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Litany of the Saints

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The Litany of the Saints (Latin: Litaniae Sanctorum) is a formal prayer of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Old Catholic Church, Lutheran congregations of Evangelical Catholic churchmanship, Anglican congregations of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship, and Western Rite Orthodox communities.[1] It is a prayer to the Triune God, which also includes invocations for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and all the martyrs and saints upon whom Christianity was founded, and those recognised as saints through the subsequent history of the church. Following the invocation of the saints, the Litany concludes with a series of supplications to God to hear the prayers of the worshippers. It is most prominently sung during the Easter Vigil, All Saints' Day, and in the liturgy for conferring Holy Orders, the Consecration of a Virgin and reception of the perpetual vows of a religious or a diocesane hermit. Its extensive use for special liturgies, high degree of adaptability, typical inclusion of many popular saints, and wide-ranging invocations have made it one of the Church’s most popular prayers and an emblematic expression of Catholic spirituality.

Catholic practice

The definitive version of the Roman Catholic Litany of the Saints is a Latin text published in the Roman Gradual.[2] The current edition was published in 1974,[3] and contains a statement of approval from the Congregation for Divine Worship issued 24 June 1972. The current edition of the Roman Gradual was updated in 1979 to include Neums from Ancient Manuscripts.[4]

The litany is published in five sections. The first contains a short series of invocations of God, beginning with a threefold Kyrie, followed by invocations of God the Father of Heaven, the Son who redeemed the world, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Trinity.

The second section lists the saints who are to be included, given in the following order. Within each category, men are listed in chronological order, followed by women, also in chronological order. Additional saints, such as the patron of a place or the founder of a religious order, may be inserted in the appropriate place. The official list of recognized saints can be found in the Roman Martyrology.

Certain names are grouped together by the litany itself (e.g. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael; Francis and Dominic); in the list above, a semi-colon always indicates the next line of the litany. Some priests and religious who are also Doctors of the Church (Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas Aquinas) are grouped with the "Priests and Religious", rather than with the "Bishops and Doctors". Strict chronological order is not followed in the case of the Jesuit, Francis Xavier (died 1552), who is placed after the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola, who died in 1556.[5]

Part three of the litany is a series of petitions to Christ, the first 15 having the response, "free us O Lord", with a further 10 petitions ending "have mercy on us."

The fourth section includes a list of petitions ending te rogamus audi nos ("we beseech you to hear us") from which the appropriate prayers can be chosen for a particular occasion, but always ending with petitions for the whole church, for the ministers of the church, for the lay faithful and for all humanity. The rubrics printed before the litany indicate that other petitions "suitable to the occasion" and in the form proper to the Litany may be added "at the proper place".

The final part of the litany consists of a brief invocation calling on Christ to hear the prayers, and a closing collect.

At the Easter Vigil

The Litany of the Saints is used prominently at the Easter Vigil, the Mass celebrated on the night before Easter Day. At this Mass, adults who have chosen to become Catholic receive the Sacraments of Initiation in the form of Baptism, or simple Reception, with Confirmation and Holy Communion. Following the readings from Scripture and just before the actual rite of baptism or confirmation, the Litany of the Saints is sung. Even if there is no-one to be baptized, the Litany may be sung for the blessing of holy water in the font. However, if the font is not blessed (i.e. holy water is blessed in a simple container on the sanctuary), the Litany is not used.

The Litany given for the Easter Vigil in the Roman Missal[6][7] contains a shortened list of saints:

At infant baptisms

A severely abbreviated form of the litany is given in the official text for the Rite of Baptism of Children.[8] This consists only of the invocations of Mary Mother of God, St John the Baptist, St Joseph, St Peter and St Paul, and all holy men and women, with the addition of saints relevant to the circumstances of the baptism. In the rite the litany is immediately preceded by suggested or ad hoc prayers for the child or children being baptized and family members present, and immediately followed by a prayer of minor exorcism.

