5 Prayers for the Conclave as They Select a New Pope

A change in church leadership can cause both anxiety and excited anticipation. When Moses died, Israel mourned his passing for 30 days (Deuteronomy 34:8). It surely prevented chaos among the Israelites, and Moses asked the Lord to show him who his successor should be before he passed away. Not only did the Lord provide a clear directive that Joshua was His choice for leading the people into the promised land, but He also had Moses introduce Joshua to the other leaders and the congregation (Numbers 27:12-22). When Moses passed away, there was no doubt as to who the next leader of Israel would be (Deuteronomy 34:9).

Likewise, there is a process set in place for the selection of a new Pope. It’s somewhat complex and highly secretive. In the Catholic Church, the authority of the Cardinals is second only to the Pope. So they are the ones who cast the secret ballots. The reason for all the secrecy and locking themselves away, in a nutshell, is so that the Holy Spirit leads the Cardinals in their voting and aren’t influenced by the world or the media, according to CNN.

While the Pope doesn’t have power in the same sense as the president of the United States, the office of the Pope is one that has a great deal of influence on moral issues. In fact, his influence is often sought out in matters of global affairs, being a peace broker, mediator, advocate, and influencer, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. So, the prayers of people of faith everywhere in connection to the Conclave matter a great deal. Here are a few ways we can pray for the Cardinals as they choose a new Pope.

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1. Pray for Discernment

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The Bible makes it clear that there are qualifications that need to be taken into consideration for someone taking a leadership role. It’s written in 1 Timothy 3:2 that someone being appointed to a leadership role should be “blameless.” The Greek word here can also be translated as “refusing to dispute” or “refusing to speak against others.” Titus 3:9-11 adds a bit of detail to this idea: “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.”

Other characteristics the Bible says are important to leadership besides being blameless include, “husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous” (1 Timothy 3:2-3).

Additional characteristics that apply to someone who is a godly leader can be found in Galatians 5:22-23, which notes the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the Conclave would be able to discern strong leadership characteristics as they vote for the new Pope.

2. Pray for Wisdom

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti leads the Seventh Novemdiale mass at St Peter's basilica, following the funeral of the Pope and ahead of the conclave

2. Pray for Wisdom

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Certainly, wisdom is needed when choosing someone for a leadership role. While education is important, if the ability to apply what’s been learned is lacking, that education doesn’t help a great deal. Experience is often where wisdom is gained for any education that has been obtained, whether it’s a formal classroom education or a person is self-taught through various materials they’ve sought out. The more experience a person has, the more effective they usually are if they choose to take on a leadership role. It’s written in James 1:5 that if anyone lacks wisdom, they can ask God to give it, and He will pour it out liberally on the requestor.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the Conclave would seek the Lord for His will regarding who should be the new Pope.

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3. Pray for Peace and Unity within the Conclave

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Most of the Cardinal electors were appointed by Pope Francis during his 12-year run as the Pope. There are 108 that he appointed out of 135. Those 108 appointees represent 71 different countries, with 10 of the appointees being from the United States. The Conclave will take place on Wednesday, but everyone in the Vatican will take an oath of secrecy on Monday. A minimum of two-thirds plus one of the Cardinals must be in agreement on who the new Pope will be. The last few occasions have gone quickly, and only two days are needed for the new Pope to be elected. However, there have been many occasions when it took longer, the longest being nearly three years, according to CBS News.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the Conclave would sense the peace of God and be in unity quickly as they make their decision about the new Pope.

4. Pray for Peace and Unity within the Church

Cardinal Fabio Baggio attends the mass on the sixth day of the "Novendiali," nine days of mourning for late Pope Francis, at St. Peter's basilica

4. Pray for Peace and Unity within the Church

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Some electors are more conservative than others in their beliefs and interpretation of the Bible and Catholic doctrine. For example, Pope Francis tended to be more liberal in his views regarding issues such as immigration, climate change, and the LGBTQ+ community. Of course, the Catholic Church has members who also tend in one direction more so than the other.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the new Pope will fear God more than the people (Acts 5:29, Proverbs 29:25) and will lead in accordance with Biblical principles.

5. Pray for the Future Pope’s Spiritual Well-being and Strength

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After the newly elected Pope accepts his election, chooses his papal name, and is ordained, he is then taken to a small room next to the Sistine Chapel to change into traditional papal robes. The name of that room is “Room of Tears.” The reason it was given that name is because many new popes become so overwhelmed with emotion and the weight of such a high-ranking spiritual leadership position that they begin to weep as they put on the robes, according to CNN.

Prayer prompt: Pray that the Lord will draw near to the new Pope in such a way that the Pope will have an ever-deepening relationship with Him, that his ability to sense the leading of the Holy Spirit will be deepened, and that the will of the Lord would be done on earth even as it is in Heaven.

Elizabeth Delaney Author Headshot Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.