Pope’s June prayer intention: ‘For families’

By Devin Watkins

“There is no such thing as a perfect family. There are always ‘buts.’’

Pope Francis made that affirmation in The Pope Video released on Thursday to promote his prayer intention for June.

Yet, he added, “that doesn’t matter. We shouldn’t be afraid of mistakes; we have to learn from them so we can move forward.”

United in the family

As the Church prepares to gather in Rome on 22-26 June for the 10th World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis upheld the family and urged all Catholics to pray for them.

God offers path of holiness in families

The Pope recalled that God is always with us, in our neighborhood, cities, and daily life.

“And He takes care of us,” said Pope Francis. “He remains with us at all times in the swaying of the boat tossed by the sea: when we argue, when we suffer, when we’re joyful, the Lord is there and accompanies us, helps us, and corrects us.”

At the same time, he said, love within the family offers a “personal path of holiness.”

‘Main source of meaning for people’

A press release from the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which prepares the video, referenced a survey carried out by the Pew Research Center in 2021, noting that “the family continues to be the main source of meaning in the lives of many people.”

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, affirmed that every family has its own problems and joys.

“Loving relationships between spouses, parents, children, and grandparents are what become paths of holiness,” he said, noting that this love is “made of simple daily gestures, which take little to make ordinary moments extraordinary.”