An extended form of the litany is also permitted for baptisms, beginning with a Kyrie, and followed by the same selection of saints used for the Easter Vigil (as listed above). The saints are followed by brief invocations of Christ and then petitions which include "Give new life to these chosen ones by the grace of baptism".

At the election of a pope

An expanded list is also specified in the ritual Ordo Rituum Conclavis for use during the conclave for the election of a new pope.[5][9] The additional saints are, in italics:

  • Among apostles, following Thomas: Philip and James; Bartholomew; Matthew; Simon and Jude; Matthias
  • Among martyrs, following Cyprian: Frumentius, Stanislaus, Boniface, Thomas (Becket); John (Fisher) and Thomas (More); Josaphat, Paul Miki...; Agnes; Nina, Maria (Goretti).
  • Among bishops and doctors, following John Chrysostom: Ephrem the Syrian; Gregory the Illuminator; Martin...
  • Among priests and religious, following Bernard: Maurus; Francis; Dominic...

In other ceremonies

The Litany of the Saints is also prescribed[5] for ordination (different saints are added corresponding to the different grades of ordained ministry), religious profession, the blessing of an abbot, and the dedication of churches and altars.[10]

In the Latin version of the Litany, the names of one or more saints are chanted by a cantor or choir, and the congregants reply with either, Ora pro nobis (if one saint is addressed) or Orate pro nobis (using the plural imperative form of the verb, if more than one saint is addressed). Both responses translate to "Pray for us." However, it is permissible to personalize the Litany of the Saints for a funeral rite or other Mass for the dead. When this was done during the funerals of Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis the response was Ora[te] pro eo, or "Pray for him."[5][11]

A Vatican recommendation[12] issued in 1988 proposes that the Litany can be appropriately used for the beginning of the Mass of the First Sunday of Lent, to offer a distinguishing mark for the beginning of Lent.

The iBreviary website offers a text in English[13] of the full Litany of the Saints expanded with many additional saints, drawn in part from the bespoke litanies for particular liturgical occasions. It includes a note that in ceremonies involving the pope, the canonized popes are moved from their usual place to form part of an expanded list of popes prior to other bishops and doctors.

Pre-Vatican II practice

In the late 1960s, Roman Catholic liturgical texts were changed according to the directives of Sacrosanctum Concilium, a key document of the Second Vatican Council. The texts in use immediately prior to the Council, those of 1962, may still be used today by priests of the Latin Church under the conditions indicated in articles 4 and 5 of the 2021 motu proprio Traditionis custodes.

The form of the litany in use prior to the Council is given in the Roman Ritual, published in a Latin-English edition in 1952.[14] The Catholic Encyclopedia article available online[15] entirely reflects pre-Vatican II usage.

This Litany of the Saints begins with a threefold Kyrie, followed (as in the current version) by invocations of God the Father of Heaven, the Son who redeemed the world, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Trinity. The names of the saints follow:

  • The Virgin Mary is invoked three times, as Holy Mary, as Holy Mother of God and as Holy Virgin of Virgins; then Saints Michael; Gabriel; Raphael; all holy angels and archangels; all the holy order of blessed spirits.
  • Patriarchs and Prophets: beginning with Saint John the Baptist (then other names, if they are to be inserted) and always ending with Saint Joseph; all holy patriarchs and prophets.
  • Apostles and disciples: Peter; Paul; Andrew; James; John; Thomas; James; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Simon; Thaddeus; Matthias; Barnabas; Luke; Mark; all holy apostles and evangelists; all holy disciples of the Lord; all the Holy Innocents.
  • Martyrs: Stephen; Laurence; Vincent; Fabian and Sebastian; John and Paul; Cosmas and Damian; Gervasius and Protasius; all holy martyrs.
  • Bishops and Doctors of the Church: Sylvester; Gregory; Ambrose; Augustine; Jerome; Martin; Nicholas; all holy bishops and confessors; all holy Doctors.
  • Priests and male religious (without further distinction between priests, deacons, and lay religious): Anthony; Benedict; Bernard; Dominic; Francis; all holy priests and Levites; all holy monks and hermits.
  • Female saints, ordered as the men were above: Mary Magdalene; Agatha; Lucy; Agnes; Cecilia; Catherine (of Alexandria); Anastasia; all holy virgins and widows; all holy saints of God.

