The Rosary and Mary: From Vatican II to the Present DayThe Vatican II Council (1962-1965) was undoubtedly one of the most significant moments in the history of Christianity in the second millennium and marks the beginning of living the faith in Christ in the third millennium. This Council devoted more space to Mary and to acts of piety towards the Mother of the Church than any previous Council, as affirmed by the *Lumen Gentium* (1964):> “After careful consideration, the Sacred Council teaches this Catholic doctrine and at the same time encourages all the children of the Church to foster generously the veneration of the Most Holy Virgin, especially the liturgical veneration, to hold in high regard the practices and acts of piety towards Her approved over the centuries by the Magisterium, and to remain faithful to all that has been decreed in the past regarding the veneration of images of Christ, the Virgin, and the Saints.”Pope Paul VI (1963-1978), in his encyclical *Christi Matri* (1966), explains the meaning of the words of the Vatican II Council, which, although not explicitly referring to the Rosary, nevertheless implies it:> “The Second Vatican Council, though not explicitly but with clear indication, rekindled in the souls of all the faithful of the Church the fervor for the Rosary, recommending the veneration of the practices and acts of piety towards Her [Mary], as approved over time by the Magisterium.”In the same encyclical, the Pope recalled that the Rosary is a prayer for peace, a refuge and nourishment of faith. A few years later, in his apostolic exhortation *Recurrens mensis october* (1969), Pope Paul VI stated:> “Meditating on the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, we will learn, following Mary’s example, to become souls of peace, through constant and loving contact with Jesus and with the mysteries of His redeeming life.”This great prayer, whether in its traditional form established by St. Pius V or in other legitimate forms adapted to the needs of our time, can be recited publicly and universally.From a historical perspective, it was this emphasis on the perspective of renewal of the Rosary that led to the emergence of new forms of recitation encouraging pastoral experiences of adaptation of the Rosary, according to local experiences, inculturated. Once again, Saint Paul VI will address the issue of the Rosary, albeit in a diffuse manner, with the Apostolic Exhortation *Marialis Cultus* (1974), where the core of Marian prayer is explained in its essential elements: a) contemplation of the mysteries of salvation distributed in three cycles. b) prayer to the Lord and the *Pai Nosso*, which by its immense value is the foundation of Christian prayer. c) the litanic succession of *Ave Maria* is the number fixed by tradition. d) the doxology of *Glória ao Pai* concludes this devotion with prayer to the Holy Trinity. At the same time, the supplication of praise led to new formulations of prayers, as if they were celebrations of the Word.Saint John Paul II (1978-2005) is known as the *Rosary Pope*, on whom he intervened with *Rosarium Virginis Mariae* (2002), where he expresses the meaning of prayer in contemplation of Christ’s face in Mary and in the attitudes that the pray-er must embody as his own when he states in n. 14:> «…a school, that of Mary, even more effective, when one thinks that She offers it, obtaining from the Holy Spirit an abundance of gifts, and at the same time proposing to us the example of that ‘pilgrimage of faith’ in which She is the incomparable master. Before each mystery of the Son, She invites us, as at her *Anunciação*, to ask humbly for light, always concluding with the obedience of faith: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word’ (Lk 1:38).»In the course of the Apostolic Letter, the Polish Pope proposes to the community of the baptized, in the same Spirit, a new series of five *mysteries of light* in n. 21:> «Passing from childhood and the life of Nazareth to Jesus’ public life, contemplation leads us to mysteries that can be aptly called “mysteries of light.” Indeed, the whole mystery of Christ is light. He is the “Light of the World” (Jo 8:12). But this dimension becomes particularly evident during the years of His public life, when He proclaims the gospel of the Kingdom. To indicate to the Christian community five significant moments, luminous mysteries, of this phase of Christ’s life, I consider that we can rightly distinguish: 1. His Baptism in the Jordan, 2. His self-revelation at the Wedding of Cana, 3. His announcement of the Kingdom of God with the call to conversion, 4. His Transfiguration, and finally, 5. The institution of the Eucharist, the sacramental expression of the paschal mystery.»
