From January 27 to 31, Rome became a crossroads of prayer, discernment, and global vision as the International Council of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (PWPN) gathered for its annual meeting. Composed of the seven Continental Coordinators and accompanied by the International Direction and Executive Teams, the Council met to review the situation of the Network across the world and to outline priority lines of action for 2026.

The Continental Coordinators – representing South Asia, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America – carry a key pastoral responsibility: accompanying National Directors and fostering spaces of communication, collaboration, and shared mission within their regions. The meeting offered a privileged opportunity to share concrete experiences, identify challenges, and strengthen a common global vision of this worldwide network of prayer.

Alongside the Council, members of the International Direction Team – Director Fr Cristóbal Fones, SJ, and Vice Directors Bettina Raed and Fr Miguel Melo, SJ – as well as members of the International Executive Team responsible for administration, communication, and finance, participated in various working sessions. Together, they reflected on how best to serve the life of the PWPN present in each country as a pontifical work, while also ensuring coherent coordination through the Vatican Foundation, which provides the juridical framework for the International Office based in Rome and its global team.

The spiritual and symbolic heart of the week came on the morning of January 30, when Pope Leo XIV received the members of the International Council, the Executive Team, the Council of Administration, benefactors, and friends of the Foundation. The encounter, held early in the morning, was marked by a profound sense of closeness and encouragement.

From the outset, the Pope’s tone was warm and personal. “Good morning and welcome to all of you. I am happy to meet with you and I thank you for your service to the people of God”, he said, before greeting individually those present. This attentive and personal gesture – including a greeting to each person – was experienced as a concrete sign of his pastoral proximity and gratitude for their service.

In his address, Pope Leo XIV strongly reaffirmed the core mission of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network: to be an integral part of the Church’s evangelical life through prayer. Referring to the monthly prayer intentions, which were published that same day for 2027, entrusted by him and his predecessors, he expressed gratitude for the work of dissemination carried out by the Network, reaching “tens of millions of people” who daily bring before God the needs of humanity and the Church. “Such prayer”, he emphasized, “is not external to the evangelical work of the Body of Christ, but an integral part of it.”

Rooted in the spirituality of the Heart of Jesus, the Network was encouraged to continue helping the baptized discover a more intimate relationship with Christ. The Pope highlighted The Way of the Heart as a valuable formation itinerary, capable of guiding believers to live this spirituality concretely in daily life, growing as “friends and apostles of Christ”.

A central emphasis of the Pope’s message was the call to widen participation in the Network. He encouraged fostering an even greater sense of belonging within this global community that unites cultures, languages, and charisms in a single mission of compassion. In this context, Pope Leo XIV placed particular attention on young people.

“It is especially important to invite young people to take part”, he said, pointing to them as “the next generation of intercessors for the needs of the whole world”. Recognizing the deep spiritual search present in many young hearts today, the Pope underlined that many are seeking “a more profound and personal relationship with the Risen Jesus”. In this light, he highlighted the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM) as “a particularly fruitful path” to help young people grow in intimacy with the Lord and to become active participants in the Church’s prayer.

The encounter concluded with words of heartfelt encouragement. Pope Leo XIV thanked all those present for their commitment to promoting prayer for the Pope’s intentions worldwide and invited them to continue this mission “with a joyful spirit”. He then imparted his Apostolic Blessing, extending it to their loved ones and to all members of the Network across the globe.

For those present, the meeting was not only a moment of confirmation in their mission, but also a renewed call to serve the Church as a living network of prayer – close to the Pope, attentive to the world’s wounds, and open to the new generations who wish to walk with the Risen Christ.