{"id":5068,"date":"2026-06-20T22:21:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T22:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rezaelrosario.org\/litany-of-loreto"},"modified":"2026-06-20T22:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T22:21:07","slug":"litany-of-loreto","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rezaelrosario.org\/id\/litany-of-loreto","title":{"rendered":"The Litany of Loreto"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marian Litanies<\/h1>\n
\n

Verified official text: Archdiocese of Madrid, Church of Cristo\nde la Victoria \u2014 PDF \u201cHoly Rosary \u2014 Litany of Loreto with the\nadditions of Pope Francis 2020\u201d. It matches the text on the\nofficial site vatican.va.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

1. What are litanies?<\/h2>\n

From the Greek litane\u00eda<\/em> (supplication). A responsorial\nprayer: the celebrant or leader says an invocation, and the assembly\nresponds. An ancient structure of Christian worship, already present in\nthe processions of the fourth century.<\/p>\n

An important distinction<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Official liturgical litanies<\/strong>: approved by the\nChurch for public use. Only five are recognized for public worship and\nmay be included in blessings, processions and other liturgical\ncelebrations: of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, of the Sacred\nHeart, of the Most Precious Blood, of Loreto (to the\nVirgin)<\/strong> and of Saint Joseph.<\/li>\n
  • Private devotional litanies<\/strong>: popular piety,\nthe domestic setting or small communities. Many of them (Immaculate Heart,\nAssumption, Our Lady of the Rosary, local titles).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy<\/em>\n(Congregation for Divine Worship, 2002), n. 203, recalls that Marian\nlitanies belong to the devotional heritage, but \u201cmust not\nreplace, but rather lead to, the Liturgy\u201d.<\/p>\n

    \n

    2. Litany\nof Loreto \u2014 complete official text<\/h2>\n

    Origin and history<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Shrine of Loreto<\/strong> (Italy, the house of Nazareth\ntranslated according to tradition). Its primitive form is attested in the\nsixteenth century.<\/li>\n
    • Official approval<\/strong>: the bull Reddituri<\/em> of\nSixtus V<\/strong>, 11 July 1587.<\/li>\n
    • Additions throughout the centuries<\/strong> (the\nprincipal ones):\n
        \n
      • Auxilium Christianorum<\/strong> \u2014 Help of Christians:\nadded by Pius V<\/strong> after the victory of Lepanto (1571),\nalthough the canonical formulation is dated to the late sixteenth century.<\/li>\n
      • Mater Immaculata \/ Regina sine labe originali\nconcepta<\/strong> \u2014 Queen conceived without original sin: after the dogma\nof the Immaculate Conception (Pius IX<\/strong>, 1854).<\/li>\n
      • Mater Boni Consilii<\/strong> \u2014 Mother of Good Counsel:\nadded by Leo XIII<\/strong> in 1903.<\/li>\n
      • Regina Sanctissimi Rosarii<\/strong> \u2014 Queen of the Most Holy\nRosary: approved by Leo XIII<\/strong> in 1883.<\/li>\n
      • Regina Pacis<\/strong> \u2014 Queen of Peace: introduced by\nBenedict XV<\/strong> in 1917, during the First World\nWar.<\/li>\n
      • Regina assumpta in caelum<\/strong> \u2014 Queen assumed into Heaven:\nadded by Pius XII<\/strong> after the dogmatic definition of the\nAssumption in 1950.<\/li>\n
      • Mater Ecclesiae<\/strong> \u2014 Mother of the Church: added by\nSaint John Paul II<\/strong> in 1980, taking up the title\nproclaimed by Paul VI in 1964.<\/li>\n
      • Regina familiae<\/strong> \u2014 Queen of the family: added by\nSaint John Paul II<\/strong> in 1995.<\/li>\n
      • Mater misericordiae, Mater spei, Solacium\nmigrantium<\/strong> \u2014 Mother of mercy, Mother of hope,\nSolace of migrants: added by Pope\nFrancis<\/strong>, decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship of\n20 June 2020 (letter of Cardinal Robert Sarah to the Presidents\nof the Episcopal Conferences).<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nComplete\nEnglish text (Litany of Loreto with the additions of Pope Francis\n2020)<\/h3>\n
        \n

        V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy. V. Christ, have mercy. R.\nChrist, have mercy. V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.<\/p>\n

        V. Christ, hear us. R. Christ, hear us. V. Christ, graciously hear us. R.\nChrist, graciously hear us.<\/p>\n

        V. God the Father of heaven, R. have mercy on us. V. God\nthe Son, Redeemer of the world, R. have mercy on us. V. God the\nHoly Spirit, R. have mercy on us. V. Holy Trinity,\none God, R. have mercy on us.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

        \n

        (To each invocation that follows, the response is: \u201cpray for\nus\u201d.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

