THE YEAR OF THE ROSARY

"ESPECIALLY EMPHASIZED AND PROMOTED"

I desire that during the course of this year the Rosary should be especially emphasized and promoted in the various Christian communities. I therefore proclaim the year from October 2002 to October 2003 the Year of the Rosary.

"A READY AND GENEROUS RECEPTION"

I am confident that the proposal will find a ready and generous reception. The Rosary, reclaimed in its full meaning, goes to the very heart of Christian life; it offers a familiar yet fruitful spiritual and educational opportunity for personal contemplation, the formation of the People of God, and the new evangelization.

"RENEW AND INTENSIFY"

The Year of the Rosary that we will observe together will certainly produce good fruit in the hearts of all, it will renew and intensify the work of grace of the Great Jubilee Year 2000 and will be a source of peace for the world.

JESUS AND MARY

May the prayer of the Rosary said every day with faith and devotion, help you to experience in your lives the centrality of the mystery of Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, and alongside Him, the motherly tenderness of Mary.

"REDISCOVER THE MYSTICAL DEPTH"

We need to rediscover the mystical depth contained in the simplicity of this prayer, so much loved by popular tradition.

"A PRAYER FOR PEACE"

The Rosary has many times been proposed ... as a prayer for peace... To rediscover the Rosary means to immerse oneself in contemplation of the mystery of Christ Who "is our peace" ... One cannot recite the Rosary without feeling caught up in a clear commitment to advancing peace, especially in the land of Jesus, still so sorely afflicted and so close to the heart of every Christian.

THE ROSARY AND THE FAMILY

A similar need for commitment and prayer arises in relation ... to the family, ... increasingly menaced by forces of disintegration, ... so as to make us fear for the future of this fundamental and indispensable institution, and with it, for the future of society as a whole.

THE REVIVAL OF THE FAMILY ROSARY

The revival of the Rosary in Christian families, within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to counter the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.

"CONFIDENTLY TAKE UP THE ROSARY"

Confidently take up the Rosary once again. Rediscover the Rosary in light of Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives.

(Sources: Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, issued October 16, 2002, and General Audience, October 16, 2002)