Skip to main content

May 14 #PrayForHumanity: An occasion to 'strenuously' spread culture of tolerance

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*
The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) called on religious leaders and faithful, from every faith from around the world to observe Thursday, May 14 as a day of prayer, fasting and charitable works the good of all humanity and for an end to the pandemic COVID-19.
The pandemic has already resulted in death of over 250,000 people, the infection of almost four million, and the confinement to their homes and lockdown of two thirds of humanity .Even those who have not got the virus – like migrant labourers , daily wage earners , the unemployed and other poor – as we see in India, have been very severely affected. Millions of them are still seen walking long distances to return to their native places.
The sudden lockdown on the night of 24/25 March and the total suspension of public transport has destroyed their livelihood; deaths due to fatigue and starvation are being reported from all over. Social media has been highlighting the plight of the least of our sisters and brothers.
On Sunday May 3, speaking before the Regina Coeli, Pope Francis said:
"Since prayer is a universal value, I have accepted the proposal of the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity for believers of all religions to unite spiritually this 14 May for a day of prayer, fasting, and works of charity, to implore God to help humanity overcome the coronavirus pandemic. Remember: 14 May, all believers together, believers of different traditions, to pray, fast, and perform works of charity”. Pope Francis went on to add, “I again express my closeness to all those who are ill from Covid-19, and to those who care for all those who, in any way, are suffering from the pandemic.”
Given the fact that Pope Francis is a very well accepted and admired religious leader in the world leader the global call for this ‘day of prayer’ has approval from several quarters.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced he will take part in an international day of prayer and fasting on May 14 to ask God to help humanity overcome the coronavirus pandemic. Guterres tweeted:
“In difficult times, we must stand together for peace, humanity and solidarity. I join His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb in their support for the Prayer for Humanity this 14 May – a moment for reflection, hope, and faith."
HCHF is an independent body of religious leaders, educational scholars and cultural figures from across the world, dedicated to achieving the noble goals of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together signed by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, during the Pope’s Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates in February 2019, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
HCHF was established in September 2019 as a concrete response to the document. The path-breaking document among other things, called upon world leaders "to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing." . 
Further it also asked leaders and would-be influencers "to rediscover the values of peace, justice, goodness, beauty, human fraternity and coexistence in order to confirm the importance of these values as anchors of salvation for all, and to promote them everywhere."
The Day of Prayer on May 14 will go down as the largest gathering of humanity for one goal, with millions participating from all over and in every possible way. Being in the holy month of Ramzan, with millions of Muslims already praying and fasting, it will certainly add to the fervour of the day.  
The event is accompanied by unprecedented media coverage, through the Committee’s social media accounts with hashtag #PrayForHumanity. to allow people to interact and share their videos, photos and posts. There are several online initiatives in India too to observe the ‘day of prayer’ as appropriately as possible.
We need to join in too with our sisters and brothers throughout the world, praying for humanity:
“We come to you today
dear heavenly and loving Father
as your children, as one family:
with deep faith and a total surrender to your will
We come to you today
at a time when our world is gripped with the pandemic COVID-19
thousands have died everywhere and many more are affected;
fear and uncertainty rule the lives of many; and we still lack a scientific cure
We come to you today
trusting in your loving providence
fully assured that you care for all of us
and that you will protect us from every danger”

Amen!
---
*Human rights and peace activist/writer

Comments

TRENDING

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Central pollution watchdog sees red in Union ministry labelling waste to energy green

By Chythenyen Devika Kulasekaran*  “Destructors”, “incinerators” and “waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration” all mean the same thing – indiscriminate burning of garbage! Having a history of about one and a half centuries, WTE incinerators have seen several reboots over the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. 

First-of-its-kind? 'Eco-friendly, low cost' sewage treatment system installed in Gujarat

Counterview Desk Following the installation of the Unconventional Decentralized Multi-Stage Reactor (UDMSR) for sewage treatment, a note on what is claimed to be the  first-of-its-kind technology said, the treated sewage from this system “can be directly utilized for agricultural purposes”, even as proving to be a “saviour in the times of water crisis.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Indo-Bangla border: Farmers facing 'illegal obstacles' in harvesting, transporting yields

  Counterview Desk  In a representation to the chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, human rights defender Kirity Roy, who is secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has said that Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are creating "illegal obstacles" for farmers seeking to harvest their ripened yields and transport them to the market in village Jhaukuthi of Cooch Behar district.

Wasteland, a colonial legacy, being used to 'give away' vast tracts to Ratnagiri refinery

By Fouziya Tehzeeb* William D’Souza, a 55-year old farmer from Kuthethur, Mangalore, was busy mixing cattle feed when we arrived at his doorsteps. Around 25 km from the bustling city of Mangalore, Kuthethur is a lush green village with thick vegetation. On the way to William’s house the idyllic view gets blocked by the flares and smoke arising from the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

CAA disregards India's inclusive plural ethos, 'betrays' ideals of freedom struggle: PUCL

Counterview Desk    "Outraged" at the move of the Central government to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA 2019) weeks before the election, the top rights group, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has demanded that the law be repealed. 

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Sections of BSF, BGB personnel 'directly or indirectly' involved in cross border smuggling

By Kirity Roy*  The Border Security Force (BSF) of India and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) of Bangladesh met for 54th Director General level meeting at Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 5th to 9th March, 2024 to discuss on minimizing killings at border area, illegal intrusion, trafficking of drugs and other narcotics, smuggling of arms and ammunitions and other crimes at bordering areas. Further, the summit had an agenda to discuss on overall development in 150 yards area at both sides of the border and design an activity plan for the same.