By Cian Molloy - 05 October, 2018
The Pope has invited all the faithful of the world to pray the Holy Rosary every day during the Marian month of October.
Pope Francis would like the people of God to especially ask the Holy Mother of God and St Michael Archangel to protect the Church from the devil, “who always seeks to separate us from God and from each other”.
The Pope also called on the faithful to conclude their recitation of the Rosary with the invocation, Sub Tuum Praesidium and with a prayer to St Michael.
Sub Tuum Praesidium is the oldest known prayer to Our Lady – a version of it was found on an Egyptian papyrus from the 3rd century. The words of the prayer in Latin are: Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo Gloriosa et Benedicta. The English version is as follows: ‘We fly to thy protection, O holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin’.
The prayer to St Michael is one written by Pope Leo XIII: Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
