Novena in Memory of Pope Francis
Introduction
The entire Church mourns the death of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. In cathedrals, basilicas, parish churches, shrines, and chapels the Holy Eucharist will be offered for the repose of his soul. Communities and individuals will ask God to bestow his infinite mercy on the man who served the Church as Bishop of Rome.
This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Pope during the time of mourning. The daily novena – lasting for the novendiales period from April 26 to May 4, 2025 – consists of a short reading from Scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers, including orations drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funerals.
Novena
Day 1 — "You are Peter…"
Day 2 — "Feed my sheep…"
Day 3 — Peter, the Unity of All the Church
Day 4 — Authentic Teacher of the Faith
Day 5 — "Strengthen your brothers…"
Day 6 — The Petrine Ministry of Mercy
Day 7 — Peter, the First of the Apostles
Day 8 — Union of Pope and Bishops
Day 9 — Successor to the Apostle Peter
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours © 1970, 1973, 1975 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); excerpt from the English translation of the Order of Christian Funerals © 1985 ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010 ICEL. All rights reserved.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Excerpt from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America, copyright © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Excerpt from Ut unum sint (1995) © Dicasterio per la Comunicazione—Librería Editrice Vaticana.
Excerpt from Lumen gentium from The Documents of Vatican II, Walter M. Abbott, ed. New York: Guild Press, 1966.
Novena in Memory of Pope Francis © 2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.