Our prayers for 2006
AS we enter a new year, we pause to reflect on the often dramatic 2005 which brought changes, trauma and some graces.
For Catholics, it was the year that saw the changing of the guard at the top. The iconic Pope John Paul II died in slow motion, giving way to the (for some startling) election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Benedict XVI.
We pray that in 2006 the Holy Father will continue to lead the Church towards greater unity within the Body of Christ and among our fellow Christians.
The Church confronted a number of thorny issues this year. Pope Benedict and the Synod of Bishops deliberated over questions such as the unhappy situation of divorced and remarried Catholics being barred from receiving the Eucharist, while the Vatican issued an instruction concerning the admission of homosexuals to the priesthood.
We pray that Pope Benedict’s call for further study on the former problem may find a fervent response, and that the latter will be implemented judiciously.
Catholics, locally and internationally, continued to be confronted with revelations of sexual abuse of minors by Church personnel and instances of such cases being mishandled. In the United States, a number of dioceses have had to declare bankruptcy, while the Irish Church is now subject to a government audit. South Africa saw its first such high profile case this year.
We pray that, as we rightly offer our foremost thoughts to the victims of abuse and their families, the perpetrators and those who may have failed in their duty to assure protection from molestation may also find forgiveness and healing. We pray also that future allegations and revelations may be managed responsibly and compassionately.
The world endured an unusual number of natural disasters in the past 12 months or so, such as the Boxing Day tsunami, Pakistan’s devastating earthquake, and a series of destructive hurricanes in the Caribbean, Mexico and the United States. The world expressed its human side of compassion in giving generously towards disaster relief.
We pray that world leaders will now take heed of the environmental damage that is paving the way for even greater catastrophes, and that compassion fatigue will not set in should nature strike again in 2006.
Southern Africa in particular is facing its own cataclysm as the Aids pandemic and its attendant social effects show no signs of being contained. South Africa’s government especially is failing to provide sensible leadership in the prevention and treatment of HIV/Aids. The long-term social hazards of the rapidly rising numbers of Aids orphans are not being addressed, and Aids remains stigmatised.
We pray that in 2006 government and civil society will find ways to develop a coherent and prudent plan to address the multifarious Aids crisis.
Like Aids, mental health issues and suicide remain unjustifiably stigmatised. We pray that those affected by mental health problems sufferers as well as their families and friends will find ways of dealing with painful situations, and that those contemplating suicide may confront and subdue their pain.
For many people, 2005 will have been a year of personal crises, upheaval and unhappiness. We pray that those who have endured inordinate suffering will find the fortitude to conquer their anguish and grow from it, with God on their side.
May 2006 be a better year than 2005 for us all.
- The Look of Christ - May 24, 2022
- Putting Down a Sleeping Toddler at Communion? - March 30, 2022
- To See Our Good News - March 23, 2022