Pope Francis says "we are guided by our Mother, Mary, who goes before us on the pilgrimage - who teaches us to hold – in our hearts the words and deeds of Jesus"

Meeting with the delegation of the Pope's Worldwide prayer network, the Pope challenged them to help individuals and communities live the Jubilee Year with a spirit of prayer and compassion. Each month, the Pope’s prayer intentions are published. For example, for the month of January 2025, the intention is for the right to an education. On the morning of January 23rd, a delegation from the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network - the organization responsible for publishing these monthly intentions - met with Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER TO MEMBERS OF THE POPE'S
WORLDWIDE PRAYER NETWORK FOUNDATION
Hall of Popes on Thursday, 23 January 2025
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Dear brothers and sisters, welcome!

I greet the new Director, Father Cristóbal Fones. I wish him well in his work and express my gratitude to Father Fornos – he did a very good job; he is great – for his service. Father Fornos was “creative”.

My thanks go to all of you: the members of the International Team, the Continental Coordinators, the Board of Directors, the permanent Partners and, in particular, those who support the Foundation thereby ensuring stability and continued progress in its work.

I am pleased that you have joyfully received the Encyclical Letter Dilexit Nos, on the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ, for you can find therein substantial nourishment for fostering the spirituality of your apostolate. Indeed, I am glad that you call this spirituality “The Way of the Heart”. I would like to “read” this expression in a twofold sense: it is the journey of Jesus, of his Sacred Heart, through the mystery of his incarnation, passion, death and resurrection; and it is also the journey of our own hearts, wounded by sin, which allow themselves to be conquered and transformed by love. On this journey of the heart, as ever we are guided by our Mother, Mary, who goes before us on the pilgrimage of faith and hope, and who teaches us to hold – to hold – in our hearts the words and deeds of Jesus. Do not forget this action: to hold. As you well know, this is the work of the Holy Spirit: our hearts cannot journey with Christ without the living water of the Holy Spirit.

Dear sisters and brothers, I think that the Worldwide Prayer Network will make a very important contribution to the Jubilee, helping individuals and communities to live the spirit of the Holy Year as a journey in which prayer and compassion, prayer and closeness to the least among us, prayer and works of mercy are inseparably combined. Thank you, thank you very much!

Please move forward joyfully, always joyfully, working together. I give you my heartfelt blessing. Thank you!