Pope Leo has encouraged Christians taking part in Thy Kingdom Come to boldly share their faith, saying the gospel is “not something about which we can keep silent".

In a video message marking the start of the annual global prayer movement, the Pope assured participants of his “spiritual closeness” and encouraged them to use the initiative as an opportunity to help others encounter Jesus.

Thy Kingdom Come, led by Lambeth Palace, runs from Ascension to Pentecost and invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to faith. Since launching in 2016, it has grown into a movement involving more than a million Christians across 85 denominations and traditions.

Reflecting on the traditional Advent prayer, “Come, Emmanuel”, Pope Leo said humanity continues to long for God's presence and healing in a broken world. “We long for him to save us from our sins, our foolishness and all that might harm us,” he said. “We long for him to heal what is broken in us and what is broken in our world.”

The Pope added that although people can forget their need for God, “only he can satisfy our deepest longings and our inner restlessness".

Quoting Saint Augustine, he pointed to the famous line: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

He urged believers not to keep their faith private, saying: “This is not something about which we can keep silent. It is something to proclaim boldly, for it is indeed good news and needs to be shared.”

Ending his message, Pope Leo called on Christians to follow the example of the women who ran from Jesus' empty tomb to tell others He had risen. He said believers should also “set out to bring to all the good news that Jesus has risen” and declared: “We too can give life to a new world of peace and unity.”