The Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) has invited the faithful to participate in the Lenten initiative «24 Hours for the Lord», which will take place on March 13 and 14, with special dedication to prayer for peace and disarmament in the world.
According to the Spanish Episcopal Conference, this call joins the prayer intention of Pope Leo XIV for the month of March, in which the Pontiff asks to pray «for disarmament and peace» in an international context marked by various conflicts.
A call to pray in the face of war situations
The president of the CEE, Msgr. Luis Argüello, has emphasized that the current international situation invites us to intensify prayer. In particular, he has pointed out that armed conflicts, including the current situation in Iran, urge Christians to respond to the Pope’s call to work for peace.
Argüello has recalled Leo XIV’s insistence on promoting a peace that is “disarmed and disarming”, based on respect for life and human dignity, as well as on the search for agreements that guarantee human rights, justice, and peaceful coexistence.
A prayer and reconciliation initiative in Lent
The «24 Hours for the Lord» is a prayer initiative instituted during the pontificate of Pope Francis. This proposal is celebrated each year on the vigil of the fourth Sunday of Lent and seeks to place the sacrament of reconciliation at the center of the Church’s pastoral life.
During this day, parishes and Christian communities around the world usually keep their churches open for a full day, offering spaces for Eucharistic adoration, prayer, and confessions.
With its invitation, the Spanish Episcopal Conference encourages dioceses, parishes, and communities to actively participate in this day of prayer, joining the Holy Father’s intention and raising a common prayer for peace in the world.
Prayer of Pope Leo XIV
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord of Life, who shaped each human being in your image and likeness, we believe that you created us for communion, not for war, for fraternity, not for destruction.
You who greeted your disciples saying: «Peace be with you», grant us the gift of your peace and the strength to make it a reality in history. Today we raise our supplication for peace in the world, begging that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
Disarm our hearts from hatred, resentment, and indifference, so that we may be instruments of reconciliation. Help us to understand that true security is not born from control that feeds fear, but from trust, justice, and solidarity among peoples.
Lord, enlighten the leaders of nations, so that they may have the courage to abandon projects of death, stop the arms race, and place the lives of the most vulnerable at the center.
May the nuclear threat never again condition the future of humanity. Holy Spirit, make us faithful and creative builders of everyday peace: in our hearts, our families, our communities, and our cities.
May every kind word, every gesture of reconciliation, and every decision of dialogue be seeds of a new world. Amen
Source: Spanish Episcopal Conference