The Conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis begins this Wednesday as the Cardinal electors will be sealed into the Sistine Chapel. God already knows who the next Pope is. Let us pray for those who will discern the Holy Spirit’s choice to guide and govern the Church into the future.
Heavenly Father,
You entrusted the care of Your Church on earth to Pope Francis,
and now You have called him to Yourself.
We entrust his soul to Your boundless mercy.
For his lifelong service, we thank You.
For his care for the poor and marginalized, we thank You.
For his witness to simplicity, we thank You.
In Your mercy, cleanse him of all sin.
Purify him and draw him into the light of Your presence.
Grant him the vision of Your Eternal Essence,
into which we all long to be drawn.
Protect Your Church in this time of transition.
Guide the Cardinals in their sacred duty.
Grant them Wisdom and Courage,
Hope and Charity,
and the Faith they need to discern Your Holy Will.
Father Most Holy,
our God and King,
Creator of all that was, is, and is to come—
You alone know the heart of the one You have chosen
as the successor to Pope Francis.
Reveal Your will to the College of Cardinals.
Open their hearts to Your inspirations.
Open our hearts to receive, with faith and obedience,
the one whom You will raise up to sit on the Chair of Saint Peter.
May he be a man of deepest compassion,
a man of profound faith and hope,
a man whose charity shines forth,
permeating the darkness of this world with the light of Christ.
You are God Most High,
the God of the living and the dead,
the Great I AM,
the Alpha and the Omega,
Eternal Being and Source of all that is.
May Your holy will be done,
now and forever. Amen. Alleluia.
