The new edition of The Pope Video is being published today, which accompanies and illustrates Leo XIV’s prayer intention for August: “For Living Together.”

As usual, the Pontiff has chosen a theme that poses a challenge to humanity and to the mission of the Church in our times: the conflicts within our societies. Therefore, he asks the faithful to pray “that societies in which coexistence seems most difficult do not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious, or ideological reasons.”

Leo XIV prays in the video, produced this month in collaboration with the Jesuit Communications Foundation (JesCom), a prayer created especially for the August intention by its Worldwide Prayer Network. The images accompanying his words are a journey through the divisions present in the world: wars, conflicts, and violence that cause destruction, force people to flee their lands, and provoke existential loneliness.

But there is a final message of hope entrusted to young people, whose Jubilee coincides with the presentation of this edition of The Pope Video. Indeed, the hope for a better future depends on young people knowing how to build fraternal communities, welcoming one another with their differences, opening their hearts, and placing themselves at the service of others.

Living together with respect and compassion

The Pope’s prayer describes the current situation: “We live in times of fear and division. Sometimes we act as if we were alone, erecting walls that separate us from one another.” One need only scan the news on any given day to see that international conflicts are compounded by the numerous clashes that arise within communities, due to the exacerbation of political, religious, and ethnic differences.

At the root of this phenomenon lies the forgetting of a fundamental truth: we are all brothers and sisters, children of the same Father. Therefore, the Pope continues: “Send us your Spirit, Lord, to rekindle in us the desire to understand one another, to listen to one another, to live together with respect and compassion.”

To overcome differences and ideologies, it is necessary to look at others “with the eyes of the heart,” which allow us to recognize the inviolable dignity of all people. And we must have the courage to “seek paths of dialogue and respond to conflict with gestures of fraternity.” Openness to others without fear of differences allows us to discover that these do not constitute a threat, but rather “a treasure that humanizes us.”

Promote peaceful coexistence

The International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ, explains that “we can all promote peaceful coexistence.” To achieve this, “first, we must work on ourselves to root out from our hearts pride, demands, and bad language that hurts and kills. As Pope Leo XIV teaches us, peace is built in the heart and from the heart.”

Secondly, it is necessary to put aside prejudices and confront the fear of those who are “different”: “We must approach each other with respect and listen to others, who always have something unique to contribute,” Father Fones continues. “Through dialogue, we can seek what unites us and open avenues for collaboration for the common good.”

Finally, Father Fones recalls that “Pope Leo XIV also points out that leaders must work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies. This can be done by investing in the family; protecting the dignity of all people, especially the most vulnerable and defenseless; practicing justice; seeking to remedy inequalities; and defending the truth, which is the foundation for building authentic relationships.”

Finally, in the context of the Holy Year 2025, the Pope Video takes on special relevance, because it reveals the prayer intentions that the Holy Father holds in his heart. To properly receive the graces of the Jubilee indulgence, it is necessary, precisely, to pray for the Pope’s intentions.