ASIA/UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – “The Lion’s Roar”: Bishop Martinelli invites everyone to pray the Rosary every day for the gift of peace

Abu Dhabi – Just hours after the start of the US and Israeli attack on Iran, which began on the morning of Saturday, February 28, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, issued an appeal to the Catholic communities of the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. His invitations are simple yet essential: to pray the Rosary every day “for peace and reconciliation” and to pray at every Eucharistic celebration “for the peace and security of all the peoples of this region.” “We are all concerned about the evolving international situation in the Middle East,” the Apostolic Vicar wrote in his brief message. Bishop Martinelli, a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, also exhorts “all the faithful” of the Vicariate to “remain calm and serene, while at the same time carefully following all the instructions given by the civil authorities.” In his message, he also asks “that Our Lady of Arabia watch over us all; that our patrons, Peter and Paul, protect us; and that the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi grant us peace.”
In response to the bombings initiated by Israel and the United States, Iran has begun launching attacks against Gulf countries, hitting airports, buildings, ports, and civilian infrastructure. In recent hours, Iranian missile and drone attacks have affected the United Arab Emirates. Loud explosions have been heard in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as in other Gulf cities, such as Doha, Manama, and Kuwait City. On the afternoon of Sunday, March 1, during a webinar organized by the Oasis Foundation and the Milan Cultural Center, Apostolic Vicar Paolo Martinelli referred to the words spoken a few hours earlier by Pope Leo XIV after the Angelus prayer . “These are precise and clear words, with real weight. We listened to them attentively, and I personally thank the Lord for these words that reach us at this dramatic moment,” he stated. Referring to the Pope’s words, Bishop Martinelli reiterated that the escalation in Iran and the Middle East “has no future” and that “there is no alternative to dialogue and diplomacy.” “I am very grateful to Pope Leo,” the Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia emphasized, “for having used the expression ‘the good of the peoples.’” This is fundamental: the good of the people, the good of those who face daily life, with the problems of food, work, worry about their children, and moving forward.”

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