Divine Praises
The Divine Praises or Laudes Divinæ informally known as Blessed be God is an 18th-century expiatory prayer recited by devout Roman Catholics. In some dioceses, the prayer is traditionally recited following the liturgy of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It is also said by pious Catholics after they have heard, seen or inadvertently uttered profanity or blasphemy.
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[edit] History
The Divine Praises were originally written in Italian by Luigi Felici in 1797 for the purpose of making reparations after saying profanity or blasphemy.[1] The praises were expanded upon thereafter by Pius VII in 1801 and eventually came into existence as a recitation following the Benediction, usually with the priest saying each line which is thereafter repeated by the congregation.
On the evening feast of Corpus Christi, the prayer is publicly recited by the Pope outside the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome after the incensing and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The text is traditionally recited each first by the Pope, followed by the people.
The prayer is also recited every Wednesday after the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help which is followed by the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in many Roman Catholic parishes. The custom was originally introduced by the Redemptorist priests who propagated the liturgy of the Blessed Sacrament under this Marian title.
[edit] Text of the prayer
The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church recites the prayer in the Italian language in front of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This is done in order for the lay people to be able to respond and recite the prayer already familiar to their vernacular language.
| Latin | English | Italian |
|---|---|---|
| Benedictus Deus. | Blessed be God. | Dio sia benedetto. |
| Benedictum Nomen Sanctum eius. | Blessed be His Holy Name. | Benedetto il Suo santo Nome. |
| Benedictus Iesus Christus, verus Deus et verus homo. | Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. | Benedetto Gesù Cristo, vero Dio e vero Uomo. |
| Benedictum Nomen Iesu. | Blessed be the Name of Jesus. | Benedetto il Nome di Gesù. |
| Benedictum Cor eius sacratissimum. | Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. | Benedetto il Suo sacratissimo Cuore. |
| Benedictus Sanguis eius pretiosissimus. | Blessed be His Most Precious Blood. | Benedetto il Suo preziosissimo Sangue. |
| Benedictus Iesus in sanctissimo altaris Sacramento. | Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. | Benedetto Gesù nel SS. Sacramento dell’altare. |
| Benedictus Sanctus Spiritus, Paraclitus. | Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. | Benedetto lo Spirito Santo Paraclito. |
| Benedicta excelsa Mater Christi, Maria sanctissima. | Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. | Benedetta la gran Madre di Dio, Maria Santissima. |
| Benedicta sancta eius et immaculata Conceptio. | Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. | Benedetta la Sua santa e Immacolata Concezione. |
| Benedicta eius gloriosa Assumptio. | Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. | Benedetta la Sua gloriosa Assunzione. |
| Benedictum nomen Mariae, Virginis et Matris. | Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. | Benedetto il Nome di Maria, Vergine e Madre. |
| Benedictus sanctus Ioseph, eius castissimus Sponsus. | Blessed be St Joseph, her most chaste spouse. | Benedetto S. Giuseppe, Suo castissimo Sposo. |
| Benedictus Deus in Angelis suis, et in Sanctis suis. Amen. | Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen. | Benedetto Dio nei Suoi Angeli e nei Suoi Santi. Amen. |
May the heart of Jesus, in the most holy sacrament be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. amen
[edit] Notes
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