’s request for fasting and prayer for the war-torn country.
“Prayer and fasting are not anachronistic practices, much less spiritualist,” he says. “On the contrary, I think we pray too little for peace in our churches. On Sundays we almost never hear prayers for Afghanistan or, for example, for northern Mozambique with 800,000 refugees or for so many forgotten wars. We pray little for peace.” . Prayer is a strong point, he adds.
Andrea Riccardi points out that, in fact, there is an urgency to launch these marathons of prayer and fasting. “In the face of distant wars, of situations we don’t know how to resolve, it seems like we can’t do anything and a feeling of helplessness is created.” From this impotence, he warns, “indifference comes out.”
Overcoming indifference
He points out that Pope Francis has often spoken out against the globalization of indifference. He explains that our indifference comes from the feeling that “we can’t do anything” to help us.
“Instead,” he continues, “I believe that in this global world, all men and all women can do something. If small groups can sow terror, small groups can sow peace. And they can do it. through prayer that, along with fasting, which is also a departure from everyday life, is a “revolt” against war, as well as an invocation to the Lord, the Lord of history, so that He can open paths of peace and to awaken, through his spirit, the good will of men, of the powerful, of the institutions “.
Speaking of the value that the Pope’s request may have for non-Catholics, and referring to the Pope’s constant invitation for brothers and sisters of different religious demonizations to unite in prayer, Andrea Riccardi recalls the Pope’s meeting in Bari on 2018 as “purely evangelical” image “.
“The agreement between‘ brothers ’can move us, it can open a history of peace,” he points out. “It is the Spirit of Assisi, the invitation to the prayer for peace, that revolutionary and decisive advance introduced in 1986 by John Paul II: to pray together for others, not against others.”
Audience with the Pope
On Monday, Mr. Riccardi met with the Pope in private audience. As for his meeting, Riccardi notes that “the Pope is deeply concerned about Afghanistan; he is following the situation on a day-to-day basis.”
However, he adds, the Pope “has not abandoned the dream and vision of building a new post-Covid world, in which social solidarity goes hand in hand with international solidarity.”
“We live with too many emotions tied to the news, often forgetting that we are really in a historical phase of great change, in which there is an urgent need to build a different world than before. And now we are facing a one drama like that of Afghanistan, which calls for spiritual and concrete solidarity in reception. “
At the end of the interview, Riccardi urges us to “ask ourselves: what kind of society do we want to build? The societies of walls and fear or the societies of hope and welcome? Hope and welcome that are nourished by prayer.”
He says the prayer that makes us bold and able to dream of new formulas for living together.