Fatima Pardon Prayer
Understanding the Rosary Prayers
Introduction
Many Catholics feel the strain of a culture that ignores God, treats sin lightly, and forgets the Holy Eucharist. The Fatima Pardon Prayer is a simple reply to this crisis. Taught by the Angel of Peace to the three children of Fatima, it leads the soul to adore God, renew faith, stir hope, and kindle charity, not only for oneself but also for those who do not believe, adore, hope, or love Him. This prayer matters today because it gives every Catholic, strong or struggling, a concrete way to make reparation and stand before God on behalf of others. It is short, easy to learn, and can become a steady habit that shapes the Heart toward mercy and conversion.
Who the Pardon Prayer is For
The Pardon Prayer is for every soul who wants to love God more, even if that desire feels small. Children can learn it easily and begin to discover that their prayers help make up for sin in the Church and in the world. Adults can use it to repair past sins, to pray for family members, and to stand quietly before the Most Holy Trinity with faith and sorrow for offenses against Him. It is also a strong help for the lapsed Catholic who feels far away and does not know how to start again. This short prayer gives such a person honest words of Adoration and reparation, a first step back toward Confession, the Eucharist, and a renewed friendship with God.
How this Page Will Help You
This page will guide you step by step so the Pardon Prayer is not just words you repeat, but an act of faith you understand. First, it will present the full text of the prayer and explain its main parts in plain language, so you know what you are saying to God. Then it will give the story behind the prayer at Fatima, which helps you see why it matters for the Church today. You will also find simple suggestions for when and how to add this prayer to your Rosary and daily life. Throughout, the aim is to help you stand before the Most Holy Trinity with clear intention, stronger trust, and a desire to make loving reparation for sins.
The Place of the Pardon Prayer in a Life of Conversion and Mercy
The Pardon Prayer fits into daily conversion the way breathing fits into the body. It is not a replacement for Confession or the Mass, but a support for both. Each time it is prayed, the soul turns again toward God with acts of faith, hope, and charity, and sorrow for sins that offend Him. In this way, it keeps the Heart honest and open. It also stretches love beyond the self, since we pray in reparation for those who do not believe, adore, hope, or love God. Said before or after Communion, during Adoration, or at quiet moments in the day, the Pardon Prayer helps the Christian share in Christ’s mercy and quietly offer life, joys, and sufferings for others.
The Pardon Prayer (Full Text)
“My God,
I believe,
I adore,
I hope,
and I love Thee.
I beg pardon for those who do not believe,
do not adore,
do not hope,
and do not love Thee.”
Amen
Main Parts of the Prayer
The Pardon Prayer moves through five clear acts of the Heart. First is Adoration: the soul falls before the Most Holy Trinity, giving God the honor that belongs to Him alone. Then comes faith: the one praying renews trust that God is real and has spoken in Christ and His Church. Next is hope: the prayer leans on God’s promise of mercy and eternal life. Charity follows, as the person offers love to God above all things and wants that love to spread to others. Finally comes reparation: the decision to offer this prayer and one’s life in sorrow for sins, especially for those who do not believe, adore, hope, or love God. These five acts form a simple but strong pattern for daily prayer.
Key Words that Need Simple Explanation
In this short prayer, a few words carry great meaning and deserve clear explanation. “My God” is personal; the one praying speaks directly to the living God, not to an idea. “I believe” is an act of faith that accepts what God has revealed, even when feelings are dry. “I adore” means worship given to God alone, not the honor given to saints. “I hope” trusts that God keeps His promises of mercy and eternal life. “I love You” is a simple act of charity, putting God first. “I beg pardon” is a plea for forgiveness, both for oneself and “for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You,” an act of mercy for souls far from Him.
How the Pardon Prayer Differs from the Fatima Decade Prayer
The Pardon Prayer and the Fatima Decade Prayer are close in spirit but not the same. The Pardon Prayer is addressed directly to “My God” and centers on acts of faith, Adoration, hope, love, and reparation for those who do not turn to Him. It is short and personal, and it does not mention hell or the Rosary directly. The Fatima Decade Prayer (“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins…”) is addressed to Jesus and is usually said after each decade of the Rosary. It asks for forgiveness, rescue from hell, and mercy for souls, especially those most in need. In practice, the Pardon Prayer shapes the Heart before God, while the Decade Prayer is often joined to each decade as an intercession for the salvation of souls.
