USCCB president calls for ‘fervent prayer’ for peace in Holy Land, return of hostages

October 04, 2024

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CWN Editor's Note: The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked his brother bishops to invite the faithful of their dioceses “to join the Christians of the Holy Land, together with the Holy Father, Pope Francis” on October 7 “in fervent prayer for an end to the violence in the Holy Land, for the safe and prompt return of all hostages, and for the conversion of hearts so that hatred may be overcome, opening a pathway to reconciliation and peace.”

Archbishop Timothy Broglio wrote that October 7 “will mark the first anniversary of the horrific attack by Hamas on Israel in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed ... the deadliest for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

He added that “in the ensuing war against Hamas in Gaza, over 40,000 people, the majority of whom are civilians, are estimated to have been killed. In the West Bank, attacks on civilian Palestinians have also increased ... And in recent days, along the Israeli-Lebanese border, the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has tragically intensified to armed conflict.”

Noting the rise of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents, Archbishop Broglio stated that “compassion is not a zero-sum game,” adding:

As this anniversary approaches, in a time of anguish and trauma, let us seek ways to express our solidarity with our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters. Let us also commit ourselves to combat all forms of hatred directed towards Jews and Muslims, and to work for a lasting peace in the land of the Lord Jesus’ birth.

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