Antipolo: The Diocese of Antipolo will be holding a Weekly Holy Hour for Peace for the special intention of peace amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a pastoral letter dated June 24, Bishop Ruperto Santos invited the clergy, religious communities, and the lay faithful to join the Holy Hour for Peace to be held every Thursday starting June 26, 2025. The Catholic prelate expressed concern over the current events in the world, particularly in the Middle East, where innocent civilians are severely affected.

"While the Diocese of Antipolo is geographically distant from these battle-scarred places, our Christian duty binds us to the global Body of Christ. The pain of one is the concern of all. And prayer is our most potent act of peace-building," he said. "I particularly appeal to our priests and the ministry of liturgy: please prepare your communities and lead them in this united diocesan act of intercession," Santos added.

Santos said he believes that uniting the Christian community in prayer is "an important step to touch the hearts, especially of the leaders of the conflicting countries to come to an agreement in dialogue to have forgiveness towards peace."

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has left hundreds dead, most of them civilians, while thousands have been injured, according to reports. The crisis is also expected to result in oil price increases in the global market, which in turn will affect the prices of goods and services. Pope Leo XIV earlier called for the promotion of calm dialogue between Israel and Iran to resolve any misunderstandings and jointly promote unity and peace.