Eternal Rest (Prayer)

In the Roman Catholic Church, the prayer Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them, O Lord is a prayer that is offered for deceased members of the Church. It is offered during the funeral services for the deceased, and also in memory of deceased persons. The Church maintains that this prayer grants a partial indulgence for souls in purgatory. The text is taken in part from the Jewish apocalypse 2 Esdras, which is not accepted as scripture by Catholics.

Current Form

The current form of the prayer is as follows,

P. "Eternal rest grant unto them (him her), O Lord."
R. "And let perpetual light shine upon them (him, her)."
P. "May their soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace."
R. "Amen."

In keeping with modern church practice, this prayer is usually spoken in the vernacular.

The prayer in Latin is as follows:

'"Requiem aeternam dona ei (eis), Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei (eis). Requiescat (-ant) in pace. Amen." - "Eternal rest grant unto him/her (them), O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him/her (them). May he/she (they) rest in peace. Amen."A