Pray rosary daily until May 9 for peaceful, honest polls, says prelate

THE CATHOLIC Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is calling on the faithful to pray the rosary daily until election day.

“Pray all the mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory every day until May 9. Pray as a family. Pray while traveling. Pray in the offices or factories. Pray everywhere for our national elections,” said CBCP president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas in a post on CBCPNews, the official news service of the CBCP.

According to Villegas, it is “by the power of the rosary that we can stop the evil of election violence and cheating. By the power of the rosary, we can win the battle for peaceful and credible elections.”

Villegas enjoined Catholics to fight “stubbornness, cynicism and stupidity in making our choices” through the daily praying of the rosary.

“Let the rosary melt our hardened hearts and arrogant lips,” he said, as he stressed the potency of prayer in influencing major events, as seen in history.

“In my pastoral guidelines for the 2013 elections, I reminded you of the unique importance of prayer for national change. Our best contribution is to pray that the Lord of history shall guide every voter and guide every candidate,” said the prelate.

Villegas added: “It is God who can enlighten our decisions. It is God who can thwart the plans of evil men and women to destroy social order. It is God who can give us the best leaders for the good of everyone.”