CBCP revises prayer against COVID-19; includes verse on confession, forgiveness
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has revised its Oratio Imperata, or obligatory prayer, against COVID-19.
The CBCP's revised Oratio Imperata, updated Jan. 28 and shared on its official Facebook page Jan. 29, has a new first stanza dedicated to confession and forgiveness of sins.
The prayer was first revised last year to include the discovery of COVID-19 vaccines.
It was first issued on Jan. 29, 2020, when over 10 individuals were under investigation for suspected infection of the novel coronavirus, then called 2019-nCoV. The Department of Health confirmed the country's patient zero a day after.
Oratio Imperata against COVID-19 is being prayed “all weekday and Sunday masses, after the Holy Communion, kneeling down," according to a CBCP circular.
Here's the revised Oratio Imperata against COVID-19 in full:
Merciful and compassionate Father,
we confess our sins
and we humbly come to you
to find forgiveness and life.
We come to you in our need
to seek your protection
against the COVID-19 virus
that has disturbed and claimed many lives.
We ask you now to look upon us with love
and by your healing hand,
dispel the fear of sickness and death,
restore our hope, and strengthen our faith.
We pray that you guide the people
tasked to find cures for this disease
and to stem its transmission.
Bless our efforts
to use the medicines developed
to end the pandemic in our country.
We pray for our health workers
that they may minister to the sick
with competence and compassion.
Grant them health in mind and body,
strength in their commitment,
protection from the disease.
We pray for those afflicted.
May they be restored to health.
Protect those who care for them.
Grant eternal rest to those who have died.
Give us the grace in these trying times
to work for the good of all
and to help those in need.
May our concern and compassion for each other
see us through this crisis
and lead us to conversion and holiness.
Grant all these
through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever. Amen.
We fly to Your protection,
oh Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our petition in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers,
oh glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
Our Lady, health of the sick, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Raphael the Archangel, pray for us.
San Roque, pray for us.
San Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.
San Pedro Calungsod, pray for us.