Pray with the Pope “For respect for human life” - Pope Leo XIV’s July prayer intention
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HolySpirit. Amen.
Lord of life,
You created us in love and called us to live in fullness.
Each person is a sacred gift that reflects your face,
from the first instant of existence
to the final breath of their journey on earth.
Today we ask for the grace to recognize and protect
the unique and unrepeatable value of every human being.
May 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.
Forgive us, Lord,
when we fall into indifference or the culture of discard,
when we fail to see in others a being worthy of love.
Give us a new heart, always ready to choose life,
and generous hands that protect it through concrete actions.
Make your Church 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 honoured and protected.
Lord Jesus,
may we love life as You love it:
with tenderness, fidelity, and self-giving.
May we proclaim, in words and actions,
that every human life is worth the total gift of ourselves.
Amen.
A few weeks ago, during his Apostolic Journey to Spain, Pope Leo addressed these words in the Congress of Deputees:
“Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its
existence.” In a world marked by what Pope Francis called a “throwaway culture,” Pope Leo
XIV’s July prayer intention is for respect for human life in all its states. Through the Pope’s
Worldwide Prayer Network’s “Pray with the Pope” campaign, the Pope encourages the
faithful and people of good will to join in praying for his intentions. In July, his invitation is to
pray that every human being “from the first instant of existence to the final breath of their
journey on earth”—as the Pope says in his prayer—might be welcomed, protected, and
respected.
Pope Leo XIV addresses “the Lord of life” in his prayer, recognizing that every person is “a
sacred gift that reflects your face.” The Pope asks for the grace to “to recognize and
protect the unique and unrepeatable value of every human being,” learning how to
“welcome life unconditionally, to tenderly care for fragility, to accompany each stage with
respect, and to bravely defend those who have no voice.”
The Pope also takes a moment in his prayer to ask for that the Lord pardon us “when we
fall into indifference or the culture of discard, when we fail to see in others a being
worthy of love.” He then concludes his prayer imploring that the Church might be “an open
home where life is celebrated, where no one feels unwanted,” and where “dignity is always
honoured and protected.”
The Pope’s intention echoes a reality confirmed by international statistics. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO), around 73 million induced abortions are performed
worldwide each year. Furthermore, the debate regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide is
gaining momentum globally.
In addition, the death penalty continues to be applied. Amnesty International recorded at
least 2,707 executions in 17 countries in 2025, an increase of 78% over the previous year,
and the highest number since 1981. WHO also recorded that in 2024, 1 of every 6 people
over 60 suffered abuse.
These statistics paint a picture in which human life at its various stages and situations
continues to be threatened in multiple circumstances. Thus, Pope Leo XIV’s prayer for the
month of July is an urgent appeal to transform our perspective and, that each and every one
of us be committed when faced with this reality.
Furthermore, on June 8 in Madrid, during his meeting with members of Spain’s Parliament,
he stated: “If life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our
societies have? Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly,
the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be
called fully just? The defence of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional
interest: it is a goal of civilization. Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded
from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence. When this certainty
is obscured, the most vulnerable are the first victims, and the law loses its deepest meaning:
to serve and protect every person. For this reason, the moral greatness of a nation is
manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are
most fragile.”
In fact, this is not the first time that a pope has dedicated a prayer intention for people who
suffer or are experiencing a particular type of vulnerability. In April 2020, Pope Francis
invited the Church and all people of good will to pray for “Liberation from Addictions.” In July
2022, Pope Francis again asked for prayers “For the Elderly”—the “teachers of
tenderness”—and in November, “For Children who Suffer,” who are “human beings with
names, with a face of their own, with an identity that God has given them.”
The international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Father Cristóbal Fones,
reflects on the profound meaning of this intention: “Human life is above all a gift from God,
the author of life. Each one of us has an intrinsic value beyond our accomplishments or
circumstances. Respecting each other and protecting this gift is a mission that begins
with a change of our own hearts, which spurs us on to commit ourselves to others at every
stage of life. The Pope invites us to promote the dignity and development of every
human life. It is a call to participate in the mission of Jesus who had compassion on
everyone, by championing a ‘culture of life’ in the face of the prevailing ‘throwaway culture.’”
