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For the Pope and the Bishop

2 min

Prayed once a day — customarily right after the morning offering, or at the close of the Rosary. At N. name the reigning Pope, and then the bishop of your own diocese. Where a see is vacant, its versicle and response are omitted.

For the intentions of the Holy Father

Let us pray for our most blessed Pope N.

Orémus pro beatíssimo Papa nostro N.

May the Lord preserve him, and grant him life, and make him holy on earth, and not deliver him into the hands of his enemies.

Dóminus consérvet eum, et vivíficet eum, et beátum fáciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in ánimam inimicórum eius.

Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Pater noster, qui es in cælis,

sanctificétur nomen tuum.

Advéniat regnum tuum.

Fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra.

Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie,

et dimítte nobis débita nostra,

sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris.

Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem,

sed líbera nos a malo.

Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst 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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper,

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen.

For the person and intentions of the bishop of this diocese

Let us pray also for our bishop N.

Orémus et pro Antístite nostro N.

May he stand firm and shepherd his flock in your strength, O Lord, in the loftiness of your name.

Stet et pascat in fortitúdine tua, Dómine, in sublimitáte nóminis tui.

Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Pater noster, qui es in cælis,

sanctificétur nomen tuum.

Advéniat regnum tuum.

Fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra.

Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie,

et dimítte nobis débita nostra,

sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris.

Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem,

sed líbera nos a malo.

Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst 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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper,

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen.

About this prayer

An Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father, and the same for the person and intentions of the bishop of the diocese — the short daily norm that keeps the Pope's intentions from ever being forgotten.

History

Praying for the Pope and for the local bishop is one of the oldest reflexes of Catholic life: the Roman Canon has named both since antiquity. The two versicles here come from the *Preces feriales*, the ferial prayers said at Lauds and Vespers in the Roman Breviary — the Pope's response is Psalm 40:3, the bishop's is drawn from Micah 5:4, *and he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord*. The Breviary's own rubric directs that at N. the name of the local Ordinary be said, that in Rome the second versicle is omitted, and that a vacant see drops its versicle altogether.

St. Josemaría made the two intentions a fixed daily norm beyond what is prayed at Mass and in the Preces of the Work — a son's loyalty to the Church in a minute of vocal prayer, every day, whoever the Pope and the bishop happen to be. In the Work the customary form is simply an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for each, prayed at the close of the Rosary or after the morning offering; the older versicles are kept here before each, as many do.

How to pray it

Pray it slowly, once a day, at a fixed point — after the morning offering is the easiest hour to keep, because nothing has yet had a chance to displace it.

Where the versicle says N., name the reigning Pope; in the second, name your own bishop. Then the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be — for the Holy Father's *intentions*, not merely for his person.

That second detail is what makes this norm worth fixing. Prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father is one of the four standing conditions for a plenary indulgence (with sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and interior detachment from all sin, even venial). The *Manual of Indulgences* asks only that the faithful pray *according to* his intentions — an Our Father and a Hail Mary suffice, and any other prayer may be used. Kept here, the condition is met before the day begins, so an indulgence attached to anything you do later is never lost for want of it.

Versicles and responses from the *Preces feriales* of the Roman Breviary at Lauds — *Orémus pro beatíssimo Papa nostro N.* (response from Ps 40:3) and *Orémus et pro Antístite nostro N.* (response after Mic 5:4). The pairing with an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for each intention is the customary daily form of the Work (*Pocket Prayer Book*). Indulgence conditions: *Manual of Indulgences* (Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, 4th ed.), Norms 20 §5 and 23 §§1-3.

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