As a new element of innovation, the recitation of mysteries introduces the contemplation of an icon, the proclamation of a biblical text followed by a pause in silence, in the *Ave Maria*, a clause can be introduced to invoke the mystery and give relevance to Christ’s name. The *Gloria* in public prayer can also be sung, and instead of the usual jaculatory prayers, it is recommended to pray for the fruits of meditation.This ‘new modality’ of contemplating mysteries challenges the adaptation of the *Ave Maria* to the Davidic psalter. However, it is ensured that this integration does not compromise the traditional composition of the Rosary, as it is left to the freedom of the pray-ers. As the Holy Father states in *Totus tuus* (n. 38):«The Rosary can be recited entirely every day, without lacking those who worthily perform it. Thus, it fills many contemplative days with prayer, or serves as company to the sick and elderly who have plenty of time. It is obvious, and this applies even more when adding the new cycle of *mysteria lucis*, that many will only recite a part, according to a certain weekly order. This distribution throughout the week gives successive days of these a certain spiritual ‘color’, analogous to what the Liturgy does with the various phases of the liturgical year. According to current practice, Tuesday and Friday are dedicated to the *’mysteries of joy’*, Tuesday and Friday to the *’mysteries of sorrow’*, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday to the *’glory mysteries’*. Where can the *’mysteries of light’* be inserted? Given that the glorious mysteries are proposed over two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday, and that Saturday is traditionally a day with a strong Marian character, it seems advisable to shift the second weekly meditation of the joyful mysteries, in which Maria’s presence is more accentuated, to this day. Thus, Thursday is free for the meditation of the *’mysteries of light’*. However, this indication does not intend to limit a certain freedom of choice in personal and communal meditation, according to spiritual and pastoral demands, and especially liturgical coincidences that may suggest appropriate adaptations. What is truly important is that the Rosary be increasingly seen and felt as a contemplative journey. Through it, in a complementary way to what is achieved in the Liturgy, the Christian’s week, with Sunday, the day of resurrection, as its pivot, becomes a walk through the mysteries of Christ’s life, so that He is affirmed, in the lives of His disciples, as Lord of time and history.»In brief, by the Pontificate or through Mariological production, we only quote the words of Benedict XVI (2005-2013) when, in 2010, in Fátima, Portugal, having recited the Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions with the thousands of people present, he said:“It is an admirable manifestation of faith in God and of devotion to His and our Mother, expressed in the recitation of the Holy Rosary. This prayer, which is at the heart of the Christian people, found in Fátima a dynamic center for the whole Church and for the world. The ‘White Lady’, in the appearance of June 13, told the shepherd children: ‘I want you to recite the Rosary every day’. We can say that Fátima and the Rosary are almost synonyms.” (Benedict XVI, From Fátima, a message of hope beyond the terrors of history)
In our time, we find Pope Francis (2013-) describing, on May 31, 2013, at the conclusion of the month dedicated to Mary in St. Peter’s Square, Mary’s attitudes as: listening, decision, and action. These words would come to describe the Argentine Pope’s approach to the Rosary, which is the contemplation with Mary of the mysteries of Jesus, where one learns to listen, to decide, and to act for the Kingdom of God. Therefore, for Pope Bergoglio, the Rosary is a prayer that educates us to be ready to hear the Word of life and leads us to make the fundamental choice to follow God in Christ, which in turn leads to identification with Mary, a woman of faith, beloved by God.Tell us about the graces you have received through the Rosary.The Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar Magisterium reaffirmed devotion to Mary. Delve into the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus by Paul VI, published after the Council.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Mariana Theology, Marian Apparitions, and Mariology Postgraduate Studies.
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This article arises from the works in the Locus Mariologicus library. The Postgraduate Mariology program takes you to the same source, with academic guidance: Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, and the Magisterium, from the first dogma to contemporary issues.
Learn from Mary the art of the Trinitarian mystical prayer, according to John Paul II, and discover how Christian holiness is lived simply in daily life.
Explore Mary’s role in the life of the Church, as Mother and model of faith. A theological reflection on her presence in the Christian community. Let us delve deeper into this mystery.
In Mary’s face, we contemplate Christ’s face. A mariological meditation on the relationship between Mother and Son in Christian faith. Deepen this reflection.
Mary, Servant of the Lord, illuminates the meaning of life, faith, and Christian mission in the world. She deepens the beauty of the Marian vocation to serve the baptized.
The Vatican II Council (1962-1965) was undoubtedly one of the most significant moments in the history of Christianity in the second millennium and marks the beginning of living the faith in Christ in the third millennium. This Council devoted more space to Mary and to acts of piety towards the Mother of the Church than any previous Council, as affirmed by the *Lumen Gentium* (1964):> “After careful consideration, the Sacred Council teaches this Catholic doctrine and at the same time encourages all the children of the Church to foster generously the veneration of the Most Holy Virgin, especially the liturgical veneration, to hold in high regard the practices and acts of piety towards Her approved over the centuries by the Magisterium, and to remain faithful to all that has been decreed in the past regarding the veneration of images of Christ, the Virgin, and the Saints.”Pope Paul VI (1963-1978), in his encyclical *Christi Matri* (1966), explains the meaning of the words of the Vatican II Council, which, although not explicitly referring to the Rosary, nevertheless implies it:> “The Second Vatican Council, though not explicitly but with clear indication, rekindled in the souls of all the faithful of the Church the fervor for the Rosary, recommending the veneration of the practices and acts of piety towards Her [Mary], as approved over time by the Magisterium.”In the same encyclical, the Pope recalled that the Rosary is a prayer for peace, a refuge and nourishment of faith. A few years later, in his apostolic exhortation *Recurrens mensis october* (1969), Pope Paul VI stated:> “Meditating on the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, we will learn, following Mary’s example, to become souls of peace, through constant and loving contact with Jesus and with the mysteries of His redeeming life.”This great prayer, whether in its traditional form established by St. Pius V or in other legitimate forms adapted to the needs of our time, can be recited publicly and universally.
