Rosary

The Holy Rosary (/ˈroʊzəri/; Latin: rosarium, in the sense of 'crown of roses' or 'garland of roses'), also known as the Dominican Rosary, refers to a form of prayer used in the Catholic Church and to the string of knots or beads used to count the component prayers. When used for the prayer, the word is usually capitalized ('the Rosary'), as is customary for other names of prayers, such as 'the Lord's Prayer', and 'the Hail Mary'; when referring to the beads, it is written with a lower-case initial letter ('a rosary'). If the reason for wearing a rosary is as a statement of faith, as a reminder to pray it, or some similar reason 'to the glory of God,' then there is nothing to object to. It would not be respectful to wear it merely as jewelry. This latter point is something to bear in mind in the case of wearing a rosary around the neck. In the first place, while not unknown, it is not common Catholic practice. ...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. If any misunderstanding is likely, then it would be better to avoid the practice. ...Similar reasoning is observed in dealing with rosary bracelets and rings, although in this case there is far less danger of confusion as to meaning. They are never mere jewelry but are worn as a sign of faith.Rosary Basilica, Fatima, Portugal, 1953.Rosary Basilica, Lourdes, France, 1899.Our Lady of the Rosary, Drawień, Poland, 1695.Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, Ohio, 1931.Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás, Buenes Aires province, ArgentinaMadonna and rosary by Nicola PortaMadonna with rosary, by Guido Reni, 1596Madonna offering Saint Dominic rosary by August Palme, 1860Madonna with the Rosary by Murillo, 1650Madonna of the Rosary statue, Naples, ItalyRosary Madonna, Porto Alegre, BrazilMadonna with Rosary, South-Tyrol, AustriaMadonna with Rosary by Josef Mersa, ItalyCrucifixion and rosarySaint Anthony with a rosaryRosary with pomanderOld woman prayingMadonna of the Rosary by Caravaggio The Holy Rosary (/ˈroʊzəri/; Latin: rosarium, in the sense of 'crown of roses' or 'garland of roses'), also known as the Dominican Rosary, refers to a form of prayer used in the Catholic Church and to the string of knots or beads used to count the component prayers. When used for the prayer, the word is usually capitalized ('the Rosary'), as is customary for other names of prayers, such as 'the Lord's Prayer', and 'the Hail Mary'; when referring to the beads, it is written with a lower-case initial letter ('a rosary'). The prayers that comprise the Rosary are arranged in sets of ten Hail Marys, called decades. Each decade is preceded by one Lord's Prayer and followed by one Glory Be. During recitation of each set, thought is given to one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, which recall events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Five decades are recited per rosary. Other prayers are sometimes added before or after each decade. Rosary beads are an aid towards saying these prayers in the proper sequence. A standard 15 Mysteries of the Rosary, based on the long-standing custom, was established by Pope Pius V during the 16th century, grouping the mysteries in three sets: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. During 2002 Pope John Paul II said that it is fitting that a new set of five be added, termed the Luminous Mysteries, bringing the total number of mysteries to 20. The Glorious mysteries are said on Sunday and Wednesday, the Joyful on Monday and Saturday, the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, and the Luminous Mysteries are said on Thursday. Usually five decades are recited in a session. For more than four centuries, the rosary has been promoted by several popes as part of the veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church, and consisting essentially in meditation on the life of Christ. The rosary also represents the Catholic emphasis on 'participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ', and the Mariological theme 'to Christ through Mary.' During the 16th century, Pope Pius V associated the rosary with the General Roman Calendar by instituting the Feast of Our Lady of Victory (later changed to Our Lady of the Rosary), which is celebrated on 7 October. Pope Leo XIII, known as 'The Rosary Pope,' issued twelve encyclicals and five apostolic letters concerning the rosary and added the invocation Queen of the most Holy Rosary to the Litany of Loreto. 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. Pope John XXIII deemed the rosary of such importance that on April 28, 1962, in an apostolic letter he appealed for the recitation of the Rosary in preparation for the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.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. He said: “Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as by the hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.' 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.' To Benedict XVI, the rosary is a meditation on all the important moments of salvation history. The Congregation for Divine Worship's directory of popular piety and the liturgy emphasizes the Christian meditation/meditative aspects of the rosary, and states that the Rosary is essentially a contemplative prayer which requires 'tranquility of rhythm or even a mental lingering which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life.' The Congregation for Divine Worship points out the role the Rosary can have as a formative component of spiritual life.