Catholics must pray for peace amid escalating global conflicts

LUCKNOW, Uttar Pradesh (Indian Catholic News) —The Catholic bishop of Lucknow has called on Catholics to make prayer for world peace, saying that while ordinary citizens may have little power to stop wars, they can build peace within their families and neighbourhoods.

Bishop Gerald John Mathias of Lucknow, in a pastoral message for the month of June, said the growing number of wars around the world has affected not only the countries directly involved but also people far beyond the battlefields, making prayer an urgent Christian responsibility.

Quoting the risen Christ’s greeting to his disciples, the bishop wrote, “Peace be with you,” adding that through Christ’s death and resurrection, humanity has been reconciled with God and called to live in peace.

“For us to be happy we need peace of mind and serenity of the heart,” he wrote. “No matter how wealthy we are, and how healthy we are, if there is no peace in our mind and heart, we cannot be truly happy.”

Bishop Mathias condemned violence and war as means of resolving international disputes.

“No war can be really justified. Any conflict between groups or nations must be resolved through talks and negotiations, through diplomatic efforts,” he wrote.

The bishop pointed to recent conflicts involving the United States, Israel and Iran, as well as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, saying they have caused widespread destruction, displacement and economic hardship extending beyond the regions directly involved.

He noted that the consequences are also being felt in India through rising fuel costs, disruptions to trade and transportation, higher prices for essential goods and more expensive air travel.

Lamenting the human cost of armed conflicts, he wrote, “Thousands of men, women and children are killed; millions of families have become refugees.”

Bishop Mathias also criticized the global arms industry, suggesting commercial interests contribute to the continuation of conflicts.

“Another big factor behind wars is the weapon industry,” he wrote. Manufacturers, he said, profit from selling “weapons, missiles, bombs, drones and warplanes,” making them beneficiaries whenever armed conflicts erupt.

Peace begins at home

The bishop urged Catholics to pray for political leaders, especially those leading nations at war, asking God to move them toward dialogue instead of violence.

“We must pray that the world leaders, especially of the warring nations stop war, come to negotiating table, talk and work for peace,” he wrote, while also calling on the United Nations and other international leaders to promote negotiations and diplomatic solutions.

Bishop Mathias emphasized that Christians have an important role even when they cannot influence global politics directly. “Just as charity begins at home, so also peace begins at home,” he wrote.

Acknowledging the limitations facing ordinary people, he added, “We as ordinary citizens may not be able to do much for world peace, except pray. But we can live in peace within our family. We can live in peace with our neighbours.”

The bishop said such everyday acts of reconciliation can have a broader impact, writing that peaceful homes and neighbourhoods “will surely contribute to peace in the society.”

Concluding his message, Mathias prayed that “Jesus, the Prince of Peace,” would grant believers his peace and make them “channels of peace to spread it around.”

Read full pastoral message.