Vatican City, October 11, 2024
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (which includes the Apostleship of Prayer groups and the Eucharistic Youth Movement) has adopted a new organizational structure necessary to manage a Pontifical Work that has experienced significant growth in recent years. The International Director, appointed by the Holy Father, will be supported by two Deputy Directors. The first appointment was made recently. The new statutes, approved by Pope Francis in July 2024, specify that, as a work of the Holy See, the Deputy Directors are appointed by the Secretariat of State.
On September 1, Bettina Raed was appointed International Deputy Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, at the proposal of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Arturo Sosa SJ, as this is a work entrusted to the Society of Jesus. Her mandate will last 5 years.
Bettina Raed, 56, is an Argentinian laywoman with a solid professional and personal background. Married for 35 years, she is the mother of four children and a grandmother. She is a lawyer and mediator by profession, specializing in conflict resolution and organizational psychology. Her relationship with the Pope’s Prayer Network has been deep and enduring, having played key roles in international coordination and training.
Raed served as Regional Director of the Network in Argentina and Uruguay, a position she assumed with the approval of the Episcopal Conferences of both countries. She was also the coordinator of the Click To Pray project. Since 2022, she has served as the Continental Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to being the Coordinator of “The Way of the Heart”, a formation program of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. She has a solid spiritual foundation, particularly in spiritual accompaniment and the Spiritual Exercises.
This appointment is wonderful news for the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and highlights the importance of women in leadership roles within the Network.
We give thanks to the Lord for this news and entrust her mission to Him.