Pope Leo XIV calls for a day of fasting and prayer for peace on August 22
The Pontiff invites the faithful around the world to join in prayer and sacrifice in memory of Saint Mary Queen, to ask for an end to wars and the gift of peace
At the general audience held this Wednesday in the Paul VI Hall, Pope Leo XIV made an urgent appeal to the faithful: to call for a day of fasting and prayer on August 22, in the hope of imploring peace and justice in the world.
The proposed day coincides with the liturgical commemoration of Saint Mary Queen, to whom the Pontiff invited to lead his prayers: “A day of fasting and prayer, imploring the Lord to grant us peace and justice, and to wipe away the tears of those who suffer because of the ongoing armed conflicts.”
The Pope emphasized Mary’s role as Queen of Peace and mother of believers on earth, urging all the faithful to turn to her intercession: “While our land remains wounded by wars in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and in many other regions of the world… Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that people may find the path to peace.”
During the same audience, Leo XIV reflected on the importance of forgiveness as an indispensable foundation for achieving peace, a message he conveyed especially to the Portuguese-speaking pilgrims present.
He also addressed the Polish pilgrims, urging them to include in their prayers the “gift of peace—unarmed and disarming—for the whole world, especially for Ukraine and the Middle East.”
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