Saint Michael the Archangel – Devotion and Magisterium: The Prince of the Heavenly Host
Saint Michael the Archangel is the most celebrated of the archangels and the prince of the heavenly hosts – defender of the people of God against Satan. His name, from the Hebrew Mîkhāʼēl, means “Who is like God?” (Quis ut Deus?): at once a profession of faith and a battle cry against all pride. Scripture names him in four passages – Daniel 10 and 12 (the “great prince” who watches over the people of God), Jude 9 (where he is called an archangel) and Rev 12:7 (at the head of the angels in the battle against the dragon).
Saint Michael the Archangel, whose name in Hebrew means “Who is like God?” (Mi-ka-El), is the angel most frequently mentioned in Sacred Scripture and the protector of the Church. The papal magisterium has devoted numerous documents to him over the centuries, especially in the context of defense against the Evil One. This post summarizes the Catholic doctrine on Saint Michael.
| Hebrew name | Michael (Mi-ka-El), “Who is like God?” |
| Type | Archangel (from the Greek “Arkhangelos”) |
| Role | Prince of the heavenly host, protector of the Church |
| Liturgical feast | September 29 (Feast of the Archangels), May 8 (traditional devotion) |
| Patron | Universal Church, Poland, Germany, military parishes |
Saint Michael in Sacred Scripture
Saint Michael appears in five central passages:
- Dan 10:13, 21: “Michael, one of the chief princes”, protector of the people of Israel
- Dan 12:1: “At that time Michael shall arise, the great prince who stands over the children of your people”
- Jude 9: “Michael the archangel, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses”
- Rev 12:7: “There was a battle in heaven: Michael and his angels battled against the dragon”
- Rev 12:9: “The great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan”
Ancient and medieval Magisterium
Ancient cults
- Rome, fourth-fifth century: Basilica of Saint Michael on the Via Salaria (attributed to the time of Constantine)
- Monte Gargano (Italy): apparition of Saint Michael to Bishop Lawrence in 490, the primary shrine of the cult of Saint Michael in Europe
- Mont Saint-Michel (Normandy): apparition in 708 to Bishop Aubert of Avranches
- Saint Michael of Sant Cugat (Catalonia): eighth-ninth century
Gelasian Sacramentary (eighth century)
It already includes votive Masses of Saint Michael.
Council of Mainz (813)
It establishes the feast of Saint Michael on September 29 as a holy day of obligation throughout Carolingian Europe.
Saint Thomas Aquinas (thirteenth century)
In the Summa Theologiae, Thomas holds that Saint Michael belongs to the choir of the Archangels (third hierarchy) and is the “prince” of the other archangels. His central message: “Who is like God?”, a direct rejection of Luciferian pride.
Modern and contemporary Magisterium
Pius IX (1854-1855)
On December 8, 1854, the day of the definition of the Immaculate Conception, Pius IX simultaneously consecrated the Church to Saint Michael as heavenly protector against the Evil One.
Leo XIII (1886-1890)
Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel and Exorcismus in Satanam et Angelos Apostaticos, reference documents.
Leo XIII, encyclical Humanum genus (1884)
On Freemasonry, he appeals to Saint Michael as a symbol of Christian resistance to organized evil.
Pius XII, encyclical Sertum laetitiae (1939) and others
He appeals to Saint Michael as protector of Poland and of the persecuted Church.
John Paul II (1987 and 2003)
He visited Monte Gargano (Italy) and Mont Saint-Michel (France). On both occasions he devoted homilies to Saint Michael as a model of fidelity to God.
“The battle against the Devil, which is the characteristic mark of Saint Michael the Archangel, is still current today, because the Devil is alive and acts in the world. The evil around us, the disorders present in society, the inconsistencies of man, the interior fracture of which he is a victim, are not only a consequence of original sin but also of the obscure and insidious action of Satan” (JP2, Address at Monte Gargano, May 24, 1987).
