Marking one year from the Hamas attacks on Israel that plunged the Holy Land into all-out war, Pope Francis addresses a letter to the Catholics of the region decrying the “shameful inability of the international community and powerful countries to put an end to the war” and expressing his closeness to those who "suffer the devastation which the powerful impose on others."

By Linda Bordoni

In a letter dated 7 October 2024, one year from the "sad day" when the lighting “of the fuse of hatred (…) that exploded in a spiral of violence,” Pope Francis reaches out to the Catholics of the Holy Land “as blood and tears are still being shed.”

“I am thinking of you and praying for you,” the Pope says, decrying “the shameful inability of the international community and the most powerful countries to silence the weapons and put an end to the tragedy of war.”

He notes that “Anger is growing, along with the desire for revenge, while it seems that few people care about what is most needed and what is most desired: dialogue and peace.”

“War is a defeat,” he reiterates, "Weapons do not build the future but destroy it, violence never brings peace. History proves this, yet years and years of conflict seem to have taught us nothing.”

A defenceless flock loved by God

Thanking the “small, defenceless flock” who dwells in the Holy Land “thirsting for peace” for wanting to remain in their lands, praying and loving despite everything, he describes Holy Land Catholics as “a seed loved by God.”

He encourages them to find a way to bear fruit and give life, without letting themselves be engulfed by the darkness that surrounds them.

“Planted in your sacred lands, become sprouts of hope, because the light of faith leads you to testify to love amid words of hatred, to encounter amid growing confrontation, to unity amid increasing hostility,” he writes.

And saying he writes “with the heart of a father”, to his children, who are “today experiencing a real martyrdom, the Pope asks them to sow “seeds of peace amid the winter of war,” and be “witnesses to the power of a non-violent peace.”

Day of prayer and fasting

Pope Francis notes that today people do not know how to find peace. “As Christians, we must never tire of imploring peace from God.”

“That is why, on this day, I have urged everyone to observe a day of prayer and fasting,” he says, calling them “the weapons of love that change history, the weapons that defeat our one true enemy: the spirit of evil that foments war.”

"I am close to you, I am with you"

The whole second part of the letter is composed of a sequence of “I am with you, I am close to you.” Pope Francis utters these words to his brothers and sisters, but also to the men and women of every confession and religion who in the Middle East are suffering from the insanity of war:

To the people of Gaza who are in his thoughts and prayers every day:

To the mothers who weep while looking at their dead or wounded children, "like Mary at the sight of Jesus";

To you “who are afraid to look up for fear of fire raining down from the skies”;

To you who “have no voice, for despite all the talk of plans and strategies, there is little concern for those who suffer the devastation of war, which the powerful impose on others”;

To you who thirst for peace and justice, “and refuse to yield to the logic of evil and, in the name of Jesus, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Gratitude to those who assist those suffering in war

Finally, the Pope has words of thanks for the “sons and daughters of peace,” for those, who, throughout the world, assist those who suffer, and for the bishops and priests “who bring God’s consolation to those who feel alone and abandoned.”

“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, I bless you and embrace you with heartfelt affection. May Our Lady, Queen of Peace, watch over you. May Saint Joseph, Patron of the Church, protect you.”

Source; https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-10/pope-francis-letter-7-october-holy-land-war-suffering.html

The meaning of the logo & Theme

Unity

We, the people of God, make up the Church. As one body in Christ, we stand in unity with Christ as our head, King, and God.

Hope

In today’s troubled times, our hope in Christ gives us strength and purpose, and is our guiding light towards God’s love and grace.

The Cross

The cross brings together our unity and hope. Shaped like a monstrance, it reminds us of Christ as bread broken for the world. In starburst form, it represents the star that guided the Magi as they sought the baby Jesus.

Vatican City, Jan 21, 2024 / 10:00 am

Pope Francis announced the start of a Year of Prayer on Sunday in preparation for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year.

In his Angelus address, the pope said that a Year of Prayer starting on Jan. 21 will be “a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one’s personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the world.”

“Dear brothers and sisters, the coming months will lead us to the opening of the Holy Door, with which we will begin the jubilee,” Pope Francis said from the window of the Apostolic Palace. 

“I ask you to intensify your prayer to prepare us to live this event of grace well and to experience the power of God’s hope. That is why today we begin a Year of Prayer.”

The pope said that the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization will publish resources to help Catholic communities to more fully participate in the Year of Prayer. The Holy See Press Office has also announced that a press conference on the Year of Prayer will take place on Jan. 23.

The Vatican and the city of Rome are expecting an estimated 35 million people to flock to the Eternal City for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope — the first ordinary jubilee since the Great Jubilee of 2000.

A jubilee is a special holy year of grace and pilgrimage in the Catholic Church. It typically takes place once every 25 years, though the pope can call for extraordinary jubilee years more often, such as in the case of the 2016 Year of Mercy or the 2013 Year of Faith.

Jubilees have biblical roots. The Book of Leviticus called for jubilee years to be held every 50 years for the freeing of slaves and forgiveness of debts as manifestations of God’s mercy. The practice was reestablished by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300.

The 2025 Jubilee Year begins on Dec. 24, 2024 (Christmas Eve), and concludes on Jan. 6, 2026.

The Holy Doors are a central part of any jubilee. These doors, found at St. Peter’s Basilica and Rome’s other major basilicas, are sealed from the inside and opened during a jubilee year.

The opening of the Holy Door symbolizes the offering of an “extraordinary path” toward salvation for Catholics during a jubilee. Pilgrims who walk through a Holy Door can receive a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions.

Pope Francis announced the Year of Prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace after presiding over Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the Sunday of the Word of God.

In his reflection on Sunday’s Gospel in his Angelus address, Pope Francis said that “the Lord loves to involve us in his work of salvation.”

“Bringing God’s salvation to everyone was for Jesus the greatest joy, his mission, the meaning of his existence … And in every word and deed with which we join with him in the beautiful adventure of giving love, light, and joy multiply not only around us but also within us,” he said.

Tags: Jubilee Year,  Pope Francis,  Prayers,  Catholic Church,  Sunday of the Word of God, Dicastery for Evangelization,  2025 Jubilee Year,  Jubilee,  2025 Jubilee

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/author/421/courtney-mares