Historical Background
Before Our Lady appeared at Fatima in 1917, God sent an angel to prepare the three shepherd children—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. In 1916, near Fatima in Portugal, the Angel of Peace appeared to them three times while they watched their sheep. He taught them to pray, to offer sacrifices for sinners, and to adore God in the Holy Eucharist. During one of these visits, he knelt, bowed down, and had the children repeat the Pardon Prayer. The Angel explained that many souls offend God and that the children could help by prayer and suffering offered with love. These angelic visits formed their consciences and gave them a sense of the holiness of God, so that when Our Lady came the following year, they were ready to receive her message.
Portugal in 1916–1917
When the Angel of Peace and later Our Lady appeared in Fatima, Portugal was going through hard times. The young republic, born after the 1910 revolution, passed strong anti-clerical laws that closed religious houses, expelled many priests and religious, and tried to push faith to the edge of public life. At the same time, World War I brought fear, death, and deep uncertainty to families. Many soldiers were at the front, and rural people like Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta lived with simple means and a steady struggle for daily bread. In this climate of political tension, moral confusion, and suffering, God chose three poor children in a small village to remind the Church of prayer, penance, and reparation, beginning with the Pardon Prayer.
The Apparitions of the Angel of Peace
In 1916, the Angel of Peace came three times to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta while they watched their sheep near Fatima. In the first visit, he asked them to pray with him, bowing down and teaching them to say, “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You…”. In the second visit, he urged them to offer sacrifices for sinners and to accept daily trials as a gift to God. In the third visit, he appeared holding a chalice and a Host, from which drops of Blood fell, and he taught them a Eucharistic prayer of Adoration and reparation. Each apparition trained the children in serious prayer, sacrifice, and love for the Eucharist, preparing them for the coming of Our Lady.
How and When the Pardon Prayer Was First Taught
The Pardon Prayer was first taught in 1916 during the Angel of Peace’s first visit to the three shepherd children. While Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta were tending sheep near Fatima, the Angel appeared above the trees and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace.” He knelt, bowed his forehead to the ground, and told them to repeat after him: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You…” He asked them to say it three times, offering it in reparation for those who do not believe, adore, hope, and love God. From that day, the children prayed it often, and it became the first simple school of Adoration and reparation that prepared them for Our Lady’s coming.
Link Between the Angel's Visits and the Later Visits of Our Lady
The Angel of Peace did not come with a separate message from Fatima, but as a preparation for Our Lady’s visits. Through the Pardon Prayer, he taught the children Adoration, faith, hope, love, and reparation. Later, when Our Lady appeared in 1917, she asked for the same things in greater detail: prayer, penance, the Rosary, and reparation for sins that offend God. The Angel’s Eucharistic teaching also prepared them to understand Mary’s sorrow over offenses against the Blessed Sacrament. Because their hearts had already learned silence, sacrifice, and deep respect for God, the children could receive Our Lady’s words with greater attention and carry them faithfully. The Pardon Prayer is therefore part of the doorway into the whole Fatima call.
What the Pardon Prayer Teaches About God, Sin, and Mercy
The Pardon Prayer shows first that God is personal and close: “My God” is a cry from a child to a Father who hears. By saying “I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You,” the soul admits that God deserves faith, worship, trust, and love, and that these acts are not small things. The second half of the prayer shows the truth about sin. Many people do not believe, adore, hope, or love God, and this failure wounds His Heart and harms their souls. Yet the prayer also shows mercy. The one who prays does not judge others but stands before God and begs pardon for them. In this way, the Christian shares, in a small way, in Christ’s own love for sinners and desire for their salvation.
Adoration of the Most Holy Trinity
The Pardon Prayer is very short, yet it draws the soul into Adoration of the Most Holy Trinity. It begins with “My God,” which the Christian prays with the Church’s Trinitarian faith in mind: one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. When a person says, “I adore,” the Heart bows before this living God with an act of worship that belongs to Him alone. The Angel at Fatima showed the children this by his own posture, kneeling and bending his forehead to the ground. Each time the prayer is said, the believer silently confesses that God is Lord and that every breath, gift, and moment depends on Him. In this way, the Pardon Prayer helps form a habit of deep, loving Adoration of the Trinity.
