Prayer in Libreville, Gabon (19 February 1982)

On Friday, 19 February 1982, after celebrating Holy Mass in Libreville, the Holy Father commended to the Mother of God the Church in Gabon.

1. O Mother of men and peoples, you who were present to the Church from the beginning of her mission, intercede for her, so that as she goes throughout the world, she continues to teach all nations and that she announces the Gospel to every creature!

2. It is with these words, already pronounced to greet you in Rome on the solemnity of Pentecost last year in union with the Bishops of the whole world, that I want to greet you today, O Mother of God, O Theotokos, together with the Bishops of the Church in Gabon, this country that I am visiting at this moment!

3. To you who are the Mother of the Church, I want to entrust and consecrate in a special way the Church which is on the land of Gabon, as on the feast of Pentecost I entrusted and consecrated to you the Church which is spread throughout all nations and among all the peoples of the earth, yes, the Church and the whole world.

4. In this gesture of consecration accomplished today, I include all those who live and work on the land of Africa, and also all those whom the heavenly Father has loved in Jesus Christ and wants to save by the blood of his cross.

5. O Mother of the Church, I address to you a special supplication for all the priests who work on this earth, that they may be “true servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” for the good of all their brothers. I pray to you for men and women religious, for all consecrated souls, and that many respond to such a vocation. I pray that the faithful and especially the families of this country always have great generosity in faith. May everyone advance the work of evangelization begun here by the apostolic workers who preceded them for several generations!

6. May the Word of God, who became flesh in your virginal womb through the action of the Holy Spirit, grow in hearts and extend its radiance for the salvation of the entire world!

Amen!

© Copyright 1982 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana 

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