Satan and his minions flee from the presence of the holy archangel.
After receiving a terrifying vision that led him to compose a powerful prayer to St. Michael, Pope Leo XIII composed a second prayer, much longer than the first, to be used as a general prayer of exorcism.
It was first published in 1890 and was originally designed as a prayer to cast out the presence of Satan and his fallen angels from a larger locality (a city, for example).
Then in 1902, a truncated version was developed for the Roman Ritual and placed before the actual exorcism of a community took place, generally invoking the aid of St. Michael in expelling the presence of Satan.
It remains a powerful prayer, invoking the intercession of the holy archangel in the battle against evil.
St. Michael the Archangel, illustrious leader of the heavenly army, defend us in the battle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of darkness and the spirit of wickedness in high places.Come to the rescue of mankind, whom God has made in His own image and likeness, and purchased from Satan’s tyranny at so great a price.Holy Church venerates you as her patron and guardian. The Lord has entrusted to you the task of leading the souls of the redeemed to heavenly blessedness.Entreat the Lord of peace to cast Satan down under our feet, so as to keep him from further holding man captive and doing harm to the Church. Carry our prayers up to God’s throne, that the mercy of the Lord may quickly come and lay hold of the beast, the serpent of old, Satan and his demons, casting him in chains into the abyss, so that he can no longer seduce the nations.
