Rome Diocese prayer campaign during conclave

March 01, 2013 - The Vicar of Rome Diocese has invited the diocesan community and others to pray for the cardinal electors who will be participating in the conclave to elect the Catholic Church’s new Pope and the Bishop of Rome. In a letter sent on Friday, Cardinal Agostino Vallini urged the diocesan community and every faithful to raise special prayers to the Lord so that the Holy Spirit may illumine the cardinal electors “to whom is entrusted such a serious task.” The Pope is both the leader of the Catholic Church and the Bishop of Rome, successor of the first Pope and Bishop of Rome, St. Peter the Apostle. Hence the Vicar of Bishop of Rome Diocese has decided that special Masses be celebrated at 6 pm each day of the conclave in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Cardinal Vallini also urged that special intentions be formulated in the prayer of the faithful at Masses on Sundays and festive days, and in the Liturgy of the Hours. He has allowed his priest to celebrate Masses on weekdays for the Pope’s election, maintaining the guidelines of Roman Missal. A special request for prayers has been made also to cloistered communities.