Saint Joseph Catholic Church

“Our thoughts are with all the innocent victims,” the religious leaders said in their March 10 statement. “Every human life deserves protection. Every human being deserves peace, no matter where they live in the world. We call on all parties to put an immediate end to the violence and to resolutely commit themselves to dialogue and respect for international law.”

“We refuse to allow this conflict to fracture our society,” they continued. “This war must not be imported into our country. It is up to us to face them up to them and to preserve what makes our country strong: a democratic coexistence based on respect for convictions.”

The leader of “organized secularism” in Belgium joined the religious leaders in their appeal.

The apostolic nuncio to Lebanon joined two other prelates at the funeral Mass of Father Pierre el-Raï.

Quick action prevented the fires at St. James’ Church in Kilbeggan and St. Michael’s Parish Church in Castletown Geoghegan from spreading throughout the buildings.

The bishops described the attacks as a “grave sin against God, a direct affront to the sanctity of human life, and a violation of the moral law entrusted to humanity,” as they called for a “thorough, transparent, and just” government investigation.

The bishops also warned against “any attempt to use the tragedy to sow division among religious or ethnic communities.”

The East African nation of 121.4 million (map)--the 12th most populous in the world—is 61% Christian (38% Orthodox, 20% Protestant), 33% Muslim, and 6% ethnic religionist.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna lamented the “exacerbation of violence that continues to cause suffering, wounds and mourning, weighing especially on the most fragile: families, children, the elderly, the sick, people forced to leave their homes or to live in daily uncertainty.”

“The cry of those who suffer challenges everyone’s conscience and cannot be ignored,” Cardinal Zuppi continued. “War is not and can never be the answer.”

The bishops’ conference released a summary of Cardinal Zuppi’s letter today, ahead of the Italian bishops’ day of prayer and fasting for peace.

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain visited the cathedral there to express his support for the Catholic community amid Iranian attacks on the nation.

“For years I have lived in Ethiopia as a Sister of the Imitation of Christ, committed to bringing healing, hope, and love, building healthy relationships in one of the poorest regions of the world,” said Sister Surabhila, SIC.

The Vatican newspaper reported that “after her release, she returned to India to try to overcome the deep emotional trauma, then found the courage and strength to return to Ethiopia, where she founded a clinic.”

“I asked the Holy See to intervene and mediate to help preserve the Christian presence in those villages, whose residents have always supported the Lebanese state and its official military institutions, and have never departed from this commitment,” Youssef Rajji said in a social media post.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, affirmed that “the Holy See is making all the necessary diplomatic contacts to halt the escalation in Lebanon and to prevent the displacement of citizens from their lands,” Rajji added.

Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Father Pierre el-Raï as he renewed his appeal for prayers for peace.