Monday, March 18, AD 2024 10:42pm

Pope Leo and Saint Michael the Archangel

 

 

(I originally posted this in 2010.  I think I will begin posting it on each September 29, the feast of the Archangels.)

In 1947 Father Domenico Pechenino related what he had witnessed over six decades before.

“I do not remember the exact year. One morning the great Pope Leo XIII had celebrated a Mass and, as usual, was attending a Mass of thanksgiving. Suddenly, we saw him raise his head and stare at something above the celebrant’s head. He was staring motionlessly, without batting an eye. His expression was one of horror and awe; the colour and look on his face changing rapidly. Something unusual and grave was happening in him.

“Finally, as though coming to his senses, he lightly but firmly tapped his hand and rose to his feet. He headed for his private office. His retinue followed anxiously and solicitously, whispering: ‘Holy Father, are you not feeling well? Do you need anything?’ He answered: ‘Nothing, nothing.’ About half an hour later, he called for the Secretary of the Congregation of Rites and, handing him a sheet of paper, requested that it be printed and sent to all the ordinaries around the world. What was that paper? It was the prayer that we recite with the people at the end of every Mass. It is the plea to Mary and the passionate request to the Prince of the heavenly host, (St. Michael: Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle) beseeching God to send Satan back to hell.”

Cardinal Giovanni Batista Nassalli Rocca di Corneiliano wrote in his Pastoral Letters on Lent:  “the sentence ‘The evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls’ has a historical explanation that was many times repeated by his private secretary, Monsignor Rinaldo Angeli. Leo XIII truly saw, in a vision, demonic spirits who were congregating on the Eternal City (Rome). The prayer that he asked all the Church to recite was the fruit of that experience. He would recite that prayer with strong, powerful voice: we heard it many a time in the Vatican Basilica. Leo XIII also personally wrote an exorcism that is included in the Roman Ritual. He recommended that bishops and priests read these exorcisms often in their dioceses and parishes. He himself would recite them often throughout the day.”

The Prayer written by the Pope is of course the famous prayer to Saint Michael:

Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio;
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae Caelestis,
satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute in infernum detrude.
Amen.

This is the version I learned as a boy:

Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the battle.  Be our protection against the malice and snares of the Devil.  We humbly beseech God to command him.  And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the powers of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

In 1886 this prayer was added to the prayers that in 1884 Pope Leo had ordered to be said after every low Mass.  In 1964, by Inter oecumenici, the Payer to Saint Michael, along with the other Leonine Prayers after low Masses, were suppressed.  I have always thought that a great pity.  Rest assured that Satan did not cease his activity in 1964, and Pope Leo sought to remind us of that activity and through the prayer to Saint Michael to help guard us against it.   It is still a common prayer in my house.

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Don the Kiwi
Thursday, September 29, AD 2016 5:53pm

Has the suppression of this prayer led to an increase in the predations of Satan? – I certainly think so. I say the prayer daily and after each rosary. This prayer should be re-introduced after every Mass, as it was recited when I was a youth, up till the time I was 22 years old.

DJ Hesselius
DJ Hesselius
Thursday, September 29, AD 2016 7:01pm

Yes, they should recite this. I think it would do much good. I was reading that St Raphael, though not as well known as St Micheal and St Gabriel, can be counted on to help marriages against Asmodias, so perhaps something could be, should be written for him. As St Gabriel is the one who supposedly spoke to Muhammad (but could not have), maybe we should invoke him against Islam and for the conversion of Muslims.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, September 29, AD 2016 8:23pm

Thank you DJHesselius

CAM
CAM
Thursday, September 29, AD 2016 10:06pm

The prayer to St. Michael is prayed after every daily Mass and early Sunday Mass at our country mission. I have attended daily Masses at a Northern Virginian parish where the prayer is recited for religious freedom. I don’t know if this is throughout the Diocese of Arlington, VA. Today I attended a Latin Mass at another Mission. It’s scheduled only on Thursdays. The priest did not face the faithful. We did not answer the priest or recite any prayer aloud except for the Our Father. Communion was received on the tongue while kneeling. Afterwards the St. Michael prayer was recited and his chaplet.

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Friday, September 30, AD 2016 2:01am

We have two priests out of five in our parish who conclude their Masses with the Prayer of St Michael. This should be done at every Mass, everywhere, by every Priest. Pope Francis should command it.

Philip
Philip
Friday, September 30, AD 2016 4:54am

CAM.

The same goes for our parish.
TLM and the Ordo., we finish all our Mass’s with St. Michael.

@Don the Kiwi.
I believe your right to assume so.
I just read that the number of trained exorcists has quadrupled in the States, to a total of fifty.
A good start in my opinion.

Mary De Voe
Friday, September 30, AD 2016 7:45am

If we do not ask we might not get.

Michael
Michael
Friday, September 30, AD 2016 9:20am

A powerful prayer…Saint Michael is the patron saint of law enforcement and I recite this prayer often as I go about my daily duties in policing

Just me
Just me
Friday, September 30, AD 2016 9:29am

Thank you Don although I say the prayer to St Michael each day I never thought to say it after my Rosary. Good idea
In my parish we say The Saint Michael prayer.

CAM
CAM
Friday, September 30, AD 2016 2:08pm

Mary De Voe, you are so right. About 14 years ago I organized an old fashioned ice cream social at the mission church on Sunday, the 29th to honor St. Michael. In preparation for it I asked the priest if we could recite the Prayer to St. Michael after Sunday Mass (we had only one Mass per week because we did not have a resident priest in those days.) He agreed. Now with an overworked resident priest at our mission there are four weekend Masses and four daily with three Holy Hours with rosary, and we pray the St. Michael Prayer after Masses unless there is a hymn. Indeed, It never hurts to ask.

CAM
CAM
Friday, September 30, AD 2016 2:13pm

Michael, It’s get more dangerous for our police every day. May St. Michael keep you safe.

The Christian Teacher
The Christian Teacher
Saturday, October 1, AD 2016 7:02am

Thank you for this, Mr. McClarey! It has ministered to me, & I have prayed this prayer this morning.

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