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POPE’S MONTHLY INTENTIONS
The Pope’s Intentions as we have them today evolved from the practice whereby Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus made their Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the intentions proposed by the Father General of the Society of Jesus.
In 1888, the Pope’s General Intentions were issued for the first time. Later in 1929, the Pope’s Mission Intentions were issued to be prayed along with the General Intentions.
HOW THE POPE’S INTENTIONS ARE OBTAINED
There are twelve missionary Intentions and twelve general Intentions. They are shortlisted from several proposals compiled by the Father General’s Delegate in the Rome office, which he collects from the various colleges of Cardinals and Curiae engaged in numerous ministrations and programs concerning the Church and the world in the Vatican City.
As soon as the Intentions are approved by the Pope, the Director General’s Delegate publishes an elaborate detail of them in a special edition of ‘Prayer and Service’ tagged PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH.
In Nigeria, the local version is also titled “Praying with the Church” and it circulates nationwide.
On the 31st of December each year, successive Popes celebrate Evening devotion (Vespers) in the principal Jesuit Church in Rome, “Church of the Gesu.”
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Union with the Pope is union with Christ and His Church”
St. John Bosco
St. John Bosco
Culled from Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus And the Apostleship of Prayer. (2nd ed.) by Stephen Olu'Maria Akinwole