Novena for the Holy Father Question

[Eucharisted]

Novena for the Pope:

Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory be.

V: Let us pray for our Pope Benedict.
R: May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

V. Thou art Peter,
R. And upon this Rock, I will build My Church.

Let us Pray,
Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon your servant, Benedict, our Sovereign Pontiff, and guide him in your goodness on the way of eternal salvation; so that, with the prompting of your grace, he may desire what pleases you and accomplish it with all his strength. Through Christ Our Lord. R. Amen.

V. Mother of the Church. R. Pray for us
V. St. Peter. R. Pray for us

Why dose the novena include this pray to the Holy Father?

V. Thou art Peter,
R. And upon this Rock, I will build My Church.

I don’t understand.

 

[Numinous]

Because Pope Benedict XVI, being the Pope, is the successor of Peter, the first Pope, the rock upon which Christ built his Church.

 

[Eucharisted]

Because Pope Benedict XVI, being the Pope, is the successor of Peter, the first Pope, the rock upon which Christ built his Church.

I understand that. I just want to know why the novena includes a prayer to the Pope. We’re not allowed to pray to the living; we can ask for prayers, but we can’t pray to the living. So I’m confused as to why this prayer is included in the novena. Or maybe I’m just not understanding what it is?

 

[Numinous]

It’s not a prayer to the Pope; it is a quotation from Scripture.

 

[Eucharisted]

It’s not a prayer to the Pope; it is a quotation from Scripture.

Ah, okay

 

[Shin]

Yes you’ll find with some prayers they quote scripture and have like this first one part of scripture, by the leader of the prayer, and then a response of the rest.

It’s lovely to do it that way no? The entire community speaking a truth of Faith together before God.

I love responsorial type prayers like litanies.