Die Austrian Bishops’ Conference has asked the dioceses to pray an “additional Great Intercession for the people in the war zones of Ukraine and Palestine” at the Good Friday liturgy. According to the Missal of the Catholic Church, if the respective diocesan bishop allows or orders it, this can be done “in a serious public emergency,” according to the website of the Austrian Liturgical Institute (www.liturgie.at), where the text of the intercession is published. War and civil war as well as terror are a painful normality in many parts of the world. Against this background, we should pray for peace and justice on Good Friday.
In the Good Friday services, the so-called ten “Great Intercessions” play a special role after the presentation of the Passion story. In these intercessions, believers present their concerns to God – albeit in more detail than in usual church services.
The additional intercession therefore reads: “Let us also pray for the people in Ukraine, in the Middle East and in all war zones on earth; for all who have fled the horror of violence and been robbed of their homes; for all women and men, who stand up with their lives to ward off evil and to protect the weak and persecuted.” This is followed by a summary prayer from the priest: “Almighty, eternal God, you have compassion on the lowly and the poor, but you overthrow the oppressors. Just as you led Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, so save all the victims of war and violence in our days “Change the hearts of those who do evil and let peace prevail. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen”
The intercession is available in various formats on the Liturgical Institute website. The formulation comes from the liturgical scholars Liborius Lumma (Innsbruck) and Rudolf Pacik (Salzburg), who is also responsible for the musical arrangement of the first part. Prof. Lumma has also published a short commentary on intercession on the website of the Innsbruck Theological Faculty (www.uibk.ac.at/theol/leseraum/texte/3420.html).
Those: kathpress