Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has called for a day of prayer, penance and fasting for peace in the Holy Land on Monday, 7 October.
Describing the conflicts in the region as a “vortex of violence and hatred never seen or experienced before”, the Patriarch looks back at the tragedies of the past 12 months as having “deeply lacerated our conscience and our sense of humanity.”
As we approach the anniversary of the 7 October Hamas terror attack that killed 1,195 Israelis, with 251 taken hostage, and the subsequent bombing and fighting that has led to thousands of deaths in Gaza, the Patriarch has repeated his call for the “drift to violence” to end:
“In recent months we have spoken out clearly about what is happening and have repeatedly reiterated our condemnation of this senseless war and what has generated it, calling on everyone to stop this drift of violence, and to have the courage to find other ways of resolving the current conflict, which take into account the demands of justice, dignity and security for all.
“We can only call once again on those in authority and those who bear the grave responsibility of making decisions in this context, to a commitment to justice and respect for every person’s right to freedom, dignity and peace.”
Christians have for centuries been peacemakers and bridgebuilders in the region. Patriarch Pizzaballa reminds Christians of the need to work to alleviate the suffering:
“We too have a duty to commit ourselves to peace, first by preserving our hearts from all feelings of hatred, and instead cherishing the desire for good for everyone. By committing ourselves, each in our own community contexts and in the forms we can, we should support those in need, help those who are personally invested to alleviate the suffering of those affected by this war, and promote every action of peace, reconciliation and encounter.”
The patriarch also spoke about the damage done to the sense of belonging for Christians in the Holy Land:
“Violence, which has caused and is causing thousands of innocent victims, has also found its way into political and social language and actions,” says Patriarch Pizzaballa. “It has struck a profound blow to the common feeling of belonging to the Holy Land, to the consciousness of being part of a plan of Providence that wanted us here to build together His Kingdom of peace and justice, and not to make it instead a reservoir of hatred and contempt, of mutual rejection and annihilation.”
Patriarch Pizzaballa has called for a day of prayer on 7 October. “We need to convert, to do penance, and to implore forgiveness,” he said. “Therefore, I invite you to a day of prayer, fasting and penance on October 7 next, a date that has become symbolic of the drama we are experiencing. The month of October is also the Marian month and on October 7 we celebrate the memory of Mary Queen of the Rosary.”
What can the Catholic community in England and Wales do to come together on 7 October to pray for the people of the Holy Land?
“May each of us, with the rosary or in whatever form he or she sees fit, personally but better again in community, find a moment to pause and pray, and bring to the ‘merciful Father and God of all consolation’ (2 Cor. 1:3), our desire for peace and reconciliation.”
You can read Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa’s full message on the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s website.
Lord our God,
Father of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and Father of all mankind,
Who in the cross of Your Son
and through the gift of His own life,
at great cost You wished to destroy
the wall of enmity and hostility
that separates peoples and makes us enemies:
Send into our hearts
the gift of the Holy Spirit,
that He may purify us from every feeling
of violence, hatred and revenge,
enlighten us to understand
the irrepressible dignity
of every human person,
and inflame us to the point of consumption
for a peaceful and reconciled world
in truth and justice,
in love and freedom.
Almighty and eternal God,
in Your hands are the hopes of men
and the rights of every people:
Assist with Your wisdom those who govern us,
so that, with Your help,
they will become sensitive to the sufferings of the poor
and of those who suffer the consequences
of violence and war;
may they promote the common good and lasting peace
in our region
and throughout the earth.
Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope,
obtain the gift of peace
for the Holy Land that gave birth to you
and for the whole world.
Amen.
