The Christian Post, by Michael Gryboski: Pope Francis called on Christians worldwide to recite the Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father, at noon Wednesday [March 25th] in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church took to his official Twitter account on Tuesday morning to announce the call to prayer, asking for participation from Christians of all denominations.
“Let us stay united. I invite all Christians to direct their voices together toward Heaven, reciting the Our Father tomorrow, 25 March, at noon,” the pontiff tweeted.
The Twitter post included a short video of Francis giving a prayer that had English subtitles, calling on people to “pray together for the sick, for the people who are suffering.”
“I thank all Christians, all the men and women of goodwill who pray at this moment in unison, whichever religious tradition they belong to,” Francis said in the video.
The Conference of European Churches, an ecumenical Christian organization that received the invitation to pray at noon Wednesday via official letter, announced that they were taking part.
“During these times of global uncertainty, we need signs of unity and hope,” said the CEC in a statement released Tuesday.
“The world today calls us to be united. Not only fighting against this devastating pandemic, but also in order to support one another and to feel in communion, remembering to draw lessons from this crisis.”
The World Council of Churches has also accepted the papal invitation given to them via official letter, with WCC General Secretary, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, saying that such observances “are a reminder that we are one human family.”
“As people across the globe are in their scattered working places at home, we will have the opportunity to unite our voices in praying to God with the words that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us,” he said.
In addition to Francis’ call for global recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, the World Evangelical Alliance [hosted] a Global Day of Prayer & Fasting on Sunday [March 29th].
WEA Secretary General Bishop Efraim Tendero said in a statement released Monday [March 23rd] that he believed prayer was “still the greatest help that we can give.”
“As we pray for people in this difficult time, let us assure them of God’s love and care for those who are fearful,” Tendero said.
“Let’s pray especially for all the frontline medical and government workers — for protection, good health, and wisdom in all that they do. Working together with God’s help, we shall overcome COVID-19.”
Our Comment:
We should most definitely be seeking God in prayer at this time, but at the same time we must also hold to the truth. The Bible counsels against uniting in ecumenical movements, but many Protestant churches are doing so and regarding the papacy with much greater favor than ever before.
Prophetic Link:
“While the Protestant world is by her attitude making concessions to Rome, let us arouse to comprehend the situation and view the contest before us in its true bearings. Let the watchmen now lift up their voice and give the message which is present truth for this time. Let us show the people where we are in prophetic history and seek to arouse the spirit of true Protestantism, awaking the world to a sense of the value of the privileges of religious liberty so long enjoyed.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, page 716.
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