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Saint Paul
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mary, Queen of Peace: Trusting Our Mother listens in times of war

Archbishop Bernard Hebda

“Never again war, never again war! It is peace, peace, that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” These words from Pope St. Paul VI’s historic address to the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York City, spoken significantly on the feast of St. Francis, Oct. 4, 1965, have continued to resonate not only in the halls of the U.N. but throughout our Church.

Given both our Lord’s assertion that “blessed are the peacemakers” and his Church’s consistent proclamation of the dignity of each human life, it is not surprising that the Catechism of the Catholic Church, drawing on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, would teach in its explanation of the Fifth Commandment that “(b)ecause of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war” (No. 2307).

Archbishop Bernard Hebda
Archbishop Bernard Hebda

There is no doubt that we as Catholics have to work for peace.

The tragic images from Ukraine remind us once again of the ravages of war. Our hearts go out to the many Ukrainians in our community, especially to our brothers and sisters at St. Constantine’s parish in northeast Minneapolis. In an age in which the whole world is connected instantly though social media, they know all too well the painful experience of their families in Ukraine and the devastation of the homeland they love. They now share the heartache of our many neighbors from Myanmar, Syria, Armenia, northern Ethiopia and other areas torn by armed conflict.

At this time, we need to respond to St. Paul VI’s call to both action and prayer. I’ve been so inspired by the welcome that those fleeing from Ukraine have already received in the countries that border their homeland. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has noted that there are already nearly 3 million individuals needing assistance. The numbers alone suggest that this is a humanitarian crisis of the first degree that will require heroic sacrifice and generosity. As a CRS board member, I’m proud of the way in which CRS and its Caritas partners are mobilizing to meet that need on behalf of our Church. I will be encouraging our parishes to consider ways of enabling a generous response to this crisis. In the meantime, given the urgency of the need, you may wish to go to the CRS website to consider options for immediate support.

That concrete humanitarian response needs to be accompanied by prayer. The loss of innocent life around the globe should bring all of us to our knees. I was very grateful for the recognition of this priority from so many of our ecumenical partners who felt the Holy Spirit’s impulse to gather together on Sunday evening to pray for an end to the conflict in Ukraine. For us as Catholics, it was a privilege to host the gathering, and particularly meaningful for us to do so at our Basilica, dedicated to Mary.

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One of our Blessed Mother’s traditional titles from the Litany of Loreto is “Regina Pacis.” At times of conflict, men and women of faith have instinctively felt the impulse to draw close to Mary, one who knew firsthand the impact of violence and the loss of innocent life. At the close of World War I, Pope Benedict XV commissioned in thanksgiving a statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace for the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. It’s a striking piece. Clutching with her right arm the Child Jesus, who dangles to the world the olive branch of peace, Mary holds up her left hand as if to call an end to any further conflict. The artist, Guido Galli, gave Mary a strong but serene countenance, ready to engage any and all who choose to share her gaze and ask for her intercession for peace.

In the 18 years that I lived in Rome, I can’t ever recall a time when there weren’t flowers left at that shrine, most often brought by immigrants praying for peace in their homelands. I’ll always remember one afternoon visit to that shrine, at the height of the conflict in the Balkans, when I found myself praying with two women. With one dressed according to the Muslim tradition and the other wearing an Orthodox cross, I could only imagine that their families were on opposite sides in that conflict, but I trusted that both mothers found a compassionate ear in the mother of the Prince of Peace.

In calling us to offer our sacrifices at the beginning of Lent for the intention of peace in Ukraine, Pope Francis prayed in particular that Our Lady would “protect the world from the folly of war.” Let us join our prayers to his, as we strive to respond with generosity to the concrete needs of our brothers and sisters both here and abroad whose lives have been disrupted by armed conflict.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

María, Reina de la Paz: Confiando Nuestra Madre escucha en tiempos de guerra

 


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