The episcopal or pontifical blessing is a blessing imparted by a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

, especially if using a formula given in official

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

books. The term is sometimes used of such a formula, rather than of an actual blessing.

Roman Catholic Church

Traditional formula

The

Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of th ...

gives a formula for the episcopal or pontifical blessing at the end of

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

of the Roman Rite celebrated by a bishop: It consists of the regular liturgical greeting, two verses from the

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

( and ), each divided into two parts, and then the actual invocation.Edward Foley, John Francis Baldovin, Mary Collins, Joanne M. Pierce, ''A Commentary on the Order of Mass of the Roman Missal''
(Liturgical Press 2011), p. 642 The following is the formula, together with the introductory '' Dominus vobiscum'': :''In Missa pontificali celebrans accipit mitram et, extendens manus, dicit:'' :Dominus vobiscum. :''Omnes respondent:'' :Et cum spiritu tuo. :''Celebrans dicit:'' :Sit nomen Domini benedictum. :''Omnes respondent:'' :Ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum. :''Celebrans dicit:'' :Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. :''Omnes respondent:'' :Qui fecit cælum et terram. :''Tunc celebrans, accepto, si eo utitur, baculo, dicit:'' :Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, :''ter signum crucis super populum faciens, addit:'' :Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus. :''Omnes'': :Amen. The official English translation is: :''In a Pontifical Mass, the celebrant receives the

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

and, extending his hands, says:'' :The Lord be with you. :''All reply:'' :And with your spirit. :''The celebrant says:'' :Blessed be the name of the Lord. :''All reply:'' :Now and for ever. :''The celebrant says:'' :Our help is in the name of the Lord. :''All reply:'' :Who made heaven and earth. :''Then the celebrant receives the pastoral staff, if he uses it, and says:'' :May almighty God bless you, :''making the Sign of the Cross over the people three times, he adds:'' :the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. :''All:'' :Amen. Rather elaborate ceremonies have sometimes surrounded the imparting of a pontifical blessing, as indicated in

Adrian Fortescue Adrian Henry Timothy Knottesford Fortescue (14 January 1874 – 11 February 1923) was an English Catholic priest and polymath. An influential liturgist, artist, calligrapher, composer, polyglot, amateur photographer, Byzantine scholar, an ...

's ''The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described''. It is somewhat simpler today.

Alternative formulae

The ''

Caeremoniale Episcoporum The ''Cæremoniale Episcoporum'' (Ceremonial of Bishops) is a book that describes the church services to be performed by bishops of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church. History Pope Clement VIII published on 14 July 1600 the first book to bea ...

'' indicates that use of the above formula is not mandatory for a bishop even when celebrating a station Mass. He may also use other appropriate formulas given in the

Pontifical A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy ...

Ritual A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized ...

, making the Sign of the Cross three times over the people. Under the heading "Ordinary Blessing", the ''Caeremoniale Episcoporum'' gives two formulas for use in less solemn circumstances, such as at the end of

Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , meanin ...

or Lauds, at the close of a procession with the

Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of the ...

, and even outside of liturgical celebrations. It gives the traditional formula in second place after a formula found also in the Roman Missal among the solemn blessings that even a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

may use at the end of Mass: :"Pax Dei, quae exsuperat omnem sensum, custodiat corda vestra et intellegentias vestras in scientia et caritate Dei et Filii eius Domini nostri Iesu Christi", followed by "Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus." :In English: :"May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ", followed by "May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

Anglicanism

In the Church of England, a pontifical blessing may be preceded by: :Our help is in the name of the Lord, :who has made heaven and earth. :Blessed be the name of the Lord, :now and for ever. Amen.Archbishops' Council, ''Common Worship: Ordination Services (Study Edition)'' (Church House Publishing, 2007), p. 29 The pontifical blessing used in the

Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop o ...

has been described as follows:

References

{{Papacy Order of Mass