Pope Francis has called for a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for peace on 23rd February.
Speaking to crowds in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Pope said that faced with the “tragic protracted situations of conflict in different parts of the world”, he invited “all the faithful to take part in a special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on February 23rd, the Friday of the first week of Lent”.
The day will specifically focus on those suffering in the war-torn nations of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, both of which have seen protracted conflicts in recent years.
As well as Catholics, the Pope invited other Christians and non-Christians to join in the initiative in “whatever ways they deem most appropriate”.
