"Respect for Human Life," the Pope's Prayer Intention for July

“For respect for human life” is Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of July. Through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Holy Father invites us to pray that every human being may be welcomed, protected, and treated with respect for their dignity at every stage of their life.

In early June, during his apostolic trip to Spain, Pope Leo he said this to the Congress of Deputies: “Every human life must be recognized and protected from conception to its natural end, under any circumstances of its existence.”.

“A Goal of Civilization”

Then, he added: “The defense of human life is not a matter of personal or religious interest: it is a goal of civilization. Every human life must be recognized and protected from conception to its natural end, in all circumstances of its existence. When this certainty is eroded, the most vulnerable are the first victims, and the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person.”. 

”That is why a nation's moral greatness is manifested, above all, in its ability to support, protect, and love those whose lives are marked by greater vulnerability.".

Every person is a sacred gift

In his prayer, Leo XIV is headed to the “Lord of Life” and acknowledges that every person is “a sacred gift that reflects your face.” It also asks for the grace to recognize and safeguard “the unique and irreplaceable value of every human being,” “learning to welcome life unconditionally, to tenderly support fragility, to respectfully accompany every stage of life, and to courageously defend those who have no voice.”.

The Pope asks the Lord—in the plural—for forgiveness “when we fall into indifference or the culture of discarding others, when we fail to see in others beings worthy of love. Grant us a new heart, capable of always choosing life, and generous hands that protect it through concrete actions.”.

And he prays that “your Church” may be “a living witness to the Gospel of life, an open home where every life is celebrated, where no one feels left out, and where dignity is always respected and cherished.”.

73 million induced abortions worldwide each year

– Supernatural Global Prayer Network, led by Fr. Cristóbal Fones, reports that, according to data from the World Health Organization, there are approximately 73 million induced abortions worldwide each year. At the same time, the debate over euthanasia And assisted dying continues to gain ground worldwide, just as the death penalty does.

The WHO also noted in 2024 that one in six people over the age of 60 is a victim of abuse.

Father Cristóbal Fones, S.J., explains that the Pope's intention Above all, it invites us to rediscover the sacred value of every human life, to promote the dignity and development of every person, and to share in the mission of Christ, who showed compassion toward all and called for the building of an authentic culture of life in the face of the “throwaway culture,” as Pope Francis has put it.

For the sake of respect for human life

(Prayer (from Pope Leo XIV's video message, in Spanish)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Lord of Life, You created us out of love and called us to live life to the fullest. 

Every person is a sacred gift that reflects your image, from the very first moment of their existence to the last breath of their journey on earth. 

Today we ask you for the grace to recognize and protect the unique and irreplaceable value of every human being. 

May we learn to embrace life unconditionally, to tenderly support its fragility, to respectfully accompany it through every stage, and to courageously defend those who have no voice. 

Forgive us, Lord, when we fall into indifference or the culture of discarding others, when we fail to see in others beings worthy of love. 

Give us a new heart, capable of always choosing life, and generous hands that protect it through concrete actions. 

Make your Church a living witness to the Gospel of life, an open home where every life is celebrated, where no one feels left out, and where dignity is always respected and cherished.

Lord Jesus, may we love life as You love it: with tenderness, faithfulness, and devotion. 

May we proclaim, through words and deeds, that every human life is worth the total gift of oneself. Amen.