The Leonine Prayers

The prayers that are prayed after Low Mass are called the Leonine Prayers. These prayers include the Ave Maria (said 3 times), the Salve Regina, the Sancte Michael Archangele, a prayer for the conversion of sinners and for the liberty and exaltation of the Church, and 3 invocations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In 1859, Pope Pius IX commanded a threefold Ave and a Salve Regina to be said after every Mass in response to the attacks against the temporal sovereignty of the Holy See.

Later, in 1884, Pope Leo XIII commanded that these prayers be said after all Masses worldwide. In 1886, he also added the Saint Michael Prayer to the Leonine Prayers. He added this prayer after he heard a conversation between Satan and God. In this conversation, Satan told God he could destroy the Church in 75-100 years, if God gave him more power and influence. God gave more power to Satan and this moved Leo XIII to compose the Saint Michael prayer and add it to the Leonine Prayers. These prayers are named the Leonine Prayers after the composer Pope Leo XIII.

In 1904, Pope Saint Pius X added three invocations to the Sacred Heart to the end of the Leonine Prayers. In 1929, the sovereignty of the Holy See was no longer under attack. Therefore, Pius XI ordered that these prayers should be said for the conversion of Russia instead.

These prayers can be said in either Latin or English. And are said after most Low Masses, however, they are not part of the Mass itself.