How to Pray With the Pope and Why It Matters with Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ

In the life of a Catholic, there are set times when we pray for and with the Pope. At Mass, during the prayers of the faithful, for example. There’s that one bead on the rosary where we say an Our Father for the pope’s intentions. There are feast days when we are called to hold the pope in prayer in a special way. But often, these calls to prayer can feel rote, distant, hasty. What if there’s another way to pray with the pope? What if you could know exactly what the pope’s prayer intention was for any given month? What if this invitation to prayer was one of depth, intimacy and an ongoing encounter with Christ? You may be familiar with the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. You may even know it by an older name: the Apostleship of Prayer. Under Pope Francis, this Jesuit apostolate took on a renewed mission, becoming a Pontifical Work — still entrusted to the Society of Jesus — and shared ever more widely through digital media and the pope videos. Now, under Pope Leo, the work continues. As you’ll hear from today’s guest, Fr. Cristóbal Fones, a Chilean Jesuit who now serves as the international director, Pope Leo is excited and eager to get the word out about this unique network of prayer. This isn’t just about reciting Our Fathers and Hail Marys — though that’s important. This is about uniting our hearts to the suffering Christ so present in our world. This is about practicing a spirituality that is concerned for those who are suffering by lifting up and naming specific instances of need around the world. Fr. Cristóbal was a great guest; we had a really engaging conversation not only about the Pope’s Worldwide Network, but about the nature of prayer and the hopes of this American pope. Learn more about the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network by visiting the global site: popesprayer.va. And the North American site: popesprayerusa.net.