Learn Latin Prayers
Chapter 7 - Prayers & Responses During the Traditional Latin Mass

5. Lord, Have Mercy (Kýrie, eléison) – Used in Mass & Private Prayer

Complete & Continue Next Lesson Learn More

A Short Yet Powerful Prayer of Mercy

The Kyrie Eleison (Lord, have mercy) is one of the most ancient prayers in the Sacred Liturgy. Retained from the early Greek-speaking Church, it is seamlessly preserved in the Traditional Latin Mass and recited immediately after the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. Though short in words, the Kyrie is immense in theological depth—it is a cry of humility and a plea for the mercy of Almighty God.

For true Catholics, faithful to the pre-Vatican II Church, the Kyrie is not a performance, nor a chant of community affirmation. It is a petition from the soul of the penitent, appealing to the Triune God in the sacred context of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Tragically, the Vatican II sect, in distorting the nature of the Mass itself, has debased the Kyrie, often removing its solemn tone and obscuring its Trinitarian structure in favor of ecumenical adaptations or vernacular simplifications.

In the authentic Catholic Mass, the Kyrie remains a sacred expression of sorrow, reverence, and acknowledgment of Christ's Kingship and priestly mediation—realities the conciliar church has sought to efface in its man-centered liturgy.

1. Kýrie, eléison

Greek (Original Language):

Κύριε, ἐλέησον
Χριστέ, ἐλέησον
Κύριε, ἐλέησον

Latin (Romanized Greek):

Kýrie, eléison.
Christe, eléison.
Kýrie, eléison.

English Translation:

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

📌 Key Notes:

  • The Kýrie is Greek, not Latin, but it has been part of the Traditional Latin Mass for centuries.

  • It is usually sung or chanted solemnly as a plea for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

  • The threefold repetition reflects adoration of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

2. Pronunciation Guide

To pray correctly, it’s important to speak Latin with confidence and clarity. Below is a step-by-step breakdown of each word:

Kýrie, eléison - Pronunciation Guide

Kýrie, eléison - Pronunciation Guide

Greek / Latin Word Phonetic Pronunciation Meaning
Κύριε / KýrieKEE-ree-ehLord
ἐλέησον / Eléisoneh-LAY-ee-sonHave mercy
Χριστέ / ChristeKREES-tehChrist

📌 Key Pronunciation Notes:

✔ Kýrie (KEE-ree-eh) – The "y" is pronounced like "ee".
✔ Eléison (eh-LAY-ee-son) – The "éi" sounds like "ay" in "day".
✔ Christe (KREES-teh) – The "Ch" is pronounced as "K", like in Greek Χ (Chi).

3. Video Tutorials

LATIN: Kýrie, eléison. Christe, eléison. Kýrie, eléison.

PHONETIC: KEE-ree-eh, eh-LAY-ee-son. KREES-teh, eh-LAY-ee-son. KEE-ree-eh, eh-LAY-ee-son.

LATIN: Kýrie, eléison. Christe, eléison. Kýrie, eléison. PHONETIC: KEE-ree-eh, eh-LAY-ee-son. KREES-teh, eh-LAY-ee-son. KEE-ree-eh, eh-LAY-ee-son.

4. When to Use the Kýrie, eléison

  1. During the Traditional Latin Mass (Threefold repetition).

  2. As a private prayer for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

  3. During Litanies, including the Litany of the Saints.

📌 Traditional Catholic Practice:

  • Recited three times in succession, invoking God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

  • Often chanted alternately by the priest and congregation in Solemn Masses.

5. Lesson Summary

The Kyrie Eleison is a solemn threefold plea to the Most Holy Trinity for mercy, embedded in the sacred structure of the Traditional Latin Mass. Its preservation affirms the humility of the soul before God. Unlike the man-centered novelties of Vatican II, the Kyrie in the true Mass preserves its penitential dignity and acknowledges the majesty of Christ as Priest and King.

6. Final Thought – Why Does This Prayer Matter?

The Kyrie is one of the few liturgical prayers retained in Greek to honor the Church’s apostolic foundation. It is Trinitarian in structure: three petitions to the Father, three to the Son, and three to the Holy Ghost—a poetic and theological act of worship before the altar of sacrifice. In just a few words, it expresses humility, contrition, and absolute dependence on God’s mercy.

In the true Roman Rite, the Kyrie is prayed with profound solemnity, often chanted in beautiful Gregorian tones. This is not merely for aesthetic value, but to elevate the soul to the contemplation of divine mysteries. In contrast, the Novus Ordo Vatican II liturgy has often reduced or replaced the Kyrie with banal penitential rites, stripping it of its penitential gravity and Trinitarian character.

Moreover, the Kyrie reflects the reality of the Mass as a propitiatory sacrifice, something the Vatican II pseudo-church explicitly rejects by rebranding the Mass as a “meal” or “celebration.” The plea for mercy makes sense only when one understands that Christ, the Eternal High Priest, is offering Himself again on the altar for our sins.

To pray the Kyrie in its traditional form is to stand with the saints and martyrs, recognizing our unworthiness before God and begging for His mercy through the only means appointed by Heaven: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as handed down by the Church before Vatican II.

In a world that glorifies pride and forgets sin, the Kyrie Eleison is a defiant act of faith, humility, and true Catholic identity. It is a rejection of modernism and a restoration of reverence owed to Almighty God.

“Kýrie, eléison. Christe, eléison. Kýrie, eléison.”

  • Add a short summary or a list of helpful resources here.