Belief, Hope, and Charity as Acts of the Heart
In the Pardon Prayer, “I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You” is much more than a list of words. “I believe” is an act of faith: the Heart accepts what God has revealed and entrusts itself to Him, even when feelings are cold. “I hope” is an act that leans on God’s strength and promises, confident that He wants to save and forgive. “I love You” is an act of charity, placing God first and giving Him a simple, direct word of love. These three acts can be renewed many times a day, in a hospital bed, at work, in a pew, or in a kitchen. Each repetition draws the person away from self and back toward God with trust.
Reparation for Those Who Do Not Believe, Adore, Hope, or Love
The second half of the Pardon Prayer turns the Heart outward. “I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You” is an act of reparation. The one who prays does not stand over others in judgment, but stands before God on their behalf. They admit that many live without faith, without worship, without trust, without love, and that this offends God and harms souls. By offering this prayer, the Christian joins a small sacrifice of love to the perfect sacrifice of Christ, asking mercy for sinners. This can be done for family, friends, strangers, or whole nations. In a hidden way, it helps push back the coldness of sin with an act of love.
"Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity": The Eucharistic Heart of the Prayer
The words “Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity” belong to the Eucharistic prayer that the Angel later taught the children, but they show the inner setting of the Pardon Prayer. At Fatima, reparation is not vague goodwill; it is joined to Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. In Holy Communion, the whole Christ is given—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. When someone prays, “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You… I beg pardon of You…,” that act of love can be silently placed on the paten with the Host and in the chalice. The Pardon Prayer then becomes a small offering united to the sacrifice of Christ in the Mass, asking mercy for sins that offend Him in the Eucharist and in daily life.
Union with the Sacrifice of Jesus for the Salvation of Souls
The Pardon Prayer lets an ordinary Catholic join their small prayer to the great sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. Christ gave Himself “for many, unto remission of sins” (Mt 26:28, Douay-Rheims), and now He draws the faithful to share in His love for souls. When someone prays, “I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe…,” that person quietly stands beside the Cross with Our Lord, asking mercy for those who ignore Him. This is a real share, though small, in His saving work. Offered at Mass, before the tabernacle, or in daily work, the Pardon Prayer becomes a way to live Saint Paul’s words about “filling up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ” for the Church (Col 1:24, Douay-Rheims).
The Pardon Prayer and the Rosary
The Pardon Prayer fits very well with the Holy Rosary, because both are given for the same purpose: conversion of sinners and reparation to God. At Fatima, Our Lady asked the children to pray the Rosary every day, and the Angel had already placed this short act of Adoration and reparation in their hands. Many Catholics like to say the Pardon Prayer before beginning the Rosary, asking God to accept the whole chaplet in a spirit of faith, hope, love, and mercy. Others say it quietly before each mystery, or after the “O my Jesus” decade prayer. There is no single rule. The important thing is that this brief cry, “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You…,” shapes the Rosary from inside and keeps the Heart turned toward God for souls.
Why Fatima Prayers Are Often Joined to the Holy Rosary
Fatima prayers are often joined to the Rosary because they express, in short form, the very aims Our Lady gave at Fatima: conversion, reparation, and trust in God. The Rosary itself is a meditation on the life of Jesus with Mary, but at Fatima, Mary asked that it also be prayed “for the conversion of sinners” and “in reparation for sins.” The Pardon Prayer, the Decade Prayer, and the other Fatima prayers help make that purpose clear. They give words for sorrow over sin, love for the Eucharist, and concern for souls. When they are added before, during, or after the decades, the Rosary becomes not only a personal devotion but an intercession for the Church, families, and those far from God.
Ways to Insert the Pardon Prayer into a Rosary, Alone or in Groups
There is freedom in how the Pardon Prayer is added to the Rosary, as long as it does not disturb the basic structure. One simple way is to pray it once at the very beginning, after the Sign of the Cross and before the Creed, offering the whole Rosary in a spirit of reparation. Another way is to say it before each mystery, as a short act of Adoration and faith before the Our Father. Some families or groups like to add it after the “O my Jesus” Fatima Decade Prayer, especially on First Saturdays. When praying alone, a person can also pause after a difficult decade and say it slowly, applying it to certain people or intentions that need faith, hope, and love.
