“Pray with the Pope” is a new initiative of the Dicastery for Communication and the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network that invites people around the world to share in a real communion of prayer with Pope Leo XIV, offering prayer as a path to unity in a divided world.
By Benedetta Capelli and Francesca Merlo
From the Chapel of Saint Peregrine in the Vatican to the wider world, Pray with the Pope invites the faithful to share in a common moment of prayer with the Pope. The initiative was presented on Wednesday, 7 January, shortly before the release of the first video message in which Pope Leo XIV shares his prayer intention for January 2026. The video, recorded in English, Italian, and Spanish, marks the official launch of the project.
Prayer as a source of hope
In his January prayer intention – For prayer with the Word of God – Pope Leo XIV calls on the faithful to rediscover prayer as a source of hope. The Pope inaugurates the initiative not with a speech, but with a moment of prayer, emphasising a quieter, more contemplative way of communicating in an age marked by noise and distraction.
The slow time of prayer
According to Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, the initiative offers “the intimate and universal prayer of the Pope in a new, sober, and powerful form,” serving as a visible sign of unity and communion. It becomes a meeting place for millions of people, present both in digital spaces and in the concrete realities of daily life, beginning with the heart of each person.
This proposal, Ruffini explained, challenges the pace of modern life by creating “a protected space, a slow time, for prayer”. It is a reminder that genuine encounter remains possible even in a world marked by division, war, and violence. Prayer, he stressed, has the power to restore unity where it has been fractured.
Monthly intentions, global concerns
Each month throughout 2026, Pope Leo XIV will invite the Church to pray for a specific intention, touching on both global challenges—such as peace and disarmament—and issues within the life of the Church, including evangelisation. The initiative continues the legacy of The Pope’s Video, launched ten years ago by Pope Francis and viewed over 260 million times worldwide.
Building a different kind of network
Ruffini recalled the Pope’s invitation to “mend the nets” in the digital age—not through ambition or conquest, but by rediscovering what truly matters. In a culture accustomed to networks driven by monetisation, a network of prayer may seem countercultural. Yet, he noted, to pray together is itself a way of building communion, responding to a deep spiritual longing present even in secular societies.
An open door to shared prayer
Father Cristóbal Fones, Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, described Pray with the Pope as an open invitation for anyone, anywhere, to join the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions from a synodal perspective. This global dimension is reflected in video testimonies from Indonesia and Côte d’Ivoire, highlighting prayer as a bridge between cultures and peoples.
Finally, responding to journalists, Ruffini noted that the Pope has personally supported the initiative and has already recorded videos for the coming months. Through a short message on social media, Pope Leo XIV encouraged people to step away from endless scrolling and make space for prayer—a pause that allows the Word of God to breathe new life into hearts grown weary of constant distraction.