Notable, in contrast with the post-Vatican II version, non-religious laypersons (post-Early Christianity) are not commemorated individually under this standard form.

The litany then twice pleads with God to be merciful, and this is followed by 21 invocations for which the response is Libera nos, Domine ("O Lord, deliver us"), then 17 petitions with the response Te rogamus, audi nos ("We beseech thee, hear us"). The final part of the litany consists of seven invocations of Christ, the first three under the title "Lamb of God".

Indulgence

The 2004 Enchiridion Indulgentiarum grants the partial indulgence to the faithfuls of Christ who piously pray the litanies.[16]

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Litany of the Saints — The model of all other litanies, of great antiquity.

History

It was used in the "Litania Septiformis" of St. Gregory the Great, and in the procession of St. Mamertus. In the Eastern Church, litanies with the invocation of saints were employed in the days of St. Basil (d. 379) and of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (d. about 270) (Basil, Ep. lxiii; Socrates, VI, viii, Sozomen, VIII, vii). It is not known when or by whom the litany was composed, but the order in which the Apostles are given, corresponding with that of the Canon of the Mass, proves its antiquity (Walafr. Strabo, "De Reb. Eccl.", xxiii).

Structure and Content

First part. The litany begins with the call for mercy upon God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, in the "Kyrie eleison", "Christe eleison", Kyrie eleison". Then, considering Christ as our Saviour and Mediator, we ask Him to hear us. In order to render more secure the hearing of our prayers, we again ask each of the Persons of the Holy Trinity for mercy, and, adding those titles which give us a claim to Their consideration, we call upon the First Person: God, the Father of Heaven, to whom we owe existence and life; the Second: Redeemer of the world, to Whom we owe our salvation; the Third: Holy Ghost, to whom we owe our sanctification; and then on the Holy Trinity, one God.

To render God propitious, we, aware of our own unworthiness, ask the intercession of those who have become His special friends, through a holy life, the saints in lasting communion with Him. Foremost among these stands Mary, the chosen daughter of the Father, the undefiled mother of the Son, the stainless bride of the Holy Ghost — we call upon her with the triple invocation: Holy Mary, Mother of God, Virgin of virgins. We then invoke the blessed spirits who remained firm in their allegiance to the Almighty during the rebellion of Lucifer and his adherents: Michael, prince of the heavenly host; Gabriel, "fortitude of God", the trusted companion of Tobias; and the other angels, archangels, and orders of blessed "ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation" (Heb., i, 14). Next in our confidence is he of whom Christ says "There hath nor risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist" (Matt., xi, 11), the precursor of the Lord, the last of the Prophets of the Old Law and the first of the New.

Next in order come St. Joseph, the foster-father of the Incarnate Word; and all the Patriarchs and Prophets who saved their souls in the hope of Him Who was the expected of the nations. Then follow the saints: Peter, prince of the Apostles, vice-regent of Christ; Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles; Andrew, who first heeded the call of the Master; James the Greater and John the Evangelist, the beloved disciple, who, with St. Peter, were most favoured by Christ; Thomas, called Didymus, who received from Christ signal proofs of His Resurrection; James the Less, first Bishop of Jerusalem; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew, once called Levi, the toll-gatherer, who wrote the First Gospel; Simon the Zealot; Jude Thaddeus; Matthias, who was chosen to fill the place of Judas Iscariot; Barnabas, called to the Apostolate by the Holy Ghost (Acts, xiii, 2); Luke, the physician, writer of the Third Gospel and the Acts; Mark, the Evangelist, disciple of St. Peter; all the Apostles and Evangelists; the holy disciples of the Lord; the Holy Innocents, the infant martyr-flowers, "Who, slain at the command of Herod, confessed the name of the Lord not by speaking but by dying" (Rom. Brev.).

