The “Irish bishops are inviting the faithful to join with them and with Pope Francis to pray for peace in the Middle East and especially for the people of Syria on Monday 31 October”, a statement from the Irish Bishops’ Conference reads. They are all invited, “at a time that most suits their needs”, to gather in parishes, schools, community venues, or at home and pray the “special prayer, which has been designed for use on the day”, thereby participating in the event promoted by Caritas International and the Lutheran World Federation coinciding with the Ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation in Lund. “Innocent men, women and children are paying the ultimate price in the continuing conflict raging in Syria, especially in Aleppo, where they are caught in the crossfire. I join with Pope Francis in urging governments to find a political solution to the war in Syria”, said William Crean, Bishop of Cloyne and Chairman of the Catholic aid agency Trócaire, inviting the faithful to “share the ideals of the #PeacePossible4Syria campaign and to pray for peace”. Even the portal of the Diocese of Riga, in Latvia, is echoing the appeal of the Day of Prayer: “Although we cannot be physically present to provide material aid, as Christians we can try to influence political decisions by our prayers, to avoid further suffering among civilians”, Egita Volinska, president of Caritas Latvia, wrote.