The Pope Video: For political leaders

Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of praying for political leaders, inviting us to join him in praying for this intention this month.

In his video message, distributed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network>>, Pope Francis admits that, although “today politics doesn’t have a very good reputation, it is much more noble than it appears.” And he adds that moving “ahead toward universal fraternity” goes hand in hand with “good politics.”

Pope Francis, August 2024 – “Today, politics doesn’t have a very good reputation: corruption, scandals, distant from people’s day-to-day lives. But, can we move ahead toward universal fraternity without good politics? No. As Paul VI said, politics is one of the highest forms of charity because it seeks the common good. I’m talking about POLITICS with all capital letters, not politicking. I’m talking about politics that listens to what is really going on, that’s at the service of the poor, not the kind that’s holed up in huge buildings with large hallways. I’m speaking of the politics that’s concerned about the unemployed, and knows full well how sad a Sunday can be when Monday is just one more day not being able to work.
If we look at it this way, politics is much more noble than it appears. Let’s be grateful for the many politicians who carry out their duties with a will to serve, not of power, who put all their efforts toward the common good. Let us pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and the common good, taking caring of those who have lost their jobs and giving priority to the poorest.”

Father Frédéric Fornos S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, asks, “Pray for political leaders? Political leaders are who we make of them. Instead of fueling contempt for them with our words and thoughts, let’s help them to be the men and women we would like them to be. Let’s pray for them, as Pope Francis invites us to do. What courage it takes to be where they are and to try to live uprightly. They invest themselves totally: their time, their family life, their capabilities, their physical energy, their reputation…. How easy it is to think, “it’s greed, it’s power, it’s money, it’s their ego.” At times that is true. But at the same time, there are many who truly serve the common good. And us? What are we doing? What would we do in their place? The least we can do is pray for them.”