In response to the request by the Primates of the Anglican Communion, Anglican Churches throughout the world prayed with the people of Zimbabwe this Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25, indicating their solidarity with the beleaguered southern African country
In early February, the Primates (Chief Archbishops) of the Anglican Communion, meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, called for the day of prayer and solidarity after noting "with horror the appalling difficulties of the people" in Zimbabwe, under the government headed by Robert Mugabe.
They said that Mugabe "illegitimately holds on to power" after last year's election, and his government appears to show "a total disregard for life, consistently demonstrated by Mr. Mugabe through systematic kidnap, torture and the killing of Zimbabwean people."
"We give thanks to God for the faithful witness of the Christians of Zimbabwe during this time of pain and suffering, especially those who are being denied access to their churches. We wish to assure them of our love, support and prayers as they face gross violation of human rights, hunger and loss of life as well as the scourge of a cholera epidemic, all due directly to the deteriorating socio-political and economic situation in Zimbabwe," the Primates said in
a statement.
The Primates asked parishes throughout the Communion to supply food and other types of material aid through the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa, with the help of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Observer to the United Nations.
On the Anglican Communion Official Website is a message from the Secretary of the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon; reports of media statements from Archbishop Makgoba of Southern Africa and others; the request for prayer from the All Africa Conference of Churches; and the following prayer for the people of Zimbabwe:
We pray for the suffering people of Zimbabwe,
Forced to live amid deterioration, disease and despair.
We raise our voices on their behalf,
As truth-tellers we want to proclaim 'This is not good',
It is not how God desires our world to be.
Loving Father, look after the people of that sad but beautiful land,
Care for the little ones,
Comfort the dying ones,
And into this hour of darkness may the light of your new dawn begin to shine.
Amen