The St. Michael prayer in Latin begins “Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio”: “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.” Pope Leo XIII composed it in 1886 and ordered it to be said after every Low Mass, and many Catholics today pray it in Latin as Leo XIII wrote it. Below are the full Latin text, a simple pronunciation guide in Church Latin, a line-by-line translation, the traditional English, and the history of the prayer.
Sancte Michael Archangele: the Latin text
From the Latin Wikisource text:
Sancte Michaël 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.
How to pronounce it
In Church (Ecclesiastical) Latin (stressed syllables in capitals):
SAHNK-teh MEE-kah-el ark-AHN-jeh-leh, deh-FEN-deh nohs een PROH-eh-lee-oh;
KOHN-trah neh-KWEE-tsee-ahm eht een-SEE-dee-ahs dee-AH-boh-lee EH-stoh preh-SEE-dee-oom.
EEM-peh-ret EEL-lee DEH-oos, SOOP-plee-chehs deh-preh-KAH-moor:
TOO-kweh, PREEN-cheps mee-LEE-tsee-eh cheh-LES-tees,
SAH-tah-nahm ah-lee-OHS-kweh SPEE-ree-toos mah-LEEG-nohs,
kwee ahd pehr-dee-tsee-OH-nehm ah-nee-MAH-room pehr-vah-GAHN-toor een MOON-doh,
dee-VEE-nah veer-TOO-teh een een-FEHR-noom deh-TROO-deh.
AH-men.
Tips: “ch” in Michael and Archangele is a “k” sound, and the “g” in Archangele is soft (“j”); “ae” sounds like “eh”; “ti” before a vowel sounds like “tsee” (nequitiam, militiae); “c” before e sounds like “ch” (supplices, Princeps, caelestis).
Line-by-line translation
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio | Holy Michael Archangel, defend us in battle |
| contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium | be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil |
| Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur | May God rebuke him, we humbly pray |
| tuque, Princeps militiae caelestis | and do thou, Prince of the heavenly host |
| Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos | Satan and the other evil spirits |
| qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo | who roam through the world for the ruin of souls |
| divina virtute in infernum detrude | by the power of God, thrust down into hell |
| Amen | Amen |
The St. Michael prayer in English
As printed after Mass in Father Lasance’s With God (1911):
Holy Michael, Archangel, defend us in the day of battle;
be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God, thrust down to hell Satan
and all wicked spirits, who roam through the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
History of the prayer
In 1886 Pope Leo XIII added this prayer to the prayers said kneeling after every Low Mass throughout the world, the “Leonine Prayers,” together with three Hail Marys, the Hail, Holy Queen and a prayer for the Church. A well-known but unverified story says he composed it after a frightening vision during Mass. The Leonine Prayers were dropped from the Mass in 1964, but Pope St. John Paul II, in 1994, asked Catholics not to forget the St. Michael prayer and to pray it “to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness.” Many parishes now pray it again after Mass.
Frequently asked questions
What is the St. Michael prayer in Latin?
The prayer that begins “Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio.” The full text is at the top of this page.
Who wrote the St. Michael prayer?
Pope Leo XIII, who published it in 1886.
Is there a longer version?
Yes. Leo XIII also composed a longer exorcism prayer to St. Michael (1890), from which the short prayer is distinct. See the St. Michael prayer.
More Latin prayers
- Apostles’ Creed in Latin
- Catholic prayers in Latin
- St. Michael prayer
- Hail Mary in Latin
- Our Father in Latin
- Litany of St. Michael
- Chaplet of St. Michael
Texts and sources
- Oratio ad Sanctum Michael, Latin Wikisource (la.wikisource.org), public domain.
- St. Michael prayer, F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), public domain (Wikisource).
- Pronunciation guide and translation table written for this page.