In a communiqué shared with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) communications office, Cardinal Stephen Brislin calls on all parishes in Cape Town Archdiocese to pray for peace in the Holy Land.

“I ask all our parishes to hold in prayer the very troubling situation in Palestine/ Israel and the Gaza Strip. The violence, destruction, and loss of life is deplorable and horrifying. Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones, those who have been maimed, those who are displaced, and those who have been taken hostage,” says Cardinal Brislin in the Friday, October 13 communiqué addressed to parishes in Cape Town Archdiocese.

In the communiqué, the Archbishop of Cape Town goes on to ask the people of God to also pray for peace in other “parts of the world where there is violence, war, and civil strife,” and reiterates Pope Francis’s “call for the release of hostages.”

Meanwhile, the Holy See Secretary of State has paid a visit to the Embassy of Israel to the Holy See to express solidarity for last Saturday’s attack on Israel.

According to Vatican News Cardinal Pietro Parolin “expressed concern for the well-being of the civilian population, both Israeli and Palestinian, especially those in Gaza, amidst the ongoing conflict.”