Catholic heads of Churches in Holy Land call for prayer and peace

Amid the war engulfing the Middle East, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land issued a spiritual and humanitarian message expressing the Churches’ deep concern over the situation in the region and reaffirming Christians’ commitment to peace despite the harshness of the circumstances.

In an official statement, the assembly announced that its members had been forced to suspend their plenary meeting, which was scheduled to take place in Nazareth, because of security measures. Instead, they met online to exchange updates on the situation in their Churches.

The statement noted that communities in the Holy Land are all suffering, to varying degrees, from the consequences of the war unfolding in the region.

Yet, according to the assembly, what stands out is that Christian faithful have not yielded to the temptation to respond with violence, even in the most difficult circumstances. It described this as a true sign of hope and a clear witness to Christian identity.

In the context of Lent, the members of the assembly called on the faithful to intensify their prayers and sacrifices, lifting their prayers to God to enlighten the hearts of the leaders of nations and guide them toward the path leading to true peace in the region.

The members also bid farewell to Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, who has concluded his service as apostolic nuncio in the Holy Land, emphasizing that his presence reflected the pope’s closeness and deep concern for this land and its people.

The statement also referred to the martyrdom of Lebanese Maronite priest Father Pierre El-Rahi, who was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon while carrying out his pastoral ministry. The members offered their condolences and prayers for the repose of his soul, saying that his sacrifice may become a seed of peace for the entire Middle East.

In the same context, Father Ibrahim Faltas of the Custody of the Holy Land, in an article published by Al-Quds newspaper, expressed his concern over the reality in the region, calling for an immediate halt to the war, which threatens the innocent and erases the meaning of respect for life.

He described Jerusalem these days as a silent city, nearly empty of pilgrims, speaking of shuttered shops and daily life weighed down by anxiety and hardship. He pointed out that the closure of holy sites to the faithful of the three monotheistic religions, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, reflects the depth of the crisis the region is experiencing. He said: “Because of the ban imposed on the Old City of Jerusalem, we were unable last Friday to pray the Way of the Cross.”

Faltas said this silence and emptiness enveloping the city raise to heaven a shared prayer from the hearts of believers everywhere, a prayer that asks for peace, not victory, and calls for the restoration of the dignity of life and an end to the spiral of violence in the Holy Land.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.