For Immediate Release:
April 07, 2026
Contact: Christian Kendzierski
Tel. 410-547-5378
christian.kendzierski@archbalt.org
Though Ceasefire Reported, Archbishop Lori Calls Archdiocese to Prayer and Peace Amid Global Tensions
In this moment of profound worldwide concern, I join my brother bishops in affirming the call issued by Archbishop Coakley, who has echoed with clarity and urgency the call of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for peace in this moment of grave global tension.
At a time when the threat of expanded conflict and the suffering of innocent lives weigh heavily upon the conscience of the world, we are reminded that the deliberate targeting of civilians and the escalation of war can never be morally justified. As Archbishop Coakley has rightly urged, there is another path – the path of dialogue, restraint, and the hard but necessary work of peace.
Yet as people of faith, we also know that peace is not achieved by diplomacy alone. As the Holy Father has preached so powerfully in these sacred days of Easter, true peace is born in the human heart – transformed by the Risen Christ, who greets His disciples with the words, “Peace be with you.”
For this reason, I wish not only to affirm this call, but to deepen it.
In every age, the Church is called to be a sign and instrument of Christ’s peace in a wounded world. Today, that mission belongs to us. It belongs to our parishes, our families, and to each of us personally. In the face of fear, division, and violence, we must become witnesses to a different way – the way of prayer, solidarity, and sacrificial love.
Therefore, in communion with the Holy Father, who has invited the entire Church to unite in a Vigil for Peace this Saturday, I am asking every parish in the Archdiocese to open its doors and host a time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, or another suitable vigil, in solidarity with Pope Leo XIV and the universal Church.
Let our churches become places of light in a darkened world – where the cry for peace rises to heaven, where hearts are softened, and where hope is rekindled.
I will personally celebrate a Vigil for Peace at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore this Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., and I warmly invite all the faithful who are able to join me. Together, united with the Holy Father and with Catholics around the world, we will entrust our prayer to the Lord of history, who alone can turn hearts from violence to reconciliation.
May Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for us.
May Christ, our peace, reign in every heart.