Praying the Pardon Prayer with the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries
The Pardon Prayer can quietly shape every set of mysteries. With the Joyful Mysteries, it joins the hidden life of Jesus and Mary, asking that hearts open to faith and love in daily duties. With the Sorrowful Mysteries, it stands near the Cross, begging pardon for the sins that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. With The Glorious Mysteries, it asks that many share in the risen life of Christ and the coming of the Holy Ghost. With the Luminous Mysteries, it responds to the public ministry of Jesus, His teaching, miracles, and the gift of the Eucharist. Before each decade, or at the end of each set, the prayer can be offered for those who do not believe, adore, hope, or love.
Helping Children and Beginners Add the Pardon Prayer without Confusion
When teaching the Pardon Prayer to children or beginners, simple steps are most helpful. First, keep the basic Rosary order steady. Do not change the main prayers; choose one clear place for the Pardon Prayer, such as at the very beginning or after the Fatima Decade Prayer. Next, explain the meaning in short phrases: “I believe,” “I adore,” “I hope,” “I love You,” and “I beg pardon for others.” Let them repeat each line slowly, then say the whole prayer together. It can help to print or display the words where everyone can see them. Be patient if they forget. Over time, the prayer becomes familiar and joins the Rosary in a natural way, without strain or confusion.
How to Pray the Pardon Prayer in Daily Life
The Pardon Prayer fits into many small moments of the day. A person can say it upon waking, offering the new day “for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love.” It can be prayed on the way to work, during a short walk, or while standing in a line, turning empty time into intercession. Before Mass or during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, it can be said slowly as an act of Adoration and reparation. At night, it may follow a brief examination of conscience, asking mercy for one’s own sins and for others. In this way, the prayer becomes a steady habit that keeps the Heart facing God and thinking of souls.
When to Pray the Pardon Prayer
The Pardon Prayer can gently frame the whole day of a Catholic. Before Mass, it helps the soul come before God with faith, hope, love, and sorrow for sin, ready to join the sacrifice of Christ for the salvation of souls. During Eucharistic Adoration, it is a fitting act of reparation for offenses against the Blessed Sacrament and a simple way to stay focused on Jesus present in the Host. At home, it can be prayed alone or with family at the start or end of the day, or before meals and family prayer. In each place, the words are the same, but the setting is different. The Heart offers itself and others to God and asks mercy for those who ignore Him.
Simple Steps to Learn and Memorize the Pardon Prayer
The Pardon Prayer is short, so a few clear habits will fix it in the mind. First, break it into two parts: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You” and “I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.” Say each part slowly three times a day for a week, perhaps morning, midday, and night. Next, pray it from memory during a simple task, such as walking, washing dishes, or sitting in a pew before Mass. Help children or beginners by letting them repeat each line after you. Writing it on a small card or saving it on a phone screen also helps. Within a short time, the prayer becomes natural.
Praying the Pardon Prayer for Family, Parish, and the Distant from God
The Pardon Prayer is a quiet way to carry others before God. A parent or grandparent can pray it for children who have left the sacraments, asking mercy “for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love.” It can be offered for a spouse, brothers and sisters, or anyone in the family who is careless about God. Parishioners can say it for their priests, for fellow parish members, and for those who never come to Church. It is also a strong prayer for the distant and hostile, people who mock the faith or live as if God does not exist. Each time it is said, the person praying stands in the gap, asking pardon and grace for those who are far away.
Using the Pardon Prayer in Times of Temptation and Spiritual Dryness
The Pardon Prayer is very helpful when a person feels tempted or spiritually dry. In temptation, the mind can turn at once to God with the words, “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You,” rather than dwell on the tempting thought. This simple act shifts the Heart from sin toward God and asks for grace. In times of dryness, when prayer feels empty, the Pardon Prayer offers clear, honest words to say. One may not feel faith, hope, or love, but still chooses to say, “I believe… I hope… I love You,” and to offer that choice to those who do not care about God. In both cases, the prayer keeps the soul facing God and asking mercy.
