This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience a delegation from the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, to whom he addressed the following words of greeting:

Greeting of the Holy Father

Thank you very much for your visit. I appreciate your work, which is an ecclesial work that was born within the Society of Jesus. In the apostolic work of one of the faithful, a deacon, a priest, a consecrated man or woman, a bishop, if it is carried out well, one feels strongly the need for prayer, for intercession. Action alone, apostolic though it may be, without prayer is an entrepreneurial matter. Prayer is what gives meaning to the apostolate. I have always been very struck by what Peter says to the apostles after they invented deacons. He says: what about us? That is, the bishops? Prayer and the proclamation of the word. That is, the first duty of a bishop is to pray. First duty of a Christian is to pray. Prayer. Otherwise, we run the risk of becoming a purely natural, worldly institution. Or a political one.

So, thank you for what you do to support this mystique of prayer in the Church, in all the laity, and also in consecrated or ordained persons. Thank you for what you do.