          \n
        • Holy Mary,<\/li>\n
        • Holy Mother of God,<\/li>\n
        • Holy Virgin of virgins,<\/li>\n
        • Mother of Christ,<\/li>\n
        • Mother of the Church,<\/li>\n
        • Mother of Mercy,<\/strong> (added in\n2020)<\/em><\/li>\n
        • Mother of divine grace,<\/li>\n
        • Mother of Hope,<\/strong> (added in\n2020)<\/em><\/li>\n
        • Mother most pure,<\/li>\n
        • Mother most chaste,<\/li>\n
        • Mother inviolate,<\/li>\n
        • Mother undefiled,<\/li>\n
        • Mother most amiable,<\/li>\n
        • Mother most admirable,<\/li>\n
        • Mother of good counsel,<\/li>\n
        • Mother of our Creator,<\/li>\n
        • Mother of our Savior,<\/li>\n
        • Virgin most prudent,<\/li>\n
        • Virgin most venerable,<\/li>\n
        • Virgin most renowned,<\/li>\n
        • Virgin most powerful,<\/li>\n
        • Virgin most merciful,<\/li>\n
        • Virgin most faithful,<\/li>\n
        • Mirror of justice,<\/li>\n
        • Seat of wisdom,<\/li>\n
        • Cause of our joy,<\/li>\n
        • Spiritual vessel,<\/li>\n
        • Vessel of honor,<\/li>\n
        • Singular vessel of devotion,<\/li>\n
        • Mystical Rose,<\/li>\n
        • Tower of David,<\/li>\n
        • Tower of ivory,<\/li>\n
        • House of gold,<\/li>\n
        • Ark of the Covenant,<\/li>\n
        • Gate of heaven,<\/li>\n
        • Morning star,<\/li>\n
        • Health of the sick,<\/li>\n
        • Refuge of sinners,<\/li>\n
        • Solace of migrants,<\/strong> (added in\n2020)<\/em><\/li>\n
        • Comforter of the afflicted,<\/li>\n
        • Help of Christians,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of Angels,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of Patriarchs,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of Prophets,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of Apostles,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of Martyrs,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of Confessors,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of Virgins,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of all Saints,<\/li>\n
        • Queen conceived without original sin,<\/li>\n
        • Queen assumed into Heaven,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of the most holy Rosary,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of the family,<\/li>\n
        • Queen of peace.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n

          V. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, R. spare us, O\nLord. V. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, R.\ngraciously hear us, O Lord. V. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,\nR. have mercy on us.<\/p>\n

          V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy\nof the promises of Christ.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

          Concluding prayer<\/h3>\n
          \n

          Grant, we beseech you, O Lord God, that we your servants may enjoy\nperpetual health of mind and body, and, by the glorious intercession of\nthe Blessed ever-Virgin Mary, be delivered from present sorrow\nand enjoy eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord.\nAmen.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

          \n

          3. Commentary on some\ninvocations<\/h2>\n

          Causa nostrae laetitiae \u2014 Cause of our joy.<\/strong>\nA medieval invocation. Mary is the cause of joy because she brought the\nSavior into the world. Saint Bede the Venerable linked Gabriel’s greeting \u201cAve,\ngratia plena<\/em>\u201d with the prophetic cry of Zephaniah 3:14: \u201cRejoice,\nO daughter of Zion!\u201d. Christian joy is not sentimental\noptimism: it is the certainty of salvation, and Mary embodied it first.<\/p>\n

          Mater divinae gratiae \u2014 Mother of divine grace.<\/strong>\nBy giving the world Christ, the source of all grace, Mary is called Mother\nof grace. Saint Thomas Aquinas explains it in III, q. 27, a. 5: \u201cThe\nfullness of grace was owed to the Blessed Virgin because she conceived\nthe very Author of grace\u201d.<\/p>\n

          Speculum iustitiae \u2014 Mirror of justice.<\/strong> Biblical\njustice is the uprightness that unites man with God. Mary reflected\nperfectly the holiness of her Son. Saint Bernard: \u201cSpeculum sine\nmacula\u201d<\/em>, a spotless mirror. It takes up Wisdom 7:26 applied to\nWisdom: \u201ca spotless mirror of the working of God\u201d.<\/p>\n

          Sedes sapientiae \u2014 Seat of Wisdom.<\/strong> A medieval\nRoman image: the Virgin seated with the Child-Wisdom on her\nknees. Christ is the eternal Wisdom of the Father (1 Cor 1:24); Mary is\nthe living throne that bears him.<\/p>\n

          Rosa mystica \u2014 Mystical Rose.<\/strong> A medieval symbol. The\nrose, queen of flowers, alludes to Mary’s unique beauty among\ncreatures. The \u201cmystical rose\u201d also refers to the \u201crosary\u201d, a crown\nof spiritual roses.<\/p>\n

          Stella matutina \u2014 Morning star.<\/strong> She who\nannounces the Sun, Christ. Saint Bernard in his sermon \u201cDe aquaeductu\u201d:\n\u201cRespice stellam, voca Mariam\u201d<\/em> (look at the star, call upon\nMary).<\/p>\n

          Solacium migrantium \u2014 Solace of migrants.<\/strong>\nAdded by Francis in 2020. Mary fled to Egypt with Joseph and the Child\n(Mt 2:13-15): every forced migration finds refuge in her.\nThe universal Church invokes her for those who leave their land.<\/p>\n

          \n

          4. Other traditional Marian\nlitanies<\/h2>\n

          Biblical litanies to the\nVirgin Mary<\/h3>\n

          A modern devotional composition that gathers Marian titles drawn\ndirectly from Sacred Scripture. Approved for private use,\nwidely spread among Bible study groups. Some invocations:<\/p>\n