Pope Francis to speak at 'Together 2016' Christian event, say organizers

Suzette Gutierrez Cachila Thursday, June 16, 2016

Pope Francis leaves at the end of his weekly audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican May 11, 2016. | Reuters/Stefano Rellandini

The organizers of "Together 2016," a gathering of Christians on July 16, confirmed that Pope Francis will be sharing a message during the event.

"Together 2016" is being touted as a historic coming together of one million Christians at the National Mall for prayer and worship. The idea for the event came from Nick Hall, the founder of PULSE, a student-led movement that seeks to "awaken the culture to the reality of Jesus."

Pope Francis will join other prominent Christian figures and artists in the event as he is set to speak to the people through a video message.

Hall said the organizers are "humbled and honored" that the Pope has agreed to be involved in the event.

"That His Holiness would choose to speak into this historic day is a testament to the urgency and the need for followers of Jesus to unite in prayer for our nation and our world," Hall told The Christian Post.

"Together 2016" hopes to unite Christian leaders from various denominational backgrounds and spark revival in the United States. At present, more than 1,000 churches have expressed support for the event, according to PR Newswire.

"The times call for this moment," Hall said, adding that a large gathering like this will help draw the believers' attention to the things that really matter.

Hall emphasized that the people's hope is in Jesus alone and not in any political leader. He urged the believers to seek God together through this event to pray for the nation.

"Our goal is to gather as a unified front, seeking Jesus and change for our nation through prayer and worship," he stated. "We are going to come together, seek God, pray for our nation and pray for unity."

The event organizers believe in the power of Christians coming together, and they envision "Together 2016" to be "the day when this generation lays down what divides us and lifts up Jesus who unites us."

The event will be attended by more than 40 prominent Christian figures, authors, pastors, artists and worship groups like Lecrae, Hillsong United, Kari Jobe, Crowder, Passion, Casting Crowns, Matthew West, Jeremy Camp, Kirk Franklin, Ravi Zacharias, Nabeel Qureshi, Josh McDowell and Francis Chan.