In a pastoral letter published by the Archdiocese of Singapore, Cardinal William Goh called on the faithful to pray for the cardinals involved in electing the successor to St. Peter.

Cardinal Goh first noted that the members of the College of Cardinals are holding general congregations “to hear the views and assessment” of the current situation and “what the Church needs to do after Pope Francis.”

“Hence, it is urgent and important that you all pray for us so that we can discern what kind of pope the Church needs in this present day, because every pope brings with him his own charisms,” the prelate emphasized.

The cardinal asked for prayers “that we will choose the right candidate to be the successor of St. Peter to lead the Church in this complex world.”

Specifically, the cardinal encouraged the organization of “novenas, rosary, and divine mercy devotions to pray fervently, unceasingly, for the cardinals to be guided by the Holy Spirit to elect a good, holy, compassionate, wise, and strong pope.”

A pontiff who, he added, “will not only be a shepherd after the heart of Christ but also courageous in defending the deposit of faith handed down to the Church through the ages.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.