Thousands of rosaries for the Christians of Syria

Thousands of rosaries made in Bethlehem were blessed by Pope Francis at the end of the Angelus of August 15, 2019, Feast of the Assumption. They are destined, explained the Pope, "for our brothers in Syria."

"And now," he said, "I ask you to accompany this gesture with your prayer: I am going to bless a large number of rosaries for our brothers in Syria. On an initiative of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), about 6,000 rosaries were made by the Carmelite Sisters in Bethlehem. Today on this great feast day of Mary, I will bless them and they will be distributed to the Catholic communities in Syria as a sign of my closeness, especially to the families who have lost someone due to the war. Prayer, recited with faith, is powerful! Let us continue to pray the Rosary for peace in the Middle East and throughout the world."

A statement from Aid to the Church in Need said that these rosaries would be distributed on September 15, 2019 to "Syrian Christians of all denominations whose parents were kidnapped or killed during the war." This initiative, as part of a prayer campaign entitled "Console My People," was organized by the ACN with the Catholic and Orthodox Churches of Syria.

On December 2, 2018, at the end of the Angelus, Pope Francis had also participated in an initiative of this same organization for the benefit of Syrian children. He had said these words as he lit a candle: "At this moment, I would like to make the hope for peace of the children of Syria my own, of beloved Syria, martyred by a war that has lasted for eight years now. ... Let us pray for and help Christians to remain in Syria and in the Middle East as witnesses to mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation. Let us pray for peace in beloved Syria."

Zenit