A Joyful Hymn to the Queen of Heaven
The Regina Cæli is a joyful and triumphal Easter antiphon, replacing the Angelus during the Paschal season. Addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it celebrates the Resurrection of her Divine Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and shares in her rejoicing. It is a prayer of honor, intercession, and exultation, rooted in centuries of liturgical tradition.
For faithful Catholics who reject the Vatican II sect, the Regina Cæli takes on even deeper significance. It reaffirms key truths denied or obscured by the modernist revolution: the divinity and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Queenship of Mary, and the unique role of the Church in proclaiming the Resurrection as an historical and supernatural reality—not merely symbolic or mythologized, as the post-conciliar pseudo-church often implies.
To pray the Regina Cæli is to stand firmly in the tradition of the true Church, joining with the saints and angels in glorifying Christ and honoring His Holy Mother with the same reverence and doctrinal precision the Church has always maintained.
1. Regina Cæli
Latin:
Regína cæli, lætáre, allelúia:
Quia quem meruísti portáre, allelúia,
Resurréxit, sicut dixit, allelúia,
Ora pro nobis Deum, allelúia.
English Translation:
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia,
Hath risen, as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
📌 Key Notes:
Easter Joy and Mary’s Rejoicing – The Regina Cæli replaces the Angelus during the Easter season, calling us to rejoice with Mary over Christ’s Resurrection.
A Prayer of Angelic Origin – According to tradition, this hymn was revealed by an angel to Pope St. Gregory the Great during a procession in Rome.
A Liturgical and Devotional Tradition – The Church prays the Regina Cæli daily from Easter Sunday to Pentecost, making it a key part of the Easter liturgy.
A Marian Hymn of Praise – By praying it, we honor Mary’s role in salvation and join the Heavenly hosts in proclaiming Christ’s victory over death.
2. Pronunciation Guide
Here is a word-by-word pronunciation breakdown using Ecclesiastical Latin:
Regina Cæli Pronunciation Guide
Latin | Phonetic Pronunciation | Meaning (English) |
---|---|---|
Regína cæli, lætáre, allelúia | Reh-JEE-nah CHEH-lee, leh-TAH-reh, ahl-leh-LOO-yah | Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia |
Quia quem meruísti portáre, allelúia | KWEE-ah kwem meh-roo-EES-tee por-TAH-reh, ahl-leh-LOO-yah | For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia |
Resurréxit, sicut dixit, allelúia | Reh-soo-REHK-seet, SEE-koot DEEK-seet, ahl-leh-LOO-yah | Hath risen, as He said, alleluia |
Ora pro nobis Deum, allelúia | OH-rah proh NOH-bees DAY-oom, ahl-leh-LOO-yah | Pray for us to God, alleluia |
📌 Key Pronunciation Notes:
Regína (Reh-JEE-nah) – The "g" before "i" is soft, pronounced like "j", making it "JEE", not "GEE" as in "go".
Cæli (CHEH-lee) – The "cæ" is pronounced like "che", not "kai" or "see"; it sounds like "CHEH", not "KAI-lee".
Lætáre (leh-TAH-reh) – The "æ" is pronounced as "eh", and the "á" is stressed, making it "leh-TAH-reh", not "LAY-tah-ray".
Meruísti (meh-roo-EES-tee) – The "uís" is pronounced as "WEE", so it sounds like "meh-roo-WEES-tee", not "meh-ROO-iss-tee".
Portáre (por-TAH-reh) – The "t" is always a clear "t" sound, never a "d" sound as in English words like "water".
Resurréxit (reh-soo-REHK-seet) – The "rr" is rolled slightly, and the "é" is stressed. Do not say "REH-zur-rek-sit", but rather "reh-soo-REHK-seet".
Sicut (SEE-koot) – The "c" before "u" is hard, pronounced "k", making it "SEE-koot", not "SEE-soot".
Dixit (DEEK-seet) – The "x" is pronounced "ks", not "gz", making it "DEEK-seet", not "DIGZ-it".
Ora (OH-rah) – The "r" should be gently rolled, as is common in Latin pronunciation.
Deum (DAY-oom) – The "e" is long, pronounced "DAY", not "DEE-um" or "DYE-um".
✅ Practice Tip: Slowly say each word aloud several times, ensuring correct pronunciation.
3. Videos
LATIN: Regína cæli, lætáre, allelúia:Quia quem meruísti portáre, allelúia,Resurréxit, sicut dixit, allelúia,Ora pro nobis Deum, allelúia.
PHONETIC: Reh-JEE-nah CHEH-lee, leh-TAH-reh, ahl-leh-LOO-yah. KWEE-ah kwem meh-roo-EES-tee por-TAH-reh, ahl-leh-LOO-yah. Reh-soo-REHK-seet, SEE-koot DEEK-seet, ahl-leh-LOO-yah. OH-rah proh NOH-bees DAY-oom, ahl-leh-LOO-yah.
