Pope Leo XIV shared a prayer to St. Francis of Assisi as an intercessor for peace amid escalating tensions following U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran. The prayer was originally shared with Franciscan order leaders in January 2026, marking the 800th anniversary of St. Francis' death. The prayer asks St. Francis, who crossed lines of war unarmed, to teach believers to seek reconciliation and build bridges instead of boundaries. It specifically requests intercession so that people may become unarmed and disarming witnesses of Christ's peace during times of conflict and division.
5 days ago
Tensions have risen following U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, prompting calls for peace from Catholic sources.1
This incident has led to fears of broader war in the region, amid ongoing Israel-Iran hostilities.1
Pope Leo XIV composed a prayer to St. Francis of Assisi, shared originally with Franciscan leaders in January 2026 to mark the 800th anniversary of the saint's death.1
The prayer is republished now as an intercession for peace during current conflicts.1
It invokes St. Francis as a peacemaker who crossed war lines unarmed.1
"Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace, intercede for us before the Lord."1
"You recognized true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano, teach us to seek in him the source of all reconciliation that breaks down every wall."1
"You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding, give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries."1
"In this time afflicted by conflict and division, intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ. Amen."1
The prayer's release coincides with Pope Leo XIV participating in the Roman Curia's Lenten retreat (February 22-27, 2026), led by Norwegian Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim on the theme "Illuminated by a Hidden Glory."1
Images show the pope praying during the retreat's final day in the Pauline Chapel.1
Related coverage highlights U.S. bishops and clergy urging prayer and diplomacy to avert tragedy in the Middle East.1
Leaders express sorrow and shock over the strikes, calling for de-escalation.1
Examine St. Francis’ role as intercessor for peace in Catholic teaching
In Catholic doctrine, saints serve as intercessors who, united more closely to Christ in heaven, pray for the Church and humanity, offering their merits through the one Mediator, Jesus Christ. St. Francis of Assisi holds a prominent place among them as a model of peace, invoked particularly for an "unarmed and disarming" peace rooted in poverty, fraternity, and evangelical simplicity. This role emerges from his life of radical conversion, his Rule emphasizing peaceful witness, and recent papal teachings that explicitly call upon his intercession amid global conflicts.
The Catechism affirms that saints in heaven "do not cease to intercede with the Father for us," strengthening the Church in holiness through their fraternal concern. They contemplate God, praise Him, and care for those on earth, with their intercession being "their most exalted service to God's plan." This includes petitionary prayer, mirroring Christ's own intercession for sinners. In the liturgy of heaven, as depicted in Revelation, martyrs and saints intercede amid trials, fostering faith that hopes against hope. Francis exemplifies this, as his heavenly intercession aligns with his earthly mission of repairing the Church and promoting harmony.
Francis' conversion transformed him from a chivalrous youth into a "giant of holiness," called by Christ at San Damiano to "repair my Church," symbolizing renewal amid superficial faith, clerical laxity, and heresy. His embrace of poverty made him a "pillar of Christendom," upholding the faith through humility rather than force. In his Rule, he mandated brothers to travel "gentle, peaceful and unassuming," greeting homes with "Peace to this house" (Lk 10:5), eat whatever is offered without dispute, and love persecutors. This "unarmed" approach—avoiding quarrels, pride, or worldly cares—fostered fraternity, admonishing obedience in love without anger, even in correction. Popes have long celebrated this: Pius XI noted Francis "propped up the house" in his lifetime, invoking his intercession for abundant blessings.
Recent teachings of Pope Leo XIV explicitly position Francis as intercessor for peace, tying his charism to contemporary needs. In his letter marking the Eighth Centenary of Francis' death (2026), the Pope prays: "intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ." This recurs in the Message for the 59th World Day of Peace (2026), envisioning disarmament of heart through Jubilee hope, echoing Isaiah's prophecy of swords into plowshares. Francis inspires "synergy for peace" at interreligious congresses, where leaders pray and serve together for human dignity.
In the Message for the 100th World Mission Day (2026), Leo XIV draws on Francis' zeal—"Love is not loved"—urging missionary communion through prayer and support, with Francis as inspiration alongside St. Thérèse. The Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te (2025) portrays Francis as an "icon of spiritual springtime," whose relational poverty bridged divides, making him neighbor to the poor and prophetic against worldliness. A General Audience (2025) highlights Francis' greeting "omnes fratres" (all brothers), fostering universal fraternity as antidote to wars and hatred, rooted in Christ's command: "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12). This fulfills earlier papal views, like Benedict XVI's, of Francis renewing the Church through poverty and peace.
Francis' intercession for peace is not abstract but incarnational: his life wedded love for Christ with love for the poor, countering enmity with evangelical disarmament. Amid "conflicts, wars, social tensions," his model urges interior conversion, where fraternity—caring for and sustaining others—overcomes narcissism and division. The Church cautions nuance: while saints intercede powerfully, peace flows ultimately from Christ, with saints as witnesses, not independent sources.
In summary, Catholic teaching presents St. Francis as a preeminent intercessor for peace, embodying "unarmed and disarming" witness through poverty, fraternity, and humble obedience. Papal documents, especially Pope Leo XIV's, confidently invoke him for peacemaking in a fractured world, grounded in the Catechism's doctrine of saintly intercession and his Rule's evangelical mandate.