# Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

> A short prayer asking Saint Michael to protect us and the Church when we face temptation and inner struggle.

- Source: Light of Saints, “Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel”, https://lightofsaints.com/en/prayers/prayer-to-st-michael-the-archangel
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Published: 2026-11-06

## Meaning

This prayer asks Saint Michael to defend us in spiritual battle and asks God himself to rebuke the evil one, recalling Jude 1:9 and Revelation 12:7–9. Its strength does not come from the angel himself but from the power of God.

## Prayer

_Traditional prayer of the Church._

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.

## Intentions & hopes

The faithful pray it when facing temptation, fear, or inner struggle, and for the protection of the Church from evil. What we may hope for is courage and trust that God is with us, not a particular outcome that matches our wishes.

## When & how to pray

- Pray it on your own at any time, especially when you feel tempted, anxious, or weak.
- Many of the faithful pray it at the end of the Rosary, after the We Fly to Thy Protection (Sub Tuum Praesidium), following Pope Francis's invitation for October 2018.
- In some parishes this prayer is recited together after the final blessing of Mass.
- The Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael on September 29 is a good occasion to pray it.
- Say it slowly and with reverence; once, prayed sincerely, is enough.

## Origins

From 1859, certain prayers were said after Low Mass (Mass without singing) in the Papal States. On January 6, 1884, Pope Leo XIII extended them to the whole Church: three Hail Marys, the Hail Holy Queen with a versicle, response, and concluding prayer, and a prayer for the Church. These prayers were first ordered because of the loss of the Papal States.

In 1886 the prayer to Saint Michael was added to this set, along with a small change to the concluding prayer. The set later became known as the "Leonine Prayers." The Saint Michael prayer spread quickly, perhaps also because it was usually prayed in the people's own language, and it was recited at the end of every Low Mass until the 1960s.

In 1904 Pope Pius X recommended adding a short invocation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. After the Lateran Treaty of 1929, Pope Pius XI directed that the Leonine Prayers be offered for Russia.

The instruction Inter Oecumenici of September 26, 1964, removed the Leonine Prayers, including the Saint Michael prayer, from after Mass; this change took effect on March 7, 1965. What was removed was the requirement, not the prayer: the faithful remain free to pray it privately or voluntarily.

On September 29, 2018, the Feast of the Archangels, the Holy See invited the faithful to pray the Rosary every day during October and to close it with the We Fly to Thy Protection and the prayer to Saint Michael, asking for the Church's protection from the evil one. Pope Francis repeated this invitation on October 9, 2018.

_Edition note: Text: The rights holder named on the source. Checked word for word against the source on 2026-11-05._

## Sources

- [Saint Michael Archangel - Vatican News](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/prayers/saint-michael-archangel.html) — Text taken from www.vaticannews.va
- [St. Michael the Archangel Prayer — Full Text & Latin](https://www.catholicchurchtimes.com/prayers/prayer-to-st-michael) — Latin text from www.catholicchurchtimes.com
- [Leonine Prayers](https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/leonine-prayers) — Published by New Catholic Encyclopedia (via Encyclopedia.com)
- [Why are Catholics divided over the Prayer to St. Michael?](https://www.americamagazine.org/explainer/2026/10/28/prayer-st-michael-archangel-end-mass/) — Published by America Magazine
- [Pope's October prayer intention: #PrayForTheChurch](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-10/pope-prayer-intention-october-2018.html) — Published by Vatican News
- [Pope calls on Catholics to pray "to protect the church from the devil"](https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/09/29/pope-calls-catholics-pray-protect-church-devil/) — Published by America Magazine
- [St. Michael Prayer: Full Text, Latin Original and True History](https://saintsencyclopedia.com/prayers/st-michael-prayer/) — Published by Saints Encyclopedia