By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholics across the globe to join him this July in praying for respect for human life.
He released the monthly “Pray with the Pope” video on Thursday, which is prepared by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
In his prayer, the Pope recognized that the Lord has created each of us in love and called us to live in fullness.
“Each person is a sacred gift that reflects your face,” he said, “from the first instant of existence to the final breath of their journey on earth.”
“Today,” he continued, “we ask for the grace to recognize and protect the unique and unrepeatable value of every human being.”
Welcoming life unconditionally
He expressed his wish that we learn to “welcome life unconditionally,” to “tenderly care for fragility,” to “accompany each stage with respect,” and “to bravely defend those who have no voice.”
Pope Leo asked the Lord to forgive us when we fall into indifference or the culture of discard, and when we fail to see in others a being worthy of love.
“Give us a new heart, always ready to choose life,” he said, “and generous hands that protect it through concrete actions.”
The Pope prayed that the Lord help His Church become a living witness of the Gospel of life, “an open home where every life is celebrated, where no one feels unwanted, and where dignity is always honored and protected.”
Finally, Pope Leo concluded by imploring the Lord Jesus to help us love life as He does, “with tenderness, fidelity, and self-giving.”
“May we proclaim, in words and actions,” he said, “that every human life is worth the total gift of ourselves.”
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
Founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Work entrusted to the Society of Jesus.
In Dec 2020, Pope Francis established this Pontifical Work as a Vatican Foundation and approved its final statutes in July 2024.
It is present in over 92 countries, forming a spiritual community of more than 22 million people who seek to live each day with availability to God’s mission.
At the center of its mission are the monthly prayer intentions of the Pope, inviting its members to focus on the pressing challenges facing humanity and the Church’s mission. – Vatican News
