As one cardinal said, "It is a dangerous time. Pray for us."
Even if you are not Catholic, here are some reasons to pray for the Conclave:
1. Intercessory prayer is a duty of Christian charity. We are obligated to uphold one another in prayer. St. Paul told the Galatians to "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2). Notice that he calls it a "law of Christ." Prayer is one way of sharing burdens and it's not just about kindness, but about obeying a commandment of Christ...
2. The pope of Rome is the most visible and influential Christian in the world. In our day and age more than ever, it matters who the pope is. Most people, including nonChristian and nonreligious people, have a pretty good idea of who the pope is and what he has to say about x, y, and z. Can that be said of any other Christian leader? I don't even know who to list in comparison. You might have one person, like Billy Graham, who would be familiar to a group of people in a particular time and place, but cross the border into the next country and they've never heard of him...
3. What Rome does affects every Christian. That's especially true in the day and age where communication keeps getting faster and the world keeps getting "smaller." I can't remember who it was who came up with the expression, but it was dead-on: "When Rome sneezes, Christendom gets a cold." The Roman Catholic Church (and the churches in communion with her) is by far the largest Christian community in the world--larger than every other kind of Christian put together. That carries weight and influence...
The writer goes into more detail on each point and has more points, so go read his post over there.
Also one that most people don't realise.
ReplyDeleteIn the UN, the Vatican's statehood means they are able to vote (or at a minimum attend) events and push back against many things that would be detrimental to Christians of all stripes.
Thanks, Scrubone,
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point!