By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholics around the world to fast and pray on Friday for peace and justice in the Middle East and Ukraine, making a special appeal as he returned to the Vatican following his summer break.
Speaking at the close of his weekly general audience on Wednesday, the pontiff reminded the faithful that the day coincides with a Marian feast dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
He encouraged believers to dedicate the day to fasting and prayer, asking “the Lord to grant peace and justice, and to dry the tears of all those suffering as a result of armed conflicts.”
The pope has repeatedly called for ceasefires in both Gaza and Ukraine and pressed for dialogue as the only path to lasting peace.
Wednesday marked his first public appearance at the Vatican after spending several weeks at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. Looking ahead, Pope Leo faces a busy schedule, including preparations for the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year and the September 7 canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the Church’s first millennial saint.
In a lighter moment at the end of the audience, the pope was presented with a Ping-Pong table bearing his papal coat of arms. A lifelong tennis enthusiast, Leo picked up a paddle and tapped the ball a few times before it slipped into the net, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd.
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