Pope Asks For Prayers

Pope Benedict XVI is making his first visit to the Americas since being made Pope. He will be visiting Brazil to open the fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean.

To say that there are some big issues in the Church of Latin America is an understatement:

• Poverty is rampant
• Dictatorships flourish
• Drug lords and guerrillas still have much sway
• Culture of oppression
• The Church's failure to evangelize and sometimes complacency
• The influx of Pentecostals and Fundamentalists and the Church's fear of them
• Radical Liberation theology still has a lot of influence in parts of the Church
• Corruption
• The mix of political policy and Church doctrine
• The current agenda of legalizing abortion
• governments' failure to open themselves up to the global economy
• etc.
  

In light of this and more, the Pope asks for and needs our prayers.

God guide him on his journey to Brazil.