The Bishop of Gozo, Mario Grech, has proposed that money collected
through sacrifices on Ash Wednesday should be donated to the Catholic
Church in Libya.
In a circular issued in connection with the feast of St Joseph (March
19) he said that the faithful should pray for the unity of families in
Malta and for the refugees of the Libya crisis.
Referring to the refugees having to flee Libya, he said the
international community should offer them shelter and ease their
hardship.
He pointed out that St Joseph himself had suffered as a
refugee when he was forced to flee to Egypt with Mary and Baby Jesus.
Mgr Grech welcomed the humanitarian gestures made by Malta in the past few days.
He also urged the faithful to pray for the Catholic Church in Libya,
particularly Bishop Sylvester Magro, O.F.M. in Benghazi and Bishop
Giovanni Martinelli, O.F.M in Tripoli and the Maltese religious in
Libya.
Mgr Grech said that after having heard the views of parish priests,
he proposed that money raised through sacrifices on Ash Wednesday should
be offered as solidarity with the Church in Libya.
BISHOPS' CALL FOR PRAYER
Earlier this week, Archbishop Paul Cremona and Bishop Grech called
for prayers for a peaceful resolution of the Libya crisis and crises in
other Arab countries.
They expressed their concern over the situation and said that there could not be peace and progress without justice.
Both bishops also called for gestures of solidarity for people in need.