Pope Leo XIV’s November prayer intention: prevent suicide. Urges community support, compassion, and rediscovering life’s beauty amid despair.
Newsroom (05/11/2025, Gaudium Press) Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his monthly prayer intention for November to the prevention of suicide, urging the global Catholic community to support those grappling with despair and to rediscover the inherent beauty of life amid suffering.
In The Pope Video, released through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Holy Father invites the faithful to pray that individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts “might find the support, care, and love they need in their community, and be open to the beauty of life.” The initiative, produced with support from the U.S. Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona, and in collaboration with Vatican Media, entrusts this intention to the entire Church.
A Prayer for Accompaniment and Compassion
The video opens with Pope Leo invoking Jesus’ invitation to “the weary and burdened” to find rest in Him. He prays for the Lord to accompany “all the people who live in darkness and despair, especially those struggling with suicidal thoughts.”
“May they always find a community that welcomes them, listens to them, and accompanies them,” the Pope continues. He asks God to grant believers “an attentive and compassionate heart, capable of offering comfort and support, also with the necessary professional help.”
Emphasizing tenderness toward the vulnerable, Pope Leo prays: “May we know how to be close with respect and tenderness, helping to heal wounds, build bonds, and open horizons.” He adds, “Together may we rediscover that life is a gift, that there is still beauty and meaning, even in the midst of pain and suffering.”
Acknowledging Universal Vulnerability
The Holy Father stresses that no one is immune to such darkness, noting that even followers of Jesus can be “vulnerable to sadness without hope.” He concludes with a plea: “We ask You to always make us feel Your love so that, through Your closeness to us, we can recognize and proclaim to all the infinite love of the Father who leads us by the hand to renew our trust in the life You give us. Amen.”
About The Pope Video and the Prayer Network
The Pope Video is an official global initiative disseminating the Pope’s monthly intentions, managed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (formerly the Apostleship of Prayer). Launched in 2016, it has garnered over 247 million views across Vatican social networks, translated into more than 23 languages, and covered by media in 114 countries.
This edition was produced by the Pope Video Prayer Network team, coordinated by Andrea Sarubbi, with creative input from Coronation Media and distribution support from the La Machi agency, alongside Vatican Media.
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, a Pontifical Society, mobilizes Catholics for prayer and action addressing humanity’s challenges and the Church’s mission.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 720,000 people die by suicide annually, with over half of these cases occurring before age 50.
Lord Jesus,
You who invite the weary and burdened
to come to You and rest in Your Heart,
we ask You this month for all the people
who live in darkness and despair,
especially for those struggling
with suicidal thoughts.
May they always find a community
that welcomes them, listens to them, and accompanies them.
Give all of us an attentive and compassionate heart,
capable of offering comfort and support,
also with the necessary professional help.
May we know how to be close with respect and tenderness,
helping to heal wounds, build bonds, and open horizons.
Together may we rediscover that life is a gift,
that there is still beauty and meaning,
even in the midst of pain and suffering.
We are well aware that those who follow You
are also vulnerable to sadness without hope.
We ask You to always make us feel Your love
so that, through Your closeness to us,
we can recognize and proclaim to all the infinite love of the Father
who leads us by the hand to renew our trust in the life You give us.
Amen.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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