Election Novena

Posted by Tom McFeely

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 9:15 AM

Veronese's "Allegory of the Battle of Lepanto."

Father John Corapi has issued a call for a Rosary novena to be prayed in the days leading up to Election Day 2008.

The well-known priest, who appears regularly on EWTN, cites the famous Christian victory over the Muslim naval fleet in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 as an instance where Rosary prayers changed the course of history.

According to Father Corapi, the current election — where so much is at stake from a pro-life perspective — is a time when the same devotion to Marian prayer is required as at the time of Lepanto, when Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square praying the Rosary in support of the Christian fleet.

“Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order — a true battle between good and evil,” Father Corapi said in his call for election novena prayers. “Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress — a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death.”

In his rosary appeal, Father Corapi did not name any specific candidates whom Catholics should vote for or against, but he stressed Church teaching about the primacy the abortion issue should hold in making voting decisions.

“No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion,” he said. “I strongly urge every one of you to make a novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between Oct. 27 and Election Day, Nov. 4th. Pray that God’s will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being.”

Said Father Corapi, “May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our conscience in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well‐formed Catholic conscience.”

— Tom McFeely

Filed under election novena, father corapi, politics, rosary