Indian cloistered: say a Lenten Conclave is springtime for the Church

( March 13, 2013 ) “Benedict XVI's testimony and a conclave held in Lent, are great gifts for the universal Church, which is called to reflect on the mystery and pray for the Cardinals, who are called to elect a successor to the Pope Emeritus." This is the response sent by the superior of the cloistered Carmelite monastery in Mumbai, western India, to former Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarciscio Bertone's appeal contained in a letter to the religious of the world for "special prayers" for the Church. In her reply, Sister Gemma assured Cardinal Bertone of their prayers for the church and for the cardinals in conclave. “During this period, we will intensify our prayers and works of charity, asking the Holy Spirit to guide the choice the cardinals are called to make,” she added. Sr. Gemma said since receiving Cardinal Bertone’s letter they have held an hour of adoration to the Blessed Sacrament every evening, and on a personal level, each Carmelite is making personal sacrifices for the good of the Conclave.
On Tuesday,(March 12) the first day of the conclave, the congregation celebrated a special Mass for the election of the pope and prayed that the cardinals may be guided by the Holy Spirit to discern the signs of the times for the Church and for the world. This Conclave comes as a time of grace for the universal Church, since it is the first to be held during Lent since 1829. And Lent is the springtime of the Church, " she said. The international community, concluded Sister Gemma, is full of expectations. When our beloved Pope Emeritus announced he would give up his ministry, he spoke with great wisdom of health and the human inability. This wisdom has become a force for the church, and has embraced the whole world. God has created something new. "