The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has organised for Day of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East on Sunday 27 June. During this day the Middle East will be consecrated to the Holy Family and an icon of the Holy Family will be blessed before being sent throughout the Middle East and then to Rome.

By ACN Staff

Christians in Turkey praying. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

The sad fact of the modern world is that when many of us hear about the Middle East it is most often in relation to violence and conflict. Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the president of the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, has announced a Day of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East, which will occur on Sunday 27 June of this year.

The Icon of the Holy Family that will be blessed by Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

There are seven Catholic Churches in the Middle East. These are composed of the Latin Catholic Church and from the Eastern Catholic Churches: the Armenian, Chaldean, Coptic, Maronite, Melkite and Syriac Catholic Churches. Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa will celebrate Holy Mass at Nazareth at 10 AM on Sunday 27 June. Bishops from all seven Catholic Churches in the Middle East, including Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, and Syria, are invited to celebrate Holy Mass at the same time as the Latin Patriarch.

Also taking place will be an act of Consecration of the East to the Holy Family for peace, protection and reconciliation. An icon of the Holy Family will be blessed at the Holy Mass at Nazareth. After this the icon will be brought around the Middle East before going to Rome at the end of the year to mark the end of the Year of St. Joseph. It will then be sent back to the Holy Land where the icon will remain.

The violence in the Middle East has been particularly destructive to families. It is hoped that the icon and the consecration to of the Holy Family can help bring healing to the many damaged families in the region.

Dr. Thomas Heine-Geldern, Executive President of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), has welcomed the day of prayer. He has said the following:

“This initiative of a Day of Peace in the Middle East comes at the right time. The bloody clashes in the Holy Land just a few weeks ago have demonstrated once again how fragile is the peace in the homeland of Jesus Christ, the birthplace of our faith.”

Speaking on the importance of the Consecration to the Holy Family, Dr. Heine-Geldern said the following:

“Many extended families have been torn apart by war and uprooted from their homes. Many young families are sceptical as to whether they still have any future in their own home country. Many Christian families in the Middle East are sitting with their luggage already packed. It is a powerful signal that the bishops are sending on this Day of Peace in consecrating the Middle East to the Holy Family, who themselves were acquainted with the experience of flight, poverty and persecution.”

Pope Francis in Al-Tahira Syriac Catholic Church in Qaraqosh, Iraq. ACN provided funds for the reconstruction of the church. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

ACN also spoke with Archbishop Chucrallah-Nabil El-Hage, the Maronite Archbishop Emeritus of Tyros (Lebanon). The archbishop said that the idea originally came from the commission “Justitia et Pax” in Lebanon before being presented to the Catholic Patriarchs in the region. The archbishop explains that the commission was inspired to pick this date as June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and consecration to the Holy Family was inspired by the Year of St. Joseph.

The Maronite archbishop gave this answer to those who are sceptical of the power of prayer:

“Of course, there are those voices as well. But they are misguided. There can be no justice and no peace without changing the hearts of the people. And what other than God’s mercy can change the heart of the people? No, we have to pray. Moreover, people who pray with sincerity cannot feel hate. This is again a contribution towards peace.”

The archbishop also explained that there are currently plans to begin a similar initiative in collaboration with non-Catholic Eastern Churches like the Eastern Orthodox Church in the Holy Land. As for Catholics who are not in the Middle East, the archbishop has suggested and requested that they pray the Prayer of Dedication to the Holy Family. ACN has been working in the Middle East for decades and has built close relations with the Church in places like Iraq and Lebanon. We encourage our supporters to join our Middle Eastern brothers and sister in prayer for peace in the Middle East.

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