The glorious martyrs are then invoked: Stephen the Deacon, protomartyr, stoned at Jerusalem whilst praying for his executioners (Acts, vii, 58); Laurence, the Roman archdeacon; Vincent, the deacon of Saragossa in Spain; Fabian, the pope, and Sebastian, the soldier; John and Paul, brothers at the Court of Constantia, daughter of Constantine; Cosmas and Damian, renowned physicians of Ægea in Cilicia; Gervasius and Protasius, brothers at Milan; after which follows a collective impetration of all the holy martyrs. The litany now asks the prays of St. Sylvester, the pope who saw the triumph of the Crucified over paganism; of the Doctors of the Church; Sts. Gregory the Great, pope; Ambrose of Milan; Augustine of Hippo, in Africa; and Jerome, representing Dalmatia and the Holy Land; of the renowned Bishops Martin of Tours; Nicholas of Myra; of all the holy bishops and confessors; of all the holy teachers; of the founders of religious orders: Anthony, father of the anchorites of the desert; Benedict, patriarch of the Western monks; Bernard; Dominic; Francis; of all holy priests and levites; of monks and hermits. We then invoke Mary Magdalen, the model of Christian penance and of a contemplative life, of whom Christ said: "Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memory of her" (Matt., xxvi, 13); the virgins and martyrs: Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Catherine, and Anastasia the Younger; and in conclusion of the holy virgins and widows; all the holy men and women.

Second part. The second part of the litany begins with another cry of "Be merciful to us, spare us O Lord; Be merciful to us, graciously hear us O Lord". We then enumerate the ills from which we hope to be delivered: From all evils; from sin; the wrath of God; sudden and unprovided death; the snares of the devil; anger, hatred, and all ill will; the spirit of fornication; lightning and tempest; the scourge of earthquake; plague, famine, and war; from everlasting death. To make our prayers more effective, we present to Christ all that He did for us through the mystery of the Incarnation, through His coming, nativity, baptism and holy fasting, cross and passion, death and burial, holy resurrection, admirable ascension, the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, and we conclude by the petition, "In the day of judgment, O Lord, deliver us."

Third part. In the third part we humbly acknowledge our unworthiness: "We, sinners, beseech Thee, hear us", and add the list of favours that we wish to obtain: that the Lord spare us; pardon us; and bring us to true penance; that He govern and preserve His holy Church; preserve our Apostolic prelate, and all orders of the Church, in holy religion; humble the enemies of the Church; give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes; peace and unity to Christian nations; strengthen and preserve us in His holy service; raise our minds to heavenly desires; reward with eternal good all our benefactors; deliver us, our brethren, kinsfolk, and benefactors, from eternal damnation; give and preserve the fruits of the earth; and grant eternal rest to the faithful departed. We ask all this in calling upon the Son of God, thrice invoking the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We repeat the "Kyrie", as in the beginning, and add the prayer taught by Christ Himself, the Our Father. Then follow psalm lxix, "O God, come to my assistance", etc., and a number of verses, responses, and prayers, renewing the former petitions. We conclude with an earnest request to be heard, and an appeal for the faithful departed.

Forms

Three forms of the Litany of the Saints are at present in liturgical use.

First form. The form given above is prescribed by the Roman Ritual at the laying of the corner-stone of a new church, at the blessing or reconciliation of the same or of a cemetery, in the rite of blessing the people and fields in virtue of a special papal indult, for the major and minor Rogation Days, in the procession and prayers to obtain rain or fine weather, to avert storms and tempests, in time of famine or war, to escape mortality or in time of pestilence, in any tribulation, during the translation of relics, in solemn exorcisms of the possessed, and at the Forty Hours' Devotion. The Roman Pontifical, besides the occasions given in the Ritual, orders its recitation in the conferring of major orders, in the consecration of a bishop, benediction of an abbot or abbess, consecration of virgins, coronation of a king or queen, consecration of a church, expulsion and readmission of public penitents on Maundy Thursday, and in the "Ordo ad Synodum".

