We are BIG fans of Pope Benedict XVI around here …

we were big fans when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, the head of the Congregation of the Faith …

we were big fans when he wanted to retire as Cardinal but didn’t when Blessed Pope John Paul II asked him to remain, that Our Church needed him to stay …

we were big fans when he accepted the papacy even though he just wanted to be left to pray and meditate …

we were big fans when he announced that for the good of Holy Mother Church, he was resigning as Pope …

Yes, we love him around here. We will miss him. We will continue to pray for him as he continues to pray for Holy Mother Church and all her people.

On Sunday, he gave his last Angelus message. This weekend, he wrote a motu proprio to allow the conclave to start earlier than 15 days after his leaving (on Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 2000 Rome time) — this will increase the probability that we will have a new Pope before Easter.

And now we turn to the Conclave. The motu proprio mentioned above means that if all the Cardinals are able to gather sooner than 15 days after the papal vacancy, the Conclave may start early. We now turn to praying for the Conclave, the Church and the movement of the Holy Spirit in choosing the next Holy Father.

We have joined in on a very cool thing — adopting a Cardinal for whom we will pray and fast during this historic conclave. We will pray for Cardinal LLovera from Spain, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Consider adopting one of your own … and let us know so we can pray for him, too!

Will you, too, join us in prayer … prayers for Pope Benedict as he retires … prayers for the Conclave that will elect a new Holy Father … prayers for Cardinal Llovera and all the cardinals … and prayers, especially, for Holy Mother Church?

Blessings and prayers for a fruitful Lent 2013 and a glorious Easter 2013!