In the midst of Christians' holiest week of the year, Pope Leo XIV's prayer intention for the month of April is particularly poignant. As the Church looks to Holy Thursday and the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, the Pope invites us to pray for priests in crisis.
The prayer intention spotlights the need to reflect on caring for priests, listening to them and accompanying them.
Through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network’s “Pray with the Pope” campaign, the Holy Father invites the faithful and all people of goodwill to spend a moment in prayer, to become aware of and to reflect on the fact that behind every minister is a person who needs closeness and a listening ear.
In his prayer, the Pope offers a moving plea for priests going through difficult moments, “when loneliness weighs heavily, when doubt clouds their hearts, and when exhaustion seems stronger than hope.” Leo XIV reminds us that priests, “are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes, but beloved sons, humble and cherished disciples, and pastors sustained by the prayer of their people.”
In addition, the Pontiff emphasizes the importance of rediscovering the communitarian dimension of the priestly ministry. In particular, he invites the faithful “to listen without judging, to give thanks without demanding perfection, and to accompany them with closeness and sincere prayer,” recognizing that caring for priests is a shared responsibility for the entire People of God.
In his prayer, the Pope especially prays that priests might have “healthy friendships, networks of fraternal support,” and the grace of rediscovering the beauty of their vocation.
The international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Father Cristóbal Fones, points out that this prayer intention is particularly dear to the Pope.
“The Pope,” he says, “is reminding us that we must fraternally support those who support others. I myself feel this very deeply for many fellow priests who are companions and friends who are going through difficult moments. It is essential to remember how important human accompaniment, sincere friendship and, above all, prayer support are. Priests need to know that they are not alone.”
Here is the prayer:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amén.
Lord Jesus,
Good Shepherd and companion on the journey,
today we place in your hands all priests,
especially those going through moments of crisis,
when loneliness weighs heavily,
when doubt clouds their hearts,
and when exhaustion seems stronger than hope.
You who know their struggles and wounds,
renew in them the certainty of your unconditional love.
Let them feel they are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes,
but beloved sons, humble and cherished disciples,
and pastors sustained by the prayer of their people.
Good Father,
teach us as a community to care for our priests:
to listen without judging,
to give thanks without demanding perfection,
to share with them the baptismal mission
of proclaiming the Kingdom in word and deed,
and to accompany them with closeness and sincere prayer.
May we support those who so often support us.
Holy Spirit,
rekindle in our priests the joy of the Gospel.
Grant them healthy friendships, networks of fraternal support,
a sense of humor when things don’t go as expected,
and the grace to always rediscover the beauty of their vocation.
May they never lose trust in You,
nor the joy of serving your Church with a humble and generous heart.
Amen.
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Not perfect, but humble
On June 27, 2025, Pope Leo XIV himself, on the Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests addressed these words to priests: “Do not be daunted by your personal frailty: the Lord does not look for perfect priests, but for humble hearts that are open to conversion and prepared to love others as he himself loved us.”
Before that, on June 26, 2025, he met with participants in the international meeting of priests called “Happy Priests—‘I call you friends’ (Jn. 15:16), organized by the Dicastery for Clergy during the Jubilee for Priests. He told them, “In the heart of this Holy Year, we want to bear witness together that we can be joyful priests because Christ has called us, and Christ has made us his friends (cf. Jn 15:15). This is a grace that we want to accept with gratitude and responsibility.
For its part, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network highlights that this intention is not only an invitation to pray. It is also a call to action to foster safe listening spaces, to create welcome communities, to avoid destructive criticism, and to strengthen bonds within the community.
