The Lenten initiative, known as the “Eucharistic chain”, originally conceived as a sign of the Church’s closeness to the victims of covid and their families, has become a regular prayer initiative: from Ash Wednesday, and throughout the Lenten season, the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of our continent invite people to pray for the Synod and for peace in Ukraine and the Holy Land.
The Church in Europe gathers around the Eucharistic table to entrust to the Lord the preparation and the celebration of the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod that will take place in the Vatican next October as well as to invoke peace: “we want to unite our voice”, says H. E. Msgr. Gintaras Grušas, Archbishop of Vilnius and President of the CCEE, “to that of the Pope, so that the weapons may be layed down, that the war in Ukraine and in the Holy Land may cease immediately so that we may work for peace”.
The initiative, which will involve all the members of the CCEE – according to the attached calendar – and which will see, as last year, each National Bishops’ Conference involved in the organisation of at least one Mass, is intended to be a sign of communion and hope for the entire continent; a time of fasting and prayer “to feel that we are all brothers and sisters and implore from God an end to war”.
