FOR WORKING CONDITIONS – The Pope Video – May 2025

In his annual publication of prayer intentions for 2025, Pope Francis had invited us to pray in May for working conditions. The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network entrusts to the Lord the mission of the new Pope and continues its apostolic work of entrusting to God the challenges of humanity and Church’s mission.

The video produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, with the help of the Fondazione PRO Rete Mondiale di Preghiera del Papa and Rome’s Chamber of Commerce, suggests that we do so differently than usual, drawing on the words of three Popes: Francis who recalls Joseph the carpenter and says that “work anoints dignity”; Benedict XVI who emphasizes its fundamental importance for human beings and for society; and John Paul II who invites us to heal economic and social inequalities, and unjust situations.

🙏 Let us pray that through work, each person might find fulfilment, families might be sustained in dignity, and that society might be humanized.

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In his annual publication of prayer intentions for 2025, Pope Francis had invited us to pray in May for working conditions…

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network entrusts to the Lord the mission of the new Pope and continues its apostolic work of entrusting to God the challenges of humanity and the Church’s mission…

This month, let us be inspired by this video featuring the words of the last three Popes: Francis, Benedict XVI, and Saint John Paul II.

During a General Audience in 2022, Pope Francis said: “The evangelists Matthew and Mark refer to Joseph as a carpenter. Jesus practised his father’s trade, which was a pretty hard job. From an economic point of view, it did not ensure great earnings. This biographical fact about Joseph and Jesus” made him “think of all the workers in the world.”

“Work”, Pope Francis added, “anoints our dignity: What gives you dignity is not bringing bread home. What gives you dignity is earning your bread.”

Pope Benedict XVI, addressing all workers on the feast of Saint Joseph in 2006, also stressed that “work is of fundamental importance to the fulfilment of the human being and to the development of society. Thus, it must always be organized and carried out with full respect for human dignity and must always serve the common good. At the same time,” Pope Benedict remarked, “it is indispensable that people do not allow themselves to be enslaved by work or idolize it, claiming to find in it the ultimate and definitive meaning of life.”

And Saint John Paul II said during the celebration of the Jubilee of Workers in the year 2000 that, “the Jubilee Year calls for a rediscovery of the meaning and value of work. It is also an invitation to address the economic and social imbalances in the world of work by re-establishing the right hierarchy of values, giving priority to the dignity of working men and women and to their freedom, responsibility and participation.” John Paul II also encouraged to “redress situations of injustice” while not forgetting those “suffering because of unemployment, inadequate wages or lack of material resources.”

Let us pray that through work, each person might find fulfilment, families might be sustained in dignity, and that society might be humanized.

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The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network

The Pope Video

In collaboration with Vatican Mediawith the support of the Fondazione FOR the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network and the Chamber of Commerce of Rome