Pray rosary for Holy Land, Catholics urged

MANILA, Philippines — The Archdiocese of Manila is asking parishes and communities to pray the rosary on Oct. 17 to attain peace in the Holy Land.

Vice Chancellor Fr. Carmelo Arada Jr. issued a two-page circular dated Oct. 14 and addressed to all clergy in the archdiocese, requesting that prayers be offered for peace in the Holy Land, which comprises Israel and Palestine.

“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 Oct. 17 or any day your community decides,” Arada said.

He added that the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission prepared the prayers to be recited for this intention.

The archdiocese issued the circular after the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa, appealed that prayers and sacrifices be made in order to attain peace in the Holy Land.

“Once again we find ourselves in the midst of a political and military crisis. We have suddenly been catapulted into a sea of unprecedented violence. The hatred, which we have unfortunately been experiencing for too long, will increase even more and the ensuing spiral of violence will create more destruction. Everything seems to speak of death,” he said.

The cardinal said they are not helpless and could pray to God. “We cannot let death and its sting (1 Cor 15:55) be the only word we hear,” Pizzaballa said.