LA Catholics are being invited to join people of faith around the world for an interreligious day of fasting, prayer, and acts of charity for an end to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led by the Vatican on May 14.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is calling local Catholics to “join in as one family of faith to #PrayTogether because we are always #BetterTogether. Pray and engage with us online @LACatholics on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as we live this day with others around the world.”
While maintaining social distancing, the archdiocese is encouraging the faithful to participate in acts of charity such as reaching out to those in isolation, making face masks, or donating to their local parishes.
The Vatican’s Higher Committee of Human Fraternity has asked members of all faiths to come together to “beseech God Almighty to safeguard the entire world, to help us overcome this pandemic, to restore security, stability, healthiness, and prosperity, so that, after this pandemic is over, our world will become a better place for humanity and fraternity than ever before.” The appeal was sent out in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Pashto, Malay, Persian, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu, Chinese, and Hebrew.
Pope Francis gave his support for the initiative during his Regina Coeli prayer on May 3, asking “believers of all religions” to “unite spiritually… to implore God to help humanity overcome the coronavirus pandemic.”
On Facebook, Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar echoed the pope’s message, encouraging people to participate “in order to eliminate this pandemic from the entire world.” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres also voiced support, writing on Twitter, “In difficult times, we must stand together for peace, humanity & solidarity.”
The Committee of Human Fraternity asked that all faithful, “wherever they are and according to the teachings of their religion, faith, or sect, should implore God to lift this pandemic off us and the entire world.”
