Pope Francis to pray for persecuted Christians at ecumenical event
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will pray for thousands of persecuted Christians in an ecumenical event taking place this Friday afternoon in St Peter’s Square.
An estimated 30 thousand people are expected at the 38th National Convocation of the Renewal in the Spirit.
The concert and prayer gathering has as its’ theme “Ways of unity and of peace. Voices of prayer for the martyrs of today and for a spiritual ecumenism.”
One of the ecumenical delegates reciting a prayer at the meeting is Archbishop David Moxon, who is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Holy See and Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Archbishop David Moxon
Speaking to Lydia O’Kane ahead of the event he explained more about its’ theme saying, the phrase ecumenism of the blood of martyrs is comes from Pope Francis himself, “when he said that when Christians die for their faith, the person who takes their lives isn’t making a distinction particularly between their denomination, they’re not asking if they’re Catholic or Anglican or Lutheran or Coptic or Orthodox, they’re just being persecuted because they’re Christians…”
Artists taking part in Friday’s concerts include Italian Tenor Andrea Bocelli and Israeli singer Noa.
The Renewal in the Spirit meeting will continue on Saturday at Olympic Stadium in Rome, with the celebration of the Eucharist presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri.