4 Prayers for Pope Leo XIV as He Begins His Papacy

Updated May 19, 2025

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4 Prayers for Pope Leo XIV as He Begins His Papacy

Over 200,000 attendees from around the world filled St. Peter's Square about two-thirds of the way full on Sunday morning as Pope Leo XIV prepared to preside at the Mass of his inauguration and the beginning of his papacy. The attendees were not only devout Catholics, but also religious delegations from faiths such as Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, and Jainist, according to Vatican News.

Some notable U.S. leaders and other political leaders included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to NBC News. There were also leaders from Canada, Italy, Germany, and other European Union officials who were present, according to Daily Beast.

After the Mass, the Pope met with Zelenskyy and Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, but wasn't especially eager to include Vance in the mix. His reasoning, according to Daily Beast, which came out during his sermon, was because of how the Trump administration has been conducting mass exportation of illegal immigrants, the way Zelenskyy has been treated during attempts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia, and the Trump administration's attempts to annex Greenland. As the Pope is already stepping into his expected role of being an influencer of global affairs, peace broker, mediator, and advocate, the prayers of people of faith worldwide are highly important. Here are a few thoughts on ways to come alongside the new Pope through prayer.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ALBERTO PIZZOLI/Contributor

1. Pray for Him to Continue to Stand Firm on Biblical Principles

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On Friday, the Pope gave his first message to a private audience of the Vatican's Diplomatic Corps. He stated that marriage should be between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24-25). He highlighted that all life is precious (Exodus 20:13), whether unborn, elderly, or vulnerable in some other way, according to Fox News.

"All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged. It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God," Pope Leo XIV added in connection with the vulnerable.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the Pope will be led by the Lord and Biblical principles and stand strong in the face of any opposition that comes at him from mainstream media or the world, especially that he will fear God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

2. Pray for Increased Wisdom and Discernment for How to Lead and Inspire Unity

2. Pray for Increased Wisdom and Discernment for How to Lead and Inspire Unity

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We live in a time when unity presents quite a challenge because of such intense polarization among many different groups. Nevertheless, Pope Leo XIV has clarified that his heart for the church is for unity. During his message on Sunday, USA Today reported that he specifically said, "I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a lever for a reconciled world. In this, our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, by violence, by prejudice, by the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the world's resources and marginalizes the poor."

Prayer prompt: When the Lord asked Solomon what Solomon would like for the Lord to give him, Solomon prayed a rather humble prayer that included a request for discernment and wisdom for how to effectively lead, "…this great people of yours." (1 Kings 3:6-9). Pray that the Lord would give Pope Leo XIV wisdom and discernment similar to Solomon's so that he knows how to lead the church in this complex day and age.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Christopher Furlong/Staff

3. Pray for a Deeper Love of Christ and His People

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Another point to highlight in Pope Leo XIV's message on Sunday is his desire for the church to model love, forgiveness, hope, and healing as an alternative to the discord and wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, and fear. Those who are Christian are supposed to live a lifestyle that is set apart and different from the world's system. In many ways, the church has unfortunately fallen short of modeling love, forgiveness, hope, and healing.

"Let us build a church founded on God's love, a sign of unity, a missionary church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity," Pope Leo XIV said, according to the AP.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the Lord would show Pope Leo XIV how he can be a Christ-like inspiration, influencer, and example for modeling love, forgiveness, hope, and healing, and that the church would embrace a desire to be a more Christ-like model.

4. Pray for a Productive, Inspiring, and Successful Future Meeting with the Trump Administration

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Though the delegation led by Vice President Vance didn't meet with the Pope on Sunday, they did get a bit of time to exchange pleasantries on Monday. Vance gave Pope Leo XIV a letter from President Trump and the first lady inviting the Pope to the White House, according to the AP.

The Pope placed the letter on his desk and said, "At some point."

"As you can probably imagine, people in the United States are extremely excited about you," Vance said to the American-born Pope as they exchanged gifts.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the Lord would put His words in Pope Leo XIV's mouth in a similar way as He did for Moses, that the Lord would give the Trump Administration eyes to see and ears to hear the will of the Lord, and that the Pope would serve as confirmation in areas for where the Trump Administration needs it the most.

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Elizabeth Delaney Author Headshot Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.