“I invite the whole Christian community of the diocese to join [us] in prayer for the Holy Land, for the peace of all its residents, for peace in Jerusalem, [and] for all of the victims of this endless conflict.” This is what Mons. Pierbattista Pizzaballa wrote in his May 15 letter that was addressed to all priests, religious men and women and faithful of the Latin Diocese of Jerusalem, following the “latest explosion of hatred and violence, which is once again causing bloodshed in the Holy Land.” Accepting this call, the Custody of the Holy Land will participate in the prayer vigil for peace that will be celebrated in Jerusalem at the Church of St. Stephen (École Biblique) next Saturday, on the eve of Pentecost, at 5:00 p.m.
“We must pray more for peace and for our conversion, and for everyone’s conversion,” said the Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate. “We must truly pray to the Spirit to change our hearts to better understand His will and to give us the strength to continue working for justice and peace!”
Mons. Pizzaballa said, “Once again, as a sort of vicious circle, we are forced to condemn all forms of violence, every cynical use of human lives and disproportionate violence. Once more, we are forced by circumstances to ask for and cry out for justice and peace!”
On May 15, a press release by the Assembly of Catholic Priests of the Holy Land was also published, which reaffirmed the position, which has been repeated multiple times by the Holy See, “on the need to make Jerusalem a city open to all peoples, the religious heart of the three monotheistic religions, and to avoid unilateral measures. We call all parties involved to avoid the use of violence and to find ways to end the siege on about 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible," read the press release.
Mons. Pizzaballa’s invitation, which was addressed to the whole diocese —parishes, religious communities, associations and movements—in these days of preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost, is to “dedicate a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Jerusalem and to make it such that the liturgy for Pentecost will be accompanied by a prayer for peace.”
