Dear brothers, sisters, and friends in the Assumption,
Deep within our Assumptionist “DNA,” we hold a special affection for the Christian East, where we have been present in various locations since the very first decades of our foundation. We quickly took it upon ourselves to lead pilgrims there, primarily to the Holy Land. We founded communities in Jerusalem, first at Notre Dame de France and then at Saint Pierre en Gallicante, a sanctuary where we continue to watch over and animate the welcome of pilgrims and the transmission of a message of reconciliation.
Our brothers, our predecessors, have thus borne witness to the region’s history with all the twists and turns we know. Since October 7, 2023, we have once again been plunged into the heart of a complex and tragic chapter in the history of humanity. A new chapter in History with a capital ‘H’ is certainly unfolding here, though we cannot yet fully grasp all its consequences. Since the tragic events of October 2023, we have been living through alternating periods of calm and renewed tensions of varying intensity.
Since the beginning of March, events have accelerated. Much of the region has been engulfed in a tragic armed conflict, marked by uncertainty and insecurity. Life has slowed to a crawl; pilgrims and tourists have completely deserted the region; travel has become difficult; and contact with the outside world is possible only through modern communication networks.
While we in Jerusalem may be less affected than elsewhere, the threat is real; uncertainty and anxiety are very much present with every alert, when the sirens wail, and as missiles and weapons of mass destruction are intercepted—we see them flying overhead, and their debris then crashes down randomly around us. This has been our daily reality for nearly a month.
We realize that we are not the sole focus of your worries and concerns. Even though the spotlight of current events is regularly turned toward this region of the globe, you, too, have a very complex daily life to manage. No one is spared!
However, we are about to enter Holy Week, and the Church of Jerusalem, the Mother Church, calls for prayer—ours, yours, and that of those you know and for whom you have pastoral responsibility. This intercession in prayer is a cry, a plea that a just and lasting peace be granted to the region.
Today, this Saturday, the Patriarch of Jerusalem invites us to unite in a single prayer for peace through the recitation of the Rosary. Tomorrow, Palm Sunday, the traditional procession from the Mount of Olives to the Old City of Jerusalem—which commemorates Jesus’ solemn entry into the Holy City—has been canceled. The Holy Sites will remain closed even during this Easter season.
The Patriarch will lead a time of prayer, in a small group for security reasons, likely from the Dominus flevit, the place where Jesus wept over the Holy City.
We ask for your communion in intercession before the Father: May peace come, in hearts and for the peoples of this region of the Middle East.
Prayer for Peace with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Brothers, sisters, friends,
May this journey toward the Holy Day of Easter manifest, in a special way, our passion for the Father and for humanity, as well as our concern for peace, unity, and communion among peoples and nations.
In fraternal union in this prayer. A blessed start to Holy Week and a good journey toward Easter.