PRESIDENT of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, is calling on all Australians to pray for rain as the continuing drought threatens the nation’s food supplies.
At an April 22 11am Mass in St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide, Archbishop Wilson backed a call by Prime Minister John Howard for people to pray for much needed rain across the nation.
“The power of prayer is very strong and we have every hope in asking for the Lord’s intervention and help at this time of great difficulty,” Archbishop Wilson said.
“At a time when our political leaders and climate experts are giving close attention to the economic and environmental consequences of this drought, we should remember the many people on farms and in small businesses who suffer in a deeply personal way,” he said.
“I call on religious leaders to lead prayer on this critical issue at this time.”
Earlier this month Mr Howard warned farmers in the Murray-Darling basin they would not be able to access water for irrigation purposes unless substantial rain fell by the end of May.