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Bishop Saltarelli asks Catholics to pray litany for public officials

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WILMINGTON, Del. (CNS) -- Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli of Wilmington is urging Catholics in his diocese to pray a special litany every day in October asking St. Thomas More to intercede so that public officials, politicians and lawyers will become "courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life." October has been designated as Respect Life Month by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Our hope is to lead our people back to prayer and to the basic tenets of this magnificent nation" found in national mottoes, such as "in God we trust" and "one nation under God," the bishop said. "We will storm heaven with our prayers not only during the month of October, but I hope we will learn the litany and make it part of our personal devotions," he told The Dialog, diocesan newspaper of Wilmington. Bishop Saltarelli said the litany, printed on a prayer card that was inserted into the Sept. 30 issue of The Dialog, should remind people that "more can be accomplished by prayer than by demonstrations, attacks or name-calling."

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