In 1994, St John Paul commended the prayer to St Michael the Archangel, which Pope Leo XIII ordered to be said after Mass. Currently, many bishops and Pope Francis himself have recommended re-introducing this prayer into the life of the Church. This is in response to some of the evils that have been found within the Church and is very much allied to earnest prayer to Our Lady.

Our custom of reciting the “Leonine Prayers” after said Masses in the parish is therefore very much in accord with the mind of the Church, together with the chanting of the traditional anthem to Our Lady after sung Masses.

We should never despair of the Church even when there is disturbing news of the sins and evils, the “filth” as Pope Benedict put it, that is evident in the lives of some who should be dedicated to the service of God.

Our Lord promised that He would be with us until the end of time and that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church. Our part is to hold fast to the faith, to the moral teaching of the Church and to a generous life of prayer and charity.