Pope Leo calls for prayers for Catholic 'priests in crisis'

The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network (PWPN) said Pope Leo XIV is calling for prayers for priests experiencing crisis in their vocations, those whose "exhaustion seems stronger than hope."

Pope Leo also asked Catholics to support priests by listening to them without judging them and to be grateful for their service without demanding perfection.

The PWPN, formerly called Apostleship of Prayer, is the official global prayer network of popes. The group's website features the prayer intentions of the popes for each month.

For March, PWPN said, "Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.

FULL TEXT:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amén.

Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd and companion on the journey, today we place in your hands all priests, especially those going through moments of crisis, when loneliness weighs heavily, when doubt clouds their hearts, and when exhaustion seems stronger than hope.

You who know their struggles and wounds, renew in them the certainty of your unconditional love. Let them feel they are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes, but beloved sons, humble and cherished disciples, and pastors sustained by the prayer of their people.

Good Father, teach us as a community to care for our priests: to listen without judging, to give thanks without demanding perfection, to share with them the baptismal mission of proclaiming the Kingdom in word and deed, and to accompany them with closeness and sincere prayer. May we support those who so often support us.

Holy Spirit, rekindle in our priests the joy of the Gospel. Grant them healthy friendships, networks of fraternal support, a sense of humor when things don’t go as expected, and the grace to always rediscover the beauty of their vocation.

May they never lose trust in You, nor the joy of serving your Church with a humble and generous heart. Amen.

Amen.

– Pope Leo XIV

SOURCE: Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network

FOR DISARMAMENT AND PEACE

Last month, the Pope's monthly intention was for "nations lay down their weapons, adopt diplomacy and justice, and seek true security founded on trust and solidarity among peoples."

The Pope said, “every kind word, every gesture of reconciliation, and every choice for dialogue be seeds of a new world.”

In his prayer, the Pope said, "Lord of Life, you shaped every human being in your image and likeness. We believe you created us for communion, not for war, for fraternity, not for destruction."

The Pope called for the enlightenment of leaders that "they may have the courage to abandon projects of death, halt the arms race, and place the lives of the most vulnerable at the center."

He also prayed for the world to be spared from nuclear threats.

According to the International Campaign for the Abolishment of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), "A single nuclear weapon can destroy a city and kill most of its people. Several nuclear explosions over modern cities would kill tens of millions of people. Casualties from a major nuclear war between the US and Russia would reach hundreds of millions."

In his prayer, the Pope said, "May the nuclear threat never again dictate the future of humanity."

GLOBAL CATHOLIC POPULATION

A Vatican News report in 2025 said the global Catholic population was 1.406 billion as of  2023.

Vatican News also reported fewer priests worldwide.

"At the end of 2023, within the 3,041 ecclesiastical jurisdictions in the Catholic world, there were 406,996 priests, with a decrease of 734 compared to 2022, equivalent to -0.2%," it said.

"The analysis by geographical area highlights an increase in Africa (+2.7%) and Asia (+1.6%) and a decrease in Europe (-1.6%), in Oceania (-1.0%), and in America (-0.7%)," it added.

THE PWPN

The PWPN, formerly called Apostleship of Prayer (AP), is "a service of the Holy See, under the care of the Society of Jesus."

The AP was founded by Father François-Xavier Gautrelet, S.J. in Vals-près-le-Puy, France.

The organization was renamed PWPN — Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network — in 2014.

-Veronica Pulumbarit/Paraluman News