“Transform the hearts of those who fuel hatred, silence the din of weapons that generate death, extinguish the violence that brews in the heart of humanity, and inspire projects for peace in the actions of those who govern nations.”

Pope Francis made that supplication for peace on Sunday evening as he prayed the Rosary at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

He was joined by participants in the Synod on Synodality taking place in the Vatican this month.

In his prayer for peace, the Pope brought the sorrows and hopes of peoples at war to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as he sat at the feet of the ancient icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani.

“We lift our gaze to you, immerse ourselves in your eyes, and entrust ourselves to your heart,” he prayed, noting that in her earthly life, Mary drew near to those who suffered.

Pope Francis said humanity currently has great need of her loving gaze, which calls us to trust in her Son, Jesus Christ.

“Fly to our aid in these times oppressed by injustices and devastated by wars,” he prayed. “Wipe the tears from the suffering faces of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones, awaken us from the stupor that has darkened our path, and disarm our hearts from the weapons of violence”.

The Holy Father expressed his concern that our world is in danger, as we have lost the “joy of peace and the sense of fraternity.”

He prayed that humanity may learn to “cherish life and reject war, care for those who suffer, the poor, the defenseless, the sick, and the afflicted, and protect our Common Home.”

In conclusion, Pope Francis asked Mary, Queen of the Rosary, to untie “the knots of selfishness and disperse the dark clouds of evil” and to fill us with her tenderness.

Pope Francis’ prayer to invoke peace

O Mary, our Mother, we come again here before you. You know the sorrows and struggles that weigh heavily on our hearts in this hour. We lift our gaze to you, immerse ourselves in your eyes, and entrust ourselves to your heart.

You, too, O Mother, have faced difficult trials and human fears, but you were courageous and bold. You entrusted everything to God, responded to Him with love, and offered yourself without reservation. As the intrepid Woman of Charity, you hurried to help Elizabeth, promptly addressing the needs of the couple during the Wedding at Cana; with steadfastness of heart, on Calvary you illuminated the night of sorrow with the Easter hope. Finally, with maternal tenderness, you gave courage to the frightened disciples in the Upper Room and, with them, welcomed the gift of the Spirit.

And now we beseech you: heed our cry! We have need of your loving gaze that invites us to trust in your Son, Jesus. You who are ready to embrace our sorrows, fly to our aid in these times oppressed by injustices and devastated by wars, wipe the tears from the suffering faces of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones, awaken us from the stupor that has darkened our path, and disarm our hearts from the weapons of violence, so that the prophecy of Isaiah may quickly be fulfilled: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not take up sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (Isaiah 2:4)

Turn your maternal gaze upon the human family, which has lost the joy of peace and the sense of fraternity. Intercede for our world in danger, so that it may cherish life and reject war, care for those who suffer, the poor, the defenseless, the sick, and the afflicted, and protect our Common Home.

We invoke you for the mercy of God, O Queen of Peace! Transform the hearts of those who fuel hatred, silence the din of weapons that generate death, extinguish the violence that brews in the heart of humanity, and inspire projects for peace in the actions of those who govern nations.

O Queen of the Holy Rosary, untie the knots of selfishness and disperse the dark clouds of evil. Fill us with your tenderness, uplift us with your caring hand, and grant us your maternal caress, which makes us hope in the advent of a new humanity where “… the wilderness becomes a garden land and the garden land seems as common as forest. Then judgment will dwell in the wilderness and justice abide in the garden land. The work of justice will be peace…” (Isaiah 32:15-17)

O Mother, Salus Populi Romani, pray for us!

Pope Francis renews appeal for ceasefire in Middle East

Pope Francis has renewed his appeal for a ceasefire in the Middle East and warned against spiraling into an even bigger war, at the conclusion of his Sunday Angelus address in the Vatican.

Addressing the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square after the midday prayer, October 6,  the Holy Father turned his attention to the war in the Holy Land.

"Tomorrow," Pope Francis recalled, "will be one year since the attack.

"Let us not forget that there are still many hostages in Gaza, for whom," he appealed, "I call for their immediate release."

Since that day, the Holy Father decried, "the Middle East has plunged into ever greater suffering, with destructive military actions that continue to affect the Palestinian population."

The Pope turned to the great suffering of the people of Gaza and the other territories.

"These are mostly innocent civilians, all people who must receive all the humanitarian aid they need."

The Pope called for an "immediate ceasefire" on all fronts, including Lebanon, inviting the faithful in joining him in praying "for the Lebanese people, especially for the inhabitants of the south, who are forced to leave their villages."

"I call on the international community," the Pope continued, "to put an end to the spiral of vengeance and to stop any more attacks, like the one carried out by Iran a few days ago, which could plunge the region into an even bigger war."

"All nations," he said, "have the right to exist in peace and security, and their territories must not be attacked or invaded; sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed by dialogue and peace, not hatred and war."

In this context, the Pope recalled that later in the day he will travel to Rome's Marian Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray a rosary for peace.

Last Wednesday, at the Opening Mass of the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis announced that he was declaring this October 7 as a day of fasting and prayer for peace in the world.

Encouraging faithful to join him in these prayer initiatives, he said, "Let us unite with the power of Good against the diabolical plots of war."

Finally, before announcing he would hold an 8 December consistory for the creation of new Cardinals in the Vatican, the Holy Father expressed his closeness to those suffering from natural disasters.

"I am close," he reassured, "to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina affected by the floods."

"May the Lord," Pope Francis commended, "receive the deceased, comfort their families and sustain those communities."

“I am close to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina affected by the floods. May the Lord receive the deceased, comfort their families and sustain those communities.”