Cardinal Wuerl Celebrates Mass to Pray for Peace in Iraq
Friday, August 15, 2014
“In the face of this systematic, organized and well-funded push by extremists to drive Christians and others from their homes, we cannot remain idle bystanders.”
WASHINGTON – Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, today celebrated a Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for peace and stand in prayerful solidarity with the Christians of Iraq.
“Every day we learn more about the atrocities perpetrated against Christians and others in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East,” Cardinal Wuerl said in his homily during the Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. “In the face of this systematic, organized and well-funded push by extremists to drive Christians and others from their homes, we cannot remain idle bystanders. First and foremost as people of faith, we turn to God in prayer on behalf of all of those who are suffering so much in this present crisis. But we need also to raise our voices in solidarity with our Holy Father as he calls on all people of good will to recognize this overwhelming human tragedy, to speak out against it and to urge all to proclaim that this inhuman behavior is unacceptable.” Cardinal Wuerl also referred to the Wednesday letter of Pope Francis to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in which the Holy Father renewed his urgent appeal to the international community “to take action to end the humanitarian tragedy now underway.”
“We are gathered here today in prayer as a sign of our own communion with our Christian sisters and brothers and all those in Iraq who suffer so cruelly at the hands of these extremists,” Cardinal Wuerl continued. “We pray first for all those who suffer so mightily at the hands of terrorists and extremists. We also pray that the international community stir itself to find ways to protect the innocent. And we also pray that peoples’ hearts be touched in that troubled part of the world so that toleration and religious freedom become accepted characteristics of whatever political order is established.”
“Peace can only come when there is mutual toleration among and between differing religious groups and when there is the recognition of religious freedom, religious liberty,” Cardinal Wuerl concluded. “On this Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is also the Queen of Peace, we pray as an expression of human and Christian solidarity. We also pray that our hearts be touched with compassion and courage. But we must never allow intolerance, bigotry, viciousness and hatred to infect us and our response to it.”
Following the Mass, Cardinal Wuerl hosted an interfaith service for peace at the St. John Paul II National Shrine. At the request of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, local Catholics will join a national day of prayer for peace in Iraq on Aug. 17 in parishes throughout the archdiocese.
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven. It is celebrated annually on Aug. 15 and is a Holy Day of Obligation.
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