Rosary

Each decade provides an opportunity to meditate on one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, which recall events in the lives of Jesus Christ and his mother Mary.

Over more than four centuries, several popes have promoted the Rosary as part of the veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church,[7] and consisting essentially in meditation on the life of Christ.

Instead of ending each decade with the Gloria Patri, Pope Pius IX would add: "May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The original Mysteries of Light were written by George Preca, the only Maltese official Catholic saint, and later reformed by the pope.

[26] Scriptural meditations concerning the rosary are based on the Christian tradition of Lectio Divina (literally "divine reading") as a way of using the Gospel to start a conversation between the person and Christ.

[35] According to Herbert Thurston, it is certain that in the course of the twelfth century and before the birth of Dominic, the practice of reciting the Ave Maria 50 or 150 times had become generally familiar.

According to 20th century editions of the Catholic Encyclopedia, the story of Dominic's devotion to the Rosary and supposed apparition of Our Lady of the Rosary does not appear in any documents of the Catholic Church or the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) prior to the writings of the Dominican Alanus de Rupe (also Alan de la Roche), some 250 years after Dominic.

[37] Leonard Foley said that although Mary's giving the Rosary to Dominic is recognized as a legend, the development of this prayer form owes much to the Order of Preachers.

[38] The practice of meditation during the praying of the Hail Mary is attributed to Dominic of Prussia (1382–1460), a Carthusian monk who termed it "Life of Jesus Rosary".

[40] In 1569, the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices by the Dominican Pope Pius V officially established the devotion to the Rosary in the Catholic Church.

There were no other changes until 2002, when John Paul II suggested the five optional Luminous Mysteries; variations of these had previously been proposed by George Preca,[43][44][45][46] and were implemented during the mid-20th century by figures such as Patrick Peyton.

[47] When Penal Laws in Ireland restricted or banned the Mass, the Rosary became a substitute prayer ritual within private homes.

[48] During the 18th century, de Montfort elaborated on the importance of the rosary and emphasized that it should be prayed with attention, devotion, and modesty (reverence).

"[56] Pope Pius XII and his successors actively promoted veneration of the Virgin in Lourdes and Fatima, which is credited with a new resurgence of the Rosary within the Catholic Church.

[57] Pope John Paul II issued the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae which emphasized the Christocentric nature of the Rosary as a meditation on the life of Christ.

"[23] On 3 May 2008, Pope Benedict XVI stated that the Rosary was experiencing a new springtime: "It is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother.

For the Marian Rosary he provided for plenary indulgence on condition that it is piously recited in a church or oratory (even alone), in a family, religious community, association of Christ's faithful or, more generally, in a meeting of a plurality of people who come together honourable for this purpose.

[60] Rosary beads provide a physical method of keeping count of the number of Hail Marys said as the mysteries are contemplated.

It is common for beads to be made of material with some special significance, such as jet from the shrine of Saint James the Greater at Santiago de Compostela, or olive seeds from the Garden of Gethsemane.

In rare cases, beads are made of expensive materials, from gold and silver, to mother of pearl and Swarovski black diamonds.

[citation needed] There are a number of rosary-making clubs around the world that make and distribute rosaries to missions, hospitals, prisons, etc.

[63] Rosary beads are often worn by Christians as a sign of their faith in various parts of the world, including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Palestine, and Uganda.

[64][65] Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort encouraged Christians to also wear the rosary beads, stating that doing so "eased him considerably.

[67] Canon Law §1171 provides that sacred objects, which are designated for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated reverently and are not to be employed for profane or inappropriate use even if they are owned by private persons.

While a Catholic may wear a rosary around the neck for a good purpose, he or she should consider if the practice will be positively understood in the cultural context in which the person moves.

[citation needed] Many Christians hang rosaries from the rear-view mirror of their automobiles as a witness of their faith and protection as they drive.

[74] Audio recordings of the Rosary help with aspects of prayer such as pacing, memorization, and by providing inspirational meditations in the form of commentary.

The final "Hail Mary" can also be replaced by reciting of either the Magnificat, or Martin Luther's "Evangelical Praise of the Mother of God.

While an official order and rubric for its use exists,[91] it is often used as a tool for reflection and meditation rather than recitation of specific prayers or devotions, often as part of Confirmation classes.

A 2022 opinion piece in The Atlantic, an American magazine and multi-platform publisher, linked Catholic rosary beads to Christian nationalism, radical traditional Catholicism and "extremist" right wing movements in the United States.