By Susan Ciancio
Catholics around the world are mourning the death of Pope Francis and anxiously awaiting the conclave that will bring us a new pope. We know that, when the cardinals meet, the Holy Spirit guides their decision. We pray that the cardinals prayerfully listen and choose a man who will become a strong and courageous leader.
We, the faithful, are not powerless in this process. Our prayers are heard by God, and they do make a difference. So we ask you to join us (starting Monday) in the following novena asking the intercession of Our Lady of Hope and praying for a courageous and faithful new pontiff. (To sign up to receive daily emails reminding you of each day’s prayer, visit all.org/subscribe.)
Novena to Our Lady of Hope for a Courageous New Pontiff
Tradition holds that on January 17, 1871, during the time of the Franco-Prussian War, six children in the village of Pontmain, France, saw an apparition of our Blessed Mother. Mary told the children to pray for protection against the enemy troops when they approached the village, and she promised them that the war would end soon. Word immediately spread throughout the village, and the children and villagers prayed together for safety. The village was spared, and the war ended just a week later. After that, Mary became known to the town as Our Lady of Hope.
Today, we long for that same hope that Mary offered to the villagers of Pontmain. Throughout the world, Catholics are fighting a great spiritual battle, and we desperately need a strong leader in the Chair of St. Peter to guide and shepherd us.
As we mourn the death of Pope Francis and approach the beginning of the conclave and the election of a new pope, let us ask Our Lady of Hope for her intercession. Let us pray that the cardinals choose a holy and humble man who embodies the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who leads his flock with moral courage and strength, and who teaches the truths of the Catholic faith with clarity and love.
Each of the first seven days in this novena offers insight from St. John Paul II as we focus on a gift of the Holy Spirit. During the last two days we will pray that the cardinals elect a pope who will foster unity within the Church and respect for all human beings from creation until death. After each day’s prayer, we will close with a Hail Mary.
We invite you to pray with us and to share this novena with your friends. We know that the Holy Spirit guides the cardinals in their decision. Let us do as St. Padre Pio taught: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” for we trust in God’s goodness and in the intercession of Our Lady of Hope.
Day 1: Wisdom
Today, we pray for wisdom for our new pontiff.
St. John Paul II once said that “wisdom is the root of a new knowledge, a knowledge permeated by charity, thanks to which the soul acquires familiarity, so to speak, with divine things and tastes in them.”
In other words, we see the world through God’s eyes.
Our Lady of Hope, we ask you to pray that the College of Cardinals will choose a man who sees the world and all humans within through the eyes of God and then act accordingly. Our world is a confusing place, full of distractions that focus more on worldly things than on heavenly things. We understand that only through your Son can we attain eternal life.
We desperately need a pope who will guide us along this path, who sees through God’s eyes, and who teaches the world to do the same.
Please pray that our new pontiff possesses the wisdom to lead his flock and to help us increase in love of God and love of our faith.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 2: Understanding
Today, we pray for a new pontiff who has the gift of understanding.
St. John Paul II once wrote that “through this gift, the Holy Spirit, who ‘searches the depths of God’ . . . communicates to the believer a spark of that penetrating capacity that opens the heart to the joyful perception of God’s loving plan.” He explained that this gift helps us see the “signs of God” in all of creation and to understand the “divine truth.”
Our Lady of Hope, we need a pontiff who can see God in everything, who constantly and consistently points us toward Him, and who speaks the truths of the Catholic faith unapologetically and proudly.
Please pray that the cardinals listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance as they look for a man who embodies this gift and who will increase people’s understanding of God’s love, His teachings, and the truths of our faith.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 3: Knowledge
Today, we pray for a new pontiff who is strong in knowledge of the Catholic faith.
St. John Paul II wrote that knowledge is how we are made aware of “the true value of creatures in their relationship to the Creator” and that this gift helps us see “the theological meaning of creation, seeing things as true and real, although limited, manifestations of the truth, beauty, and infinite love which is God, and consequently he feels impelled to translate this discovery into praise, song, prayer, and thanksgiving.”
Our Lady of Hope, there are many times and situations when people do not see the true value of others and when they fail to give thanks for your Son’s many gifts. Abortion, euthanasia, IVF, and other threats to the dignity of human beings are rampant. We need a leader who will speak out about these atrocities and guide people in the knowledge that these are grave evils. We need a pope who will speak with clarity, with conviction, and with love.
Please pray that the new successor of St. Peter not only has a deep knowledge of our faith but is able to impart that knowledge to the faithful in a clear and loving way.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 4: Counsel
Today, we pray for a new pontiff who possesses a strong gift of counsel.
St. John Paul II explained that counsel is “given to the Christian to enlighten the conscience in moral choices which daily life presents.” He said that “the gift of counsel acts like a new breath in the conscience, suggesting to it what is licit, what is becoming, what is more fitting for the soul.”
