Davao Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla has directed the Catholic community to pray the oratio imperata to heal the wounds of the city and put an end to drug abuse and summary killings.
The Church members have been reciting the prayer on bended knees after Holy Communion in all daily masses. This has started this month and will be done for one year throughout the archdiocese.
The prayer starts with an acceptance that “our city is wounded in its soul” and admits that “our collective efforts at peaceful protests have proven fruitless”, and so we ask God for healing.
Dear Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla:
I’m happy that finally you realized that there is a need for all of the faithful in Davao City to pray in unison and sincerely the need for peace and order in our City through a prayer in the Mass which is the oratio imperata. However, that prayer does not elicit oneness and sincerity from the faithful because it is VERY WORDY; SHOWING OFF NOVELTY OF WORDS; NOT PRECISE; CONFUSING AND LONG. You know, a prayer like what our Lord Jesus Christ teaches is precise and simple (like, the Our Father; the Divine Mercy Prayer; the Holy Rosary). Those are short because they can easily effect sincerity and truthfulness from the heart without much of the mind working. The mind would not work too much on the novelty of the words and the confusing meanings of wordy statements. However, God wants us also to sacrifice in praying that made Him make those prayers longer; that is by repeated prayers, as in the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy. But, analyze the simplicity of their words and the preciseness those conveys. But, the Oratio Imperata need not be repeated because it is prayed by the MANY FAITHFUL IN THE HOLY MASSES and that makes it strong and united. Thank you very much.