Broken Bay Bishop Anthony Randazzo has been caught up in the Middle East conflict while travelling to Rome for meetings, as Pope Leo XIV appeals for nations to recall their moral responsibility to seek peace.
On Saturday, Israel and the United States began carrying out joint airstrikes on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 37 years.
Iran then responded with attacks on Israel and several Gulf countries, targeting United States regional allies, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
After leaving Sydney on Saturday morning, Bishop Randazzo landed safely in Dubai, UAE, for his connecting flight. Soon after his arrival, Dubai came under missile attack.
Along with other travellers, including a number of Australians, Bishop Randazzo was evacuated from the airport to a hotel where he is now stranded until it becomes safe again for the airport and airspace to reopen.
“While tensions remain high here in Dubai, I want to assure everyone that I am safe,” Bishop Randazzo said.
“In moments like these, I urge us all to lift our prayers to God and intercede for peace in our time.
“Violence only begets more violence, and it is always the innocent who suffer most.
“Let us pray for the people of the Middle East, regardless of nationality, culture, or religion.
“May we seek peace, pursue peace, and speak peace, “ he said.
During his Angelus address yesterday, Pope Leo expressed “deep concern” over the events in the Middle East.
“Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death, but only through a reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue,” he said.
The Pope warned of an immense tragedy if violence escalates out of control.
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,” he said, “I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!”
Pope Leo prayed that nations may return to dialogue in order to seek peace.
“May diplomacy recover its role and may the good of peoples be promoted, peoples who long for peaceful coexistence founded on justice,” he said. “And let us continue to pray for peace.”
FULL STORY
Bishop Anthony in Dubai, safe after airport missile attack (Facebook/Broken Bay Diocese)
Pope on Iran: Peace not built with mutual threats or death-dealing arms (By Devin Watkins, Vatican News)
Travellers sleep at airport amid warning of ‘significant disruptions’ from Middle East conflict (By Doug Dingwall, ABC News)
