Until today, the fight between Ukraine and Russia is still ongoing, affecting the lives and economy of both countries and their nearby nations. As a way to aid the current issues, the Catholic Church has recently held an Act of Consecration prayer session in the Vatican, which was also done in many churches worldwide, including the Archdiocese of Denver.
Archdiocese of Denver Participated in Consecration
On Friday, Mar. 25, Pope Francis headed the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for Russia and Ukraine in the Vatican, Rome. The Archdiocese of Denver participated in the event and recognized the efforts of the Pope to pray in line with the happenings in Ukraine.
As per the Denver Catholic, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of the Archdiocese opened the church at 11 a.m. to lead service for the Archdiocesan Discernment Event for the 2022-2023 Synod. Half an hour after that, the archbishop showed his participation with Pope Francis by conducting his own service prayer for the Act of Consecration for Ukraine and Russia. The schedule coincided with the Pope’s service at 6:30 p.m. Rome time.
Before the event, Archbishop Aquila invited all of the Archdiocese’s priests and parishioners to join him in the Act of Consecration. He described the prayer gathering as a way of “bringing conversion and peace to this region.”
He concluded, “as we entrust our whole life to God through our total surrender to Him, may our faith in Divine Providence console our hearts in these difficult times. Jesus is our only hope!” In his speech, he also mentioned the Surrender of Novena that ended on Mar. 17. The said novena prayer is a ceremony usually held before the Archdiocesan synodal event, which already started on Mar. 25, as well.
Those who have not yet watched the Archdiocese’s Act of Consecration prayer service are advised by the church to check out their official website for the replay Livestream video.
Pope Francis’ Special Prayer for Ukraine
As the local archdiocese prayed alongside the Vatican, Pope Francis called for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia. On the day of the Consecration, the Pope reportedly met with Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, who headed to Ukraine the day after, to drive an ambulance to Lviv in Ukraine.
As reported, the ambulance was donated by the Church to the victims and refugees of the war in the country.
According to the Dialog report, two days after the Act of Consecration, the Pope dedicated his Sunday Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square to the victims of the war. He even described war as a “place of death” for many people, not just the soldiers joining it but also the families and children who are helplessly stuck in the situation.
In his speech, the Pope criticized those saying that war is inevitable in today’s generation. He explained that humanity “should not accustom ourselves to war.” Thus, he called out politicians and world leaders to end the war “before it erases human history.”
More from Crossmap: Ex-Denver Broncos Von Miller says ‘God is good’ after winning Super Bowl 2022 as part of LA Rams
