In stark contrast to Francis-era clips, Pope Leo XIV’s first ‘Pope Video’ opens with a prayer to Jesus and centers on the Sacred Heart, not vague humanitarian platitudes.
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — The first of the monthly papal prayer videos featuring Pope Leo XIV was published today, with a notable emphasis on prayer, marking a shift in content to those of his predecessor.
As has been the custom for a number of years in the Francis pontificate, the start of each month sees the release of a new video with the Pope’s prayer intention for the calendar month.
The Pope Video, part of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, has been a recurring event in the latter half of Pope Francis’ reign, and have featured intentions as diverse as praying for religious vocations, for an end to abuse, and for environmental action.
Typically Francis’ messages – issued in a short video and with a lengthy accompanying press release – have tended to resemble content which might be expected from a benevolent NGO.
Speaking in Spanish, the pope would be filmed at his desk delivering his message, while different clips of footage were played at relevant points of the text.
However, June’s video is the first which has been made with Pope Leo XIV and is noticeably different in content.
The theme at first appears somewhat innocuous, being, “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,” opens the Pope.
But it is the accompanying message which marks the most significant departure. Instead of Francis’ short speeches, phrased in a manner which United Nations’ speech writers would be proud of, the message in Leo’s first video is in the style of a prayer.
Built around the theme of the Sacred Heart, which is most appropriate for June, the prayer invokes God’s aid in all aspects of daily life. It calls for an increase in God-centered compassion and God-centered activity – “so that we seek only You in every circumstance.”
The text is not styled in the manner of the manuals of spirituality of old as certain phrases peculiar to modern ecclesial parlance are indeed present. Additionally concerns might be raised about how an emphasis on “compassion” might be interpreted in the modern world and in the modern Church, where listening is promoted at the cost of adherence to doctrine and law.
Nevertheless, the video marks a notable change by having the entire contents be a prayer instead of a U.N. style feel-good message of worldly positivity.
Another significant change is the language: the original video is in English, as opposed to Francis’ which were in Spanish, a change which ought to further aid the distribution of the videos.
Father Cristóbal Fones – international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network – commented that Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention wished to link compassion to 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,” said Fones. “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.”
Along with a further summary of the Church’s teaching about the devotion to the Sacred Heart, the press release notes the ancient custom of this devotion in the month of June:
The Church has traditionally dedicated the entire month of June 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.
In essence, June’s Pope Video appears to be very much in line with how Vatican analysts and a number of cardinals have predicted Leo XIV will act: somewhat continuing along with particular elements of the Francis papacy, but framing them in his own manner and being more deliberately religious about it.
The full text of the video message is found below:
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.
