Francis's prayer intention for priests

In his last prayer video, Pope Francis asked Catholics to dedicate the month of July to give a spiritual gift to their pastors by praying for them, especially priests who are tired or lonely.

"The fatigue of the priests … Do you know how many times I think of this?"

This is the first line of Pope Francis' new prayer video, published on July 3 and dedicated to his intention of As the video shows scenes of priests working in difficult situations, including war and relief to Francis, in his native Spanish, says that "priests, with their virtues and their faults, work in many different fields. 19659002] "Working on so many active fronts, they can not remain inactive after a disappointment," said the pope. And when these moments come, it is good for a pastor to remember "that people love their priests, need them, and trust them."

The video then shows scenes of priests administering the

After receiving a flower from an elderly woman, the priest appearing in the video puts her in a vase inside her parish and prays as members of the parish. his congregation brings more flowers to add to the bouquet.

Francis closes the video asking Catholics to join him in praying "that priests, who are tired and lonely in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord. and in their friendship with their fellow priests. "

Pope Francis has often spoken of the need for consecrated persons to take care of their vocation both spiritually and temporally, especially when he meets with religious and religious priests at the same time. international travel.

His particular concern for priests who feel fatigued at work goes back to the beginning of his pontificate, and that is a problem he has raised many times.

In his homily for the Chrism Mbad at Holy Week in 2015, the Pope spoke directly to the priests to be exhausted, saying, "The tiredness of the priests! Do you know how often I think of this lbaditude you all experience? "

" I think about it and I often pray, especially when I'm tired myself, "he said. he prays for every priest and his ministry, especially those who serve "in solitary and dangerous places."

The tiredness of a holy priest who gives his life to service, Francis said during Mbad, "is like incense rising silently up to heaven." lbaditude goes directly to the heart of the Father. "

Francis' prayer intention for priests is part of the monthly" Pope Video "initiative, a project of the Jesuit Apostleship of Prayer global prayer network [19659002] The Apostleship of Prayer, which produces videos on the Pope's monthly prayer intentions, was founded by Jesuit seminarians in France in 1884 to encourage Christians to serve God and others through prayer, especially for the needs of the Church.

Since the late 1800s, the organization has received a monthly and universal intention from the pope. In 1929, an additional missionary intention was added.

However, since last year, rather than including a missionary intention, Pope Francis has opted for only one prepared prayer intention – the universal intention presented in the prayer video – and add a second intention for an urgent or immediate need. we wake up.

The videos are filmed in collaboration with the Vatican Television Center and mark the first time that the monthly prayers intentions of the Roman Pontiff are presented in video