
Pílulas Litúrgicas / Wikimedia Commons (Left), Adobe Stock (Right)
CV NEWS FEED // The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has called for prayers for peace in the Holy Land, which he has said will result in peace for the whole world.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, highlighted the importance of peace among those living in the Holy Land in a message sent to the international conference “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6),” held at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), according to Vatican News.
The “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” conference gathered international theologians and biblical scholars from November 5 to 7, organized by the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at KUL and KUL’s Institute of Biblical Studies. Among the prominent participants was Argentine Rabbi Prof. Abraham Skorka, a KUL honorary doctorate holder.
The Patriarch’s message underscored the profound significance of praying for Jerusalem’s peace, which he sees as symbolic of a global quest for peace.
“Peace…speaks to us about the identity of God,” he said, adding that peace and its pursuit are foundational to the Church’s mission and identity.
Addressing the Church’s role in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pizzaballa drew from the Book of Revelation, describing Jerusalem with two metaphors: the “tent” and the “Bride.” The tent, he said, symbolizes God’s presence, while the Bride represents God’s intimate relationship with humanity.
According to the Patriarch, Jerusalem “descending from Heaven” epitomizes a city marked by divine presence and closeness, which the Church should reflect through its actions. He emphasized that Jerusalem, as both a city and a Church, should visibly manifest God’s presence and make His intimacy evident.
“This tells us something about what life in Jerusalem should be like,” he said, according to Vatican News. “The city of Jerusalem, the Church of Jerusalem, should be a place where God’s presence is visible, and God’s intimacy is evident in our actions.”
The cardinal also framed the plea for Jerusalem’s peace as a prayer for global harmony.
“A prayer for peace in Jerusalem is also a prayer for peace among all nations,” he said. “For in Jerusalem beats the heart of all nations.”
