Vatican City: Pope Francis in his prayer intention for the month of August invites Catholics to pray for small and medium-sized businesses, so that in the midst of economic and social crisis, they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.

"Stores, workshops, cleaning businesses, transportation businesses, and so many others. The ones that don't appear on the world's richest and most powerful lists, and despite the difficulties, they create jobs, fulfilling their social responsibility," the pope said in his August 2022 video prayer message, released by the Vatican.

Francis in his message recognizes the "courage, effort and sacrifice" of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, and acknowledges that they are among the most affected by wars and the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

According to statistics for 2021 from the World Bank, one in four companies lost half of their volume of sales because of the global pandemic, made worse by a lack of adequate public assistance.

Pope Francis praised those who through their workshops or shops "invest in life," by "generating well-being, opportunities and work" for the common good.

The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network of the Apostleship of Prayer developed "The Pope Video" initiative to assist in the worldwide dissemination of monthly intentions of the pope in relation to the challenges facing humanity.

Founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer, the network today connects millions of Catholics around the world from diverse countries, cultures, and social and ecclesial contexts, through prayer.