Pope Francis is clearly the successor of St Peter, being the 266th Bishop of Rome.
He is also arguably, as a pre-eminent witness to the Gospel, successor to St Paul, apostle to the Gentiles.
One of Pope Francis’ earliest requests was that the Church should pray for him, even as he prays for the Church.
Those minded to pray for the Pope might like to use this prayer.
Lord,
source of eternal life and truth,
give to Your shepherd, Pope Francis,
a spirit of courage and right judgement,
a spirit of knowledge and love.By his dedication and service of those entrusted to his care
may he, as successor to the apostle Peter and vicar of Christ,
build Your church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Those minded to pray with the Pope might like to know that his particular prayer intentions for July include the following:
- His universal intention focuses on sports: and is that sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth.
- His intention in the area of Evangelisation, focuses on lay missionaries. That the Holy Spirit may support the work of the laity who proclaim the Gospel in the poorest countries.
You can find more information about the Pope’s published monthly intentions here.
Photo montage (c) Allen Morris, 2014
Living Eucharist 