"Vivere in Cristo secondo la forma di vita del Vangelo - Formati alla Vita Consacrata nel cuore della Chiesa e del mondo"
Congresso Internazionale - Roma, 7-11 aprile 2015

Program
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PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CONSECRATED MEN AND WOMEN
PARTICIPATING AT THE CONGRESS FOR FORMATORS

Vatican City, 10^th April 2015

As consecrated men and women attending the Congress for Formators which is being held in Rome from the 7^th - 11^th April 2015, we feel the need to urgently denounce, “with the fragile and powerful voice of the Gospel”, the persecution of Christians taking place in different parts of the world. We feel particularly close to those in the world who are suffering because of their faith in Jesus Christ and we express our communion with all consecrated men and women who in the various peripheries of the world suffer because they are Christian and consecrated.  We assure them of our prayers whilst thanking them for their witness of fidelity to their vocation/mission as consecrated people and because they remain close to those who suffer.

As consecrated men and women from around the world we unite ourselves to the prayer of our Holy Father Francis and those of the whole Church so that peace, the gift of the Risen Lord, can overcome hatred and violence and so that all people can recognise themselves as brothers and sisters. We also pray that the perpetrators of violence will turn their hearts to God, the author of life.

We implore governments to implement concrete interventions to bring peace between peoples and that the spiral of violence in which so many innocent victims find themselves may be broken.

Mary, Mother of the Church and of Consecrated Life, intercede for us before your Son so that peace and harmony may be granted to the whole world.

In the name of all consecrated people,

Joao Braz Card de Aviz
Prefetto

+ Jose Rodriguez Carballo
Secretary Archbishop