The Pope Hashtags: Vatican Invites the World Cup to #PauseForPeace

The Vatican called for a truce in the wars happening around the world on July 11, 2014. The Vatican had hoped that there will be a pause for peace during the World Cup final match on Sunday, July 13, 2014. The hashtag #PauseForPeace was created to encourage combatants to have some respite as the violent killings and growing conflict in the Gaza Strip continue. The Pontifical Council for Culture of the Vatican said, ?Adherents are asking for a moment of silence around the Sunday, July 13 match to remember those stricken by wars and unrest worldwide.? The practice of pausing for peace during times of war to allow athletes and spectators to travel for international games has been existent for thousands of years. Today, the International Olympic Committee continues the tradition by asking warring nations to take a moment of silence as a symbol of respect, regardless of how huge the issues may have grown. The hasthag #PauseForPeace invited people to spend several minutes in silence before the match begins at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The final match will determine the overall 2014 FIFA World Cup champions. Germany will face Argentina, the native country of Pope Francis. Germany is the native country of Pope Benedict XVI. The hashtag has been trending well on Twitter as people shared photos and posted touching statements to invite soldiers and the governments of Ukraine and Israel to enter a ceasefire. Social media users continued to share the hashtag to work towards a world without war and religious persecution.   A number of FIFA players showed their intention to help prevent the ongoing violence in war-torn nations like Palestine. Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) previously refused to exchange uniforms with an Israeli player, then tweeted that he ?does not exchange uniforms with ASSASSINS.? Melchor Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture shared about the practice of pausing for peace for sports events, ?Sports were born around religious festivities. Sporting events were moments of peace, when wars ceased, as for the Olympic truce. Why not for the World Cup, why not a pause, a moment of silence, a truce for peace??