SW News: The Catholic Bishops of the United States have called the faithful to take part in a Novena for the repose of the soul of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
According to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website, the Novena has been designed to aid in prayer during this time for the Pope Emeritus. The Novena comprises a brief reading from the Bible or another ecclesiastical book followed by a few short prayers, such as orations taken from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funerals. The daily Novena was started on January 5, when the former pontiff's burial Mass was held in St. Peter's Square in Rome, and will run through Friday, January 13.
The nine-day devotion, which can be found on the website of the US Bishops' Conference in both English and Spanish, focuses on various aspects of the Pope Emeritus' role, such as being the successor to the Apostle Peter, the church's chief shepherd and unifier, and an authentic teacher of the faith.
Each day's prayers include brief readings from the Bible, the Catholic Church's Catechism, and conciliar, papal, and patristic texts.
One of the quotations is from Pope St. John Paul II's "Ut Unum Sint," which says that the Bishop of Rome "exercises a ministry originating in the manifold mercy of God. … The authority proper to this ministry is completely at the service of God's merciful plan, and it must always be seen in this perspective."
The Bishops also announced that Holy Eucharist would be offered in the cathedrals, basilicas, parish churches, shrines, and chapels for Pope Emeritus, who passed away on December 31 at the age of 95.