The Archdiocese of Manila on Monday asked churches across the country for a “holy hour” to pray for peace in the Holy Land.
“In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, we request that our parishes and communities gather our people for prayer like the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament/Holy Hour and the praying of the rosary on October 17, 2023 or any day your community decides,” it said in a circular dated Oct. 14 and released yesterday.
The archdiocese added it will be sending the special prayer prepared by its Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.
The circular said the order is in accordance with the call of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa for prayer and fasting for peace in the Holy Land.
At least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and 2,750 in retaliatory strikes on Gaza, according to tolls from officials on both sides.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has ordered the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Gaza after raising the alert level to 4.
Pope Francis on Sunday called for humanitarian corridors to allow the delivery of essentials to the Gaza Strip, which is under heavy Israeli bombardment following a bloody attack by its rulers, Hamas.
Alarm has grown about a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel has cut off water, food and power, vowing to maintain the complete siege until all hostages taken by the Palestinian Islamist militant group are freed.
“Humanitarian law must be respected, especially in Gaza, where it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors and help the population,” said the Pope after his traditional Angelus prayer in Rome’s Saint Peter’s Square.
“I strongly urge that children, the sick, the elderly, women and all civilians should not fall victim to the conflict,” he added.
“There have already been so many deaths, please let’s not shed any more innocent blood, not in the Holy Land, not in Ukraine, not anywhere else. Enough is enough. War is always a defeat,” he said, castigating “the diabolical force of hatred, terrorism and war.”
Pope Francis also renewed his call “for the release of the hostages” kidnapped by Hamas fighters in southern Israel.
He invited “all believers to unite in prayer with the Church in the Holy Land” today (Tuesday). With AFP