By OSV News
Pope Leo XIV is inviting Catholics to pray “for evangelisation in the city” as his August prayer intention, asking the Lord to accompany millions searching for meaning amid the noise and haste of urban life.
In his monthly Pray with the Pope video, Pope Leo expressed his hope that urban environments may provide “fertile ground” for proclaiming the Gospel.
The Chicago-born Pope acknowledged that while cities are meant to be places of “freedom and opportunity,” they can also become “spaces of anonymity and isolation.”
“Make us a Church that goes forth, able to reach out to the peripheries, to console those who are lonely, and to sow fraternity and connection instead of giving in to indifference,” he prayed.
Today, almost 45 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, making cities one of the largest mission territories of our time, according to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
“Lord, may our urban communities be open and welcoming homes, places where hope is shared, where no one feels invisible, and where the joy of your Gospel shines in the hidden lives of so many brothers and sisters,” Pope Leo said in his prayer for the month of August.
“Make us your witnesses in the city, bold and creative missionaries, who proclaim your Love with their lives – a Love capable of overcoming haste, noise, and anonymity.”
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network seeks to pray for and address the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church, guided by the Pope’s monthly intentions.
Through prayer, service, and spiritual formation, the Network aims to connect people around the world to foster compassion and solidarity, and to live the Gospel.
To learn more about the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, visit: https://www.popesprayer.va/
