Dubai’s Catholic churches have canceled all Easter services due to rising tensions in the Middle East. St Francis of Assisi Church in Jebel Ali, a coastal area hit by recent missile and drone attacks, told parishioners to stay away for safety reasons.
St Mary’s Catholic Church announced that Good Friday services will instead be streamed online on its YouTube channel, allowing worshippers to participate remotely.
The cancellations come amid growing regional instability following Iranian attacks on Gulf states in response to the Israeli-US military actions that began in late February.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XVI spoke with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging peace and calling for protection of civilians. Discussions included humanitarian aid, prisoner releases, and the security of Christian communities in conflict zones.
Zelensky reported that Russian attacks on Ukraine continued even as he proposed an Easter ceasefire, highlighting the ongoing challenges to achieving peace. The Vatican expressed hope that international cooperation could help bring hostilities to an end.
