Pope Leo XIV called for people of faith to dedicate a day to fasting and praying for peace and justice in the Middle East and Ukraine, issuing a special appeal as he returned to the Vatican from summer vacation.
At the end of his weekly general audience on Wednesday, Leo recalled that August 22 is a holy day in the Catholic Church, as it is the feast of the Queenship of Mary.
"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," he said in his appeal, "and to dry the tears of those who suffer as a result of the ongoing armed conflicts."
