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Pope Leo XIV invites people around the globe to join in prayer for peace in the world. (Update - SEE the Full Text Address of the Pope below the 2nd video)
Watch below the recorded live stream from the conclusion of the Marian month, on Saturday, May 30, at 7:00 p.m. Rome time and 1 p.m. EST, the Holy Father presided over the recitation of the Holy Rosary at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens. The Live stream is over and the recorded rosary was added to this post.
SEE ALSO How to Say the ROSARY - an Easy GUIDE to SHARE
https://www.catholicnewsworld.com/2025/10/how-to-say-rosary-easy-guide-to-share.html
(Watch the Recorded LIVE Stream below from the Vatican and in English in the 2nd Video from Washington D.C. starting at 1 p.m. EST)
SEE ALSO How to Say the ROSARY - an Easy GUIDE to SHARE
https://www.catholicnewsworld.com/2025/10/how-to-say-rosary-easy-guide-to-share.html
(Watch the Recorded LIVE Stream below from the Vatican and in English in the 2nd Video from Washington D.C. starting at 1 p.m. EST)
(SEE the Full Text Address of the Pope below the video)
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception has been asked by the Holy See to join with Pope Leo XIV and shrines across the world on Saturday, May 30, at 1pm ET (7pm Rome time), in praying the Holy Rosary to implore the gift of peace for various countries suffering from armed conflicts.
FULL TEXT - ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIVAT THE CONCLUSION OF THE ROSARY
FOR THE CLOSING OF THE MARIAN MONTH OF MAY
Lourdes Grotto, Vatican Gardens on Saturday, 30 May 2026
___________________________________
Words of the Pope before the Rosary: Brother and sisters, we are gathered here today with with the many pilgrims at Marian shrines throughout the world. So that the Lord may grant peace to peoples and nations.
Through the recitation of the rosary we ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary; as we bring to an close this month dedicated to her. We earnestly implore the gift of peace. Let us never grow weary of beseeching the Lord that hearts may be opened to conversion so that all may bear witness to a way of living together marked by mutual respect and fraternal solidarity among peoples. May the prayer of the Holy Rosary become a commitment for each one of us to be a builder of peace.
Words of Pope Leo XIV following the prayer: “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts” (Ps 85:8). The words of this Psalm fittingly accompany our recitation of the Rosary this evening, because they express the hope of which we stand in need, especially in the face of current difficulties and violence.
Let us dispose our hearts to listen to the word of God, so that in prayer we may come to understand the meaning of the events of history, recognizing the providence of God who always guides it and sustains us. The Virgin Mary is the model of the believer who inclines the ear of the heart to listen to “what God says.” She is an example for us in her obedience, which welcomed the Son of God into her womb in the Incarnation.
Contemplating the mysteries of the Rosary with Mary leads us to recognize in Jesus Christ the one final Word spoken by the Father, a Word of peace for all who return to him with contrite hearts. The Lord never abandons us, even when we forget him, even when we lose our way. He comes in search of us and draws near with his everlasting love. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us: “Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord” (57:19). Whoever trusts in God understands this proclamation of peace and becomes an instrument of peace, building it with his own hands (cf. Mt 5:9).
Peace, in fact, is not a theory to be tested in a laboratory, nor a naïve illusion, nor a matter to be pursued out of self-interest. When sought with a sincere heart, it is rather a daily commitment: it springs from justice and love, as harmony that unites persons, families, communities and peoples. Even in this time marked by tension and conflict, peace becomes possible when we choose to listen to the cry of those deprived of it: innocent children, anguished mothers and fathers, abused prisoners, refugees and people of every age who suffer. All of them have but one word upon their lips: peace!
We know well that peace is always possible because it is a gift from God. This peace, his peace, has a face: that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who through his life, given for us, reconciled heaven and earth. As the Apostle Paul writes: “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14). He is the one who breaks down the walls of hostility, conquers arrogance through humility and redeems all creation from sin.
It is when the Lord Jesus is with us and we behave as true disciples of his love that the Holy Spirit can accomplish what appears humanly impossible. On the contrary, when we move away from God we also distance ourselves from humanity, from our neighbor, and are indifferent to their suffering. Every time we return to the Lord, his peace becomes our responsibility, according to the duties and tasks of each person.
Thus, our prayer becomes mission and prophecy. The cry of the innocent must no longer be heard in our cities. No one should have to flee from his own home because of the threat of bombs. The desire for power and the violence of words must give way to the thirst for justice and truth. Yet everyone can and must do his or her part, beginning with small but important things, abstaining from every form of verbal or physical violence in daily life and also on social media.
Dear brothers and sisters, true peace begins in a heart that loves. It is witnessed to by lips that speak words of reconciliation. It is reflected in eyes that look upon the world with gentleness and wisdom. This is true strength, the strength of truth and love.
God seeks peacemakers! May our Blessed Mother help us to answer him each day with our own “Here I am,” not only in words but in deeds.
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Let us dispose our hearts to listen to the word of God, so that in prayer we may come to understand the meaning of the events of history, recognizing the providence of God who always guides it and sustains us. The Virgin Mary is the model of the believer who inclines the ear of the heart to listen to “what God says.” She is an example for us in her obedience, which welcomed the Son of God into her womb in the Incarnation.
