PRAYERS FOR THE HOLY FATHER

We are invited most particularly at this time to pray for our Holy Father Pope Francis. Readers of this Blog are firmly encouraged to have a Mass said for Him, or ideally a Novena of Masses, and not to omit daily prayers for the person of the Holy Father, in addition to their prayers for His intentions.

This seems most especially fitting as we approach the old feast of the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome (next Tuesday), which intiates the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, which closes with the Conversion of Saint Paul.

TU ES PETRUS,
 et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam;
 et portae inferi non prevalebunt adversus eam; 
et tibi dabo claves regni coelorum.

V. Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Francisco.

R. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.

Oremus. Deus, omnium fidelium pastor et rector, famulum tuum Franciscum, quem pastorem Ecclesiæ tuæ præesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quæsumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus præest, proficere: ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum. Amen.

THOU ART PETER, and upon this rock I will build my church;
 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

V. Let us pray for Francis, our Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Let us pray. O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Francis, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, he may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.