What will the Fast called by the Pope on dec. 14 consist of?

Will de Jews and Muslims also fast on that day?

Will that be some ecumenical event?

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), December 12, 2001

Answers

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-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), December 12, 2001.

Enrique,
Muslims will be fasting (Ramadan) until sundown on that day.
Jews? Few, if any, I imagine.
I don't think that the pope specified the manner of fasting.

You used the term "ecumenical." That word refers to things that involve Christians of all kinds and everywhere. Something involving Christians and non-Christians, however, is referred to as "interfaith" or "interreligious."

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From Catholic World News:
At his Sunday public audience on December 9, Pope John Paul II explained to 10,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square his reasons for calling a special day of fast and prayer on December 14.

"Faced with the complexity of the international situation today, mankind needs to mobilize all of our energies, so that love will prevail over hatred, peace over war, truth over falsehood, and pardon over vengeance," the Pope said. Fasting and prayer, he continued, are powerful means of achieving those ends.

"A fast expresses sorrow for a grave wrong, but at the same time also signals the willingness to assume responsibility," the Holy Father continued. The December 14 observance should help the faithful to renew their dedication to pray and work for peace, he concluded. The Pope observed that the date he chose for the fast, December 14, "coincides with the end of Ramadan," the month of fasting for the world of Islam. He offered his prayer that "the shared action of faithful mortification will cause an increase in mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims-- who are called, now more than ever, to come together as builders of justice and peace."
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JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 13, 2001.

Also from Catholic World News, about today's day of fasting:

"The Vatican has issued liturgical guidelines for the observance of the day of fast and prayer on December 14. The guidelines, issued by the Pope's Office of Liturgical Celebrations, recall that Pope John Paul II called for a worldwide day of fast and prayer for peace on December 14. That day also looks forward to the inter-religious day of prayer for peace, which will be held at Assisi on January 23. The new Vatican document encourages local bishops to remind their faithful that fasting is 'inseparable from prayer and justice.' The bishops are also encouraged to find ways in which the Catholics who fast on December 14 can contribute the money they save, to be distributed among those who are in need. Finally, the guidelines recommend pilgrimages as a means of living out the fast day."

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 14, 2001.

Enrique,
It may be a little late for some of us, but here are a few more details taken from an interesting Reuters article:

"The Vatican asked Catholics to either abstain from all food from sunrise to sunset, as devout Muslims do, take just bread and water, or eat the minimum required for their health."

JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 14, 2001.

I'm all in favor of fasting for peace and against this stupid war (and also our sanctions on Iraq), but it shouldn't be done to time with rama-dama-ding-ding.

-- Steve Jackson (SteveJ100@hotmail.com), December 15, 2001.

Steve,

Please do not take the Pope's request the wrong way. It is not a fast against this war. It is to show a unity with Muslims. The Pope does support the United States in their war on terrorists.

-- Glenn (glenn@excite.com), December 15, 2001.

Glenn,

Christians should not show "unity" with Moslems. Islam is a false religion and Christians must preach the truth to them, not comfort them in their disbelief.

-- Steve Jackson (SteveJ100@hotmail.com), December 15, 2001.

Yeah, let's all take lessons on how to be an effective preacher of Christianity to Muslims -- from anti-Catholic/Martin-Luther-worshipping Steve Jackson, one of the world's alltime greatest misanthropes!
Steve, kindly open up your own Internet discussion forum and leave us in peace. Your poisonous personality could turn a jarful of honey into vinegar. Don't make us laugh with derision at your asinine comments about the pope. Your ignorance of what he has done in predominantly Islamic nations, including addressing a stadium full of Moroccan Muslim teenagers about Jesus, ought to make you grovel with shame.

May God bless you with at least a smidgen of wisdom before you kick the bucket.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 15, 2001.