MyCatholicSource.com - 'Quick Help' Page: What Is The 'Iesu Dulcissime, Redemptor' Prayer & Where Does It Come From?

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The 'Iesu Dulcissime, Redemptor' prayer (or 'Jesu Dulcissime, Redemptor', Latin for: "Sweetest Jesus, Redeemer") is an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The public recitation of this prayer may be associated with a plenary indulgence (e.g. on the Feast of Christ the King). Note that there may be various versions of this prayer (some may, unfortunately, be due to ecumenism).

In our publication, "Catholic Annual Prayer Book" (which may be available on Amazon here), it is referenced as an "Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the Feast of Christ the King". Our (English) version of the prayer in this book, which references the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) as its source, is as follows...

"Most Sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but to be more surely united to Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates ourselves today to Thy Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known Thee; Many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful children, who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children, who have abandoned Thee; Grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life. Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry; praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; To it be glory and honor forever. R. Amen."

We also have a shorter/less complete English version on our site here.

The prayer may be historically associated with Pope Pius XI who established the feast of Christ the King in 1925 (in the encyclical Quas Primas), but the prayer itself does not appear in the text of that document. In Quas Primas, Pope Pius XI notes that...

"The way has been happily and providentially prepared for the celebration of this feast ever since the end of the last century. It is well known that this cult has been the subject of learned disquisitions in many books published in every part of the world, written in many different languages. The kingship and empire of Christ have been recognized in the pious custom, practiced by many families, of dedicating themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; not only families have performed this act of dedication, but nations, too, and kingdoms."

And he states that...

"Therefore by Our Apostolic Authority We institute the Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ to be observed yearly throughout the whole world on the last Sunday of the month of October - the Sunday, that is, which immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints. We further ordain that the dedication of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which Our predecessor of saintly memory, Pope Pius X, commanded to be renewed yearly, be made annually on that day."

But, I see no direct reference to the 'Iesu Dulcissime, Redemptor' prayer in the encyclical. I also did not find it in the Latin version of the encyclical on the Vatican website. I furthermore was not able to find definitive, reliable information online that detailed the prayer's origin.

At this time, therefore, I regret that I am not able to determine with certainty the exact origin of the 'Iesu Dulcissime, Redemptor' prayer.

If you are looking for the Latin version of the prayer, note that a (less complete) Latin version of the prayer does presently* appear on the Vatican website as follows...

"Iesu dulcissime, Redemptor humani generis, respice nos ante conspectum tuum humillime provolutos. Tui sumus, tui esse volumus; quo autem tibi coniuncti firmius esse possimus, en hodie sacratissimo Cordi tuo se quisque nostrum sponte dedicat. Te quidem multi novere nunquam; te, spretis mandatis tuis, multi repudiarunt. Miserere utrorumque, benignissime Iesu, atque ad sanctuum Cor tuum rape universos. Rex esto, Domine, nec fidelium tantum qui nullo tempore discessere a te, sed etiam prodigorum filiorum qui te reliquerunt: fac ut domum paternam cito repetant, ne miseria et fame pereant. Rex esto eorum, quos aut opinionum error deceptos habet, aut discordia separatos, eosque ad portum veritatis atque ad unitatem fidei revoca, ut brevi fiat unum ovile et unus pastor. Largire, Domine, Ecclesiae tuae securam cum incolumitate libertatem; largire cunctis gentibus tranquillitatem ordinis; perfice, ut ab utroque terrae vertice una resonet vox: Sit laus divino Cordi, per quod nobis parta salus: ipsi gloria et honor in saecula. Amen."

* At the time of this writing

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