QUAERITUR:
Every year this comes up. I get questions about the Latin form of blessing to be given by new priests.
There is no need to throw in all sorts of other ingredients as if those to be blessed were lined up at a salad bar … sprinklings of pious imagery, vague invocations of niceness and holy fluff, rambling discourses that dead end in words like “beautiful”.
You all know what I am talking about.
Romans are concise.
The usual blessing:
Benedictio Dei omnipotentis Patris, et + Filii, et Spiritus Sancti descendat super te [plural: vos] et máneat semper. Amen.
Memorize this.
This is also the blessing the priest should give to servers after Mass.
Ask priests for their blessing.
ADDENDUM: There are some Latin texts useful for blessings of people according to their state in life.
Formulæ Benedictionum
Sacerdoti:
Resúscitet in te Dóminus grátiam Spíritus Sancti quam per mánuum impositiónem accepísti, ut sis dignus mínister Christi et fidélis dispensátor misteriórum Dei – sis sal Christi numquam infatuándum et incérna ardens in domo Dei – memor sit Dóminus omnis sacrifícii tui, et holocaústum tuum pinque fiat. Tríbuat tibi Dóminus longitúdinem diérum et finálem grátiam, ut possis bonum certámen certáre et cursum tuum felíciter consummáre, adjuvánte Dómino nostro Jesu Christo, qui vivit et regnat cum Deo Patre in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia s?cula sæculórum. Amen.
Clerico:
Effúndat super te Dóminus Spíritum sapiéntiæ et intelléctus, consílii, sciéntiæ, fortitúdinis, pietátis ac timóris Dómini, ut evádas sacérdos secúndum cor Dei. Adímpleat Deus petitiónes tuas et omne consílium tuum confírmet, ac omni benedictióne cœlésti ac terréstri benedícat te Deus Pater et Fílius et Spíritus Sanctus.
Regulari vel Moniali:
Deprecatiónes tuas admíttat Dóminus ad sacrárium exauditiónis suæ, ut possis gloriári in cruce Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, per quem tibi mundus crucifíxus est et tu mundo, et cui fidéliter desérvis, ipse sit tibi merces tua, qui vivit regnat cum Deo Patre in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia s?cula sæculórum. Amen.
Patri vel Matri:
Accipe Pater (Mater) benedictiónem a fílio, qui tibi sit báculus in senectúte tua, benedícat te Deus benedictiónibus cœli et terræ, ímpleat omnes petitiónes tuas, det tibi ómnia secúndum cor tuum, confírmet omne consílium tuum. Largiátur tibi de abscóndito thesaúro suo, plenitúdinem omnis grátiæ et longitúdinem vitæ tuæ; cum autem defécerit virtus tua non derelínquat te Dóminus, sed tríbuat tibi finálem grátiam meque in ætérnæ claritátis gaúdio fáciat te vidére, qui vivit et regnat in s?cula sæculórum. Amen.
Fratri vel Sorori:
Accipe frater (soror) benedictiónem a fratre tuo, quam Deus ratam hábeat in conspéctu suo (reliqua si sit adolescens, ut infra pro adolescente; si virgo, ut pro virgine.)
Adolescenti:
Omnipoténtia ætérni Dei Patris consérvet te, Fílii Dei sapiéntia erúdiat te, et Spíritus Sancti cáritas inflámmet te, ut crescas sapiéntia et ætáte, ac grátia apud Deum et hómines. Sis báculus in senectúte tuórum paréntum, et vídeas bona Jerúsalem ómnibus diébus vitæ tuæ, ac omni benedictióne cœlésti ac terréstri benedícat te Deus, Pater et Fílius et Spíritus Sanctus.
Virgini:
Tríbuat tibi Dóminus de abscóndito thesaúro suo grátiam, ut sis virgo sápiens, et una de número prudéntum. Effúndat super te Spíritum pietátis, castitátis ac timóris sui, ut sponso cœlésti complacére, et ad thálamum eius admitti mereáris, qui vivit et regnat in s?cula sæculórum. Amen.
Benedictio communis: [the WINNER!]
Omni benedictióne cœlésti et terréstri, benedícat te omnípotens Deus, Pater et Fílius et Spíritus Sanctus. Amen.
Benedictio generalis: in casu innumerabilis populi ambas manus extendendo dicit:
Pax Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, et virtus sanctíssimæ passiónis, et signum sanctæ crucis, et intégritas beatíssimæ Maríæ Vírginis, intercessiónes ómnium Sanctórum et suffrágia electórum Dei sint in vobis, ut inimícos vestros visíbiles et invisíbiles, máxime in hora mortis superáre valeátis, et omni benedictióne cœlésti et terréstri benedícat vos omnípotens Deus, Pater et Fílius et Spíritus Sanctus.
Per impositiónem (extensiónem*) mánuum meárum sacerdotálium, et per intercessiónem beátæ Maríæ semper Vírginis, et Sancti (Sanctæ)…, et ómnium Sanctórum; Benedíctio Dei Omnipoténtis, Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti, descéndat super te (vos) et máneat semper Amen.
* “Extensiónem” was/is used for anyone tonsured or for consecrated nuns.
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Gratiae multae, Pater!
I would add that the blessing for servers in the Dominican Rite is a bit different. After the ministers all bow to the Cross in the sacristy, the servers kneel and say “Benedictus Deus.” To which the priest replies blessing them, “Pater et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus.” The rubrics also indicate that the priest then corrects any errors they made in serving before they rise—but let’s assume that will not be necessary . . .
OK, Father! I’m wearing out Google Translate!
Ok, I see the first blessings I’ve heard quite a few priests give comes from that last one (“Through the imposition of my priestly hands, and through the intercession…”)
The German Benediktionale (equivalent to the Book of Blessings) specifically gives the second paragraph of the “Benedictio generalis” as the proper form for a first blessing from a new priest. I have no way of checking whether that is true in other languages.
We always have the second part of the “Benedictio generalis”, but repeated for any one approaching. St. Joseph is usually added to the list of saints; somewhere people will approach saying their name, so that the priest can add the patron saint; some choose some particular saint according to the state of the recipient (such as St. Maria Goretti for young girls).
Thanks, Fr. Z., for including the priestly blessing for virgins! It is a beautiful one for our sacred virgins.
Are all those blessings (the “usual” one and the addendum ones) ‘usable’ by any priest, not just new priests?
Thanks for the formuls for the blessings. I was unaware of the one for virgins until a newly ordained FSSP priest surprised me with that a few years ago.