On the feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, Pope Francis began a new practice for the new year. He’s presenting his monthly prayer intentions on video and sharing them via social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
In announcing this new endeavor, Jesuit Father Frederic Fornos told Vatican Radio that bad news tends to inundate people today, so much so that they may feel helpless.
But “to pray together with Pope Francis for these challenges will help us a lot.” The Jesuit priest is the head of the international Apostleship of Prayer, a Jesuit-run outreach that has given Catholics the pope’s monthly prayer intentions since 1890.
A story with all the details is on page 9 of this week’s edition. The story, reported by Catholic News Service, concludes with a list of Pope Francis’ prayer intentions for 2016. They include:
- Greater care for creation.
- More support for families in difficulty.
- Just compensation for small farmers.
- Greater respect for women and indigenous peoples.
- Helping sports contribute to peace.
- Encouraging journalists to respect truth and be more ethical.
- Greater support for countries that take in refugees.
- And an end to the use of child soldiers.
These intentions need our prayers and they need our attention.
Each of the challenges the Holy Father plans to include in his prayers for 2016 also can be addressed by us all, both in prayer and action.
Take care for creation, for instance. That’s an easy one to begin on — look around you and notice all of the potential for recycling that’s littering our trash cans and clogging our storm drains and gutters right now. We can also examine our energy use and back the thermostat down, especially at night when blankets provide the warmth we need.
This issue and several others also must be addressed by lawmakers. And we have a part to play in that, too, as the bishops of the United States have told us time and again in their document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility.”
The document, issued every four years in time for presidential elections, explains, “The Church’s obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of society is a requirement of our faith. It is a basic part of the mission we have received from Jesus Christ, who offers a vision of life revealed to us in Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
“The obligation to participate in political life is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do. As the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ reminds us, ‘It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good.
This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the human person … As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life.’ ”
Becoming a more faithful and active citizen is easier at this time of year, as the Kentucky General Assembly returns to business this week. For those who’d like to get involved, the Catholic Conference of Kentucky is planning its annual Catholics @ the Capitol event for Feb. 9.
Catholics are invited to attend the program in Frankfort, Ky., to learn about the issues facing lawmakers in the General Assembly and meet with their elected official in Frankfort. More information about this program is on page 3 of this week’s Record.
Regardless of what the new year brings, be it terror attacks or a surge of refugees, let’s keep Christ’s mercy at the center of our response. Let’s pray for guidance and for the grace — and courage — to live our faith as good citizens.
As the new year began last week, on the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis called on the faithful to keep Christ at the center of their response to the world’s challenges.
“The grace of Christ, which brings our hope of salvation to fulfillment, leads us to cooperate with Him in building an ever more just and fraternal world, a world in which every person and every creature can dwell in peace, in the harmony of God’s original creation.”
MARNIE McALLISTER
Editor
