"Adopt a Cardinal": Worldwide Prayer Actions Before Conclave

In the Catholic faith, the conclave is considered a spiritual process, with the papal election under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Believers around the world are currently encouraged to support the cardinals who elect the pope in prayer, whether in church services or privately, organized by dioceses, parishes, religious communities, or through social networks.

"Praying for the Holy Spirit" in Vienna before Conclave

For example, the Archdiocese of Vienna invites people to "Pray for the Holy Spirit for the Church in Nine Days." In a prayer booklet issued by the pastoral office, the days of the sede vacante and conclave are described as a "time of great concerns." The nine-day prayer ("novena"), rooted in ancient church tradition, is intended for such times "when we hope and expect great things," quotes the former Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. The brochure contains prayers, Bible readings, reflections, and texts from the 2024 Synod of Bishops as well as from one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council, along with a song. "The prayer is suitable for individual prayer as well as for communal practice," says the pastoral office.

In all parishes, prayers are also offered for a "good shepherd" for the universal church, mostly within the framework of intercessions during the service. Several parishes have also launched initiatives, such as in the Carinthian parish of Villach-St. Nikolai, where a novena is prayed as follows: "Today we pray for the cardinals who will gather for the papal election - that they are open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and not led by human considerations." Similarly, the Tyrolean parish of Zell am Ziller prays for a "new pope who will lead the holy church as a faithful shepherd through the challenges of the times."

Prayer prompts are also spreading daily via WhatsApp - in groups like "Novena for the Conclave," where, according to German priest Marco Leonhart, 11,000 German-speaking users of the messaging service had registered by Tuesday, including a third from Austria. The initiative sends a prayer prompt early every morning and an invitation at 3:15 PM to pray for the cardinals simultaneously. "The selection of a pope is a very great task that exceeds our abilities. Therefore, we need your prayers," thanked Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich for the participation. In Austria, the Pontifical Mission Societies (missio) announced their own conclave prayer initiative, which is set to start on Thursday, May 1.

"Adopt a Cardinal": "Prayer Storm" in the Spanish-speaking World

Particularly high participation is recorded by the English-speaking initiative "Adopt a Cardinal." Through the website https://praycardinal.com, believers can be assigned a randomly selected cardinal for whom they pray daily. According to the platform, over 200,000 users have already registered. The goal is to provide personal spiritual support to each of the currently 135 eligible cardinals - due to withdrawals, 133 are expected to participate in the conclave. The initiators speak of a "prayer carpet of faith across continents and cultures" and emphasize the spiritual value of this personal connection. Other actions, in turn, call for prayer for the entire College of Cardinals without assigning an individual.

In the Spanish-speaking world, home to about half of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, a veritable "prayer storm" has erupted. The initiative "Tu Fecha, Su Fuego" ("Your Birthdate, His Fire") invites people to be assigned a cardinal for spiritual accompaniment based on their own birthday through https://tufecha-sufuego.behakuna.com. The initiators clearly state their concern: The Holy Spirit should enlighten the cardinals in their decision-making and grant them "purity of heart and divine wisdom." The call concludes with the note: "It does matter whether you pray for them or not."

Participants in the action are encouraged to engage in a simple yet profound prayer - beginning with thanks to God for the work of Pope Francis, highlighting his commitment to the marginalized and his attitude of mercy. Then, a new pope is prayed for, one who fearlessly proclaims the Gospel and makes Christ visible in those aspects that the world particularly needs today. Finally, prayer is offered for the assigned cardinal for his inner freedom and divine guidance in the election.

Cardinals Also Pray Before Conclave

Even some cardinals themselves - they are both papal electors and potential candidates - call for spiritual accompaniment of the conclave. The Archbishop of Cologne, Rainer Maria Woelki, stated in a video message that after getting to know each other in the pre-conclave, it is about "choosing the one whom we are convinced God has called to lead his church." The American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke published a novena to the Virgin of Guadalupe asking for "intercession in a time of great challenges for the church." In the prayer, God is implored that the cardinals may "choose the most suitable successor of Peter in humility and spiritual discernment."

Further calls to prayer come from religious communities as well as from bishops' conferences. For example, from the one in Honduras: "Pope Francis has always asked us to pray for him. Now we must pray for his successor," said Father Juan Ángel López, spokesman for the bishops of the Central American state, in a press release. The US Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston asks for "enlightenment" of the cardinals in Rome in a litany prayer published on Monday. Under the keyword "Our Task," a supporting text states: "While the conclave is in session, the entire church prays for the electors and for the future pope."

(APA/Red)

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