Pope Leo XIV asked Catholics to observe Aug. 22 as a day of prayer and fasting for peace and justice, particularly in Ukraine and in the Holy Land.
peace
Amid the destruction witnessed during their July 18–20 pastoral visit to Gaza, following the Israeli shelling of the Holy Family Parish church compound that killed three people and injured 10, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III said they found something more enduring — “the dignity of the human spirit.”
Meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pope Leo XIV reiterated his willingness to host representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican for peace negotiations.
The Catholic Church wants to reach out and embrace all people who need and yearn for truth, justice, and peace, Pope Leo XIV said in his first meeting with the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.
With a huge and festive crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV led his first Sunday recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer and urged all Catholics to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life.
The Catholic Church is a new and reconciled humanity thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the source of communion, harmony, and fraternity, Pope Francis wrote.
Pope Francis prayed for a conversion of hearts and a start to dialogue, reconciliation, and peace in a letter marking the 1,000th day since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Pope Francis said his heart was “broken” by the war in Ukraine, and he pleaded again, “Silence the weapons!”