The following prayer was composed in 1953 by Cardinal Kung, then Bishop of Shanghai, for priests of the Catholic Church in China. At that time Communist persecution was escalating. Hundreds of priests in China, with only few exceptions, remained faithful to their vocation and, as a result, suffered 15, 20, 30 and even more years in jail. Many were martyred. Cardinal Kung himself spent many years in prison.
All powerful and eternal God, through the merits of Your Son, Jesus, and through Your love for Him, I implore You, have pity on the priests of the Holy Church. In spite of their sublime dignity, they are fearful and weak, like all created beings. In Your infinity mercy, inflame their hearts with the fire of divine love. For the sake of Jesus, Your Son, bestow grace on the priests and uphold them. Do not let them fall into temptation and tarnish their noble vocation.
O Jesus, we implore You, look with pity on the priests of the Holy Church; those who are serving you faithfully and proclaiming Your glory; those who are persecuted for tending Your flock; those who are abandoned, weary, and sorrowful; those who are lukewarm, confused and who have denied their faith; those who are sick, dying or in Purgatory. Lord Jesus Christ, we entreat You, listen to our supplication, have pity and console them.
O Jesus, we entrust to You the priests of the whole world: the priests who baptized me, absolved my sins, offered Holy Mass and consecrated the Holy Eucharist to nourish my soul. We entrust to You the priests that instructed me when I was ignorant, gave me strength in my weakness, showed me the Way and the Truth and comforted me in my sorrow and affliction. For all the blessings they obtained for me, I implore You to support them in Your loving kindness.
O Jesus, shelter our priests in Your Sacred Heart. Let them take refuge in Your mercy and love, in this life and to the hour of death. Amen.
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