Contemplating the mysteries of the Rosary with Mary leads us to recognize in Jesus Christ the one final Word spoken by the Father, a Word of peace for all who return to him with contrite hearts. The Lord never abandons us, even when we forget him, even when we lose our way. He comes in search of us and draws near with his everlasting love. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us: “Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord” (57:19). Whoever trusts in God understands this proclamation of peace and becomes an instrument of peace, building it with his own hands (cf. Mt 5:9).
Peace, in fact, is not a theory to be tested in a laboratory, nor a naïve illusion, nor a matter to be pursued out of self-interest. When sought with a sincere heart, it is rather a daily commitment: it springs from justice and love, as harmony that unites persons, families, communities and peoples. Even in this time marked by tension and conflict, peace becomes possible when we choose to listen to the cry of those deprived of it: innocent children, anguished mothers and fathers, abused prisoners, refugees and people of every age who suffer. All of them have but one word upon their lips: peace!
We know well that peace is always possible because it is a gift from God. This peace, his peace, has a face: that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who through his life, given for us, reconciled heaven and earth. As the Apostle Paul writes: “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14). He is the one who breaks down the walls of hostility, conquers arrogance through humility and redeems all creation from sin.
It is when the Lord Jesus is with us and we behave as true disciples of his love that the Holy Spirit can accomplish what appears humanly impossible. On the contrary, when we move away from God we also distance ourselves from humanity, from our neighbor, and are indifferent to their suffering. Every time we return to the Lord, his peace becomes our responsibility, according to the duties and tasks of each person.
Thus, our prayer becomes mission and prophecy. The cry of the innocent must no longer be heard in our cities. No one should have to flee from his own home because of the threat of bombs. The desire for power and the violence of words must give way to the thirst for justice and truth. Yet everyone can and must do his or her part, beginning with small but important things, abstaining from every form of verbal or physical violence in daily life and also on social media.
Dear brothers and sisters, true peace begins in a heart that loves. It is witnessed to by lips that speak words of reconciliation. It is reflected in eyes that look upon the world with gentleness and wisdom. This is true strength, the strength of truth and love.
God seeks peacemakers! May our Blessed Mother help us to answer him each day with our own “Here I am,” not only in words but in deeds.
**********************************************
As the preeminent Marian shrine and patronal church of the United States, the Basilica joins shrines throughout the world in this worldwide Rosary with the Holy Father. All are invited to participate in this special moment of unity and prayer for peace throughout the world. Reverend Monsignor Walter R. Rossi, Rector of the Basilica, will preside and prayerfully lead the faithful in the recitation of the Rosary.
This worldwide Rosary, coordinated by the Holy See’s Dicastery for Evangelization, will be prayed live from the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens and simultaneously in the Great Upper Church of the Basilica. For those who cannot join in person, the Rosary will be livestreamed.
On this occasion, all the Shrines of the world will be invited to unite, together with their pilgrims and faithful, in prayer with the Holy Father. The major Shrines that have already joined the initiative include: The Shrine of the Mother of God (Zarvanytsia, Ukraine); The International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Antipolo, Philippines); The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary (Fatima, Portugal); The Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace (Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina); The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (Lourdes, France); The Shrine of St. Charbel Annaya (Byblos, Lebanon); and the Pontifical Shrine of the Holy House (Loreto, Italy).
It will be possible to participate in the initiative, promoted by the Dicastery for Evangelization – Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World, subject to the availability of places and upon collection of free tickets, without prior reservation, at Via della Conciliazione 7, during the days preceding the Holy Rosary, namely 28, 29, and 30 May, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Please note that it will also be possible to join in prayer with the Holy Father from Saint Peter’s Square by means of the large screens installed there.
Finally, the Dicastery kindly asks all the shrines taking part in this Holy Rosary to complete the questionnaire provided here once the prayer has finished: https://forms.gle/HdwajcHYeMNV99ui7
On this occasion, all the Shrines of the world will be invited to unite, together with their pilgrims and faithful, in prayer with the Holy Father. The major Shrines that have already joined the initiative include: The Shrine of the Mother of God (Zarvanytsia, Ukraine); The International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Antipolo, Philippines); The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary (Fatima, Portugal); The Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace (Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina); The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (Lourdes, France); The Shrine of St. Charbel Annaya (Byblos, Lebanon); and the Pontifical Shrine of the Holy House (Loreto, Italy).
It will be possible to participate in the initiative, promoted by the Dicastery for Evangelization – Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World, subject to the availability of places and upon collection of free tickets, without prior reservation, at Via della Conciliazione 7, during the days preceding the Holy Rosary, namely 28, 29, and 30 May, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Please note that it will also be possible to join in prayer with the Holy Father from Saint Peter’s Square by means of the large screens installed there.
Finally, the Dicastery kindly asks all the shrines taking part in this Holy Rosary to complete the questionnaire provided here once the prayer has finished: https://forms.gle/HdwajcHYeMNV99ui7
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