Pope Leo XIV has called on the faithful to observe Friday, Aug. 22, the Feast of Mary the Queen, as a day of fasting and prayer for world peace.

Speaking at his weekly general audience on Wednesday, the Pope urged Catholics worldwide to dedicate the day to prayer, particularly for regions afflicted by war.

“Next Friday, August 22, we will celebrate the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queenship, who is also invoked as the Queen of Peace,” he said.

“While our land 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 spend August 22 in fasting and prayer, beseeching the Lord to grant us peace and justice and to dry the tears of those who suffer from ongoing armed conflicts.”

The Pope, who had just returned to the Vatican from his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, expressed hope that Mary, Queen of Peace, would intercede to guide humanity toward reconciliation. (PNA)