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Pope Leo XIV has announced his prayer intention for June, focusing on fostering compassion worldwide. This month, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, sees the pope encouraging people to deepen their personal relationship with Jesus to cultivate compassion.
In his first appearance in "The Pope Video," a monthly reflection series by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, Pope Leo XIV prays, “Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his heart, learn to have compassion on the world.” The video released on June 3 also includes a daily prayer for individuals to recite throughout the month.
The accompanying prayer emphasizes love and transformation: “You showed us the Father’s love by loving us without measure with Your divine and human Heart... Grant all Your children the grace of encountering You.” It calls for change in people's plans so they seek divine presence in all aspects of life and embark on missions of compassion.
The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, previously known as the Apostleship of Prayer, is an international movement where participants commit to praying for the pope's intentions daily. Jesuit Father Cristóbal Fones, director of this network, remarked that the intention highlights growing in compassion through a close relationship with Jesus. “By cultivating this truly close relationship, our hearts are more conformed to His,” he stated. He further explained how this relationship fosters understanding and practice of compassion as exemplified by Jesus’ unconditional love.
Father Fones noted that during Holy Year 2025, "The Pope Video" gains special importance as it reveals the pope’s heartfelt intentions. Praying for these intentions is essential for receiving Jubilee indulgence graces.
Historically, four popes have addressed Catholics' devotion to the Sacred Heart through encyclicals. The current pope adopted his name from Pope Leo XIII who wrote "Annum Sacrum" in 1899 dedicating humanity to Jesus' Heart. In 1928, Pope Pius XI's "Miserentissimus Redemptor" encouraged acts of reparation for sins against Christ’s Heart. Pope Pius XII explored theological foundations in "Haurietis Aquas" (1956), while last year Pope Francis’ "Dilexit Nos" advocated devotion as an antidote to societal indifference.
