VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis asked Catholic bishops in the Middle East to always be “signs of hope, a presence that nurtures words and gestures of peace, brotherhood and respect.” “May the Lord always give you the strength to witness faith in him, including through respectful and sincere dialogue with everyone,” the pope told members of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions Aug. 28 during their plenary meeting in Rome. The conference includes Latin-rite bishops whose dioceses cover Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Djibouti, Egypt, Cyprus and the Persian Gulf nations. Repeatedly offering prayers for the bishops and their people, the pope noted how “the Middle East is experiencing moments of heightened tensions, which in some contexts are erupting into open clashes and flashes of war.” Apparently referring to the current fighting between Israel and Hamas, Pope Francis said that “instead of finding an equitable solution, the conflict seems to be becoming chronic, with the risk that it will spread to ignite the entire region.” The role of Christians, and especially of bishops in such a situation, the pope said, is to “keep hope burning!” (CNS)
