Ecumenical prayer vigil held at Vatican before the synod in Rome

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY(REDNA) – Thousands attended ecumenical prayer vigil in St Peter’s Square before the synod in Rome on coming Wednesday.

Thousands of people across denominations listened to speakers, sang with musicians and prayed, sometimes in silence.

Pope Francis was joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and many other church leaders representing more than 50 denominations.

They prayed for unity, the synod process, each other, peace and creation. The project was the idea of Brother Alois, Prior of Taizé, as a symbol of unity and Taizé songs and silence punctuated the gathering.

The Pope offered the hope that the forthcoming synod, which follows years of global consultation, will be a moment of fraternity “where the Holy Spirit will purify the Church from gossip, ideologies and polarisation”, reflecting that  “God seems to prefer silence to shouting, gossiping and noise”.