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Article: John Paul's uphill pilgrimage to Zagreb: visit takes on grim meaning after trip to Sarajevo postponed. (includes related article on persecuted Croatian Cardinal Alojzij Stepinac) (Cover Story)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- September 23, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The most moving moment during Mass at the Zagreb racecourse Sept. 11 came when Pope John Paul paused in his.exhortations to the congregation of more than half a million and simply prayed.
He prayed the Our Father, the central Christian prayer, but with additions. "Our Father," he cried, his voice suddenly strengthening, "you invite us to repudiate violence and build a society based on brotherhood and solidarity."
"Our Father," he went on, "would it not be intolerable hypocrisy to pray to you while harboring feelings of anger, or even intentions of violence and revenge?"
Prayer is not just a pious intention, something that goes on "in the head." ...