As the College of Cardinals gathers in Rome for the conclave that will elect our next pope, the rest of us may feel like we have no real role to play in the process. And yet, that is absolutely not the case. While the priests of Rome no longer cast ballots as they did in the early centuries of the church, and the laity are no longer charged with the task of approving the result, we can and should continue to do what Christians have done for every papal election throughout history: pray.
There are countless reasons to pray for the cardinal-electors, but here are the seven that stand at the top of my list.
The first three have to do with the opposition arrayed against disciples of Jesus Christ on a daily basis, both as individuals and as the church. If we encounter these forces every day — and we do — imagine what the cardinal-electors will face inside the Sistine Chapel.
- The world is seductive. The church on earth is called the “church militant” for good reason. Following Christ here involves a constant struggle against worldly values. Power, wealth, fame and influence tempt all of us, and they don’t just disappear with ordination or passing through the Vatican gates. These were among the temptations Jesus himself faced in the desert. He conquered them by prayer and fasting.
- The flesh is corrupt. If the world tempts us from the outside, the concupiscence of our human nature does so from the inside. We don’t sin by accident; we sin because we want to sin. Our disordered attachment to pleasure and comfort are stronger than most of us admit. The battle against them is a lifelong campaign waged in prayer and self-denial.
- The devil is working overtime. God never sleeps, but neither does the enemy. I can’t imagine a setting in which the stakes are higher than at a conclave. A victory there — for good or for evil — has the potential for enormous consequences. No weapon will be spared. The best weapon we have is the one we can wield only on our knees.
- Important decisions should be made with divine guidance. We should consult God for all the big decisions we make in life and seek his will above our own. In the life of the church, electing a new pope may be the most important decision our leaders make. It’s clear that smart people aren’t always wise. But we know that wisdom is a gift God is happy to give us — when we ask for it.
- Prayer is a work of mercy. Praying for the living and the dead is a spiritual work of mercy. When we pray for the cardinal-electors, we are contributing something good, something virtuous, to the conclave itself and ministering the mercy of Jesus to the men who have been appointed to shepherd us. We can even pray for them by name.
- One of them will be the next pope. We pray for our pope and bishop at every Mass. When we pray for the cardinals meeting in conclave, we are getting a jump start on praying for our next Holy Father. When the conclave is over, the cardinals who have traveled to Rome to select the pope will return home; one of them, however, will not. Whoever that is will carry an immense responsibility and he will need our prayers more than we will ever know.
- God hears and answers prayer. Prayer isn’t just making a wish or talking to ourselves. God really does listen. And although we don’t always get exactly what we ask for, our faithful and loving Father answers our prayers in his time and according to his purpose. We don’t need to stand back and let the world spin off in its own direction. Prayer can change the course of history. But prayer also changes us. Nothing is more beautiful — or more powerful — than a church that prays.
There are, of course, many ways to pray. But as the process to elect a new pope begins, we may want to join the cardinals in some of the prayers they will be praying as the conclave gets underway, including some of the prayers from the Mass for the Election of a Pope, which can be found on page 1247 of the Roman Missal. As the cardinal-electors process into the Sistine Chapel, the Litany of the Saints and the Veni Creator Spiritus will be sung.
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