[Pope Watch] A prayer for the conclave

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The Prayer for the Election of a Pope asks God to 'grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church'

MANILA, Philippines – The world is watching the conclave at the Vatican because the pope is a global figure, “an anchor in a turbulent world” as our foreign affairs reporter Bea Cupin wrote.

But the pope is, first and foremost, the head of the Roman Catholic Church — a spiritual leader, a guardian of morality, for around 1.4 billion Catholics around the globe.

Will the successor of Pope Francis continue his legacy?

In the days before the conclave, Pope Watch has provided crucial pieces of context to understand the election of a new pope:

• [Pope Watch] The 4-minute speech that got Francis elected
• [Pope Watch] Cardinal Tagle and the ‘papabile’ label
• [Pope Watch] Cardinal Jose Advincula: From Capiz to the Vatican?
• [Pope Watch] Cardinal David: Cursed by Duterte, blessed by Francis
• [Pope Watch] The rise of Asian and African cardinals
• [Pope Watch] A campaign against Cardinal Tagle?
• [Pope Watch] Chito and Ambo: From schoolmates to cardinals in a conclave
• [Pope Watch] Tagle wasn’t silent on Duterte drug war killings

The following Rappler Talk episodes also sought to make sense of the death of Francis and the papal election that folows:

• Rappler Talk: An Asian pope?
• Rappler Talk: Inside the conclave
• Rappler Talk: The tensions of Pope Francis
• Rappler Talk: Archbishop Socrates Villegas on Pope Francis and the Philippines

Now, on the eve of the conclave that begins on Wednesday, May 7, Catholics have called for more prayers for the election of the pope.

On Wednesday, the oldest of the five living Filipino cardinals — Gaudencio Rosales — is set to lead the praying of the rosary at 11:30 am (Manila time) through the Manila Cathedral’s Facebook page.

In different churches, the following prayer is recited until the end of the conclave:

Prayer for the Election of a Pope

O God, eternal shepherd,
who govern your flock with unfailing care, grant in your boundless fatherly love
a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ama naming makapangyarihan,
ikaw ang nangangasiwa kailan man sa pinamamahalaan mong sambayanan.
Para mo nang awang bigyan ang iyong Simbahan
ng tagapangasiwang kalulugdan mo sa kabanalan
at magmamalasakit sa aming ikauunlad araw-araw
sa pamamagitan ni Hesukristo
kasama ng Espiritu Santo magpasawalang hanggan.
Amen.

Follow Rappler’s coverage of the conclave, and join our conversations in faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app. – Rappler.com