In the Roman Catholic Church, the prayer Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them, O Lord is a prayer that is offered for deceased members of the church. It is offered during the funeral services for the deceased, and also in memory of deceased persons. The church maintains that this prayer grants a partial indulgence for those souls in purgatory. The text is taken in part from the Jewish apocalypse 2 Esdras, which is not accepted as scripture by Catholics.

Current Form

The current form of the prayer is as follows,

P. Eternal rest grant unto them (him, her), O Lord.
R. And may perpetual light shine upon them (him, her).
P. May the souls of the faithfully departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R. Amen.

In keeping with modern church practice, this prayer is usually spoken in the vernacular.

Old Form

The older form of the prayer in Latin is as follows,

'"Requiem aeternam dona ei (eis), Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei (eis). Requiescat (-ant) in pace. Amen." - "Eternal rest grant unto him/her (them), O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him/her (them). May he/she (they) rest in peace. Amen."

This was the primary form of the prayer used in the days before the Second Vatican Council.