On the evening of Aug. 11, prayers for peace in the Middle East rose from the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver in English, Arabic, Aramaic, Syro-Aramaic, Armenian and Hebrew in an unprecedented display of unity.
The interreligious service, led by Archbishop Samuel Aquila, was announced just five days earlier and spread to faith communities via social media, email and pulpit announcements and drew a diverse crowd of 900 people.
The hour-long ceremony began with a procession of 18 religious leaders representing the Roman Catholic Church, both Latin and Maronite rites; Syriac, Armenian and Antiochian Orthodox churches; Western Christian churches including Evangelical Lutheran Church, Episcopal Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Faith Bible Chapel; and Jewish and Muslim monotheistic religions.
“We have come together with bishops, with a Jewish spiritual and academic leader, with Christian leaders, with Muslim imams and sheiks, and with you,” Father Andre-Sebastian Mahanna, director of the Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon in the United States and pastor of St. Rafka Maronite Catholic Church in Lakewood, said in opening comments, “that we can freely still call brothers and sisters in God, in Jesus, or in the prophet.”
The gathering was a response to Pope Francis’ call to reach out to all religious groups, reacting to increasing and devastating violence in the Middle East.
“What we need to do this evening,” Father Mahanna continued, “is to start having an ongoing discussion, not between one another, but with each other with God Almighty.”
Sealing that commitment to ongoing dialogue, the religious leaders signed the Peace, Love and Co-Existence, or PLACE, initiative, prior to the service during a private reception. PLACE asks President Barack Obama “to work urgently through diplomatic channels and ethical intervention to stop the murder and persecution of Christians in the Middle East,” and “with equal urgency to oppose the persecution of Jews and Muslims in the Middle East.”
It also calls on religious leaders to “lead by example and advocate for the safety and the right to exist for all Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities in the Middle East.” Signers of the document included: Archbishop Aquila, Cheyenne Bishop Paul Etienne, Father Mahanna; Dr. Shaul M. Gabbay, senior scholar at Korbel School of International Studies at University of Denver; Sheik Dr. Ahmed A Nabhan of Masjid Al Salaam; Archbishop Mor Titus Yeldo of the Syriac Orthodox Church in North America, Deacon Elias Naoum of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Denver, Father George Shawareb of St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church in Arvada, Bishop James Gonia of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Imam Hamdi-Basha of Masjid Nur, Father Peter Eaton representing the bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, Imam Kacem Djilali, and Muslim leaders Emamudin Ghiasi and Hussein Amery.
Also attending were Pastor John Malito of Faith Bible Church and Dean Wandry of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Father Mahanna said he hopes the initiative will spread all over the United States, as well as to the Middle East “where hearts are most hurt.”
The solemn evening continued with prayers for peace from Deacon Naoum chanting in Aramaic, Dikran Hagopian, a layman from the Armenian Orthodox Church and native of Mosul—an Iraqi city captured by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) which banished all Christians from the city that had maintained a Christian presence for more than 1,700 years—praying in Armenian; and Loulou Najjar, a laywoman of the Antiochan Orthodox Church, who read in Arabic. Each intercession, read in English as well, was followed by an interfaith “Alleluia” sung by a small choir.
Readings were proclaimed from the Quran by Imam Hamdi-Basha (49: 10-13), the Torah by Dr. Gabbay (Shabbat Evening I, “Sim Shalom” or “Grant Peace”), and finally the Gospel (Matt 22: 34-40) by Archbishop Aquila. Pope Francis made Vatican history June 8 when he allowed for Islamic prayers and Quran readings during his meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to pray for Middle Eastern peace.
“This evening we have heard from the Quran, the Torah and the Gospel about the importance of loving God above all else and loving our neighbor as ourselves,” Archbishop Aquila said in an address following the Gospel. “The truth that runs through all three of these passages is that anytime we move away from the love of God, we move away from to love of our neighbor.”
Atrocities committed in the Middle East demonstrate a radical version of Islam “imposing brutal force and violence” and are not based on a true religion, he said. The scenes of innocent people, including children, being driven from their homes, buried alive, beheaded, raped or cut in half are “scenes that many thought were impossible in our day.”
“It must not be said that we were the generation that stood idly by while evil consumed our brothers and sisters,” he said. “We cannot be a generation that embraced a culture of death, but we must be a culture who loves God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and loves our neighbor as our self.”
The first reaction must be prayer, he said.
“God may use the hands and feet of aid workers, the decisions of political figures, or soldiers’ actions to defend a defenseless people, most especially defenseless children, but it is still He who acts,” the archbishop said, adding that prayers must include “every single person who is experiencing the scourge of violence or persecution because of their faith, regardless of their religious affiliation.”
But we must do more than pray, he continued.
“You can also donate to charities that are active in these afflicted regions, call your local congressmen and senators to express your concern and ask for sustained intervention to protect those being persecuted,” he instructed. “You can take a public stand for religious freedom by your words and actions. Every single action and prayer counts.”
The service continued with a reading from the Psalms by Father Shawareb, an Anglican prayer offered by Father Eaton, Archbishop Aquila leading the congregation in a concluding prayer for peace written by Pope Francis, the sign of peace, and a resounding rendition of “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
To watch the interreligious evening of prayer click here: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/3170708/events/3266750
To sign the PLACE initiative click here: http://archden.org/prayer-peace/
Support aid workers in the Middle East
Catholic Relief Services
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877-435-7277
Caritas
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703-549-1390
Aid to the Church in Need
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800-628-6333
Catholic Near East Welfare Association
www.cnewa.org
212-826-1480