JUNE | That the world might grow in compassion

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.

June 2025 – Pope Leo XIV

Lord, I come to Your tender Heart today,
to You who have words that set my heart ablaze,
to You who pour out compassion on the little ones and the poor,
on those who suffer, and on all human miseries.

I desire to know You more, to contemplate You in the Gospel,
to be with You and learn from You
and from the charity with which You allowed Yourself
to be touched by all forms of poverty.

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.
Change, shape, and transform our plans,
so that we seek only You in every circumstance:
in prayer, in work, in encounters, and in our daily routine.

From this encounter, send us out on mission,
a mission of compassion for the world
in which You are the source from which all consolation flows.

Amen.

Credits

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The Pope Video – JUNE | That the world might grow in compassion

A project by Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

In collaboration with Vatican Media

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PRESS RELEASE

Pope Leo XIV: From the heart of Jesus, let us learn to have compassion on the world

  • During the month of June, traditionally dedicated to devotion to the Heart of Jesus, the Pope invites us to 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.”
  • For the first time, we hear Pope Leo XIV’s voice presenting The Pope Video prayer intention.

(Vatican City, 3 June 2025). – The video with the prayer intention of Pope Leo XIV for June 2025 – “That the world might grow in compassion” – is being released today. This is the first time we hear Pope Leo XVI’s voice on The Pope Video to ask the faithful to pray for his intentions. This month, he asks us to 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 presents an original prayer to the Sacred Heart. Through it, we ask Christ to help us know Him more, that we might remain with Him, and learn from His love; that He might transform us in such a way that He might become our goal in every circumstance of daily life; and that He might send us on a mission of compassion, bringing his consolation to the world. The images accompanying this prayer were filmed in the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Rome, where we can find the famous image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Pompeo Batoni (restoration of this image will be completed by the end of the month), and the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati in the Philippines, which is a popular religious destination for the entire Archdiocese of Manila. 

Symbol of the love of God

The Church has traditionally dedicated the entire month of Jesus to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She also invites believers to look on humanity as Christ did, and to act according to the sentiments of His Heart, especially by alleviating the suffering of those who are weakest.

The Heart of Christ symbolizes the center of His person. From it flows forth His love for humanity. It is the mystery of the heart of God who is moved and pours out His love at every moment upon all men and women in the world.

Although devotion to the Heart of Christ has always been present in Christian spirituality, it took on new importance with the revelations to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1600s, accompanied by the interpretation of Saint Claude de La Colombière, SJ. Pope Pius IX instituted the Feast of the Sacred Heart in 1856; later in 1889, Pope Leo XIII elevated it to a Solemnity, thus heightening its importance.

The relevance of the Sacred Heart on the life of the Church is demonstrated both in popular devotion and in the fact that four Popes have dedicated an encyclical to the topic. Pope Leo XIII, whose name the current Pope took, wrote Annum Sacrum in 1899, in which he consecrated all of humanity to the Heart of Jesus. In 1928, Pope Pius XI, in Miserentissimum Redemptor, invited us to make reparation through acts of love for the wounds our sins inflict on the Heart of Christ. For his part, Pope Pius XII published Haurietis Aquas in 1956, in which he explores the theological basis for devotion to the Sacred Heart. Lastly, Pope Francis wrote Dilexit Nos in 2024, and proposed devotion to the Heart of Christ as a response to the throw-away culture and the culture of indifference.

Growing in compassion

The International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Father Cristóbal Fones, explains that Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention focuses on growing in compassion for the world through a personal relationship with Jesus.  “By cultivating this truly close relationship, our hearts are more conformed to His. We grow in love and mercy, and we better learn what compassion is. Jesus manifested an unconditional love for everyone, especially for the poor, the sick, and those who were suffering. The Pope encourages us to imitate this compassionate love by extending a hand to those in need.”

“Compassion,” Father Fones continues, “seeks to alleviate suffering and to promote human dignity. This is why it is translated into concrete actions that address the roots of poverty, inequality and exclusion, so as to contribute to the construction of a more just and solidary world.”

The Way of the Heart

Father Cristóbal Fones also explains that the mission of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is precisely inserted into the mission of compassion for the world, which is rooted in the Heart of Jesus. “Our formative journey, The Way of the Heart, helps one to enter into a mission of compassion for the world starting with friendship with Jesus, not from one’s own volunteerism. It is a spiritual journey to harmonize oneself with the Heart of Jesus. Its goal is to have a heart more similar to His, and to participate in His mission by going out to meet our brothers and sisters. Union with Christ makes us perceive the challenges that exist in the world, and look on them as He would. This mobilizes us to face these challenges through prayer and service. Thus,” Father Fones concludes, “this formative journey transforms us each day into prayer apostles, into missionary disciples on a mission of compassion for the world to which everyone is invited.”

Lastly, within the context of the Holy Year 2025, The Pope Video acquires special relevance since through it we know the prayer intentions the Pope holds in his heart. To properly receive the graces of the Jubilee indulgence, it is necessary to pray for the Pope’s intentions.

The Pope Video is possible thanks to the generous contributions of many people. You can donate by following this link.

Where can the video be seen?

About The Pope Video

The Pope Video is an official global initiative with the purpose of disseminating the Holy Father’s monthly prayer intentions. It is carried out by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer). Since 2016, The Pope Video has had more than 247 million views across all the Vatican’s social networks, and is translated into more than 23 languages, receiving press coverage in 114 countries. This video was produced and created by The Pope Video Prayer Network team, coordinated by Andrea Sarubbi, and distributed with the help of La Machi Communication for Good Causes. The project is sponsored by Vatican Media

About the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Society, with the mission of mobilizing Catholics through prayer and action in response to the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church. These challenges are presented in the form of prayer intentions entrusted by the Pope to the entire Church. The foundation’s mission is inscribed in the dynamic of the Heart of Jesus, a mission of compassion for the world. It was founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer. It is present in 92 countries, and is made up of more than 22 million Catholics. It includes a youth branch, the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM). In July 2024, the Pope approved the definitive Statutes of this Pontifical Work (canonical and Vatican legal entity). Its international director is Father Cristóbal Fones, SJ. For more information, visit: https://www.popesprayer.va.

PRESS CONTACTS

POPE’S WORLDWIDE PRAYER NETWORK – VATICAN CITY [email protected]

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