Francis reminds us of the role of laity in the life of the Church, and calls us to be courageous

The Holy Father dedicated the latest Pope Video to the mission of the laity. He invited them to be creative and not to get wrapped up in the petty details of daily life. The Pope Video is an initiative of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

(The Vatican, May 3, 2018) Francis, in this year’s fifth Pope Video, emphasized the need for lay people to put their creativity to work to face the world’s challenges. He also called them to be examples of faith through solidarity and their commitment in society.

“Let us pray together this month that the lay faithful may fulfill their specific mission, the mission that they received in Baptism, putting their creativity at the service of the challenges of today’s world.,” said the Pope. “We need their testimony regarding the truth of the Gospel and their example of expressing their faith by practicing solidarity,” he added.

After the celebration of the Second Vatican Council in 1965, the Catholic Church made an effort to clarify the role of the laity, which has been key since the first centuries of Christianity. The role of the members who are not part of the clergy is oriented towards helping in the four traditional activities of the Church: charity, communion, evangelization, and worship.

“Lay people are on the front line of the life of the Church,” Francis emphasized. “Let us give thanks for the lay people who take risks, who are not afraid and who offer reasons for hope to the poorest, to the excluded, to the marginalized,” he said.

“Often, people think that priests are the ones who should move forward the Church’s mission. Nevertheless, the lay people are the ones who are at the heart of the world, and the ones who have a key role in transforming society,” emphasized Fr. Frédéric Fornos, SJ, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Eucharistic Youth Movement. “It is in families, in classrooms, in offices, in factories, in the fields, in daily life, where we find the opportunity to be salt and light of God’s Kingdom, the flavor of the Gospel,” he added.

The Pope Video is made possible thanks to the support of many people. You can donate at this link.

Where can I see the video?

About The Pope Video
The Pope Video is a global initiative developed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) to disseminate the monthly intentions of the Holy Father concerning the challenges facing humanity. The videos seek to unite people in praying with Pope Francis for those challenges. The Project has the support of Vatican Media, sole owner of the rights. For more information: http://www.thepopevideo.org.

The intentions are entrusted each month to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and The Pope Video is produced by La Machi Communication for Good Causes with the support of the Society of Jesus, IndigoMusic, GettyImagesLatam, Doppler Email Marketing and the collaboration of Vatican Media. It also has Aleteia as a media partner. Since its launch in January of 2016, it has had more than 24 million views on its networks.

About the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer)
For over a century, the Apostleship of Prayer has been publishing to the world the prayer intentions entrusted to them by popes. Now, in its process of recreation, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network emphasizes its role of communicating the prayer intentions and leveraging new media and tools. Its mission is to unite people in prayer and service in response to the challenges facing humanity which the Holy Father expresses in his monthly intentions. Those who participate in this network are encouraged to become apostles in daily life through a spiritual path called “Way of the Heart,” transforming those who take that path in the service of the mission of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1844 and present in over 98 countries, the Apostleship of Prayer unites more than 35 million people in its network, including its youth branch, the Eucharistic Youth Movement. For more information: //www.popesprayer.va/.

About La Machi
The Pope Video is an idea of La Machi, a creative boutique specializing in communication to advance good causes founded in 2012, with offices in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, and Rome. Its mission is to help companies, NGOs, and religious institutions communicate their philanthropic purposes. It specializes in strategic communication, creative advertising, digital development, and fundraising. La Machi has been recognized as a “Friend of Project Red” (RIIAL) and won the 2015 & the 2016 Mercury Prize for Best International SME of Marketing, awarded by the Argentinian Association of Marketing. For more information: http://www.lamachi.com/en.

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