By Valerio Palombaro

The urgent call for peace in a world torn by multiple conflicts resounded on the evening of Monday of Holy Week at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome.

The prayer vigil, presided over by the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, was marked by the presence of the Archbishop of the Latin Archdiocese of Tehran-Isfahan, Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu.

“Never again war, an adventure with no return; never again war, a spiral of mourning and violence,” said Cardinal Mathieu, echoing passages from a prayer uttered by Saint John Paul II on 2 February 1991. The Cardinal invoked God’s intercession for the end of the war ravaging the Gulf region, after having been compelled to leave the Iranian capital on 8 March.

“Stop the logic of retaliation and revenge,” he prayed, “and through your Spirit suggest new solutions, generous and honourable gestures, spaces for dialogue and patient waiting, more fruitful than the rushed deadlines of war.”

Forgotten conflicts and the wounded Holy Land

The evening prayer is part of a monthly initiative entitled “Mission of Peace – A Journey in the Spirit”. It is promoted by the Diocesan Missionary Centre and the Office for Social and Labour Pastoral Care of the Diocese of Rome, in collaboration with Pax Christi, Azione Cattolica, and the Community of Sant’Egidio. Attention was also shone on the so-called “forgotten conflicts” devastating parts of the world, including eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan.

Particular focus was placed on the Holy Land and the wider Middle East. A measure of relief was expressed regarding the decision of the Israeli authorities to allow Holy Week celebrations to take place in Jerusalem—albeit under security restrictions linked to the war.

An agreement was reached after access to the Holy Sepulchre had been denied on Sunday to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and to the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo.

‘So many innocent people are being crucified’

“We are close to the Iranian people and to all those who are suffering at this moment,” Cardinal Reina told journalists on the sidelines of the event.

Referring to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, where the vigil was being held, he said, “This church preserves one of the most important relics of the Cross of Christ.”

“History repeats itself, and there are so many innocent people being crucified,” he recalled. “The Pope calls all Christians to pray for peace. This is a dramatic moment for all humanity.”

Abandoning violence: the lesson of history

“Violence produces only more violence,” Cardinal Reina said in his meditation, asking: “How can humanity not have learned this basic lesson of history?”

The Cardinal Vicar observed that the world has “lost peace” and is moving “towards the absurd,” towards “rearmament that carries the taste of death.”

He expressed appreciation for the presence of Cardinal Mathieu, who joined the prayer together with that of his people and of all peoples marked by war.

“Jesus is among those who suffer,” he said, recalling Christ’s crucifixion between two criminals. “He who came to bring peace is found in the middle, as if to reveal a God who enters into our history, into our suffering, in the hope that someone will recognize Him and bring peace.”

“Help us to recover peace,” Cardinal Reina concluded, stressing that peace is ultimately not the result of “diplomatic choice or strategy,” but is Christ himself.