As the Israel-Hamas war edges toward the one-year mark, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem is calling on the faithful to pray for peace while observing the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15 August.
“On this day, before or after the celebration of the Eucharist or at another suitable time, I invite everyone to a moment of intercession for peace to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” wrote Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa in a 10 August message posted to the patriarchate’s website.
Included with the cardinal’s message was a specific prayer text imploring Mary, along with St Michael the Archangel, “all the angelic powers of heaven and … all the saints” to intercede for “the gift of reconciliation and peace” for both the Holy Land and humanity itself.
The cardinal’s plea comes at a moment when the hostilities are poised to become a regional conflict amid soaring tensions throughout the Middle East.
“All that remains is for us to pray,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa. “Let us pray that in this long night that we are living through, the intercession of the most holy Mary will open a glimpse of light for all of us and for the whole world.”