Pope Francis presided over a solemn rosary prayer in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major on Sunday evening, invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary for peace in the world amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, the pope implored Our Lady, Queen of Peace, to “dispel the dark clouds of evil.”
“Mother, intercede for our world in danger, that it may protect life and reject war, care for the suffering, the poor, the defenseless, the sick, and the afflicted, and guard our common home,” he prayed during the Oct. 6 service.
“We beg you to intercede for God’s mercy, O Queen of Peace! 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.”
Rome’s largest Marian basilica was packed for the rosary prayer on Oct. 6 with bishops, cardinals, priests, religious sisters, and laypeople — many of whom are delegates in the Synod on Synodality assembly taking place at the Vatican this month. Foreign diplomats accredited to the Holy See could also be seen in the crowd praying for peace.
Two young people led the congregation in the glorious mysteries of the rosary with a choir singing a short Marian hymn between each mystery.
Pope Francis sat in a white chair in front of the basilica near the chapel that contains the Marian icon “Salus Populi Romani,” an icon he has visited more than 100 times since becoming pope.
The congregation sang the traditional “Salve Regina” prayer in Latin and the Litany of Loreto at the end of the rosary before the pope read out his prayer for peace.
“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,” Francis said.
“You who are ready to embrace our sorrows, come to our aid in these times oppressed by injustice and devastated by wars, wipe away the tears from the suffering faces of those who mourn the death of their loved ones.”
A small crowd stood outside the basilica praying the rosary in union with the pope inside.
At the end of the prayer, the 87-year-old pope was brought in his wheelchair to pray in silence before an icon of the Virgin Mary. Pope Francis has said that he wishes to be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
A few hours earlier, the pope made an impassioned appeal for peace in the Middle East during his Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square.
“Tomorrow marks one year since the terror attack on the population in Israel, to whom I once again express my closeness. Let us not forget that there are still many hostages in Gaza. I ask for them to be released immediately,” Pope Francis said.
“Since that day, the Middle East has been plunged into a condition marked by increasing suffering, with destructive military actions continuing to strike the Palestinian people. The people are suffering very much in Gaza and other territories. Most of them are innocent civilians, all of them are people who must receive all necessary humanitarian aid. I call for an immediate cease-fire on all fronts, including Lebanon. Let us pray for the Lebanese, especially for those who live in the south, who are forced to leave their villages,” he added.
Appealing to the international community to stop “the spiral of revenge” and to prevent attacks “like the one recently carried out by Iran,” Pope Francis underlined the right of all nationals to exist in peace and security.
“In this situation, prayer is more necessary than ever,” Francis said, reiterating his invitation for a global day of prayer and fasting for peace in the world on Oct. 7.
“Let us unite with the power of good against the diabolical plots of war,” the pope said.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
