Top photo caption: Pope Leo XIV prays during a prayer service at the Cathedral of Holy Mary of Almudena in Madrid June 8, 2026. Pope Leo XIV is inviting Catholics to pray “for evangelization 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. CNS photo/Lola Gomez
By OSV News
VATICAN CITY OSV News — Pope Leo XIV is inviting Catholics to pray “for evangelization 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,” the Pope prayed.
Today, almost 45% 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.”
A version of this story was originally published by Vatican News and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.
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