In his prayer intention for the month of May, released on April 30 by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, the pope described each vocation as a "diamond in the rough" needing careful and continual cultivation.

Each vocation "needs to be polished, worked, shaped on every side," Pope Francis said in a video accompanying his message.

He highlighted the need for religious men and women to be well-rounded, both spiritually and as people who are members of a community.

"A good priest, sister or nun must above all else be a man or woman who is formed, shaped by the Lord's grace," he said, adding that they must be "people who are aware of their own limitations and willing to lead a life of prayer, of dedicated witness to the Gospel."

Read More

"Stores, workshops, cleaning businesses, transportation businesses and so many others. The ones that don't appear on the world's richest and most powerful lists and, despite the difficulties, create jobs, fulfilling their social responsibility," the pope said in his August 2022 video prayer message released by the Vatican on August 3.

Francis in his message recognises the "courage, effort and sacrifice" of small and medium-sized businesses, and acknowledges that they are among the most affected by wars and the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Read More