Pope praises Vatican prayer project to encourage priests, vocations

Published: 2008-04-24

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has praised a Vatican initiative to encourage eucharistic adoration for the holiness of priests and recruit "spiritual mothers" to pray for priests and for vocations to the priesthood. In an undated letter sent to the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy, which is promoting the initiative, the pope said he is "grateful for the thoughtful gesture" and for suggestions the congregation has put forward. In the letter, posted on the congregation's Web site, the pope said he hoped "the love and devotion to the eucharistic Jesus and devotion to Mary ... may give new fervor" to the life and apostolate of priests. The clergy congregation released to journalists April 22 a letter addressed to the world's priests from Cardinal Claudio Hummes, congregation prefect, and Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, congregation secretary. The letter details the intentions of the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests May 30, as well as some prayers priests have been invited to say.

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