United in prayer: More than half-a-million people join campaign to pray for cardinals at conclave

Cardinals look on as new pope
makes his first appearance
CNS photo

Amid the bets, brackets and predictions leading up to the conclave, more than half-a-million people signed up to instead pray for the cardinals. The "Adopt a Cardinal" campaign was launched as a way to gather people together virtually to pray for the cardinals electing the new pope. At adoptacardinal.org, one simply entered an email address and then received information about a cardinal to keep in prayer.

The final tally? Cardinals were assigned 552,383 times, and, according to Ulrike Heckl from Adopt a Cardinal, only a few people were repeat customers. In addition, faithful from around the world who did not have email access also joined in. For example, a parish in the Philippines had more than 500 people join in prayer, and many other classes, families and prayer groups did the same.

The most incredible aspect of this campaign, noted Heckl, is not the vast number of people that responded, but rather the intensity in which many people responded to such a simple request: Pray for the Church. Many people have committed to keep praying for their cardinals. Others shared the deep impact that this prayer experience had on their lives. Many felt more connected with the cardinals and the entire Church worldwide.

This was an extraordinary way to experience the wide expanse of the Church, to connect with fellow Catholics around the world.