Our Lady of Hope, we know that God’s commands are fitting for our souls, but oftentimes we are loath to follow through. It may be too difficult, we may succumb to the sin of sloth, or we may lack a desire to do what is right and good in God’s eyes. This is why we need a pope whose example will guide us and who teaches us on a daily basis how to make Godly choices.
We know that what we do matters, how we treat others matters, and that we must protect the vulnerable and forgotten. Our new pontiff should understand all of this and must adhere to the tenets of the Catholic Church as he lives out her teachings.
Please pray that the cardinals elect a pope who cares about the soul of every single person and who is unafraid to teach the truths of the Catholic faith.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 5: Fortitude
Today, we pray that our new pontiff possesses the gift of fortitude.
St. John Paul II taught that fortitude “is the virtue by which one does not compromise in fulfilling one’s duty.” This gift, he said, “gives strength to the soul, not only on exceptional occasions . . . but also in normal difficulties: in the struggle to remain consistent with one’s principles.”
Our Lady of Hope, we know that our duties here on earth include building a culture of life, where all are respected and cherished, but these duties also require us to evangelize our faith to others. To do that effectively, we must have a strong foundation in our faith, and to build that foundation, we need strong parents, teachers, and ultimately a strong man sitting in the Chair of St. Peter.
Please pray that our new pontiff is a man who can lead with humility, strength, love, and a fierce devotion to the Catholic faith.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 6: Piety
Today, we pray that our new pontiff possesses the gift of piety.
St. John Paul II taught that through piety, or Godliness, “the Spirit heals our heart from all kinds of hardness and opens it to tenderness to God and to the brothers and sisters.” He explained that the “gift of piety . . . extinguishes in the heart those hotbeds of tension and division such as bitterness, anger, impatience, and feeds it with feelings of understanding, tolerance, forgiveness. That gift is therefore at the root of that new human community, which is based on the civilization of love.”
Our Lady of Hope, you asked the people of the small town of Pontmain, France, to pray so that the war would end and their husbands, brothers, and sons would return unharmed. We are amidst a terrible spiritual battle, fueled so often by hate and division.
Today we pray that the Holy Spirit guides the College of Cardinals in choosing a pontiff who is able to rise above all that division, who quelches the world’s bitterness and anger, and whose example helps us to create a civilization of love based on God’s laws.
Please pray that the cardinals elect a pope who truly understands the tenets of the Catholic faith so that he can not only explain them but live them fully, guiding by his example.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 7: Fear of Offending God
Today, we pray that our new pontiff lives in fear of offending God and the Church.
St. John Paul II explained that a fear of God is not an actual fear of Him. Rather, it is “the sincere and trembling feeling that man experiences in the face of the tremendous majesty of God, especially when he reflects on his own infidelities and on the danger of being ‘found weightless’ . . . in eternal judgment, from which no one can escape.”
This fear of God prevents us from doing or saying anything to displease or offend Him.
Our Lady of Hope, many people today fail to think about God or His will. They don’t care whether their actions hurt or offend Him. They choose to act selfishly and live a life aimed only at “happiness.” But we know that happiness is fleeting. What we must look for is joy in our Lord; that only manifests when we choose to keep Him first and foremost in our minds and when our actions reflect this love.
Please pray that our new pontiff is like a lighthouse guiding us through difficult times, showing us the path we must take and serving always as a constant through dark times.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 8: Unity
Today we pray for unity within the Church and in the whole world.
St. John Paul II once wrote, “The unity of all divided humanity is the will of God. For this reason he sent His Son, so that by dying and rising for us He might bestow on us the spirit of love.” He explained that “division ‘openly contradicts the will of Christ [and] provides a stumbling block to the world.’”
Our Lady of Hope, in the Garden of Gethsemane, your Son prayed that His Holy Father would keep all people in His name “so that they may be one just as we are.” The Holy Father represents Jesus here on earth, so he too must have the desire to unite God’s people.
Please pray that the College of Cardinals elects a pope who understands that the stumbling block of disunity greatly hurts our Lord and damages His Church here on earth. Ask your Son to guide the cardinals in choosing a man who joyfully teaches the Catholic faith and helps lead others to His loving embrace.
Hail Mary . . .
Day 9: A Truly Pro-Life Perspective
Today we pray that the next successor of St. Peter will be unwaveringly pro-life and will work to protect all people from the first moment of creation until death.
St. John Paul II once wrote that “to claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others.” He explained that “to kill a human being, in whom the image of God is present, is a particularly serious sin” and that abortion “is a most serious wound inflicted on society and its culture by the very people who ought to be society’s promoters and defenders.”
Our Lady of Hope, we come to you today filled with love for the Catholic Church and her people and full of hope that a new leader will emerge who not only defends human life with every breath but who makes the defense of all vulnerable people a priority.
Please pray that the cardinals elect a pope who has both the heart of St. Peter and the will to evangelize with the fervor of St. Paul.
Hail Mary . . .