From Ash Wednesday, and throughout Lent, the Bishops throughout Europe will celebrate a series of Masses and invite us to join them in prayer for the victims of the more than 770,000 people throughout Europe who have died of Covid-19.
The initiative, promoted by the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), aims to offer a sign of communion and hope for the entire continent.
On Tuesday 2nd March, Cardinal Vincent will celebrate a special Mass at 5.30pm in Westminster Cathedral as part of this Eucharistic chain, and invites us all to join him via livestream.
Since the start of the pandemic, bishops from all over Europe have joined Pope Francis in affirming the Church's closeness to all those struggling with the coronavirus: the victims and their families, the sick and the health workers, the volunteers and all those on the front line at this sensitive time.
'Together, we have assessed the opportunity, or rather the need to remember in the Holy Mass in a particular way during this season of Lent, the victims, the numerous victims of the pandemic,' said Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the CCEE, in his message launching this initiative.
'It will be like creating a prayer chain, a Eucharistic chain in memory and in suffrage of so many people. In this prayer we also want to remember the bereaved families and all those who are still suffering from the virus and whose lives remain in uncertainty.
'We, the Bishops of Europe, are all united alongside our Christian communities and our priests. We are grateful to all those who continue to devote themselves to those most in need. We support them with our words, and above all, with our prayers so that their commitment and their hope that we must all have, maintain and increase can help us to look forward together to a better future.'
Photo: Mazur/CBCEW.org.uk
