Austria: “So that a kind of prayer chain is created through our diocese”
Austria’s dioceses joined Pope Francis’ consecration of Russia and Ukraine to Mary with simultaneous celebrations on Friday. “The Holy Father has invited the whole Church to this prayer, entrusting humanity, Russia and Ukraine in a very special way to the protection of the Mother of God,” emphasized Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who celebrated the consecration to Mary as part of a Way of the Cross devotion in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral at the same time as the Pope has carried out.
Cardinal Schönborn invites everyone to join in “heart and mind” the prayer being prayed in many places at this hour. Leading the celebrants from the diplomatic corps was the Apostolic Nuncio to Austria, Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana. In addition to the envoy and counselor of the Ukrainian embassy Wadym Kowalewskyj, who sat in the first row next to Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig, the Russian cultural attachee Nikolaj Agejew was also present. According to information provided by the Russian diplomat to the APA, this was probably the first public event in Austria in connection with the conflict in Ukraine where both Russian and British diplomats were present after February 24.
Celebrations in all dioceses
Pope Francis had asked bishops and believers around the world to join in the prayer. The Vatican had published the text of the peace prayer associated with the consecration in three dozen languages. The other Austrian dioceses also followed the consecration with services and prayers. Archbishop Franz Lackner took part in a mass as part of the pre-synodal assembly of the Archdiocese of Salzburg.
in the Vorarlberg was called for prayer and commemoration of the countries at war on Friday. Benno Elbs celebrated a Marian devotion at 5 p.m. in the Rankweil Basilica, while all the country’s bells were ringing for peace. In Innsbruck, too, a peace vesper took place in the cathedral of St. Jakob on Friday at 5 p.m., during which the consecration prayer was said.
the diocese Eisenstadt joined the papal call to prayer for peace. Diocesan Bishop Ägidius Zsifkovics had invited all parishes in the diocese to take part in this special peace initiative. In addition to the act of consecration in St. Martin’s Cathedral in Eisenstadt, the largest bell in Burgenland rang for five minutes at 5 p.m., together with other bells from the entire diocese.
in the Carinthia Diocesan Bishop Josef Marketz performed the act of consecration at the same time as Pope Francis during Vespers in the chapel of the Sodalitas Educational Center in Tainach/Tinje, together with the priests and laypeople present. At the same time as the Holy Father, Bishop Alois Schwarz entrusted the Mother of God with the countries of Russia and Ukraine at a mass in St. Pölten Cathedral.
I am Linzer Mariendom, the prayer of cathedral priest Max Strasser, representing Bishop Manfred Scheuer, who is in quarantine, was carried out during the evening mass starting at 6.15 p.m. The Bishop of Linz had also encouraged the parishes, religious communities, prayer groups and movements in particular to join in this prayer.
Also in the Styria the prayer at a service in the Graz cathedral at 7 p.m. was carried out without the diocesan bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl from the Collegium Consultorum, who tested positive for the corona virus. Furthermore, all parishes have been asked to include this prayer in their celebrations, “so that a kind of prayer chain is created through our diocese that connects us with Pope Francis and with the people of Ukraine and Russia,” the diocese said opposite Kathpress.
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