Holy Father’s 2009

General and Missionary Intentions

 

 

JANUARY

General: Family a place of Formation. That the family might increasingly be a place of formation in charity, personal growth and the transmission of the faith.

 

Missionary: Christian Unity.  That Christian denominations make a concerted effort to proclaim the Good News and energetically strive for full unity so as to be more credible witnesses of the Gospel to a world in need of “a new evangelization” at this time of profound change.

 

FEBRUARY                                                               

General: Church Pastors, docile to the Spirit. That the Church’s pastors may be ever more docile to the action of the Holy Spirit as they teach and serve the People of God.

 

Missionary: Promotion of Peace in Africa. Guided by the Second Special Assembly of the African Synod of Bishops, may the local Church find adequate ways and means to effectively promote reconciliation, justice and peace.

 

MARCH

General: The Dignity of Women. That all nations of our world may grow in appreciation of the dignity and value of women and their roles within society.

 

Missionary: Church Unity in China. That all the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and laity of the Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China, guided by the letter sent to them by Pope Benedict the 16^th, strive to be signs and instruments of unity, communion and peace.

 

APRIL

General: Farmers and World Hunger. That our Lord may bless farmers with abundant harvests and sensitize the richer nations to respond to the ravages of hunger throughout the world.

 

Missionary: Christians as Signs of Hope to the Poor. That Christians who work in areas where conditions are desperate for the poor, the weak, women and children, may be signs of hope due to their courageous witness to the Gospel of solidarity and love. 

 

MAY

General: Laity as Vocations Promoters.  That the laity and Christian communities may embrace their responsibility for promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

 

Missionary: A Missionary Church. In response to the Lord for the gift of faith, may the more recently established Catholic communities generously participate in the universal mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

 

JUNE

General: Foreign Debt Relief. That international efforts to help poorer nations may bring prompt, concrete results, especially to relieve the crushing burden of foreign debt.

 

Missionary: The Church in Areas of Violence.   That local Church communities serving areas torn by violence may be supported through the love and concrete signs of nearness offered by Catholics from around the world.  

 

JULY

General: Christians in the Middle East.  That Christians in the Middle East may live their faith in complete freedom and become instruments of reconciliation and peace.

 

Missionary: Humanity Reconciled. Through the witness of the faithful, may the Church be the seed and soil of a humanity reconciled to be God’s one true family on earth.

 

AUGUST

General: Refugees and Displaced Peoples.  That public opinion may address the problems of the millions who have been displaced or become refugees in order to find real solutions to their often tragic conditions.

 

Missionary: Christians Suffering Persecution and Discrimination. That Christians who suffer persecution and discrimination in many countries because they profess the name of Christ, may be granted human rights, equality and freedom to live their faith.

 

SEPTEMBER

General: Word of God be better known.  That the Word of God may be better known, accepted and lived as the one true source of freedom and joy.

 

Missionary: Christians in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.  That by placing their trust in the strength of the Holy Spirit, Christians in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, who often confront great difficulties, will not lose the courage to proclaim the Gospel to their brothers and sisters.

 

OCTOBER

General: Sundays and the Eucharist.  That Sundays be lived as the day on which Christians gather to celebrate the Risen Lord in the table of the Eucharist.

 

Missionary: The Spirit of Mission. That the whole People of God, to whom Christ has entrusted the mandate to go and preach the Gospel to every creature, will diligently assume their missionary responsibility and consider it as the most important service which they can offer to humanity.

 

NOVEMBER

General: Care of Creation. That all people of good will, especially political and economic policy makers, may commit themselves to a growing care and concern for all creation.

 

Missionary: That the Name of God may bring Peace. That believers of every religion may witness through their lives and through dialogue that the Name of God brings peace.

 

DECEMBER

General: Respect for Children.  That children may be respected, loved and never exploited in any way.

 

Missionary: Christ, Light of the World. That during Christmas the peoples of the Earth may recognize the Incarnate Word as the light that illumines every person, and that every nation may open its doors to Christ, the Savior of the world. 

 

 

Benedict XVI

 

 

Vatican City, December 31, 2007