Pope Francis on Tuesday urged the
faithful to pray for women religious including nuns in his
prayer intention for February.
The pontiff told nuns to fight when they are reduced into
slavery.
Francis released his prayer intention for the month of February,
and invited Catholics to pray for religious sisters and
consecrated women as they continue in their mission with
courage, Vatican News said.
"What would the Church be without religious sisters and
consecrated laywomen? The Church cannot be understood without
them."
Pope Francis made that affirmation in his February prayer
intention, released on Tuesday by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer
Network.
The Pope encouraged all consecrated women to discern how best
they can respond to the challenges facing humanity.
"I exhort them to keep working and to have an impact with the
poor, with the marginalized, with all those who are enslaved by
traffickers," he said. "I especially ask them to make an impact
on this."
Pope Francis also prayed for the many women religious who "show
the beauty of God's love and compassion" through their ministry
as catechists, theologians, and spiritual guides, even when they
encounter obstacles.
"I invite them to fight when, in some cases, they are treated
unfairly, even within the Church," he urged, "when they serve so
much that they are reduced to servitude —at times, by men of the
Church."
When faced with these difficulties, women religious should "not
be discouraged," said the Pope. "May you keep making God's
goodness known through the apostolic works you do. But above all
through your witness of consecration."
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