Pope: A caravan of peace for Egypt's forgotten children

(Vatican Radio) Two thousand young boys and girls drawn from across Rome’s sprawling parishes marched on St Peter’s Square this Sunday to the sound of drums, trumpets and songs for their annual appointment with Pope Benedict XVI. Emer McCarthy reports: They are the children of Catholic Action Rome and the last Sunday of January marks their annual ‘Caravan of Peace’ which culminates in the release of two white doves from the Papal apartments shortly after the Angelus prayer. This year, the young boy and girl chosen to release the doves together with Pope Benedict told the Holy Father that the funds collected by the children of Rome will be donated to the forgotten children of Egypt. Proceeds from their pastoral and charity initiatives in fact will be sent to the Jesuit Community of Alexandria, in particular Brother Atef, who heads a theatre group for street children titled ‘Art and Life’. Earlier, Pope Benedict XVI had encouraged prayers for peace across the entire Middle East. He expressed his spiritual closeness to all those participating in the initiative supported by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In fact the last Sunday of January also marks world day of prayer for peace in the Holy Land. The global event, now in its fifth year, is a 24 hour continuum of prayer in more than three thousand cities for peace in the region. The Pope said: “I thank those who are promoting this in many parts of the world and I greet in particular those present here today”....