TO: ALL PARISH PRIESTS, PARISH ADMINISTRATORS, CHAPLAINS, RECTORS OF SHRINES, GUEST PRIESTS, PRIESTS-ON-LOAN, and RELIGIOUS PRIESTS IN THE DIOCESE OF PARAÑAQUE

RE: PRAYERS AGAINST THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY

Reverend Monsignori and Fathers:

Upon the approval of His Excellency, Most Rev. Jesse E. Mercado, D.D., thru the Diocesan Commission of Liturgy and Popular Religiosity, we would like to forward to you our Prayer Against the Imposition of the Death Penalty. Attached also is a similar prayer drafted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for your consideration.

Any of the said prayers is requested to be recited after the post-communion prayer in all your Sunday Masses and Saturday anticipated masses within the month of December.

Thank you so much and may God continue to bless us always.

Sincerely Yours,
REV. FR. JOSEPH D. LANDERO
Vice Chancellor

PRAYER AGAINST THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY

O God of mercy and compassion, from the beginning of time, you have created us in your image and likeness. In your goodness you have entrusted to us the care of your household, and in the constancy of your will invite us to the life of grace together with your Son and the Holy Spirit.

By your Sacred Word, you command us to respect and uphold the gift of life which you have so gratuitously endowed every human person. You sent your Son to live among us to show us the perfection of humanity, giving up the spirit in obedience to your will. By his death and resurrection he gave us new life.

And now Father, this life is under threat by the sting of death.The prevailing culture of violence begets even more violence, the restitution for death calls out for more death, and the precious gift of your life is rendered to a verdict that is contrary to your will and against your divine law.

We pray to you, Lord of life, for those who willingly or unwillingly take or have taken the lives of their fellow human beings. Touch their hearts with the spirit of repentance and conversion. Guide their minds through the consequences of their actions, that they may not fall into the lure of cruelty and bloodshed, and that they may find their way back to your embrace.

We pray for the victims of violence and death, that their hearts may find the path towards forgiveness and inner healing. We pray that they may renew and restore their faith in God whose loving mercy is the foundation of human life.

We pray for our government and its leaders, that they may not regard state-sanctioned death as capital punishment, rather explore more ways to end the cycle of death and allow restorative justiceto be the guiding principle in upholding the law of the land and ensuring the security of the people.

Finally, we pray for ourselves, that our hearts may not be accustomed to the culture of death and violence, but instead embrace and protect every human life at all costs. Let us become instruments of God’s mercy and compassion, calling on his divine providence to lead us into the Kingdom of heaven.

We ask all this in the name of Jesus, our Lord, and the author of life. Amen.