# Pope Leo XIV's 2026 prayer and urban evangelisation > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/pope-leo-xivs-2026-spiritual-messages > Updated: 2026-08-08T07:08:20.000Z. Sources: 55. Developments: 6. In late July 2026, Pope Leo XIV used his Angelus at St Peter’s Freedom in Castel Gandolfo to invoke the parable of the hidden treasure, urging that true wealth lies in a relationship with God rather than material consumption. He warned that consumer culture creates endless, unsatisfying desire and called the Church to unite people of all cultures around this spiritual treasure. He announced August’s prayer intention of “evangelisation in the city,” noting that approximately 45% of the world now lives in urban areas where freedom and opportunity coexist with anonymity and loneliness. Highlighting megacities such as Jakarta, Dhaka, Tokyo, Delhi, and Shanghai, he urged the faithful to pray that no one feels invisible and to respond with simple, loving gestures that turn urban spaces into fertile ground for the Gospel. He specifically described avarice as a disease of the soul, characterizing accumulation and waste as two faces of greed. Following the release of a “Pray with the Pope” video on 2 August, the Pope resumed weekly general audiences inside St Peter’s Basilica on 5 August due to Rome's heat. He highlighted the Liturgy of the Hours and warned that an efficiency-driven mindset is causing prayer to disappear from Christian families. During a subsequent audience on 8 August, he continued reflections on the Second Vatican Council's Sacrosanctum Concilium. He also reflected on the Gospel account of Peter walking on the Sea of Galilee, advising believers to avoid both the pride of success and the despair of dark moments, emphasizing that prayer and the sacraments provide strength during life's "storms." ## Claims - Approximately 45 % of the global population lives in urban areas. (corroborated by 7 sources) - UN World Urbanization Prospects 2025 projects Jakarta (42 million), Dhaka (37 million), Tokyo (33 million), Delhi (30 million) and Shanghai (30 million) as the most populous cities. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Pope Leo XIV dedicated the August prayer intention to evangelization in the city. (corroborated by 5 sources) - The prayer intention asks that no one feels invisible in large cities. (corroborated by 5 sources) - The Pope described cities as places of freedom and opportunity that can also become spaces of anonymity and isolation. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Pope asked the Church to become a 'community in sortie' that extends hands to peripheries, consoles the lonely and sows fraternity. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Pope Leo XIV said avarice is a disease of the soul that makes people lose sense. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Pope Leo XIV said accumulation and waste are two faces of greed. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Pope Leo XIV called for solidarity and that no one lack daily bread. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The World Prayer Network of the Pope operates in over 90 countries and includes more than 22 million participants. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-08: Pope Leo XIV discusses the importance of liturgical prayer Pope Leo XIV addressed the importance of liturgical prayer at Saint Peter's Basilica, calling for a rediscovery of its spiritual truth amidst modern focuses on efficiency and consumption. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pope-leo-xiv-discusses-the-importance-of-liturgical-prayer ### 2026-08-08: Pope Leo XIV urges faith amidst life's challenges Pope Leo XIV delivered a message during the Angelus, urging believers to find strength in faith during adversity and to avoid arrogance in success, while encouraging youth to follow the examples of the saints. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catholic-church-faces-traditionalist-schism-and-spiritual-reflections ### 2026-08-05: Pope Leo XIV urges deeper prayer and urban evangelisation in August audience Pope Leo XIV resumed his August 5 audience, urging deeper use of the Liturgy of the Hours, warning prayer’s decline, and setting the August intention of urban evangelisation. 13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pope-leo-xiv-emphasizes-prayer-as-core-of-human-life-in-vatican-general-audience ### 2026-08-02: Pope Leo XIV calls Catholics to pray for city evangelisation Pope Leo XIV urges global Catholics to pray in August for evangelisation in cities, citing urban loneliness and calling for community gestures. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pope-leo-xiv-calls-catholics-to-pray-for-city-evangelisation ### 2026-07-31: Pope Leo XIV urges urban evangelization and solidarity in August prayer Pope Leo XIV’s August prayer calls for city evangelization, urges that no one feel invisible, condemns greed, and stresses the Church’s role in urban solidarity. 25 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-prayer-to-end-urban-invisibility ### 2026-07-26: Pope Leo XIV urges faithful to see God's kingdom as hidden treasure Pope Leo XIV, speaking at the Angelus in Castel Gandolfo, urged believers to view the Kingdom of God as a hidden treasure, warning that consumerism cannot satisfy the heart. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pope-leo-xiv-urges-faithful-to-see-gods-kingdom-as-hidden-treasure --- Cite as: Pope Leo XIV's 2026 prayer and urban evangelisation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/pope-leo-xivs-2026-spiritual-messages