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Pope Leo Sets Day of Fasting, Prayers for Peace on Friday
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 20, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
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Pope Leo has declared August 22 as a day for global fasting and prayer to promote peace in war-torn regions like the Middle East and Ukraine.
Pope Leo Calls for Day of Fasting and Prayer for Global Peace
Pope Leo's Appeal for Peace
By Joshua McElwee
Context of the Fasting Day
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo has asked Catholics and other religious faithful to observe a day of fasting and prayers for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and other war-torn areas of the world on Friday, August 22.
Historical Precedent for Fasting
"As our Earth continues to be wounded by wars in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and in many other regions ... I invite all the faithful to live the day of August 22 in fasting and prayer," the pontiff said during his weekly audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.
Pope Leo's Leadership
Leo suggested the faithful could ask God to "grant us peace and justice and to wipe away the tears of those who suffer because of the ongoing armed conflicts."
Leo, the first U.S. pope, was elected by the world's Catholic cardinals on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis.
He has made several appeals to end the war in Ukraine during the first months of his papacy, and his first known phone call with a foreign leader in May was to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who the pope also met in person in July.
Catholics have a practise of fasting on or before important spiritual holidays as a way of coming closer to God in prayer.
Francis had previously called a special day of fasting and prayer last October, on the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, editing by Gavin Jones and)
Key Takeaways
- •Pope Leo calls for fasting and prayer on August 22.
- •The initiative aims to promote peace in conflict zones.
- •Focus regions include the Middle East and Ukraine.
- •Pope Leo is the first U.S. pope, elected in May.
- •He has actively advocated for peace in Ukraine.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pope Leo sets day of fasting, prayers for peace on Friday
1What did Pope Leo request from the faithful?
Pope Leo asked Catholics and other religious faithful to observe a day of fasting and prayers for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine, and other war-torn areas of the world.
2When is the day of fasting and prayer scheduled?
The day of fasting and prayer is scheduled for August 22.
3What has Pope Leo emphasized during his papacy?
Pope Leo has made several appeals to end the war in Ukraine and has called for peace in various conflict regions since the beginning of his papacy.
4What is the significance of fasting in Catholic practice?
Catholics practice fasting on or before important spiritual holidays as a way to come closer to God in prayer.
5What did Pope Francis do last October related to fasting?
Pope Francis called for a special day of fasting and prayer last October, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war.
