From New Delhi to Makkah: non-Christians pray for Pope Francis
While the pontiff remains in serious condition at the Gemelli Hospital, people of other religions are joining Christians to pray for him. “May the divine mercies surround Pope Francis for his speedy recovery,” reads a prayer by the secretary general of the Lotus Bahá'í Temple. Imam Yahya Pallavicini sends his best wishes from Islam’s holiest place.
Delhi (AsiaNews) – Churches around the world are praying for the Pope Francis, whose health conditions remain “critical”, doctors said in a statement released last night.
Starting today, the Cardinals resident in Rome, with all the collaborators of the Roman Curia ad the Diocese of Rome, will gather in Saint Peter’s Square to recite the Holy Rosary for the health of the Holy Father.
However, Christians are not alone in being apprehensive about the pope's health. Over the past few hours, non-Christian leaders and believers are expressing their closeness in prayers, touched by the interfaith gestures Francis made during his pontificate.
This is the case, for example, of Dr A.K. Merchant, Secretary General of the Lotus Temple, the great Bahá'í house of worship in New Delhi.
“We have learnt from the news media and some personal friends in the Catholic Church that the Holy Father, Pope Francis is critically ill,” he told AsiaNews. “We have had the good fortune to receive the blessings of the Holy Father. We pray to our Lord for his healing and restoration to normal health.”
Dr Merchant went on to say that he “personally offered” a prayer by the Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í faith, “at the Bahá’i Lotus Temple in New Delhi:
“Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth, and may make mention of Thee in every world of Thy worlds.
“Thy Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion.
Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succour in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
“May the divine mercies surround Pope Francis for his speedy recovery.”
Also in India, a well-known Muslim journalist, Rana Ayyub, tweeted: “Praying for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis”.
“His unwavering compassion, humility, and dedication to peace have touched countless lives. His advocacy for Palestine and commitment to justice will not be forgotten. May Allah bless and strengthen him during this time.”
Another significant expression of closeness came from Makkah.
Imam Yahya Pallavicini, of the Italian Islamic Religious Community (COREIS), has taken part in many interreligious meetings promoted by Pope Francis in recent years.
Upon hearing about the pontiff's deteriorating health just as he was leading a delegation of Italian Muslims on the pilgrimage to Makkah, Yahya Pallavicini released a short video shot in front of the Maqām Ibrāhīm (Station of Abraham), a shrine that according to Islamic tradition contains the patriarch's footprints.
"I immediately think of Francis as a champion of dialogue on brotherhood and friendship with Muslims," explains Imam Pallavicini.
"Best wishes for peace and health to Pope Francis who in the year of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate continues in the wake of the dialogue opened by Saint John Paul II in Assisi in 1986".
Noting that the holy month of Muslims begins in a few days, COREIS issued a statement, saying: “In these blessed days, here in Makkah as well as in Italy, we remember the pope in our prayers, wishing him full recovery.”
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07/07/2021 13:52
