Jesuit musician Cristóbal Fones on praying with the Pope

The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.

America Media

Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.9 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 March 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Cristóbal Fones, SJ, is many things- a talented musician, a Jesuit and the international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. He joins host James Martin, S.J., on “The Spiritual Life” podcast to share how he learned to pray from a place of deep emotional connection and authenticity, and how, from his new post at the Vatican, he coordinates the prayer petitions for the Catholic church. Timecodes: 0:00 Why we pray with Cristóbal Fones 1:00 Understanding the morning offering and the Sacred Heart 7:10 The pope has a prayer network 16:08 Praying with the Sacred Heart includes our emotions 23:50 Cristóbal is called to be a Jesuit and inculturate Christ’s message in music 37:00 Music can affect how you relate to God 46:32 What Jesuits do on retreat 51:00 Audience Question: Why do Catholics pray to saints and how does that work? Read Fr. Jim's article on The Sacred Heart Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The weight is over. Last One Laughing is back and it's even more brutal than last time. Share your biggest regrets. I don't regret this haircut. What did you ask for? The Shaggy Slim Shady? Joining us this series we have... Romish Wengrenner Nathan, Diane Morgan, David Mitchell, Mel Gedroich, Amy Gledhill, Alan Carr, Bemi Sola, Ike Melo, Sam Campbell, Maisie Adam and Bob Mortimer.
0:21.6	Anyone want a song?
0:22.6	No.
0:23.6	Last One Laughing, new series, watch now, only on Prime Video.
0:29.6	I will say that when we pray for something, we are opening, we are growing spiritually and humanly to those realities, because
0:39.8	we are making some space in our lives to those very critical, important issues that we need
0:47.5	to address as a whole, as a family, as human beings, but obviously as members of the church.
0:52.9	It's going to change anything that I pray or not for that?
0:56.0	I don't know.
0:57.0	Let's give that to God, but at least you may open yourself to this reality
1:02.0	and learn a little bit more about it and transform your heart.
1:09.0	Welcome to the spiritual life. I'm Father Jim Martin. On this podcast, we reflect on how people
1:13.8	experience God in their prayer and in their daily lives. And I'm joined by my prayerful producer
1:19.9	Maggie Van Dorn. Maggie, good to be back with you. It's great to be with you, Jim. And we are
1:25.9	certainly getting a lesson in prayer on this episode of the spiritual life.
1:30.3	Who are we speaking with?
1:31.9	We are speaking with my Jesuit brother, Father Christobel Phones.
1:35.8	Can you tell us a little bit about Christobal?
1:38.5	Sure.
1:39.2	Christobul Phones is a Chilean Jesuit priest and a gifted music artist
1:43.4	and the international director of the
1:46.5	Pope's worldwide prayer network. He's also a widely known voice in contemporary Catholic music
	...

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