The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, in collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication, has launched “Pray with the Pope”, a new initiative placing prayer at the heart of the Pope’s mission and at the service of the universal Church.

Beginning this month, Pope Leo XIV will personally lead the faithful each month in prayer, sharing his prayer intention through both video and audio formats.

Rooted in the legacy of Pope Francis, this initiative invites the Church and all people of good will to unite spiritually around a common prayer, using words offered directly by the Pope himself. Designed for today’s digital age, “Pray with the Pope” seeks to make the Pope’s monthly intentions more visible, accessible, and prayerful, reaching believers across cultures, languages, and continents.

Prayer that builds communion

At a press conference held at the Vatican Press Office, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, emphasised that the initiative responds to a deep need to rediscover the beauty of prayer as a network of communion. Drawing on the words of the Gospel — “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt. 18:20) — Ruffini highlighted prayer as the source of unity and strength for the Church’s mission in the world.

“The Church,” he noted, “was a network before the World Wide Web.” Referring to Pope Leo XIV’s call for missionary disciples in the digital era to “repair the networks,” Ruffini explained that this is not about influence or conquest, but about returning to the foundation of faith: learning once again to call God Abba — Father — with the trust of children. In doing so, prayer reveals the mystery of communion that binds believers to one another and to God.

A monthly invitation in a synodal spirit

Father Cristóbal Fones, SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, described “Pray with the Pope” as a concrete way for individuals and communities to participate in the Pope’s monthly intentions and to open their hearts to the challenges facing humanity and the Church’s mission.

“This initiative is an open door,” Father Fones explained, “so that anyone, anywhere in the world, can pray with the Pope, in a truly synodal perspective.” Simple and universal in nature, the project encourages shared prayer as a way of walking together, listening together, and discerning together. The new formats, he added, are meant to help the faithful prepare for prayer and to support the Pope’s intentions with greater depth and attentiveness.

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which has accompanied the Pope’s intentions for more than 180 years, continues to renew its mission through new digital pathways. This renewal builds on the experience of The Pope Video, launched ten years ago under Pope Francis, which has reached over 260 million views across five continents, demonstrating the power of prayer in the digital public square.

January 2026 prayer intention: For prayer with the Word of God

The launch of “Pray with the Pope” begins with the first prayer intention of 2026: “For prayer with the Word of God.” This intention calls the faithful to rediscover Sacred Scripture as a privileged place of encounter with Christ and as a living source of spiritual strength.

In his first message, Pope Leo XIV invites believers to centre their prayer on the Word of God as light for discernment, nourishment in times of weariness, hope amid darkness, and the foundation of a Church built on the Gospel. The prayer he offers asks for the grace of daily openness to Scripture — to listen attentively, to be challenged by it, and to allow it to guide both personal and communal decisions.

The Pope also highlights the missionary dimension of the Word, which transforms every believer into a disciple called to serve, forgive, build bridges, and proclaim life. Through “Pray with the Pope,” the Pope invites the world to pray together, listen together, and walk together — united by the Word and sustained by hope.