Introduction to the Statutes
On July 7, 2016, in a letter sent to bishops around the world, Pope Francis appointed an International Director for the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Fr. Frederic Fornos SJ, as proposed by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Also the Pope asked for new Statutes to be written in accordance with the re-creation process. In response to this request, in June 2017, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., accompanied by the International Director, delivered to the Holy Father a first version of the Statutes of the Apostleship of Prayer – which now became Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and included the EYM – Eucharistic Youth Movement.
These Statutes were approved in 2018, when Pope Francis instituted the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer and Eucharistic Youth Movement) as a pontifical work, to emphasize the universal character of this mission and to mobilize Catholics through prayer and action, in the face of the challenges confronting humanity and the mission of the Church (the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions). With these new Statutes, it was declared that this Pontifical Work also included an official youth branch, the Eucharistic Youth Movement. And it was established that the Groups of the Apostleship of Prayer were one of the forms of participation in this Network, together with other forms, namely, the Communities of the Worldwide Prayer Network, as well as the Parishes, Shrines, and other groups, or the form of individual participation.
After two years of dialogue and work with the Secretariat of State, the Holy Father, in December 2020, established in canonical and Vatican juridical law the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, as a Pontifical Foundation, based in Vatican City State.