Pope Leo’s prayer intention for August is a prayer for an end to the splintering of humanity over ethnic, political, religious or ideological differences.
This is a simple prayer for something that all people need desperately. Countless millions of people have suffered beyond imagining because of these things. Almost always, when these divisions become violent and deadly, there is a self-promoting leader at the helm who uses these differences as means of focusing the frustrations of of individual people and turning those people into a mindless mob. People in a mob will consent to evil that that would appall them as individuals.
Pope Leo is asking us to pray for an end to this mob cruelty based on senseless resentments and hatreds that come from the inevitable differences that arise among human beings who are, each and every one of us, a unique child of the living God.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea if we added a prayer for moral and mentally stable leaders, as well. Demagogues always become deadly if they are not stopped. The best place to stop them is before they get into power in the first place. Failing that, the next best place to stop them is anywhere you can.
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