In our parish church in Muntinlupa, the prayers of the faithful that are recited after the gospel and the homily often give expression to the deepest sentiments of mass-goers. Since the outbreak of the ongoing Middle East conflict involving the United States and Israel versus Iran, we have been asked to pray for peace as an alternative to violent conflict, as well as the safety of Filipinos living and working in the areas suffering constant bombardment from the protagonists.

As reported by Gulf News online: “At least two million Filipinos who live in the Middle East have found themselves in the crossfire since the United States and Israel launched their attack on Iran on February 28.” Two Filipinos, both women, have been killed. The first was a caregiver who died while protecting her ward during a bombing raid. The second woman fatality was killed in the port city of Haifa on Sunday "alongside her Israeli husband and elderly parents-in-law", according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Preparing to travel in Africa, Pope Leo XIV told the faithful that “God rejects the prayers of those who wage war” and the prophet Isaiah’s declaration from the Old Testament that God does not listen to “those whose hands are full of blood.”

Commenting on President Trump’s broadsides against the Pope, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops declared: “Pope Leo is not his rival, nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the sake of souls.”

In the 2024 elections, Mr. Trump won 55 percent of Catholic voters and was supported by majority of evangelical Protestants; he has gone to the extent of claiming “heavenly endorsement for the war on Iran.”

The Catholic Church has long stood as a moral compass in times of war, calling not for indifference, but for discernment grounded in faith, justice, and compassion. As the Middle East conflict intensifies, with nations drawn into a vortex of violence and uncertainty, the Church’s voice resounds with clarity. War is always a tragedy, and peace must be pursued relentlessly, even under the most difficult circumstances.

This teaching is not abstract for Filipinos. Nearly two million of our kababayans live and work across the Middle East, their lives now shadowed by fear and instability. The tragic loss of two Filipino lives is a sobering reminder that distant conflicts are never truly distant. They touch our families, our communities, and our national conscience.

The Catholic Church’s position is rooted in the principles of just war doctrine, which sets strict moral conditions for the use of force. Yet even when these conditions are invoked, the Church consistently emphasizes that war represents a failure of humanity to resolve conflicts through dialogue and justice. In recent years, the Church has gone even further, with its leaders urging the global community to move beyond the logic of war altogether and to embrace a culture of encounter, fraternity, and peace.

How then should we, as Filipino Catholics, view this continuing crisis?

First, through the prism of Divine Mercy. The message of Divine Mercy reminds us that God’s compassion is boundless, even in the darkest moments of human history. War exposes the depths of human brokenness—hatred, vengeance, and the thirst for domination. Yet it is precisely in such moments that we are called to respond not with despair, but with mercy: mercy for the victims, for the displaced, and even for those who perpetrate violence, that their hearts may yet be transformed.

Second, we are called to see the face of Christ in every suffering person. The innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, the families torn apart, the workers displaced from their livelihoods—these are not mere statistics. They are living embodiments of Christ’s passion in our time. To stand in solidarity with them is not optional; it is a moral imperative.

Third, we must act pragmatically and faithfully.

At the personal level, prayer is not a passive retreat but an active force. Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet, especially at the Hour of Mercy, unites us spiritually with those in danger and entrusts the world to God’s compassion. Coupled with prayer is the call to concrete charity: supporting humanitarian efforts, extending help to affected families, and welcoming those who may be forced to return home.

At the societal level, we must support government efforts to protect overseas Filipinos by ensuring their safe evacuation when necessary, providing assistance for their reintegration, and advocating for their welfare through diplomatic channels. Citizens can amplify these efforts by staying informed, countering misinformation, and fostering a culture of peace in both discourse and action.

Finally, for serenity amid turmoil, we turn to trust in God’s providence. The turbulence of war can unsettle even the strongest hearts. Yet faith assures us that history is not governed by chaos, but by a loving God whose mercy endures beyond human failings. Serenity does not mean indifference; it means anchoring ourselves in hope, even as we engage the world’s suffering with courage and compassion.

In these trying times, the call is clear: to be instruments of Divine Mercy in a wounded world, to stand firm in faith, and to work tirelessly for the peace that God wills for all humanity.

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