Prayers for peace in Ukraine in Austria’s churches
Innsbruck/Graz/Vienna, February 23, 2022 (KAP) In view of the situation in Ukraine, Bishop Hermann Glettler of Innsbruck has called for prayer as a “humble refuge in God, an acknowledgment of the human inability to keep peace in the long term”. In the next few days, prayers will take place in eleven church communities in Tyrol, from Reutte in the Ausserfern via Innsbruck to Lienz in East Tyrol, as the Innsbruck diocese announced in a broadcast. Glettler emphasized: “Propaganda, lies, war and destruction should not have the last word!”
A special prayer was published on the diocesan website as a suggestion. It asks God: “With your help, it will not be too late to make decisions that prevent destruction and misery. On behalf of all those who are directly affected, threatened and involved, we see the miracle of peace – for Ukraine, Russia and all of Europe.” Bishop Glettler thanked everyone “who, in this situation, which is extremely dangerous for the entire continent, not only give the stage to the uninvolved” and suggested personal prayer and fasting that “allow space for the spirit of reconciliation”. (Info: www.dibk.at/Meldungen/Gebet-um-Frieden-in-Europa)
Peace prayers also in Graz and Vienna
Prayers are also being prayed for in Styria for peace and for the people of Ukraine – in the parish church of Graz next Friday at 6:15 p.m., as announced by the diocese of Graz-Seckau. The Bishop of Graz, Wilhelm Krautwaschl, called it “sad that a topic like war dominates us and not how we can progress well as a human race”. He called for prayer “that reason and not dull violence will prevail in the Ukraine conflict.” All those responsible may have the peace and well-being of all people in mind – beyond national borders.
In Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral, there was an urgent appeal for peace to the conflicting parties on Saturday: the peace prayer, in which the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, and the Chairman of the Ecumenical Council of Churches, Domdean Rudolf Prokschi, took part, deliberately took place before the icon of the Virgin Mary, which originally comes from the eastern Hungarian pilgrimage site of Mariapocs not far from the Ukraine.