Bishop Paprocki authorizes St. Michael Prayer after Masses

[DawnInTexas]

Bishop Paprocki authorizes St. Michael Prayer after Masses

His Excellency the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois, has authorized the public recitation of the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel - originally composed by the Holy Father Pope Leo XIII in 1886 - following the dismissal at the end of Mass and before the recession.

He announced this authorization to the priests of the Diocese at a dinner preceding the Chrism Mass Tuesday evening and to the people of the Diocese at the conclusion of the Chrism Mass…

…In a letter to parish leaders accompanying the cards, Bishop Paprocki explained the reason he has authorized this practice. He wrote:

One of Satan’s greatest assets is his camouflage, the belief that he doesn’t exist. Disbelief in Satan and the forces of evil leave us unable to resist them. That is why it is good to remember the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel. We need to remember that each time we pray we work to defeat our real enemies, not each other, but rather the devil and his evil spirits…

In recent years, a number of parishes have begun reciting the prayer once more, and many individual Catholics have kept up the practice. Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have urged the faithful to pray it daily, and especially after Mass…

God Bless you.
+Jesus, I Trust In You!
Love, Dawn

 

[Brendan]

I think the article is a bit of a misstatement. The recitiation of this, or any prayer, after Mass has never been forbidden, so it required no authorization.

I believe it would have been more appropriate to state the the bishop is now encouraging this practice, (which is a very good thing)

 

[NeedImprovement]

I believe the difference might be in the word “public”. Public recitation means people may be led in praying the St. Michael prayer at conclusion of the Mass - before they leave…

“…following the dismissal at the end of Mass and before the recession.”

I’m a little rusty on history here, but seem to remember reading somewhere that there was a time when this prayer to St. Michael was recited publicly at the conclusion of every low Mass - Opinions confirming or correcting this might be appropriate here. I’ll try to find a few links to confirm.

 

[DawnInTexas]

I think the article is a bit of a misstatement. The recitiation of this, or any prayer, after Mass has never been forbidden, so it required no authorization.

I believe it would have been more appropriate to state the the bishop is now encouraging this practice, (which is a very good thing)

My Bishop hasn’t come out with a Statement. He hasn’t written us letters. Yours?

Our (my particular) Church-the members pray the St. Michael Prayer-after the final blessing, and the Priest is gone. The short one, that is.

This article reads: following the dismissal at the end of Mass and before the recession.

My Wish-would be ~all of~ The Leonine prayers would return-led by the Priest.

-Three Hail Marys
-Hail Holy Queen
-Collect
-St. Michael
-3 Invocations to the Sacred Heart.

No, they’re not forbidden-you’re correct, they never have been forbidden.
They’re just not prayed.

This Bishop is taking a step in the right direction.

God Bless you.
+Jesus, I Trust In You!
Love, Dawn

 

[NeedImprovement]

From Spirit Daily’s interpretation , the prayer appears to have been recited publicly at conclusion of the low Mass until about 1964 "

"… and in 1886 Leo XIII ordered it said at the conclusion of Mass, which was done until the fateful 1960s – when a torrent of evil suddenly poured into the world. In 1964, in the first wave of post-Vatican II changes – in what was known as the *Instructio P]rima *-- this magnificent and potent invocation to the archangel who threw Lucifer from heaven was removed from low Mass in the Catholic Church along with a reading of a last Gospel. "

This article,based on Spirit Daily’s report claims removal of the St. Michael Prayer from recitation at the conclusion of the low Mass was realized/accomplished by 1968 :

“It was in 1964 that the new standard was directed, and in 1968 that the new liturgy, minus the prayer, was authorized.”

so may we say the removal occurred during the mid-1960’s and was complete by 1968 ?

 

[Brendan]

Dawn,

No, my bishop has not come out with a statement. But what is described ( the recitation of the St. Michael prayer after dismissal but before the recessional) is what our parish has been doing for years.

I sincerly hope that many priests in his diocese will act on his encouragement and start this pious and helpful practice

 

[djrakowski]

No, my bishop has not come out with a statement. But what is described ( the recitation of the St. Michael prayer after dismissal but before the recessional) is what our parish has been doing for years.

Oh, how I love our parish!

We went elsewhere for the Easter Vigil, and the parish we attended didn’t recite the St.Michael Prayer. My wife and I started praying it, and noticed that our friends 2 rows ahead of us, also from our parish, did so as well. It’s hard to break a (good and pious) habit!

 

[jam070406]

Oh, how I love our parish!

We went elsewhere for the Easter Vigil, and the parish we attended didn’t recite the St.Michael Prayer. My wife and I started praying it, and noticed that our friends 2 rows ahead of us, also from our parish, did so as well. It’s hard to break a (good and pious) habit!

How I love your Parish too!

 

[Dale_M]

I’m a little rusty on history here, but seem to remember reading somewhere that there was a time when this prayer to St. Michael was recited publicly at the conclusion of every low Mass - Opinions confirming or correcting this might be appropriate here. I’ll try to find a few links to confirm.

It seems to be the case. One of the Vatican II reforms was to clarify which parts of a church service were properly the Mass and which parts were devotional extras.
Colin B. Donovan:

Among the non-liturgical elements that were removed were the Prayers at the end of the Mass, including the Prayer to St. Michael. In this way the common liturgical celebration ends with the dismissal proper to the Mass.

ewtn.com/expert/answers/st_michael_prayer.htm

The article goes on to note that Pope John Paul, in 1994, urged Catholics to return to the practice of saying the St. Michael prayer. The author notes that it could be prayed individually, by small groups, or by the whole congregation. Reciting it in common, after the conclusion of the Mass, makes much sense. However, the article (written three years ago) notes that its practice would probably be best after the recessional.
Colin B. Donovan:

In light of the liturgical norms, it becomes problematic, however, if the whole assembly, led by the celebrant, prays it in apparent continuation of the liturgical action just completed. Once the celebrant processes out, though, the Mass is clearly ended. It is no more contradictory for the assembly to join in the Prayer to St. Michael, then it is to break up and depart, as either action is now distinct from the Mass.

However, given the propensity of worshipers to leave immediately after the recessional, and since the custom of saying the St. Michael prayer has faded with time, I can see why Bishop Paprocki is willing to have the prayer said while everyone is still together.

 

[Robert_Bay]

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