Pope’s November prayer intention: For those who have lost a child

By Christopher Wells

“There are no words” that can console a parent who has lost a child, Pope Francis says in the video-message for his November prayer intention. Although we have words for those who have lost spouses or parents, there’s not word for those who have lost their children.

Even attempts at consolation, words of consolation, can seem banal or sentimental; even when uttered with the best intentions, “they can end up aggravating the wound.”

Instead, the Pope says, “To offer comfort to these parents who have lost a child, we need to listen to them, to be close to them with love, to care responsibly for the pain they feel, imitating how Jesus Christ consoled those who were afflicted.”

He notes, too, that parents who are sustained by faith can also find comfort in sharing their grief with others who have experienced a similar loss, and who have been “reborn in hope.”

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for November is “that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their community, and may receive peace of heart from the Spirit of Consolation.