In Lenten Message, Ethiopia’s Cardinal Berhaneyesus Calls for Prayers for Leaders, Protection from Disasters

In the message he issued on Monday, February 16, Cardinal Berhaneyesus said that the country’s current situation of conflicts in some regions also calls for prayers for peace and justice.

“Let us pray that peace and justice may prevail; that our leaders may govern with wisdom; that we may be protected from various man-made and natural disasters,” the Ethiopian member of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians/CM) said. The Cardinal also urged Ethiopians to remember prisoners in their prayers, that they may receive mercy, and encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast in their faith through fasting and prayer during the challenging times.

“During this season of the Great Fast, I urge you to practice the true fasting encouraged by our Church,” he said and explained that true fasting entails not hurting one’s neighbors with words and refraining from gossip.

He further emphasized that the Catholic Church calls for a form of fasting that goes beyond abstinence, one that includes practicing Christian charity, upholding the human dignity of others, attentively listening to and living according to the Word of God, and maintaining genuine spiritual vigilance through repentance and active participation in the Holy Mass.

“The season of fasting is a time of grace given to us by our Church to strengthen or begin our journey of conversion by setting ourselves apart from our usual worldly routines,” the Ethiopian Cardinal said.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus, who serves as the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa added, “During this holy season, we are called to practice Christian renewal by exercising self-discipline, strengthening moral conduct, listening to and examining our conscience.”

He emphasized that “the Great Fast is a time of grace given to us to reflect deeply on the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to prepare ourselves through spiritual struggle.”

“In this age filled with trials, it is a sacred time in which we strive to strengthen our Christian life through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving,” Cardinal Berhaneyesus said.

The Cardinal also reflected on the true meaning of prayer and the manner in which it should be practiced, as taught by Jesus Christ, noting that Christ’s very life was itself a profound expression of prayer.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus said that the Lord’s Prayer, as taught by Jesus and beginning with ‘Our Father,’ together with His life of prayer, reveals the essential characteristics of authentic prayer.

Beyond the content of the Lord’s prayer, the Cardinal said that Jesus “teaches us the qualities necessary for any authentic prayer: a pure heart that seeks the Kingdom of God and forgives enemies; a sincere and childlike faith that goes beyond feelings and understanding; and vigilance that protects the disciple from temptation.”

“During this Lenten season, our prayer should draw us closer to Jesus Christ, lead us to God the Father, and be filled with faith and action through the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

He added, “In our prayers, we must go beyond ourselves and pray for our neighbors, for troubled souls, for those who are in sorrow, suffering, and war, for our country, and for the whole world.”

The Cardinal clarified that the season of fasting is not only about abstaining from food but also a time that gives Christians the opportunity to listen, to themselves, to their Creator, and to others.

“In listening there is peace; in listening there is rest; in listening there is understanding; in listening love blossoms, and in love dwells our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said.

He said that a wise person who listens to his conscience can hear the voice of God, adding, “let us all pause and, with moral awareness, listen to our Creator.”

“Let us leave behind the noise that surrounds us, false news, gossip, and worldly judgment, and walk the path of eternal life in a spirit of forgiveness,” Cardinal Berhaneyesus said in his Lenten Message.

Silas Mwale Isenjia – ACI Africa