Prayer for the Church: Catholic Prayers for the Church and Pope

Praying for the Church is one of the oldest Christian prayers: at every Mass, in the Prayers of the Faithful, we pray first for the holy Church, for the Pope, the bishops and all God’s people. Jesus himself prayed for his Church the night before he died, “that they all may be one.” Below are traditional and new Catholic prayers for the Church, for the Pope, for Christian unity, for the persecuted Church and for renewal.

Jesus’ prayer for the Church

At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for all who would believe in him:

And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me;
That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

The traditional prayer for the Church

This collect “for the Church” was prayed at Mass for centuries, from a 1916 daily missal:

Do thou, we beseech thee, O Lord, mercifully hear the prayers of thy Church, that, with all adversities and errors removed, she may in liberty securely serve thee. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

A prayer for the Pope

The traditional prayer for the Pope, from the same missal. Insert the Pope’s name at N. (in 2026, Pope Leo XIV):

O God, Pastor and Ruler of all the faithful, graciously look upon thy servant N., whom thou hast vouchsafed to place as Pastor over thy Church; grant him, we beseech thee, both by word and example, to benefit those over whom he is placed, that along with the flock committed to him, he may come to life everlasting. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

A prayer for the Church today

Written for this page:

Lord Jesus, you love your Church and gave yourself up for her.
Make her holy and beautiful, without spot or wrinkle.
Strengthen the Pope, our bishop, our priests and deacons;
renew religious life and fill our seminaries;
heal the wounds caused by sin and scandal;
and make every parish a home of prayer and charity.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Amen.

A prayer for the persecuted Church

Lord, in many countries your people suffer for their faith.
Give courage to those in prison, comfort to the families of martyrs,
and safety to communities that worship in fear.
Change the hearts of persecutors, as you changed the heart of Saul,
and let the blood of martyrs be the seed of new Christians. Amen.

This prayer was written for this page.

A prayer for Christian unity

Father, your Son prayed that all who believe in him may be one.
Forgive our divisions and heal the wounds of history.
Lead all Christians to the fullness of truth and love,
so that the world may believe. Amen.

This prayer was written for this page. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is kept every year from January 18 to 25.

How to pray for the Church

At Mass, join wholeheartedly in the Prayers of the Faithful, which always begin with the Church.
Pray for the Pope’s monthly intention, published by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
Offer a Rosary or a holy hour for the Church and her pastors.
Pray for your own bishop and priests by name.

Frequently asked questions

Why should Catholics pray for the Church?

Because the Church is the Body of Christ and our family in faith. St. Paul asked the first Christians to pray for one another and for all the saints, and Jesus himself prayed for the Church.

What is the prayer for the Pope?

The traditional collect above, or simply an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be “for the intentions of the Holy Father,” which is also one of the usual conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence.

Who is the patroness of the Church?

Mary, Mother of the Church, celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost.

More prayers for the Church

Texts and sources

Scripture: John 17:20–21, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
Collects for the Church and for the Pope: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), public domain (archive.org). Small scan corrections are listed in our text log.
The other prayers were written for this page.