Iraq and the Queen of Peace
August 22, 2014
In response to the present turmoil in Iraq, members of the Order of Preachers in Iraq and throughout the world have been vocal in calling attention to the persecution and sectarian violence being endured by so many Christians and non-Christians in the country. On August 11, a Dominican friar in Iraq offered concrete suggestions for political interventions and prayer on behalf of those suffering in Iraq. On August 14, the Master of the Order Fr. Bruno Cadoré, O.P., published a plea for urgent action on Iraq to the world leaders and member states of the United Nations. On August 17, the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena who serve in Iraq offered further information about the situation on the ground.
Today, on this memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us invoke Mary under her title Queen of Peace, that she may intercede on behalf of all those who are afflicted by war, violence, and persecution. May the Mother of Christ, the Lord who is our Peace (cf. Eph. 2:14), intercede for us so that we may be made instruments of peace and reconciliation.
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Image: Our Lady of Peace, Abbaye-école de Sorèze, France.
