Why Was The Prayer Of Saint Micheal Abandoned At The Conclusion Of Every Novus Ordo Mass

[centurionguard]

My apologies if I’m placing this thread in the wrong Forum. I’m curious as to why the Saint Micheal Prayer was abandoned out of lack of importance, traditionally seen in the Latin Mass for over half a century, before the OF Mass came into effect?

The Prayer to the Archangel Michael. It’s a prayer that was devised by Pope Leo XIII after some sort of mystical experience in which the pontiff was given to understand that Satan was in a special period of aggression. It was then that the prayer was devised, and in 1886 Leo XIII ordered it said at the conclusion of Mass, which was done until the end of the Latin Mass whence in the start-up of the Novus Ordo Mass the Prayer was abandoned at the end of Mass.

I understand the Saint Micheal Prayer is a form of exorcism seen at the beginning of most Catholic Bibles as recommended reading.

Pope Leo XIII’s Prayer to St. 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.

Saint Michael the 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,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Extended Prayer

O Glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and Powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in his own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil.

Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven.
That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of his Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.

These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.

Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and Patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.

The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David.
Let thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
As we have hoped in thee.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto thee
Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon thy holy name, and as suppliants we implore thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.

 

[jimrob]

Prior to 1964, the Leonine prayers were compulsory at the end of Mass. The requirement to say them was abolished by Pope Paul VI - although they have not been banned. The Mass is a prayer in itself and does not require any additions, papal or otherwise. The modern rite in the language of the people made this more obvious and additional prayers at the end seemed superfluous.

Leo giveth and Paul taketh away.

 

[zab]

Prior to 1964, the Leonine prayers were compulsory at the end of Mass. The requirement to say them was abolished by Pope Paul VI - although they have not been banned. The Mass is a prayer in itself and does not require any additions, papal or otherwise. The modern rite in the language of the people made this more obvious and additional prayers at the end seemed superfluous.

Leo giveth and Paul taketh away.

And I’m sure that many people who pray the Rosary before or after Mass, like they do in our parish, pray the St. Michael Prayer following the Rosary as well as prayers for the unborn and an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for our Holy Father and his intentions.

 

[Old_Medic]

I came into the Catholic Church in February 1952, and was baptized in October 1957. I have NEVER heard that prayer recited at any Mass that I ever took part in. It was not recited in Latin or in English at any of the thousands of Masses that I went to (I went to daily Mass for many years).

I went to Mass in 11different States, and in 5 foreign countries prior to 1964, and I have never once heard that prayer at the end of a Mass.

So, it could not have been “mandatory”.

 

[zab]

I came into the Catholic Church in February 1952, and was baptized in October 1957. I have NEVER heard that prayer recited at any Mass that I ever took part in. It was not recited in Latin or in English at any of the thousands of Masses that I went to (I went to daily Mass for many years).

I went to Mass in 11different States, and in 5 foreign countries prior to 1964, and I have never once heard that prayer at the end of a Mass.

So, it could not have been “mandatory”.

I was born in 1950 and remember the Mass in Latin, but like you I do not remember the St. Michael Prayer being prayed after Mass. But I do remember praying it during our family Rosary just like they do when praying the rosary in my parish church now(except when praying for a deceased person, the additional prayers change a little)

 

[Marie5890]

The Leonine Prayers (Pope Leo XIII) include the Prayer to St Michael and were never actual part of the Mass , but said after Mass was over (specificaaly after low Mass) starting in 1884.

They were prescribed for very specific intentions. The original intention was the defence of the temporal sovereignty of the Holy See (IE the Papal States struggle). This problem was settled with the Lateran Treaty of 1929.

After that Pope Pius XI ordered that the prayers should be said for the restoration to the people of Russia of tranquillity and freedom to profess the Catholic faith.

These prayers were specific in their original intent.

They were not “abandoned” but surrpressed.

 

[TimothyH]

My apologies if I’m placing this thread in the wrong Forum. I’m curious as to why the Saint Micheal Prayer was abandoned out of lack of importance, traditionally seen in the Latin Mass for over half a century, before the OF Mass came into effect?

I disagree with the premise that it has been abandoned. I have been to many parishes where it is said regularly, including the NO parish where I attend. We say it after every Mass.

I went to Mass in Raleigh, North Carolina recently on business and went to Mass where it was said.

I notice that you are in maritime Canada. Maybe it is regional or cultural. I can tell you that our faith is alive and well here in the deep south. Catholics will be the largest Church in the Archdioces of Atlanta within the next seven to ten years if trends continue.

Yall come down. We’ll hold a pew open fer all yall.

-Tim-

 

[I_Thirst]

No one prays after Mass in my parish. They yell and shout on their way out.

 

[Wardog]

At our parish, after the exit hymn, the priest stays at the altar and leads the people in the Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen and the St Michael prayer. Our priest started this after 9/11 and it has become a strong tradition. Very few people leave with the exit hymn; most stay thru these extra prayers. Everyone seems to value these a lot.

