Requiem Aeternam

The ancient Catholic prayer for the souls of the dead.

The Eternal Rest prayer, known in Latin as the Requiem Aeternam, is the most fundamental Catholic prayer for the dead. It asks God to grant rest and perpetual light to departed souls and is among the oldest prayers of the Church.

The Prayer

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.
May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

About This Prayer

This prayer is drawn from the ancient Latin Mass for the Dead (the Requiem Mass), where it opens the Introit. Catholics pray it after the Grace After Meals, when passing a cemetery, on All Souls’ Day (November 2), and whenever they remember a departed soul. It reflects the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory — that souls can be aided by the prayers of the living.