MANILA, Philippines—Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle has lifted the “Oratio Imperata” or mandatory prayer for rain, saying that prayers and supplications have been answered and there were already signs that the impending water crisis has been averted.

“Thanks be to God. The government weather agency has officially declared the start of the rainy season in our country,” Tagle said in a circular issued to the clergy, superiors of religious communities and heads of secular institutes in the archdiocese.

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“There are signs that the crisis of water has been averted and nature has given us relief. Our prayers and supplications have been answered,” he added.

Thus, Tagle said, he was ordering the termination of the Oratio Imperata ad Petendam Pluviam (Obligatory Prayer to Request for Rain) which started being recited after communion during Masses in churches in Manila on May 18.

Oratio Imperata is an ordered prayer for a special intention besides the ones prescribed by ritual that the Pope or the bishop of a diocese may require to be said during Mass.

There are different kinds of Oratio Imperata, which can be said either for civil disturbances or deliverance from calamities or illnesses.

The recital of the special prayer was discontinued on June 15, five days after Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared the onset of the rainy season with the southwest monsoon or “habagat” becoming the dominant weather system.

Pagasa earlier said that with the presence of El Niño, the country will experience stronger storms that could bring rains to various areas of the country and tropical cyclones will become erratic.

Despite the termination of the Oratio Imperata for rain, Tagle encouraged the faithful to continue praying for good weather and adequate water for farmlands and dams and safety of Filipinos from destructive floods.

“We continue to pray to God, our almighty Father, for good weather, for sufficient water for our fields and reservoir, for temperate storms, and safety from devastating floods and winds,” the archbishop said.

“This we ask even as we commit ourselves to the care of the environment and to a more responsible attitude and behavior on the use of our natural resources,” added Tagle, reminding the public to become good stewards of God’s “wonderful gifts” to mankind.

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