The Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of February, distributed through the “Pray with the Pope” campaign, is dedicated to children with incurable diseases.
Pope Leo invites the entire Church and all people of goodwill to join in praying for children who are suffering and extremely vulnerable, together with their families and those who care for them.
In his prayer, the Pope focuses on Jesus’ tenderness as he welcomed the little ones, recognising in their fragile bodies a sign of his presence, and in their smiles, a testimony to the kingdom.
The Holy Father asks that “they may never lack proper medical care, human and compassionate attention, and the support of a community that accompanies them with love”.
He also prays that families might be sustained in hope and by doctors, nurses and caregivers, and that their care might always be an expression of active compassion, patience and tenderness.
Lastly, with his intention, Pope Leo XIV invites the entire Church to be transformed by the same feelings of Christ’s Heart and that, sustained by prayer and service we might know how to accompany others who in their fragility so that, amid suffering, we might become “a source of comfort, a seed of hope, and a proclamation of new life” for those children who are suffering and for those around them.
The video for the month of February was recorded in the Church of San Pellegrino in Vaticano. In it, the Holy Father can be seen holding drawings, some drawn by children suffering from different illnesses who are being cared for at Bambino Gesù Hospital for Children in Rome.  
There are various serious and chronic illnesses that deeply affect millions of children and their families. Every year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 400,000 children and teenagers up to the age of 19 are diagnosed with cancer, an illness that cannot be easily cured in many cases, and which is one of the leading causes of infant and adolescent death.
In addition, it requires continuous care and equal access to specialised treatment. For example, more than 80% of children with cancer in high-income countries are cured, whereas less than 30% are cured in low- or middle-income countries.
On the other hand, the United Nations agency dedicated to children (UNICEF) reports that more than 2.1bn children and adolescents under the age of 20 throughout the world are affected by chronic illnesses or long-term health conditions. Among others, these include cancer, type one diabetes, and heart and respiratory conditions.
Each year, around a million children under 20 die because of these illnesses, which could be treated or effectively prevented with adequate access to healthcare treatment. These conditions are often caused by genetic, metabolic or environmental factors that challenge healthcare systems around the globe and highlight the urgency of a more robust response that guarantees the dignity of children, access to palliative care and holistic protection for those most at risk.
This is not the first time that the Pope, through his Worldwide Prayer Network, prays for those who suffer from some type of illness. In 2024, Pope Francis’s intention for February was dedicated to those who are terminally ill.
In it, he made the distinction between “incurable and un-carable” –underlining that “even when little chance for a cure exists, every sick person has the right to medical, psychological, spiritual and human assistance”.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO AND PRAY WITH THE POPE

About the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Work entrusted to the Society of Jesus. It is present in more than 92 countries, forming a spiritual community of more than 22m people who seek to live each day with availability to God’s mission.
At the centre of its mission are the monthly prayer intentions of the Pope, inviting its members to focus on the pressing challenges facing humanity and the Church’s mission.