Churches join global prayer day for peace in the Holy Land

By Vatican News staff writer

As war between Israel and Hamas rages on, and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip worsens, Christians across the world are heeding a call to pray for peace in the Holy Land.

The Church leaders of the Holy Land's call for a day of prayer

Writing to the world’s faithful as President of the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL), in a letter last week Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, asked that on Tuesday, October 17, everyone hold a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer for peace and reconciliation in the battered region.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem particularly urged “prayer times with Eucharistic adoration and with the recitation of the Rosary to Our Blessed Virgin Mary.” “This is the way we all come together despite everything, and unite collectively in prayer, to deliver to God the Father our thirst for peace, justice and reconciliation,” he said. 

In a following statement, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem also urged their respective congregations and all those of goodwill to join in prayer and fasting for peace and “in support of all those who have suffered in this war and of the families reeling from the violence.”

Since Israel declared war on Hamas and placed Gaza under siege, following its brutal incursion of October 7, some 1,400 Israelis and more than 2,700 Palestinians have been killed and many more have been injured.

199 hostages taken during the attack are still been held captive, while the besieged Strip is on the verge of total collapse, and Hamas rockets continue to strike Israel.  

There is still time to stop hatred

“There is yet time to stop the hatred,” said the Church leaders in Jerusalem in their statement, remarking that Israel’s order to evacuate the north of Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive “will only deepen an already disastrous humanitarian catastrophe.”

The call by the Church leaders of the Holy Land has been heeded by several Bishops’ Conferences, including the U.S. Bishops, Catholic organizations and religious.

Catholic Bishops, religious and WCC joining the day of prayer

The International Union of Superiors General invited its members to observe the day of fasting and prayer, saying in a message to members that “in this moment of deep concern and sorrow for the situation we are facing, we wish to share a ray of hope.” “This is a time when we want to come together as a global community, praying together for a world where peace prevails over violence, justice over discord, and reconciliation over hatred,” they said. “United in prayer, we can bring our desire for peace and justice to God the Father.”

The World Council of Churches has also rallied around the observance inviting all member Churches, and people of goodwill to unite in prayers for peace, for aid to those suffering, and for those who have lost loved ones.