# Stop hatred now – a prayer for the Church
*2009-01-07*

> Bill Young reflects on the persistence of hatred toward the Pope and the Church, then offers a heartfelt prayer for priests, the Holy Father, and all believers.

## Hatred Is Not a Relic of the Past

Yesterday I was praying and reflecting on the story of Holocaust survivor Irene, whose experience reminds us that hatred can endure for generations. I thought that such animosity toward the Pope was a thing of the past—after all, Pope Benedict XVI is widely respected. Yet a recent news segment featured a comedian calling the Pope a Nazi and labeling the Catholic Church a “sexual cult.” That kind of hatred is still very real, and it shows how ignorance can fuel contempt.

## The Need for Understanding

If the comedian had read Irene’s memoir, *The Fifth Diamond*, he might have grasped the true horror of the Holocaust and the depth of the hatred that still haunts survivors. Calling Pope Benedict XVI a Nazi betrays a profound misunderstanding of what Nazism truly was. Much of the hatred we encounter stems from ignorance, and God calls us to forgiveness—both for those who err and for ourselves when we speak without knowledge.

## A Prayer for the Church and Its Priests

Now I will pray specifically for the Church and for our priests:

"O Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church: grant the love and light of Your Spirit, and give power to the words of our priests, that hardened hearts may be brought to repentance and return to You, O Lord. Strengthen our holy priests; keep them in holiness. O Divine and great High Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil’s traps and snares. May Your mercy shelter them and lead them to sanctity. Jesus, my most beloved Spouse, I ask for the triumph of the Church, the blessings of the Holy Father and all the clergy, and the grace of conversion for the impatient sinners. Grant special blessings to all who seek Your light."

This prayer was composed by the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Rome, Italy. May God bless the Pope and our Church. Amen.

*Even today, hatred persists, but through prayer and understanding we can respond with forgiveness and solidarity.*