Liturgical
Commendation of a Departing Soul (Proficiscere, anima christiana)
Prayer of intercession · Latin text
The central prayer of the Church's rite for the commendation of a departing soul, said as a Christian enters the last agony. Both the Latin of the Rituale Romanum and the older English version are those printed by Preces Latinae; that printing carries two evident typographical corruptions ('Blessed Joseph.' and 'the sanio Christ'), given here as 'Blessed Joseph,' and 'the same Christ' in accordance with the Latin 'Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum'. The received English abbreviates the list of the angelic choirs that the Latin gives in full. In the full rite the prayer is preceded by a short litany of the saints and followed by further prayers of commendation.
Depart, O Christian soul, out of this miserable world, in the name of God the Father Almighty, who created thee; in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who suffered for thee; in the name of the Holy Ghost, who sanctified thee; in the name of the glorious and holy Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary; in the name of Blessed Joseph, the illustrious spouse of the Blessed Virgin; in the name of the Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Cherubim and Seraphim: in the name of the patriarchs and prophets, of the holy apostles and evangelists, of the holy martyrs and confessors, of the holy monks and hermits, of the holy virgins and of all the Saints of God; let thy place be this day in peace, and thy abode in holy Sion: Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
When it is prayed
- deathbed
- last-rites
- illness