The Fatima Prayer
The Fatima Prayer is a short petition to Jesus for forgiveness and the salvation of souls. Many Catholics add it after the Glory Be at the end of each Rosary decade. It is associated with the reported apparitions at Fátima in 1917 and remains an optional devotional addition.
On this page
Listen to the Fatima Prayer
The recording uses the variant “especially those in most need of thy mercy.”
In Latin
Dómine Iesu, dimítte nobis débita nostra,
salva nos ab igne inférni,
pérduc in cælum omnes ánimas,
præsértim eas, quæ misericórdiæ tuæ máxime índigent.
A prayer for mercy
The Fatima Prayer asks Jesus to forgive sins, deliver us from hell, and lead souls to heaven. It extends our petition beyond those we know to everyone in need of mercy. The words invite concern for others as well as repentance for our own sins. We bring that concern to Christ, whose saving love we contemplate in the Rosary.
The prayer is associated with the apparitions reported at Fátima in Portugal in 1917. According to Sister Lúcia's account, Mary asked the children to add it after each mystery on July 13. The Sanctuary of Fátima preserves this account among the prayers connected with the apparitions. The date and request come from Lúcia's testimony about that apparition.
The Church distinguishes private revelation from the Gospel revelation entrusted to all Christians. The Catechism explains this distinction in §67. An approved private revelation can help people live the faith; it does not add a new article of faith or require every Catholic to adopt a particular devotional practice.
Is it required in the Rosary?
The Fatima Prayer is an optional addition after the Glory Be at the end of each decade. Many families and parishes include it in their customary sequence. In a shared Rosary, the group's text and leader indicate whether it follows the Glory Be.
The recording contains only the Fatima Prayer.
Praying for souls
The reference to hell is a petition for salvation. We ask for mercy for sinners, including ourselves. The petition reaches beyond the people named in our intention, asking Jesus to lead all souls to heaven. Someone estranged from the Church, or unable to ask for help, may be especially on our mind as we pray it.
English versions differ in their final phrase, including “most need of Thy mercy” and “most in need of your mercy.” The recording uses “especially those in most need of thy mercy,” a small variation from the displayed text. The Latin is a devotional translation; the reported prayer at Fátima was in Portuguese.