New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have asked Pope Francis to declare a global prayer vigil for peace in Gaza and the rest of the Holy Land.

In a letter, the New Zealand bishops praise the Pope for his efforts to bring about peace.

But the bishops pick up on a request from a Gaza priest, Fr Raed, for the Pope to convene a vigil of prayer and fasting for the Holy Land, as he previously did for Syria.

The New Zealand bishops “respectfully” draw this to the Pontiff’s attention.

“This prayer vigil is taking place in the countries close to Gaza, but the magnitude of the disaster is so great, that we ask if the Holy See could make this a global vigil,” the New Zealand bishops say.

The bishops tell the Pope of their anguish and sadness about Gaza, and say their sense of helplessness is relieved a little by constant prayer for peace.

They acknowledge New Zealand’s distance from the conflict.

“Knowledge of the appalling suffering in Gaza fills us with a sense of desperation and leads us to ask what else we can do to alleviate the suffering and help bring peace,” the letter continues.

The bishops also acknowledge that Gaza has been a prison for seven years.

The blockade has destroyed the local economy and also prevents people fleeing for safety, they note.

The bishops ask New Zealanders to pray unceasingly for lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinean people.

They also urge New Zealanders to the support the Caritas humanitarian effort in Gaza – as these are two ways in which Kiwis can help.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has provided an initial grant of $20,000 for humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

These funds are the result of people’s generosity through the Caritas Gifts – Gifts of Peace programme. www.caritasgifts.org.nz

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News category: New Zealand, Top Story.