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POPE-ROSARY May-5-2008 (240 words) With photos. xxxi
Praying the rosary is experiencing a new revival, pope says
By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- Praying the rosary is enjoying a revival among Catholics and can be a profound way to relive the events of Christ's life, Pope Benedict XVI said.
The pope led the recital of the rosary with hundreds of Catholics in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major May 3. U.S. Cardinal Bernard F. Law, archpriest of the basilica, welcomed the pontiff and prayed with him.
Speaking at the end of the encounter, the pope said the rosary was "not a pious practice relegated to the past, like a prayer of former times to be remembered with nostalgia."
"The rosary, on the contrary, is experiencing almost a new springtime. This is undoubtedly one of the most eloquent signs of the love that younger generations have for Jesus and for his mother, Mary," he said.
The papal event took place on the first Saturday of May, the month the church dedicates to Mary, at Rome's pre-eminent Marian basilica.
In his talk, the pope emphasized that devotion to Mary through the rosary always has Christ at its center.
Nor should praying the rosary be considered a merely private practice, with no relationship to others, he said.
"When it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanically or superficially but in a profound way, it can in fact bring peace and reconciliation," he said.
END
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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