Cardinal Pizzaballa: pray for peace

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa has called for Scotland to pray for peace in the Holy Land.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem preached at Mass in St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh, on Sunday.

Guests included First Minister John Swinney; Rev Dr Shaw James Paterson (Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rt Rev Dr John Armes (Bishop of Edinburgh, Scottish Episcopal Church) and the Rt Rev Kevin Pearson, former Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway (Scottish Episcopalian Church).

The Mass was streamed on YouTube and you can hear what the Cardinal had to say from 28mins 45secs.

He has spoken out regularly about the violence of the current conflict, and recently called it "the worst" period of violence he has seen in the area for 35 years.

Cardinal Pizzaballa's visit has been organised by the Scottish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and Archbishop Cushley, who is Grand Prior of the Order for Scotland.

The following day he spoke to clergy and religious at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh,

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa at St Mary's Cathedral

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, will preach at Mass in St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh, at 7:30pm on Sunday 1 December.

This is a unique chance to hear from the man who is the shepherd for Catholics in the Holy Land, to pray for peace and to show solidarity for those suffering due to the conflict.

His visit has been organised by the Scottish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and Archbishop Cushley, who is Grand Prior of the Order for Scotland.

Joint statement calls for an end to war in the Holy Land

Archbishop Bill Nolan of Glasgow and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland have signed a joint statement calling for an end to war in the Middle East.

Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton and the Archbishop pray that people in positions of power end the "senseless violence" and have the courage and wisdom to pursue the path of justice and peace for all who call the Holy Land home.

The two religious leaders said "enough is enough" and spoke out after Gaza's only Catholic priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, visited Glasgow last Friday (main image).

He shared the plight of his Holy Family Parish congregation, said people are "living in hell" and called for a ceasefire, describing it as a necessary step to restart dialogue between all parties.

The Moderator, the Archbishop and other ecumenical partner representatives attended the event, organised by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) and Justice and Peace Scotland at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

The statement

On the occasion of Fr Gabriel Romanelli's visit to Glasgow on 26 April 2024, we, the undersigned, express our solidarity with the people of the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, the Christian community of the Holy Land and people of all faiths and none across the region tormented by war.

In recent months, millions of innocent people have suffered the consequences of violence and war.

Families and communities have been devastated.

Many have lost hope for a peaceful future.

Men, women and children have been robbed of their innate human dignity and their right to survive and thrive.

Our cry is "Enough is enough".

We stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Gaza and across the Holy Land. May they feel our solidarity and Jesus' loving embrace.
We stand in solidarity with all the sons and daughters of Abraham, the peoples of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths in the Holy Land, that all may know deep peace and reconciliation in their lifetimes.
We stand in support of agencies and individuals who are serving those suffering at their time of greatest need. May they be rewarded for their courage and compassion.
We stand united with all people of good will who are campaigning for an end to this violence. May we never lose hope and may our resolve not falter.
We stand together as disciples of Jesus Christ, who, in the very lands that are lacerated by hostility and violence today, called on his followers to be peacemakers. In the name of God, we call for an end to war, closure of heart and hatred to be replaced with dialogue, reconciliation, and peace.

Today we cry out to all people in positions of power to end this senseless violence.

We pray to Almighty God that their hearts may be turned towards compassion, and that they may have the courage and wisdom to pursue the path of justice and peace for all who call the Holy Land home.

This article is adapted from the Church of Scotland article here. Title image of Father Gabriel Romanelli by James Cave, SCIAF.