Living the Spirit of the Pardon Prayer: Reparation in Ordinary Duties
Living the Pardon Prayer means more than saying it with the lips; it means offering daily life in the same spirit. A mother can change diapers, cook, and clean while saying in her Heart, “My God… I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe…”. A worker can offer hard tasks, boredom, or unfair treatment quietly for souls. The sick can unite pain and weakness to this prayer, asking that their hidden suffering repair for coldness toward God. Even simple things—traffic, delays, minor annoyances—can be turned into reparation when accepted with patience and offered to God. In this way, ordinary duties become a kind of ongoing Pardon Prayer, held under the gaze of the Most Holy Trinity for the salvation of many.
Offering Daily Work, Trials, and Sufferings in the Spirit of the Prayer
The Pardon Prayer can quietly shape how a Christian carries each day. When work feels dull or heavy, a person can say, “My God… I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe…,” and offer that task for souls. The same can be done with bodily pain, loneliness, or worry. Instead of wasting these burdens in complaint, the Heart lifts them to God as a living act of reparation. A simple morning offering that includes the Pardon Prayer can place all hours—work, rest, meetings, housework, hidden aches—into His hands. Joined to Christ, who “hath loved me, and delivered himself for me” (Gal 2:20, Douay-Rheims), these small offerings gain value for the Church and for those far from God.
Uniting with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Pardon Prayer is a simple way to enter the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Jesus loves the Father perfectly and offers Himself for sinners; Mary stands close to Him, sharing His concern for souls. When someone says, “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You… I beg pardon of You…,” that person steps into this double Heart, asking for mercy with them and through them. The prayer can be joined to an image of the Sacred Heart or to the Five First Saturdays in honor of Mary’s Heart. In quiet words, the believer offers faith, hope, and love in place of so much coldness, and asks that many hearts be drawn back to Jesus through Mary.
Hope for Great Sinners and Those Who Feel Far from Confession
The Pardon Prayer carries a quiet message of hope for those who feel covered in sin or scared of Confession. A person who has been away for years may not know how to begin, but can still say, “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You… I beg pardon of You…” These words admit that God is real, that His mercy is possible, and that the Heart still wants Him. Said each day, the prayer can soften shame and fear, and slowly turn desire toward the confessional, where Christ forgives through the priest. Others can also offer this prayer for those with great sin, trusting that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace as long as life lasts.
Summary and Encouragement to Begin Praying the Pardon Prayer Today
The Pardon Prayer is very small, but it carries much: Adoration of God, acts of faith, hope, and love, and reparation for those who ignore Him. It links daily life with the Angel of Peace, with Our Lady of Fatima, and with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It can be prayed in a church, at home, at work, or in a hospital bed. You may feel strong in faith or barely hanging on; you may be close to the sacraments or still afraid to return. Begin where you are. Say it once in the morning and once at night, or add it before your Rosary. Let the words become your own: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You…” God hears that simple act and uses it for many souls.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Pardon Prayer taught at Fatima is a short prayer taught in 1916 by the Angel of Peace to the three shepherd children of Fatima. In it, the soul makes an act of faith, adoration, hope, and love toward God, and then begs pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Him. It is both a personal act of love and a prayer of reparation for others.
Strictly speaking, no. The traditional, universal structure of the Rosary does not require the Pardon Prayer. However, many Catholics freely add it as a devotional addition, especially before beginning the decades or at the start of their Rosary, because it expresses the spirit of Fatima and prepares the heart to pray with more faith and love.
No. Because it comes from private revelation, the Pardon Prayer is not a matter of obligation. Catholics are free to accept and use it, but they are not bound to do so. The Church teaches that approved private revelations, like Fatima, do not add new doctrine, but help the faithful live the Gospel more fully in a particular time. This prayer is one such help, especially for deepening reparation and love for God.
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Charles Rogers is a resident of South Carolina and a retired computer programmer by trade. Raised in various Christian denominations, he always believed in Jesus Christ. In 2012, he began experiencing authentic spiritual encounters with the Blessed Virgin Mary, which led him on a seven-year journey at her hand, that included alcohol addiction, a widow maker heart attack and death and conversion to the Catholic Faith. He is the exclusive author and owner of Two Percent Survival, a website dedicated to and created in honor of the Holy Mother. Feel free to email Charles at twopercentsurvival@gmail.com.
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