First Episcopal Blessing of Bishop Jun Sescon 2025-02-25

The episcopal or pontifical blessing is a blessing imparted by a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

, especially if using a formula given in official

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

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

Catholic Church

Traditional formula

The

Roman Missal The Roman Missal () is the book which contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Roman Rite, the most common liturgy and Mass of the Catholic Church. There have been several editions. History Before the Council of Trent (1570) ...

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

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

of the

Roman Rite The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...

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

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

( 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) or miter (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, see spelling differences; both pronounced ; ) is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of ...

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

Alternative formulae

The ''

Caeremoniale Episcoporum The ''Cæremoniale Episcoporum'' () is a liturgical 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 bear this ...

'' 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 () 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 Orders. While the ...

Ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

, 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 /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

Lauds Lauds is a canonical hour of the Divine office. In the Roman Rite Liturgy of the Hours it is one of the major hours, usually held after Matins, in the early morning hours (between 3:00:00 and 5:59:59). Name The name is derived from the three la ...

, at the close of a procession with the

Blessed Sacrament The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...

, 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 deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

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. These are the same versicles and responses as in the Roman rite, but in the reverse order, following the Sarum tradition.Archbishops' Council, ''Common Worship: Ordination Services (Study Edition)'' (Church House Publishing, 2007), p. 139 The pontifical blessing used in the

Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

has been described as follows:

References

{{Papacy Order of Mass Blessings