The College of Cardinals will gather for a conclave to choose our next pope on May 7, 2025.
This is a crucial time for Catholics to come together and pray for the cardinals who will make this important decision.
Below are eight ways Catholics can pray for the upcoming conclave:
1) Pray the Novena to Saint Michael the Archangel
The novena to Saint Michael the Archangel begins on April 29 and ends on May 7, just before the May 8 feast of Saint Michael’s apparitions at Gargando.
Providentially, this novena ends on the day the conclave begins. Let us entrust the conclave to Saint Michael the Archangel, that the cardinals will listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and be guarded against any demonic influence or attacks.
2) Adopt Cardinals to Pray for
In this Instagram post, EWTN published all 135 cardinals participating in the conclave. The challenge? Adopt three cardinals to pray for.
Here’s the post below:
3) Pray Father Chad Ripperger’s Prayer for the Conclave
Exorcist Father Chad Ripperger released a prayer entrusting the conclave to the Blessed Mother.
Here is the prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, by entrusting to St. Peter and his successors the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, thou didst establish the office of the papacy. Grant to thy Church, we beseech thee, a pope who, in his dedication to the Sacred Tradition of the Church, will seek to govern the Church according to the Deposit of Faith and for the salvation of souls.
Immaculate Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Confessors, we consecrate to thee the conclave and the election of the Holy Father. Blessed Mother, look not upon our sinfulness or upon the infidelity of many Catholics who do not accept the teaching of thy Son, but upon the Church which is the spotless Bride of thy son, so that we do not get the leader we deserve, but a Holy Father who will guide the Church for the glory and honor of thy Son. Amen.
4) Pray Cardinal Raymond Burke’s Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Conclave
Cardinal Burke published a novena prayer entrusting the conclave to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Even though the novena began on April 26, it’s never too late to join in.
Here’s the prayer below:
I kneel before you, O Virgin Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the compassionate mother of all who love you, cry to you, seek you, and trust in you. I plead for the Church at a time of great trial and danger for her. As you came to the rescue of the Church at Tepeyac in 1531, please intercede for the Sacred College of Cardinals gathered in Rome to elect the Successor of Saint Peter, Vicar of Christ, Shepherd of the Universal Church.
At this tumultuous time for the Church and for the world, plead with your Divine Son that the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, His Mystical Body, will humbly obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Through your intercession, may they choose the most worthy man to be Christ’s Vicar on earth. With you, I place all my trust in Him Who alone is our help and salvation. Amen.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, have mercy upon us!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Virgin Mother of God and Mother of Divine Grace, pray for us!
5) Pray the Rosary
Offer your intentions on the Rosary for the conclave and their decision regarding the future pope.
Our Lady of Fatima emphasized the importance of her intercession for the Holy Father, especially on the Holy Rosary. Fatima visionary Jacina Marto offered many prayers and sacrifices for the Pope, encouraging others to do the same.
She said, “Poor Holy Father, I feel a lot of pity for him. We must pray a lot for him.”
Our Lady also promises, "By the recitation of the Rosary, you shall obtain all that you ask of me."
,Click here to learn how to pray the Rosary.
6) Go to Eucharistic Adoration & Make a Holy Hour
Eucharistic adoration is a powerful way to present your petitions to God. Many saints and holy people of God stressed the importance of making a holy hour, preferably daily.
Saint John Paul II, who made a daily Eucharistic Holy Hour said,
“The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. Where Eucharistic life flourishes, there the life of the church will blossom.”
Archbishop Fulton Sheen also stressed the importance of a daily Eucharistic Holy Hour “because we live in a demonic age.” He called it “the secret” of his power behind his ministry.
“When I stand up to talk, people listen to me; they will follow what I have to say. Is it any power of mine? Of course not... But the secret of my power is that I have never in fifty-five years missed spending an hour in the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. That’s where the power comes from. That’s where sermons are born. That’s where every good thought is conceived.”
7) Offer Your Communion at Mass
Offering your communion for a specific intention is a very powerful way to present our requests to God, specifically for the future pope. Why? Because the Eucharist is the “source and summit of Christian life.” The priest offers his intention at the Mass, but you can too.
When you receive the Holy Eucharist, you are the closest to Jesus you can be while on Earth. What better way to present your intentions to Him?
8) Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is another powerful way to pray for the cardinals during this important time. Jesus even asks that we pray for the “souls of priests and religious” on the second day of the Divine Mercy novena.
He also tells us that he will grant all that is asked of him if it is in accordance with His will.