(ZENIT News / Rome, 01.08.2026).- The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Dicastery for Communication announce the “Pray with the Pope” project, a new initiative at the service of the Holy Father’s mission. Beginning this month, and in continuity with the mission launched by Pope Francis, Pope Leo XVI will share his monthly prayer intention through both video and audio, inviting the universal Church and all people of good will to unite spiritually, using the same prayer that will now be led by the Pope himself.
This initiative aims to increase the visibility of the Pope’s prayer intentions, using a language suitable for prayer, in new formats, so as to better reach the faithful throughout the world, especially in today’s world of digital communication.
It is prayer that unites us
In the press conference held this past Wednesday in the Vatican Press Office, the prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, underlined how this initiative responds to the desire to rediscover in prayer the beauty of the network and thus find the strength that nourishes our works in the world: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt. 18:20).
“The Church,” he said, “was a network before the World Wide Web. So when Pope Leo XIV invited everyone – missionary disciples in our digital era – to go and repair the networks, what he was really asking is this: not to nurture illusions of grandeur or of conquest, but to rediscover the foundation of everything, learning over again how to together call God ‘Abba,’ – ‘daddy’ – like children, thus revealing the mystery of communion that unites us to each other and to Him.”
Later, Ruffini also highlighted the close collaboration between the Dicastery and the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network as a concrete indication of how the Holy See’s communication efforts foster the communion of the entire Church around the Successor of Peter. The intimate and universal prayer of the Pope, he said, is thus offered in a new, simple yet powerful, way, as a visible instrument of our union and communion in the Lord, a meeting point for millions of people, members of the same body, fully present in the digital world and in the physical places where they live, beginning within the heart of each one of them.
“I thank the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Father Cristóbal Fones and all those who make possible this worldwide service and the spirit of communion that inspires it,” Ruffini concluded.
“Pray with the Pope”: a monthly invitation with a synodal perspective
The international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, explained that “Pray with the Pope” is an initiative of the Holy Father to help each person join concretely in the prayer intention he proposes each month, and thus to open their hearts to the challenges facing humanity and the Church’s mission.
In addition, Father Fones recalls that the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network has been supporting these intentions for more than 180 years. Today, it renews its mission through new content and resources, allowing for increased participation and access. In fact, the new avenue of digital access was initiated ten years ago by Pope Francis through “The Pope Video,” which, over the years, reached more than 260 million visualizations across five continents.
During the press conference mentioned above, two videos were presented. They contained testimonies from members of the Network from Indonesia and Côte d’Ivoire who shared how important it has been for them to know that they are part of a global community united in prayer. Both testimonies emphasized how praying together has become a bridge that connects people from different cultures and experiences, and promotes hope and shared solidarity.
The intention for January: “For prayer with the Word of God”
The “Pray with the Pope” project is being launched with the first prayer intention for 2026: “For prayer with the Word of God.” This intention invites us to rediscover the spiritual power of the Sacred Scriptures as a privileged place to encounter Christ. In his first message, Pope Leo proposes prayer that is centered on the Word as light for discernment, nourishment in times of weariness, hope in the darkness, and the foundation of a Church constructed on the Gospel.
The prayer recited by the Holy Father asks for the grace of being open to daily listening to the Scriptures, allowing ourselves to be challenged by them, and that they guide both personal and communitarian decisions. Moreover, he underlines the missionary dimension of the Word, which makes each believer a disciple who serves, forgives, builds bridges, and proclaims life.
Place of prayer: Church of San Pellegrino in Vaticano
Filming took place in the Church of San Pellegrino in Vaticano (Church of Saint Pellegrino in the Vatican), one of the oldest churches inside Vatican City. Its origins date back to the year 795. Tradition has it that during Pope Leo III’s pontificate, Charlemagne gave the relics of Saint Pellegrino (a priest of Rome and the first bishop of Auxerre, France) to be placed in this church. It is located on the old Via Francígena, a route used by pilgrims travelling to Rome. This Church has historically been a place of welcome and prayer for those headed toward the tomb of Saint Peter.
Today, the church continues to be a space for silence and recollection for those who work in the Vatican, for pilgrims and visitors. It also serves as the chapel for Vatican City’s Corp of Gendarmerie. Its walls dating back to Charlemagne, the remains of the ancient apse with its decorations, and the various phases of restoration it has undergone over the centuries, add to its spiritual heritage.
The Pope’s prayer intentions for 2026
For this new phase, the Network presents the Holy Father’s prayer intentions for 2026. They are focused on spiritual, social, and humanitarian challenges that face both the Church the entire world.
Father Fones emphasized that these intentions seek to mobilize the Church and all people of good will toward generous and attentive prayer: “The Pope’s intentions for 2026 seek to face the challenges of our time, the wounds of the world, the quest of the human person, and the hope that the Church is called to protect. We hope that each video and audio will help to unite us in the same prayer, with issues that affect each one of us either directly or indirectly.”
One step forward in an ongoing mission
Through this initiative, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Dicastery for Communication are joining forces to give new impetus to the dissemination of the Holy Father’s monthly prayer intention. Both entities remain faithful to their mission while at the same time renewing it through languages and tools suitable for the present day.
“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the web site and on the digital platforms of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
