Pope Francis called on Catholics worldwide to pray the rosary during the month of October, asking the Mother of God and St. Michael the Archangel

Pope Francis called on Catholics worldwide to pray the rosary during the month of October, asking the Mother of God and St. Michael the Archangel “to protect the church from the devil, that always aims to divide us from God and among ourselves.”

The Vatican released the pope’s invitation to prayer at noon, Saturday, September 29, the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, who according to the scriptures and tradition is the leader of the army of angels against the forces of Satan in the world. […]

It said, “Pope Francis has decided to invite all the faithful, of the entire world, to pray the Holy Rosary every day during the Marian month of October, and to join together in prayer and penance, as the people of God, in asking the Holy Mother of God and St. Michael the Archangel to protect the church from the devil, that always aims to divide us from God and among ourselves.” [….]

The invocation is an ancient Christian hymn to the Mother of God, dating back to around the 3rd century, and is well known in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions. The Vatican provided the text of the prayer in Latin and Italian. The English translation is as follows:

“We fly to thy protection, O Holy Mother of God; do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin. Amen.”

The Vatican statement recalled that in a homily on September 11, Pope Francis quoted the first book of Job, and said: “prayer is the weapon against the Great Accuser that ‘goes around the world seeking how to accuse’. Only prayer can defeat him.” […]

The Vatican said that Pope Francis has also asked that the recital of the rosary should conclude with the prayer written by Leo XIII in 1886. The English translation of the prayer is as follows:

“Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.” […]

[ Source: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/09/29/pope-calls-catholics-pray-protect-church-devil]