 

[centurionguard]

I disagree with the premise that it has been abandoned. I have been to many parishes where it is said regularly, including the NO parish where I attend. We say it after every Mass.

I went to Mass in Raleigh, North Carolina recently on business and went to Mass where it was said.

I notice that you are in maritime Canada. Maybe it is regional or cultural. I can tell you that our faith is alive and well here in the deep south. Catholics will be the largest Church in the Archdiocese of Atlanta within the next seven to ten years if trends continue.

Y’all come down. We’ll hold a pew open fer all yall.

-Tim-

I was almost nine years old before the Latin Mass was replaced by the Novus Ordo.
Looking at old Missals dated 1959 (I have in my bookcase) often carried by parishioners that has both Latin and English translation of the entire Mass it shows clearly that the Saint Micheal Prayer was recited at the end of Mass. It was up the the Bishop to have the priest to recite the prayer. Whether it became optional later years is another aspect unknown to me. There was no cultural or regional adaptation to the Latin Mass. It was the same in every country.

 

[ProVobis]

The prayer is also said at the Angelus. However, there seems to be no standardized English version of the prayer.

 

[Marie5890]

Im not sure if you are looking for the documentation for it’s surpression or not but here is a link where the instructions are

adoremus.org/Interoecumenici.html

Inter Oecumenici 48 j

 

[ProVobis]

Im not sure if you are looking for the documentation for it’s surpression or not but here is a link where the instructions are

adoremus.org/Interoecumenici.html

Inter Oecumenici 48 j

Yes, those are the documents. They were for the interim/transitory Mass of the 60’s.

1. Until reform of the entire Ordo Missae, the points that follow are to be observed:

But as far as I know, the Leonine prayers were not included in the reformed Mass.

 

[MarkThompson]

I was almost nine years old before the Latin Mass was replaced by the Novus Ordo.
Looking at old Missals dated 1959 (I have in my bookcase) often carried by parishioners that has both Latin and English translation of the entire Mass it shows clearly that the Saint Micheal Prayer was recited at the end of Mass. It was up the the Bishop to have the priest to recite the prayer. Whether it became optional later years is another aspect unknown to me. There was no cultural or regional adaptation to the Latin Mass. It was the same in every country.

It is not exactly true that these prayers were said “after Mass.” They were prescribed to be said after low Mass, and, if memory serves, forbidden to be said after high Mass. They were originally instituted by Pius IX in 1859 for the Diocese of Rome, and made universal by Leo XIII in 1884 for the intention of liberating ecclesiastical property from illegitimate appropriation by the House of Savoy. The prayers proved very popular among the laity because they were said in the vernacular, were the only thing the congregation got to participate in, and, considering the nature of low Mass, were often basically the only thing that was even done out loud. When you consider that the congregation was not permitted (and, generally, not able) even to join the priest in saying the Our Father in Latin during the Mass, you can see why people latched onto at least getting to say it after Mass.

Later, with the Lateran Treaty, with the introduction of the vernacular into the Mass itself, with the paring back of accretions and innovations in the wake of Vatican II (such as the elimination of the Last Gospel, which had originally been intended as a non-liturgical private devotion for the priest as he departed Mass), and also with the abolition of the strict distinction between high and low Mass, the prayers after low Mass simply no longer seemed to have much of a place.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

This past September 29, our parish reinstated the tradition of saying the Prayer to St. Michael after the final blessing at weekday Masses. The priest and server move to the bottom step of the sanctuary and say the prayer with the people before the final hymn. Parishioners have taken to the practice with great enthusiasm.

 

[Melchior_1]

In a bit of an inversion, we say it BEFORE Mass at a couple our Sunday Masses.

 

[TrueLight]

We continue to say the prayers as a community after whole mass. I suspect some people say them quietly after every mass.

 

[A_Catholic]

We continue to say the prayers as a community after whole mass. I suspect some people say them quietly after every mass.

What is “whole” Mass?

 

[A_Catholic]

No one here has given the traditional story of why St. Leo wrote the prayer. Here it is:

On September 25, 1888, following his morning Mass, Pope Leo XIII became traumatized to the point that he collapsed. Those in attendance thought that he was dead. After coming to consciousness, the pope described a frightful conversation that he had heard coming from near the tabernacle. The conversation consisted of two voices – voices which Pope Leo XIII clearly understood to be the voices of Jesus Christ and the Devil. The Devil boasted that he could destroy the Church, if he were granted 75 years to carry out his -plan (or 100 years, according to some accounts). The Devil also asked permission for “a greater influence over those who will give themselves to my service.” To the Devil’s requests, Our Lord reportedly replied: “you will be given the time and the power.”

Shaken deeply by what he had heard, Pope Leo XIII composed the Prayer to St. Michael and ordered it to be recited after all Low Masses as a protection for the Church against the attacks from Hell.

ccel.org/node/4502

Seems to me we need this prayer more than ever

 

[A_Catholic]

The prayer is also said at the Angelus. However, there seems to be no standardized English version of the prayer.

I have never heard this prayer used in the Angelus, which is as follows:

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.