Pope Leo calls for Aug 22 to be day of prayer and fasting for peace

Pope Leo XIV has invited Catholics to observe Aug. 22 as a day of prayer and fasting to ask God for peace and justice in a world currently plagued by many wars and conflicts. 

The Church observes Aug. 22 as the memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Leo noted in the appeal given during his Aug. 20 General Audience. 

“Mary is the Mother of believers here on earth, and is also invoked as Queen of Peace,” he said, “while our earth continues to be wounded by wars in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and in many other regions of the world.”

“I invite all the faithful to devote the day of 22 August to fasting and prayer, imploring 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,” he concluded. “Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that peoples may find the path to peace.”

Throughout his pontificate, he has advocated for peace in regions affected by war and implored political leaders to dialogue rather than escalate to violence. In his first Regina Caeli address as Pope, he invoked the Queen of Peace to intercede in current wars, entrusting his “heartfelt appeal to [her]… so that she may present it to the Lord Jesus to obtain for us the miracle of peace.”

As he did in the Aug. 20 General Audience, he has also repeatedly spoken by name about regions around the world suffering from current conflicts. 

Pope Leo has frequently called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, including during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in mid-July. As CatholicVote previously reported, he has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine and for the faithful to pray for all places where there is war.