LATIN: Regína cæli, lætáre, allelúia:Quia quem meruísti portáre, allelúia,Resurréxit, sicut dixit, allelúia,Ora pro nobis Deum, allelúia. PHONETIC: Reh-JEE-nah CHEH-lee, leh-TAH-reh, ahl-leh-LOO-yah. KWEE-ah kwem meh-roo-EES-tee por-TAH-reh, ahl-leh-LOO-yah. Reh-soo-REHK-seet, SEE-koot DEEK-seet, ahl-leh-LOO-yah. OH-rah proh NOH-bees DAY-oom, ahl-leh-LOO-yah.
4. How to Integrate the Regina Cæli Into Daily Life
Pray It in Place of the Angelus During Easter – From Easter Sunday to Pentecost, the Regina Cæli replaces the Angelus at morning (6 AM), noon, and evening (6 PM) as a joyful Easter devotion.
Recite It After Mass or Holy Communion – The Regina Cæli is a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving to Our Lady, perfect for after Mass or receiving Holy Communion during the Easter season.
Use It as a Morning or Night Prayer – Begin or end your day by rejoicing with Mary in Christ’s Resurrection, keeping the Easter joy alive in your heart daily.
Sing or Listen to a Chant Version – Strengthen your devotion by listening to a Gregorian chant or singing it as a hymn during personal prayer.
Teach It to Family or Friends – Encourage loved ones to pray or sing the Regina Cæli together, deepening devotion to Our Lady and the Easter mystery.
By incorporating the Regina Cæli into daily prayer, you unite yourself with Mary’s joy and the Church’s Easter celebration, proclaiming Christ’s victory over death!
📌 When reciting the Regina Cæl, show reverence and devotion by:
Bowing your head at the Holy Name of Jesus (Resurréxit, sicut dixit), as a sign of honor and respect.
Making the Sign of the Cross at the end of the prayer, following the traditional conclusion of Marian antiphons.
Praying with hands joined or raised in supplication, expressing joyful reverence for Christ’s Resurrection.
Reciting it slowly and attentively, reflecting on Our Lady’s joy and Christ’s triumph over death.
Singing it with devotion, following the Gregorian chant melody, as the Church has done for centuries.
By praying the Regina Cæli with faith and reverence, we unite ourselves to Our Lady’s Easter joy and proclaim Christ’s glorious Resurrection!
5. Lesson Summary
The Regina Cæli is a joyful Easter prayer honoring Our Lady and celebrating Christ’s Resurrection. It reaffirms the truths of the Incarnation, Redemption, and Mary’s exalted role in salvation. For Catholics who reject the heresies of Vatican II, this prayer is a clear expression of unwavering faith in the Risen Lord and His true Church.
6. Final Thought – Why Does This Prayer Matter?
The Regina Cæli is a radiant expression of the joy of the Resurrection, a triumph not only of Christ over death, but also of Catholic truth over error. This beautiful antiphon has been recited by faithful Catholics during the Easter season for centuries, replacing the Angelus as a fitting meditation on the glory of the Risen Lord and the exaltation of His Holy Mother. It reflects the authentic Catholic spirit: one of deep Marian devotion, theological clarity, and liturgical reverence.
In the wake of the Vatican II apostasy, where modernist infiltrators substituted novelty, ambiguity, and ecumenical confusion for clarity and tradition, even Marian devotion has been downgraded, misunderstood, or sidelined. The pseudo-Catholic church born from Vatican II has embraced a humanistic, world-pleasing religion that strips away the exalted role of Our Lady, marginalizing her mediation and diminishing her singular role in salvation history.
But in the Regina Cæli, the Catholic soul finds joyful resistance to these errors. This prayer proclaims the Resurrection not merely as a spiritual symbol, but as a historical, bodily victory over death and sin. It acknowledges Our Lady's joy in her Divine Son’s triumph, and exalts her with the dignity that only the true Church of Christ has ever rightly understood.
To faithfully pray the Regina Cæli is to stand with the Church of all ages, joyfully proclaiming the Resurrection while honoring the Mother who shared in her Son’s suffering and now shares in His glory. It is a rejection of the sterile, rationalist faith of the post-conciliar church and a reaffirmation of Catholic tradition in its fullness and beauty.
In this Easter antiphon, the Catholic faithful not only rejoice in the Lord's triumph but also cling to the truth of His Church, rejecting the counterfeit religion that dares to call itself Catholic while denying the very foundations of the Faith. The true Church still sings the Regina Cæli, unchanged and uncorrupted—because Christ is truly risen, and His Bride, though eclipsed, remains spotless and pure.
Let every recitation of the Regina Cæli be a profession of that truth and a prayer for the full restoration of the visible Church of Christ on earth.
“Regína cæli, lætáre, allelúia:
Quia quem meruísti portáre, allelúia,…”
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