Dear Friends,
The past several years with covid have been a personal challenge for me and for many people in so many varied ways. Social discourse remains so disjointed that one might wonder how people might work together to meet the challenges of a universal pandemic. Universal discourse may be difficult in the environment of our current civil society, but there is universal applicability in the development of spirituality and the fostering of relationship with God which is indeed universal to all people no matter what social beliefs they may hold. I am thinking of the universal prayer attributed to Pope Clement XI as an example because it touches on the essential Christian values which help us to grow as members of the body of Christ.
Giovanni Albani was born in Italy in July 1649. He received an extraordinary education in theology and law, filled various important papal offices, and in November 1700 became Pope Clement XI. Clement was a polished writer, and a generous patron of the arts. His private life and his administration were blameless, but it was his misfortune to reign during a tempestuous period in the world. In the war of the Spanish Succession, he would willingly have remained neutral, but found himself being manipulated by the crowned heads of Europe. In the Peace of Utrecht his guidance was ignored. In a disagreement with the Duke of Savoy regarding policies of investiture in Sicily his instruction was treated with contempt. When a doctrinal controversy broke out which was supported by some bishops, division within the church was prolonged. The prestige of the papacy had reached a low point. Clement died in March 1721. In spite of the troubling times in which he lived, he was able to succeed on a personal level and as a leader due to his ongoing spirituality. No doubt his universal prayer offers insight into his spirituality and the source of his strength in times of public controversy and personal demands.