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SALT LAKE CITY — Catholics around the world, including at Utah's Cathedral of the Madeleine, prayed together for peace on Friday, specifically peace in Russia and war-torn Ukraine.
Pope Francis asked everyone to join in the prayer, named Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for Russia and Ukraine, as part of a service that started at 5 p.m. in Rome.
At the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the Very Rev. Martin Diaz led the prayer as part of a noon service, participating in the prayer a little bit later than the one in Rome, which would have been given around 11:30 a.m. MDT.
"Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life," the prayer said.
The Rev. Diaz explained that Catholics believe Mary, the mother of Jesus, is able to pray on behalf of humanity, and this prayer asked her to intercede on humanity's behalf to bring peace.
The prayer said humanity needs maternal help from Mary now and asked for her to protect the world from war.
"At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ. The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty," it continued.
Throughout the prayer, Catholics said they entrusted humanity, specifically in Russia and Ukraine, to Mary, the mother of God, and asked that the war end.
The Consecration to the #ImmaculateHeart of Mary is an act of complete trust as children who, amid tribulation turn to their Mother, entrusting themselves to her, placing in that pure and undefiled Heart all that we have and are, so that she may protect us and watch over us.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 25, 2022
Friday was chosen for this prayer because, at nine months before Christmas, it is the day Catholics celebrate the annunciation, the day when an angel visited Mary to tell her she would have a child, followed by the conception of Jesus.
The Rev. Diaz gave the consecration prayer at a school mass. He talked to the students about being at peace with each other, not fighting with each other or bullying.
"In the very same way that we are friends with Jesus, Mary wants us all to be friends. Not just here, but throughout the world," he said.
The Rev. Diaz said that although western Ukrainians are mostly members of an Orthodox Church, eastern Ukrainians are primarily Catholic, and many of them would have participated in this prayer in various congregations.
Giving the same prayers is very familiar for Catholics, similar to giving the same mass at many churches, but the concept of congregations around the world praying at the same time is unique, the Rev. Diaz said.
"I think the idea of praying all together at one time is the sign value of unity and not disunity. War is the ultimate disunity ... being together and praying together at the same time around the world is the opposite of war, it is unity. So, the more that we are united as sisters and brothers, the less we'll have war," he said.
