On Tuesday 8^th  June 2021 at 1 pm local time let’s stop to pray for peace in the Holy Land, Myanmar and for the whole world, each according to their own tradition. “With ONE MINUTE FOR PEACE 2021, on 8^th June  at 13.00 (local time) we invite everyone: Catholics, Christians of different denominations, believers of the many religions, men and women of good will, to get together to pray and work for peace all over the world, especially in Jerusalem, between Israelis and Palestinians and in Myanmar”. This is the appeal launched by the International Forum of Catholic Action (IFCA) together with the Catholic Action of Italy and of Argentina, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO) and other associations. The Focolare Movement adheres to this initiative and invites everyone to spiritually unite with this special moment. It is a very significant date: 8^th June, 2014 was the occasion of the “Invocation for peace” meeting, promoted by Pope Francis, together with the President of Israel Simon Peres and the President of the Palestinian Authority Maḥ mūd ʿ Abbās – Abu Mazen, with the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I . Margaret Karram , current President of the Focolare, was also present and recited St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer for peace. Karram recalled the occasion in an interview with the Italian newspaper, “Avvenire”: “I believe in the power of prayer because I have seen it in action many times, for example on  8^th June, 2014, when Pope Francis wanted that extraordinary moment which was “the invocation for peace” in the Holy Land – (…) I had the privilege of reading the prayer for peace of St. Francis of Assisi. It was a very strong experience. One might ask: ‘But what was this prayer for?’ It was a bright point that we can continue to look at, because prayer – as the Guardian of the Holy Land said at the time – is not something that produces something, prayer generates. So we must continue to generate peace within our hearts first of all and with everyone else”. Since that historic date, every year on 8^th  June, the International Catholic Action Forum holds the “One Minute for Peace” to implore together, throughout the planet, for the end of every conflict. It’s up to us. Let’s get involved and spread this initiative to count more and more MINUTES FOR PEACE all over the world.

Lorenzo Russo

 Info: International Catholic Action Forum