- 23 August, 2025
Vatican City, August 23, 2025: Pope Leo has urged the world to reject the “logic of retaliation” and free hearts from hatred, calling instead for forgiveness and a renewed commitment to peace. His appeal came on Friday, 22 August, a day he dedicated to prayer and fasting for peace, coinciding with the Church’s celebration of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Posting on his @Pontifex account, the Pope prayed that “hearts may be freed from hatred,” that divisions be set aside, and that a “vision inspired by the common good” might prevail. He underlined that peace cannot be achieved without forgiveness, stating during his General Audience that “forgiving does not mean denying evil, but preventing it from generating more evil.”
Global Response to the Appeal
Episcopal conferences and dioceses worldwide responded positively. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, called for prayer for “an unarmed and disarming peace.” In Rome, Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina urged every community, parish, and family to fast as “a sign of communion and an offering of peace.”
The Spanish Episcopal Conference likewise endorsed the initiative, while Cardinal Jaime Spengler, head of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, urged the invitation be widely shared across parishes and movements so that “the cry for peace may rise united in the heart of the Church.”
In Yemen, the Apostolic Vicar Paolo Martinelli highlighted the devastating civil war, entrusting the region to Mary, Queen of Peace. Father Francesco Ielpo, Custodian of the Holy Land, stressed that peace is “a long-awaited and deeply desired gift” and called on the international community to intervene to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.
Prayers and fasting also took place across Asia, with gatherings in Pakistan, Cambodia, and Myanmar, where displaced families prayed in small groups despite ongoing civil war.
The Global Context
The Pope’s call comes as the world faces more than 56 active conflicts, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). These range from high-profile wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan to “forgotten” crises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The past year saw global arms spending rise to a record $2.718 trillion. Europe continues to endure the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while hopes of progress towards peace have emerged in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. In Africa, Sudan’s civil war has caused what the UN describes as the worst displacement crisis worldwide, alongside violence in the Congo, Mozambique, and the Sahel.
Pope Leo XIV reminded the faithful that lasting peace requires forgiveness, insisting: “Without forgiveness, there will never be peace.”
Courtesy: Vatican News
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