Second form. Another form is given in the Roman Missal for Holy Saturday and the Vigil of Pentecost. It is an abbreviation of the other. Each verse and response must be duplicated in this litany and in that chanted on Rogation Days (S.R.C., 3993, ad 4).

Third form. A third form is in the "Commendatio" of the Roman Ritual, in which the invocations and supplications are specially chosen to benefit the departing soul about to appear before its Maker (Holzhey, "Thekla-Akten", 1905, 93). This and the preceding form may not be used on other occasions (S.R.C., 2709, ad 1).

Formerly it was customary to invoke only classes of saints, then individual names were added, and in many places local saints were added (Rock, "The Church of Our Fathers", London, 1903, 182; "Manuale Lincopense", Paderborn, 1904, 71). To obtain uniformity, changes and additions to the approved were forbidden (S.R.C., 2093, 3236, 3313).

Romische Quartalschrift (1903), 333; BYKOUKAL in BUCHBERGER, Kirchliches Handlex., s.v. Litanei; PUNKES in Kirchenlex., s.v. Litanei; SAMSON, Die Allerheiligen Litanei (Paderborn, 1894); Pastor Bonus, III, 278.

References

  1. Back to citation Ramshaw, Gail (26 September 2013). Using Evangelical Lutheran Worship: Keeping Time. Augsburg Fortress. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-4514-7822-8.
  2. Back to citation Catholic Church; Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes (1979). Graduale Romanum. Paraclete Pr. pp. 831–837. ISBN 978-2-85274-094-5. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  3. Back to citation "Graduale Romanum" (PDF).
  4. Back to citation Neums from Ancient Manuscripts, ISBN 978-2852740440 in English (1985), ISBN 978-2-85274-094-5 in Latin
  5. Back to citation occurrence 5.0 Back to citation occurrence 5.1 Back to citation occurrence 5.2 Back to citation occurrence 5.3 The Litany of Saints in the Liturgy, William Fitzgerald, O. Praem., Adoremus November 2008, accessed 3 November 2021
  6. Back to citation The Roman Missal: English Translation according to the Third Typical Edition, version for England & Wales, Scotland and Australia, published by Catholic Truth Society, 2010, translated from the 2002 Latin edition of the Roman Missal as amended in 2008; rubrics at page 405; litany at page 406.
  7. Back to citation ICEL extract for singing the Litany at the Easter Vigil, accessed 8 October 2012
  8. Back to citation The Rite of Baptism of Children, version for England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland, published by Burns & Oates, 1992, based on the 1969 English translation of the rite by ICEL as amended 1984; short litany at page 20; extended litany at pages 165-166.
  9. Back to citation Ordo rituum Conclavis. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2000. ISBN 978-88-209-6943-1. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  10. Back to citation Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar, 1978, ICEL
  11. Back to citation Body Theology: Litany of the Saints, accessed 28 October 2012
  12. Back to citation Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts (paragraph 23), Congregation for Divine Worship, 20 February 1988, accessed 28 October 2012
  13. Back to citation iBreviary Litany of Saints, accessed 28 October 2012
  14. Back to citation The Roman Ritual in Latin and English with Rubrics and Plainchant Notation. Translated and edited by Philip T. Weller. Volume II: Christian Burial, Exorcism, Reserved Blessings, etc. Originally published 1952 by The Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee. Reprinted 2007 by Preserving Christian Publications Inc., New York. Pages 453–457.
  15. Back to citation Litany of the Saints from the Catholic Encyclopedia accessed 28 October 2012
  16. Back to citation Enchiridion Indulgentiarum. quarto editur, Concessiones, 22 2°
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