As wider war threatens Middle East, pope asks Mary to intercede

by CNS · October 7, 2024

Pope Francis stops in prayer before the icon “Salus Populi Romani” (“health — or salvation — of the Roman people”) after praying the rosary for peace in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major Oct. 6, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

By Cindy Wooden, CNS – As fighting in the Middle East intensified and spread, Pope Francis turned to Mary, begging her to “intercede for our world in danger.”

With members of the Synod of Bishops, pilgrims, ambassadors accredited to the Vatican and Catholics from the Diocese of Rome, the pope led the recitation of the rosary for peace on Oct. 6 at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major.

The prayer service took place on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the deadly Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s massive retaliation in Gaza.

Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon have joined the fighting, firing rockets and artillery shells at northern Israel. Israel ramped up its response in late September, sending troops across the border and intensifying its targeting of what it said were Hezbollah hideouts. In April and again Oct. 1, Iran fired missiles on Israel in support of its Hezbollah allies. Many feared Israel would strike Iran.

Turning to Mary, Pope Francis prayed that she would intercede with God so that the world would “protect life and reject war, care for the suffering, the poor, the defenceless, the sick and the afflicted, and guard our common home.”

“We beg you to intercede for God’s mercy, O Queen of Peace,” the pope prayed. “Convert the souls of those who fuel hatred, silence the noise of weapons that give rise to death, extinguish the violence that broods in the heart of human beings and inspire projects of peace in the deeds of those who govern nations.”

Pope Francis read his prayer to Mary during the service, but did not give a homily.

The pope led a similar service in May 2022, asking Mary to intercede to end Russia’s war on Ukraine and to bring peace to the world.

As the Middle East conflict escalated, he began his prayer by saying, “O Mary, our mother, once again we stand before you. You know the sorrows and difficulties that burden our hearts in this hour. We lift our gaze to you, we focus on your eyes and entrust ourselves to your heart.”

“Hear our cry,” the pope prayed. “We need your loving gaze which invites us to trust in your son Jesus.”

Knowing that Mary is “ready to embrace our sorrows,” he prayed that she would “come to our aid in these times oppressed by injustice and devastated by wars (and) wipe away the tears from the suffering faces of those who mourn the death of their loved ones.”

But Pope Francis also prayed that Mary would rouse all people of goodwill “from indifference which has darkened our way and disarm our hearts from weapons of violence, so that the prophecy of Isaiah may be fulfilled immediately: ‘They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'”