Pope Calls for Peace as Global Conflicts Shape Holy Days

Is Lucero

Staff Writer

Pope Leo XIV’s call for peace cannot come sooner as this year celebrants of various Holy Days have been forced to celebrate in new ways as war and violence rages on around the world. 

In an article from The Washington Post covering Pope Leo’s first Easter Sunday, he proclaimed “Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace!” and that “We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent.” Amidst this indifference to violence, the Pope calls for peace while many around the world celebrate their Holy Days in a world torn by war. Furthermore, in Pope Leo’s homily he emphasized the importance of not losing hope and challenged celebrants of the holiday and everyone around the globe to embrace it. Speaking that Easter represents “a hope that never fails, a light that never fades, a fullness of joy that nothing can take away.” 

Just over 3,600 kilometers south of Rome, Lebanon’s Easter Sunday looked vastly different this year as reported in an NBC News article that discussed Lebanese Christians’ Easter celebrations this year, with many not celebrating in their usual churches. In total, Lebanon is home to approximately 5.5 million Christians, with over 1 million people being displaced by fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters. Israel has issued evacuation warnings for southern Lebanon, the location of many Christian villages, with some refusing to leave. Patriarch Beshara al-Rai of Lebanon’s Maronite Church echoes the same call for peace as Pope Leo, blaming all sides engaging in the conflict for creating suffering.

Suffering continues throughout the world with BBC News reporting that a 32-hour ceasefire was announced for Orthodox Easter in the Russia-Ukraine war. This ceasefire was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and was agreed upon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This ceasefire ended with both states accusing each other of ceasefire violations, with Reuters reporting Ukraine accused Russia of 7,696 violations and Russia accused Ukraine of 6,500 violations. 

As covered by Al Jazeera, Christians are not the only ones whose Holy Days have been impacted by war. Muslims celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic festival marking the end of a month of fasting, from March 20 to March 22. This comes a little under a month since the war in Iran started with the killing of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei by a US-backed Israeli strike. On top of being in the center of a warzone, celebrants of Eid in Iran have come under fire by anti-government Iranians who associate religious activities with being pro-government. Movement away from Eid celebrations was further pushed by it falling on the same Friday as Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with many who are anti-government focusing on the Nowruz celebration instead. 

Furthermore, Al Jazeera reports that throughout the Islamic world we see this disruption in Eid al-Fitr celebrations. In Gaza, where the majority of the population is Sunni Muslim, Eid al-Fitr celebrations have also come to a halt during the war with Israel. The war has caused an extreme economic crisis, meaning many must forgo traditional celebrations and give up basic necessities such as fruits and vegetables. 

As discussed by Vatican News, Pope Leo has spoken on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and highlighted these issues recently during a trip to Africa. In discussing both Ukraine and the Middle East, the Pope expressed that the world needs to focus on “peace and dialogue,” calling this “true strength.” In Angola he reflected on the increase of violence in Ukraine and called for an end to hostilities. A similar message was echoed when discussing the Middle East, noting that a recently announced ceasefire in Lebanon brings about hope for lasting stability in the region and world.  

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