Pro multis

Pro multis is a Latin phrase that means "for many" or "for the many". Not having the definite article, Latin does not distinguish between these two meanings.

The phrase is part of the longer phrase "qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum" used, with reference to the blood of Christ, in the consecration of the wine in the Roman Rite Mass.

In the definitively approved English translation this longer phrase appears as "which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins".

The phrase "poured out for you" comes from Luke 22:20 only. "Poured out for many" is from Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24. "For the forgiveness of sins" is from Matthew 26:28 only. 1 Corinthians 11:25, the earliest account of Jesus' words over the cup at his Last Supper, mentions none of these phrases in relation to the consecration of the wine.

The variety of these accounts indicates that the writers did not intend to give the exact words that Jesus used, probably in Aramaic. The only words that are considered essential for the consecration of the wine at Mass are "This is my blood", though the form of the sacrament, which varies according to the liturgical rite (Roman Rite, Byzantine Rite, etc.) contains other words as well.

Biblicist Albert Vanhoye said that Hebrew רבים (rabbim), translated in Greek as πολλῶν (pollon) "means 'a great number' without any specification as to whether this refers to a totality".

Several initial vernacular translations of the Roman Missal employed "for all" instead of "for many" to represent the phrase pro multis in the Eucharistic Prayer. Thus, Italian had "per tutti", Spanish "por todos los hombres", Portuguese "por todos os homens", German "für alle". However, languages such as Polish translated literally "za was i za wielu", while Dutch had "voor de velen" (for the many), and French "pour la multitude" (for the multitude).

The word "many" (Latin multi, Greek πολλοί) is opposed to "few" (Latin pauci, Greek ὀλίγοι), not to "all" (Latin omnes, Greek πάντες). In a large group, all the members are many; in a small group, all are few. People can be many whether they form the totality of a group or only part of a group. An article by Father Max Zerwick, S.J. gives examples of texts in which the totality of a group are referred to as "many".