A Prayer Service For A New Pope

Preparation

- Prior to the beginning of prayer, you may select three young people to assist: a presider and two readers.

- You will notice that the response to the Litany of the Saints is in both English and Latin. The Latin phrase "ora pro eo" is translated as "pray for him". If you feel that the use of Latin would be distracting for your students, you may certainly use only the English response: "Join our prayer for him."

Call to Prayer

Presider: Let us stand. Our hearts are filled with joy that Jesus' words are again fulfilled: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20 NRSV) The Lord has provided a shepherd to guide us to truth and unity. We gather as believers in Jesus to pray for our new pope. We pray that the Holy Spirit will hold him and guide him as he teaches and guides us to an evermore passionate living of the gospel.

 The Sign of Faith

Presider: + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Opening Song (The song should reflect the unity of the Church)

Presider: Please be seated.

Psalmody

Psalm 122 (You may either sing a setting of this psalm or pray the text by alternating between the presider and the people.)

 Presider: I was glad when they said to me,

"Let us go to the house of the Lord!"
Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

All: Jerusalem--built as a city that is bound firmly together.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

Presider: For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.

All: Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers."
For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say,
"Peace be within you."

Presider: For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

All: Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia!

Readings

Reader 1: Let us be attentive to God's Word in Matthew 16:13-20

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Reader 1: You have made a promise to stay with us forever.

All: We praise you and glorify you, O Lord!

Reader 1: You gave Saint Peter to the apostles and his ministry continues in our new pope.

All: We praise you and glorify you, O Lord!

Reader 2: You call us to be one body, one Spirit in Christ. 

All: With Jesus as our leader.

Reader2: May our new pope bring all people into love and justice at the Eucharistic table.

All: With Jesus as our leader.

Litany of the Saints

Presider:

Please stand. We are called to be people of liberation. We are called to be people of community. We are called to be people of holiness. Let us lift our voices with the great saints, seeking God's grace for our new pope as he leads the Church and the entire human family to justice, unity and purity. We cry to the Lord: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo (ay-o).

Presider: Saint Peter
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Saint Paul
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Saint Susanna
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Saint Celelia
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Saint Benedict
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Saint Lawrence
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Saint Martina
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Saint Agnes
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Pope Saint Gregory the Great
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Pope Saint Leo the Great
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Mary most Holy, the Great Mother of God
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: All holy women
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: All holy men
All: Join our prayer for him; ora pro eo.

Presider: Let us pray the perfect prayer that was given to us by Jesus himself.

Our Father . . .

Presider: Lord, we offer our prayers for our new pope. Give him a shepherd's heart. Give him a champion's strength. Give him Solomon's wisdom and give him a double-portion of Elijah's spirit of prophecy. Through his ministry, guide your Church to perfect communion with you through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Presider: May the Lord bless us, protect us and lead us to the joy of heaven.

All: Amen.

Acknowledgements

The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.