The Pope Video: Compassion
In the Pope Video for June 2025 we hear Pope Leo XIV’s first monthly intention. Distributed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Pope Leo XIV asks that we 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.” Particularly as the month of June is traditionally dedicated to devotion to the Heart of Jesus.
Read the full press release below»
The images accompanying the Pope’s prayer were filmed in the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Rome, where we can find the famous image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Pompeo Batoni (restoration of this image will be completed by the end of the month), and the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati in the Philippines, which is a popular religious destination for the entire Archdiocese of Manila.
The Church has traditionally dedicated the entire month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Inviting 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.
The Heart of Christ symbolizes the center of His humanity. From it flows forth His love. It is the mystery of the heart of God who is moved and pours out His love at every moment upon all men and women in the world. Although devotion to the Heart of Christ has always been present in Christian spirituality, it took on new importance with the revelations to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1600s, accompanied by the interpretation of Saint Claude de La Colombière, SJ. Pope Pius IX instituted the Feast of the Sacred Heart in 1856; later in 1889, Pope Leo XIII elevated it to a Solemnity, thus heightening its importance.
The relevance of the Sacred Heart on the life of the Church is demonstrated both in popular devotion and in the fact that four Popes have dedicated an encyclical to the topic. Pope Leo XIII, whose name the current Pope took, wrote Annum Sacrum in 1899, in which he consecrated all of humanity to the Heart of Jesus. In 1928, Pope Pius XI, in Miserentissimum Redemptor, invited us to make reparation through acts of love for the wounds our sins inflict on the Heart of Christ. For his part, Pope Pius XII published Haurietis Aquas in 1956, in which he explores the theological basis for devotion to the Sacred Heart. Lastly, Pope Francis wrote Dilexit Nos in 2024, and proposed devotion to the Heart of Christ as a response to the throw-away culture and the culture of indifference.
The International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Father Cristóbal Fones, explains that Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention focuses on the growth of compassion for the world by developing 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. 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.”
Lastly, within the context of the Holy Year 2025, The Pope Video acquires special relevance since through it we know the prayer intentions the Pope holds in his heart. To properly receive the graces of the Jubilee indulgence, it is necessary to pray for the Pope’s intentions.
