As the Pope continues to suffer from ongoing internal troubles at the Vatican and other burdens associated with the papacy, two German initiatives aimed at showing him solidarity are reportedly gaining popularity.
The first calls on the faithful to not only pray for the Pope, but also to pray with him, reciting the Rosary at exactly the same time as Pope Benedict does every evening.
Punctually, at 6:45pm during the summer, the Holy Father and his private secretary, Msgr. Georg Gänswein, take a stroll through the Vatican Gardens to recite the Marian prayer.
The idea for the prayer came from the publishers of Vatikan Magazine, a German monthly, who were moved by the struggles confronting the Church and the “the loneliness of the Pope” which it found “particularly distressing.”
“If you look at the pictures of Pope Benedict XVI on the loggia of St. Peter’s basilica when he appeared to the world in 2005, and compare those images with those of him today, one knows which burdens weighed on him and which further weigh on him,” said Vatikan correspondent, Paul Badde. “There’s no need to read the latest news.”
Although the initiative is aimed at German faithful who share the same time zone as Rome, it’s of course open to anyone who wants to take part.
Badde, who took inspiration for the initiative from St. Juliana of Liege who helped found the feast of Corpus Domini, stressed the Rosary could be freely prayed anywhere, alone, in families, or in groups of religious or lay faithful, even using social networks on the internet.
“This initiative should help him to bear this burden a little, praying in communion with him and before the Blessed Mother, to the last days of his pontificate,” Badde said.
Although it began only on Thursday on the feast of Corpus Domini, Badde told me the initiative has so far “run like a bushfire through Germany.” With such a strong following, perhaps it may one day even be instituted as a regular prayer for the Successor of Peter within the Church.
A second initiative, from Germany’s “Pro-Papa” group, involves sending pre-printed postcards to the Holy Father with the message “We are with you!” The template can be downloaded and then sent to the Pope.
Around 1,000 have already downloaded and sent it since the initiative started a week ago.
(Video by Rome Reports shows the Holy Father reciting the Rosary with Msgr. Gaenswein at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo in 2010).
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What a great idea,Badde, Thank you! I too, been praying rosary everyday for our Pope B16, and all the catholics Cardinals,Priest,and Bishops.
God bless you!
~Mica
That would be 12:45 Eastern time.
GOD BLESS YOU HOLY FATHER, I pray for him everyday when I say my rosary in the morning. May GOD give him strength to carry on of this is a troubled time.
Our Blessed Mother and the Church, keeps telling us to pray daily for our Holy Father and for his intentions and this is one very easy way to do it. I thank everyone involved in this project. The leaks are very sad for our Holy Father, as this was a trusted employee that has failed him, but, what about all the rest of us Catholics, from the Cardinals down to the pew-warmers, that fail to be obedient to the Church and her teachings? We cause him more grief as our salvation is on the line. We have been very blessed with such great wonderful Popes, and we should all read or listen to their speeches, homilies, letters, etc.. Much better than what we get from the world with all of it’s lies and noise and confusing “wisdom”. How many times has the Pope told us to worship God on SUNDAYS and how many bishops and laymen have listened and obeyed him? +JMJ+
JMJ [“We cause him more grief as our salvation is on the line.”]
JMJ, I cannot agree that “we/I” am causing Benedict more grief. How is my salvation “on the line?”
Thank you for sharing this. The idea of the Holy Father’s loneliness cuts me to the heart. All he has done his entire life is work for us! I love praying for him but confess I wish I could recall it to mind more frequently.
I will ask my Guardian Angel to get after me in my work day. I’ll have to remember to offer more up for the dear man.
We are so blessed to have him as a true, fearles and holy shepherd. Funny, I can’t imagine life without him.
God bless you, Edward for sharing this.
Our Lady of Good Remedy, pray for our Papa. Amen.
Praying at the exact moment in real time is just about impossible because while it may be 6:45 over there, it’s past my bedtime over here. You forgot the time difference. A video would be best as I do this with Mother Angelica.
However if I was WITH the Pope for real, OF COURSE I would walk with him, pray with him, help him in the office (yes, the cats would be allowed), have meals with him, have him play music for me…just like I would with any beloved relative.
JMJ - Perhaps you didn’t mean to sound offensive, and maybe English is not your first language, but I take issue with a few of your statements. First, I object to your use of the term “pew warmers”. I go to Sunday Mass to worship God, not to warm a pew. For those people that do just go because it is their perceived “duty” or they go out of habit, it is THEY that must answer to our holy God, upon their deaths, if their heart is not on fire for Him.
Secondly, “In the Pew” asks valid questions. There is no way that we/I are causing Pope Benedict grief, and our salvation is not on the line, as it pertains to him. Catholics place way too much emphasis on the periferals of the Christian faith, and it causes us to lose sight of what is important, namely, the power of the Gospel. It is the power of the Gospel, and the Holy Spirit that saves. End of story.
We need to pray for everyone. We need to GROW in our faith, daily, by reading the Bible - even just the New Testament letters - understanding them, and we need to come to know our holy, Triune Godhead, more and more.
To Iroy, you have the time difference wrong. If Pope Benedict XVI prays at 6:45pm in Rome, it is 12:45pm (noon) EST, and 9:45am (PST). So, unless you go to bed at noon time, you should be able to pray along with Benedict XVI.
NOVENA PRAYER TO THE LADY OF GOOD REMEDY
DEAR Lady of good remedy,sourse of unfailing help,your compassionate heart knowns a remedy for every affliction and misery we encounter in life.HELP ME WITH YOUR PRAYERS and intercession to find a remedy for my problems and especially for(here indicate your special intention)on my part,oh loving mother,I pledge myself to a more intensely christian lifestyle and a more careful observance of laws of God, to be more conscientious in fulfilling the obligations of any state in life,and to strive to be a source of healing in this broken world of ours.(SAY 1 HAIL MARY)Pray for us holy mother of good remedy that we may deepen our dedication to your son and make the world alive with the Spirit….SAY THIS FOR 3CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT STATING YOUR WISH,ON THE 4DAY YOUR PRAYER WILL BE ANSWERED NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT IT MAYBE.PUBLISH THIS ONE YOUR WISH IS GRANTED.
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