Vatican City: Marking his first monthly prayer intention since ascending to the papacy on May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV has issued a heartfelt appeal for the month of June, encouraging believers across the globe to pray “that each one of us may find comfort in a personal relationship with Jesus and, from His Heart, learn to show compassion to the world.”

June, traditionally devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, sets the backdrop for this spiritual initiative. In his inaugural appearance in The Pope Video, Pope Leo XIV personally delivers this moving prayer intention, underscoring the theme of mercy and emotional solidarity with humanity.

The video also unveils a newly composed prayer to the Sacred Heart, recited by a woman’s voice. It begins with an invocation: “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.”

This intimate dialogue with Christ expresses a deep yearning to know Him more deeply through the Gospel, to be transformed by His love, and to let that transformation guide every aspect of life—prayer, work, and daily interactions. The prayer asks the Lord to draw near, reshape our intentions, and send us forth as instruments of compassion and healing.

Filming for this spiritual presentation took place at the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Rome, home to the revered image of the Sacred Heart by Pompeo Batoni—currently undergoing restoration to be completed by month’s end—and at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati, Philippines, a beloved pilgrimage site in the Archdiocese of Manila.

June’s dedication to the Sacred Heart is steeped in Church tradition and theology. Throughout history, the Sacred Heart has not only inspired popular devotion but also formed the subject of major papal teachings.

Pope Leo XIII, whose name the current Pontiff has adopted, issued the encyclical Annum Sacrum in 1899, consecrating the entire human race to the Heart of Christ. His successors followed suit: Pope Pius XI in Miserentissimum Redemptor (1928), urged reparative love; Pope Pius XII in Haurietis Aquas (1956), offered a rich theological foundation; and most recently, Pope Francis penned Dilexit Nos in 2024, framing devotion to the Sacred Heart as an antidote to modern indifference and disposability.

Since its inception in 2016, The Pope Video has become a cornerstone of the Vatican’s global prayer initiative, reaching over 247 million viewers and translated into more than 23 languages. It has gained media coverage in 114 countries.

Produced by the team at the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network—with coordination by Andrea Sarubbi, creative support from Coronation Media, distribution by La Machi, and collaboration from Vatican Media—The Pope Video continues to mobilize the faithful worldwide in a shared spiritual mission.

As a Pontifical Society, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network encourages Catholics to unite in prayer and action in response to humanity’s deepest challenges and the mission entrusted to the Church.