Vatican News: Pope Leo’s Prayer Vigil for Peace (Sat 11 April) to use light from Lamp of Peace from Assisi

Pope Leo XIV’s Prayer Vigil for Peace on Saturday, April 11, will be guided by meditations from early Church Fathers, including St. Augustine of Hippo, and will see faithful from different continents light candles with the fire from the Lamp of Peace from Assisi.

By Kielce Gussie

Link: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/popes-prayer-vigil-peace-accompanied-by-light-from-lamp-assisi.html

“Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts! For this reason, I invite everyone to join me in a prayer vigil for peace, which we will celebrate here in St. Peter’s Basilica next Saturday, April 11.”

“I urge that this period of delicate diplomatic work be accompanied by prayer.”

On Easter Sunday, during his Urbi et Orbi message and again at the close of his Wednesday General Audience on April 8, Pope Leo XIV extended these invitations to everyone around the world to join him in a Prayer Vigil for Peace that is set to be held in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday at 6:00 PM Rome time (5.00pm Irish time)

The announcements came in light of the ongoing violence in the Middle East. Despite the two-week ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the US, the Pope reiterated the need for a dedicated time of prayer for peace as conflicts continue to rage on in Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, and other countries around the world.

The Pope reiterated the need and call for prayer during this time during the Wednesday General Audience

The Pope reiterated the need and call for prayer during this time during the Wednesday General Audience   (@Vatican Media)

On Easter Sunday, the Pope stressed the peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us. Action must be joined by prayer.

For that reason, the Prayer Vigil on Saturday will be led by the themes of peace and hope as people around the world join the Holy Father in praying the Glorious mysteries of the Rosary with meditations from various Church Fathers, including St. Augustine of Hippo, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Ambrose of Milan.

During the Rosary, faithful from different continents—Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania—will light candles with the flame from the Lamp of Peace in Assisi, which burns perpetually at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi.

To close the vigil, Pope Leo will offer a reflection and prayer before offering a final blessing asking for the grace of peace upon the entire world.

Read also

Urbi et Orbi: Pope urges world leaders to lay down weapons

05/04/2026

Urbi et Orbi: Pope urges world leaders to lay down weapons

08/04/2026Pope welcomes Middle East ceasefire, invites faithful to join prayer vigil for peace


Similar Posts

Join the Discussion

Keep the following in mind when writing a comment

  • Your comment must include your full name, and email. (email will not be published). You may be contacted by email, and it is possible you might be requested to supply your postal address to verify your identity.
  • Be respectful. Do not attack the writer. Take on the idea, not the messenger. Comments containing vulgarities, personalised insults, slanders or accusations shall be deleted.
  • Keep to the point. Deliberate digressions don't aid the discussion.
  • Including multiple links or coding in your comment will increase the chances of it being automati cally marked as spam.
  • Posts that are merely links to other sites or lengthy quotes may not be published.
  • Brevity. Like homilies keep you comments as short as possible; continued repetitions of a point over various threads will not be published.
  • The decision to publish or not publish a comment is made by the site editor. It will not be possible to reply individually to those whose comments are not published.