Emergency: Middle East in Flames
The images are, instantly, indelible. Armed drones. Missiles. Explosions. Flames. Rubble. Blood-spattered book bags. Regardless of the politics of the coordinated Israeli-U.S. air strikes on Iran, and Iran’s response, countless of innocent lives are forever changed.
Many fear this renewed violence in the Middle East is an inflection point:
“Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue,” Pope Leo XIV said after the Angelus on Sunday, 1 March.
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions, I make a heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.
“May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld. And let us continue to pray for peace.”
It’s unknown when this carnage will end. But one thing is clear: When the fog of war lifts, the impact will have been felt most strongly by civilians, families, children, the elderly — the most vulnerable and marginalized of these already battered communities.
CNEWA continues to serve these communities through the many works of the dynamic Eastern churches throughout the Middle East. In Jerusalem, in Gaza, in Jordan, in Syria and in Lebanon, we continue to minister to those in tremendous need, offering emergency relief: food and water, medicines, clothing, shelter and open ears, minds and hearts.
“Our teams throughout the region work long hours on behalf of the churches and peoples whom we are committed to serve,” said Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president of CNEWA and the Pontifical Mission for Palestine. “Their lives and schedules are the living translation of the Gospel question ‘Who is my neighbor?’ as they are there for everyone!”
CNEWA’s men and women on the ground, whether in the Middle East or Northeast Africa or India or Eastern Europe are our heroes on the ground. And they need our help now, too.
Please send your gift to support CNEWA’s emergency work, helping us to respond safely and efficiently to the crises unfolding across an arc of terror, stretching from the Horn of Africa, throughout the Middle East, and into the Caucasus and Ukraine.
And please, pray for a return to dialogue, diplomacy, justice and a lasting peace.