Benedict XVI
On multiple occasions he evoked Saint Michael as a model of fidelity to Christ. On October 5, 2007, consecrating a statue of Saint Michael in the Vatican Gardens, he said:
“This statue reminds us that evil is always defeated, the Accuser is unmasked, his heavy head is crushed because salvation was accomplished in the blood of Christ. When the devil tempts us, particularly in moments of trial, let us turn to Saint Michael so that he may help us to live the serenity of the Cross, on the way of the Resurrection”.
Francis (September 29, 2018)
In the context of the scandals of sexual abuse among the clergy, Francis asked all Catholics to pray the Rosary, the Prayer to Saint Michael and the Sub Tuum Praesidium every day of October 2018.
The four offices of Saint Michael
Catholic tradition attributes four principal offices to Saint Michael:
- Warrior against the Evil One: “He fought with the dragon” (Rev 12:7), principal function
- Protector of the Church: the “prince” who defends the people of God (Dan 12:1)
- He leads souls: to the tribunal of Christ at the hour of death and to Paradise (cf. “Signifer sanctus Michael representet eas in lucem sanctam”, Offertory of the Mass for the Dead)
- He weighs souls: a traditional image of the iconography (the scales of souls at the Judgment)
Traditional iconography
- Military armor, prince of the heavenly host
- Flaming sword, conqueror of the dragon
- Foot upon the dragon/Lucifer, victory over the Evil One
- Scales, weighing souls at the Last Judgment
- Cross, shield, or standard, symbols of Christ the Victor
Special devotions
- Chaplet of Saint Michael: 9 salutations to the 9 choirs of angels with 4 Our Fathers (attributed to Saint Anthony Mary Claret)
- Septenary of Saint Michael: 7 days before September 29
- Prayer to Saint Michael by Leo XIII (1886), full text in a dedicated post
- Scapular of Saint Michael: approved by Pius IX in 1851
Further reading
Leo XIII – Prayer to Saint Michael | JP2 Catecheses 1986 | Rite of Exorcism 1999 | CDF Fede e Demonologia 1975
Postgraduate Program in Mariology
Would you like to deepen your formation in Mariology? Discover the Postgraduate Program in Mariology of Locus Mariologicus – an academic formation that unites theological rigor, spiritual life, and the living tradition of the Church.
See also: What Is Angelology? The Angels in the Bible and in the Magisterium
Frequently Asked Questions about Saint Michael the Archangel
What does the name “Michael” mean?
From the Hebrew Mîkhāʼēl, “Who is like God?” (in Latin, Quis ut Deus?) – a confession of the incomparability of God and a battle motto against all pride.
How many times does Saint Michael appear in the Bible?
Four times, always named: Dan 10:13 and 10:21; Dan 12:1; Jude 9; and Rev 12:7-9.
What is the prayer to Saint Michael?
The best known was composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886: “Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our refuge against the wickedness and snares of the devil…”.
If Saint Michael and the devil are both angels, what is the difference?
None in nature: all the angels were created good (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215). The difference is one of choice – Michael adores God, the adversary refused Him.
When is Saint Michael celebrated?
On September 29, the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels.
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What does the name “Michael” mean?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”From the Hebrew Mîkhāʼēl, “Who is like God?” (in Latin, Quis ut Deus?) – a confession of the incomparability of God and a battle motto against all pride.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How many times does Saint Michael appear in the Bible?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Four times, always named: Dan 10:13 and 10:21; Dan 12:1; Jude 9; and Rev 12:7-9.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What is the prayer to Saint Michael?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”The best known was composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886: “Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our refuge against the wickedness and snares of the devil…”.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”If Saint Michael and the devil are both angels, what is the difference?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”None in nature: all the angels were created good (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215). The difference is one of choice – Michael adores God, the adversary refused Him.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”When is Saint Michael celebrated?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”On September 29, the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels.”}}]}
See our complete guide to Catholic Angelology.
Would you like to study angelology and demonology in depth?
This article comes from the Locus Mariologicus library. The postgraduate specialisation in Angelology and Demonology (360 hours, fully online) studies angels and demons in Scripture, the Fathers and the Magisterium, with a whole area on practical demonology, exorcism and deliverance prayer. The new class begins on 18 January 2027. Classes are taught in Portuguese.
Responses