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Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – At the end of today's general audience, Pope Leo XIV announced a day of fasting and prayer to invoke from God the gift of "unarmed and disarming" peace in the "Holy Land, Ukraine, and many other regions of the world." He also explained why this coming Friday was chosen: "On August 22, we will celebrate the memorial of Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of believers."
The Pope asked the faithful throughout the world, "wounded by continuous wars," to observe this day and "implore the Lord to grant us peace and justice, and to dry the tears of those who suffer as a result of the ongoing armed conflicts. Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that peoples may find the path to peace."
Shortly before announcing the Day of Penance, the Bishop of Rome greeted the Polish pilgrims currently making their way to the Shrine of Our Lady of Jasna Góra and asked them to "include the prayer for the gift of unarmed and disarming" peace for the whole world, especially for Ukraine and the Middle East." The Successor of Peter also addressed the faithful in the Middle East in his greetings in Arabic, recalling that "the Christian is called to love and forgive, following the example of Christ, so that his heart may be freed from all resentment and hatred and he may become a messenger of peace in the world."
The theme of forgiveness was also at the heart of the catechesis of the general audience: "The Gospel shows us that there is always a way to continue loving, even when everything seems hopelessly lost. Forgiving does not mean denying evil, but preventing it from producing further evil. It does not mean saying nothing has happened, but rather doing everything possible to prevent resentment from determining the future." "Let us ask today for the grace to be able to forgive, even when we feel misunderstood, even when we feel abandoned. Because it is precisely in these hours that love can reach its peak," the Pope concluded. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 20/8/2025)
