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December 5, 2001
Pope says he hopes days of fasting, prayer help bring peace
Faithful urged to transform their sacrifice into aid for needy
By John Norton
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II said he hoped a Church-wide day of fasting in December and an interreligious summit in January would help cool down the international situation, marked by multiple wars.
Meanwhile, the Vatican announced it was collecting donations that on Christmas Day the pope would allocate to victims of terrorism and war.
Speaking Dec. 2 to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during a midday blessing, the pope noted the day's liturgy contained Isaiah's Old Testament prophecy that the nations "shall beat their swords into plowshares" and renounce warfare.
"These words contain a promise of peace that is more urgent than ever for humanity and, in particular, for the Holy Land, from where even today, unfortunately, sorrowful and worrying news reaches us," he said.
The pope was referring to a series of Palestinian suicide bombings Dec. 1-2 that killed at least 28 people and wounded hundreds of others.
"May the words of the prophet Isaiah inspire the minds and hearts of believers and people of good will, so that the day of fasting Dec. 14 and the encounter with representatives of world religions in Assisi (Italy) Jan. 24 helps create a more relaxed and mutually concerned climate in the world," he said.
When he announced the day of fasting, the pope said he hoped Christians would find ways to transform their sacrifice into contributions for the needy.
The Vatican announced Dec. 1 that participants in the fasting day could wire their contributions to a specially designated bank account in Italy.
"The offerings collected will be allocated by the pope on Christmas Day to those victims of the consequence of terrorism and war who risk being forgotten now that the major emergency has passed," the Vatican said.
Contributions to the papal fund can be wired to Banca di Roma, ABI 3002 CAB 5008, Branch "Roma 204," account number 101010, "Pro Digiuno 14 Dicembre," using the name code "SWIFT: BROMIT."
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