Pope establishes Worldwide Prayer Network as Vatican entity

By Vatican News staff writer

The Vatican announced on Thursday that Pope Francis has established the Worldwide Prayer Network Foundation as an entity with canonical and Vatican juridical identity.

Formerly known as the “Apostleship of Prayer,” the Worldwide Prayer Network works “to coordinate and animate the vast spiritual movement, always very dear to the Pope, that receives and communicates the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions for the Church.”

On its international website, the Network describes its objective: “to encourage prayer and action for the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church, expressed in the Pope’s prayer intentions.”

The Worldwide Prayer Network’s new status was established in the chirograph – a papal decree with legal force circulated among the Roman Curia – dated 17 November 2020.

In the document, Pope Francis determined that the Network would continue to be entrusted to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), and would have its headquarters in Vatican City.

At the same time, the Holy Father named Jesuit Father Frederic Fornos as International Director of the Foundation. Father Fornos has served as International Director of the organization since 2016.