Pope Leo XIV has set aside Friday, August 22, as a worldwide day of prayer, fasting, and charity, urging Christians to seek peace in war-torn regions.
The date falls on the feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a deliberate choice the Pope described as entrusting global conflicts to Mary’s intercession as “Queen of Peace.”
Speaking during his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo warned against growing indifference to human suffering.
“Too many innocent lives are being lost, and too many families are bearing the weight of wars that seem endless. We cannot remain indifferent,” he said.
Church leaders in conflict zones quickly backed the initiative.
Reflecting on the Church’s teaching, Pope Leo also underlined that peace demands more than justice. Drawing on St. John Paul II’s legacy, he said: “True peace cannot exist without justice, but neither can it survive without forgiveness. Forgiveness is not surrender; it is the strength that prevents new wounds.”
The announcement comes as conflicts in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and other regions continue to displace civilians and worsen humanitarian crises.
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