The pope León XIV presided over a Rosary for peace this Thursday in the Vatican Gardens, where Cuba and Venezuela were included among the prayer intentions, with a request for the families of both countries to "not lose hope."
The pontiff participated in the Lourdes Grotto at the Vatican in the event 'A Million Children Pray the Rosary', organized by the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) foundation, which supports persecuted or marginalized Christian communities around the world.
Before the start of the Rosary, Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and international president of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), presented the prayer intentions to the pontiff and requested, among other things, "for the families of Cuba and Venezuela, that they do not lose hope."
More than a thousand people, including children and families, gathered in the gardens while the Pope presided over the event and the little ones prayed the Rosary in various languages.
"This night we are not alone. In the world, a million children are praying with us. A million! Fifty million 'Hail Marys' rising to heaven from every corner and in every language of the earth, asking for peace," said León XIV to those present.
During the Rosary, videos were shown depicting various situations around the world, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the events in Pakistan and South Sudan, and the realities of Cuba and Venezuela.
In the section dedicated to Cuba and Venezuela, it was noted that "many families lack essential goods and suffer greatly from natural disasters," and a plea was made for their hope.
At the end of the event, late in the evening, the Pope greeted and embraced several of the children and families present.
The campaign has a particular symbolic resonance: it was born precisely in Caracas in 2005, inspired by a phrase attributed to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: "When a million children pray the Rosary, the world will change." Since then, ACN has turned it into a global campaign involving schools, parishes, dioceses, and families from different continents.
This edition of 2026 is the first to take place over a full week, from October 1 to 7, allowing dioceses, parishes, schools, communities, and families to choose the day that best fits their activities.
Cuba and Venezuela had already been present on Pope Leo XIV's agenda on various occasions since the beginning of his pontificate.
In February, the Pope urged the Cuban authorities and Washington to promote a sincere dialogue to prevent measures that would worsen the suffering of the Cuban people, and days later received Cuban Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla at the Vatican.
In January, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, the pontiff called for "the well-being of the beloved Venezuelan people" and met with the opposition leader María Corina Machado in the Vatican.
In September, a photograph of the Virgin of Charity of Cobre was presented to the Pope by Bishop Osmany Massó Cuesta during a visit to Rome.
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