27 February 2010

A reader asks ...

... for whom/what are we praying when we say the Leonine Prayers nowadays?

8 comments:

Michael McDonough said...

For the Catholic Church, everywhere in the world?

Et Expecto said...

I would say that it is up to the priest or the parish to decide this. My suggestion would be be: "that England recover its Christian heritage." or "for the intentions of the Holy Father."

davidforster said...

1. Well Russia hasn't yet been converted to Catholicism, so that intention's still current.
2. Before Russia became the major intention, these prayers were intended for the defence of the Church, and particularly of the Holy See, against enemies both visible and invisible.
3. I knew a traditionalist priest who used to preface the prayers with the intention - "For the defence of the church against enemies, both internal and external."
4. What about: "For the intentions of the pope; the propagation of the faith; the extirpation of heresy; the peace of all Christian kings and princes; and the liberty and exaltation of our holy mother the church."

Gallery said...

Eh, I thought they were for "the conversion of sinners and the exaltation of our Holy Mother the Church".

Anonymous said...

Yes, Pius XI asked in 1929 for them to be continued for the 'Conversion of Russia', when their original intention was deemed to have been fulfilled.

The question now is, is it the conversion of an officially atheistic communist regime (1929) to a (arguably) Christan country (today), which has been accomplished, or further conversion, as davidfoster says, to Catholicism? Has Rome spoken on this? or are Pius XI's instructions themselves clear? What's the official line?

Patrick Sheridan said...

If we did away with Low Mass, we wouldn't have to say the Leonine Prayers...

Latin Mass contact said...

...for the liberation and exaltation of our Holy Mother the Church.

The Moderate Jacobite said...

At my local R.C. parish, they are explicitly announced "let us pray for the conversion of Russia".