"Pope Francis has called for a global day of prayer and fasting on Oct. 7 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel amid escalating violence in the region.

The pope’s surprise announcement, made at the end of his homily at Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, comes the morning after Iran launched hundreds of missiles toward Israel following the launch of the Israeli military’s ground offensive in Lebanon.

Pope Francis said on Oct. 2 that the Church is always at the service of humanity, “especially in his dramatic hour of our history, as the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to ravage entire peoples and nations.”

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Question to ponder: How will I honour Pope Francis' request?

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