The Vatican II Council (1962-1965) was undoubtedly one of the most significant moments in the history of Christianity in the second millennium and marks the beginning of living the faith in Christ in the third millennium. This Council devoted more space to Mary and to acts of piety towards the Mother of the Church than any previous Council, as affirmed by the *Lumen Gentium* (1964):> “After careful consideration, the Sacred Council teaches this Catholic doctrine and at the same time encourages all the children of the Church to foster generously the veneration of the Most Holy Virgin, especially the liturgical veneration, to hold in high regard the practices and acts of piety towards Her approved over the centuries by the Magisterium, and to remain faithful to all that has been decreed in the past regarding the veneration of images of Christ, the Virgin, and the Saints.”Pope Paul VI (1963-1978), in his encyclical *Christi Matri* (1966), explains the meaning of the words of the Vatican II Council, which, although not explicitly referring to the Rosary, nevertheless implies it:> “The Second Vatican Council, though not explicitly but with clear indication, rekindled in the souls of all the faithful of the Church the fervor for the Rosary, recommending the veneration of the practices and acts of piety towards Her [Mary], as approved over time by the Magisterium.”In the same encyclical, the Pope recalled that the Rosary is a prayer for peace, a refuge and nourishment of faith. A few years later, in his apostolic exhortation *Recurrens mensis october* (1969), Pope Paul VI stated:> “Meditating on the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, we will learn, following Mary’s example, to become souls of peace, through constant and loving contact with Jesus and with the mysteries of His redeeming life.”This great prayer, whether in its traditional form established by St. Pius V or in other legitimate forms adapted to the needs of our time, can be recited publicly and universally.
From a historical perspective, it was this emphasis on the perspective of renewal of the Rosary that led to the emergence of new forms of recitation encouraging pastoral experiences of adaptation of the Rosary, according to local experiences, inculturated. Once again, Saint Paul VI will address the issue of the Rosary, albeit in a diffuse manner, with the Apostolic Exhortation *Marialis Cultus* (1974), where the core of Marian prayer is explained in its essential elements: a) contemplation of the mysteries of salvation distributed in three cycles. b) prayer to the Lord and the *Pai Nosso*, which by its immense value is the foundation of Christian prayer. c) the litanic succession of *Ave Maria* is the number fixed by tradition. d) the doxology of *Glória ao Pai* concludes this devotion with prayer to the Holy Trinity. At the same time, the supplication of praise led to new formulations of prayers, as if they were celebrations of the Word.Saint John Paul II (1978-2005) is known as the *Rosary Pope*, on whom he intervened with *Rosarium Virginis Mariae* (2002), where he expresses the meaning of prayer in contemplation of Christ’s face in Mary and in the attitudes that the pray-er must embody as his own when he states in n. 14:> «…a school, that of Mary, even more effective, when one thinks that She offers it, obtaining from the Holy Spirit an abundance of gifts, and at the same time proposing to us the example of that ‘pilgrimage of faith’ in which She is the incomparable master. Before each mystery of the Son, She invites us, as at her *Anunciação*, to ask humbly for light, always concluding with the obedience of faith: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word’ (Lk 1:38).»In the course of the Apostolic Letter, the Polish Pope proposes to the community of the baptized, in the same Spirit, a new series of five *mysteries of light* in n. 21:> «Passing from childhood and the life of Nazareth to Jesus’ public life, contemplation leads us to mysteries that can be aptly called “mysteries of light.” Indeed, the whole mystery of Christ is light. He is the “Light of the World” (Jo 8:12). But this dimension becomes particularly evident during the years of His public life, when He proclaims the gospel of the Kingdom. To indicate to the Christian community five significant moments, luminous mysteries, of this phase of Christ’s life, I consider that we can rightly distinguish: 1. His Baptism in the Jordan, 2. His self-revelation at the Wedding of Cana, 3. His announcement of the Kingdom of God with the call to conversion, 4. His Transfiguration, and finally, 5. The institution of the Eucharist, the sacramental expression of the paschal mystery.»
As a new element of innovation, the recitation of mysteries introduces the contemplation of an icon, the proclamation of a biblical text followed by a pause in silence, in the *Ave Maria*, a clause can be introduced to invoke the mystery and give relevance to Christ’s name. The *Gloria* in public prayer can also be sung, and instead of the usual jaculatory prayers, it is recommended to pray for the fruits of meditation.This ‘new modality’ of contemplating mysteries challenges the adaptation of the *Ave Maria* to the Davidic psalter. However, it is ensured that this integration does not compromise the traditional composition of the Rosary, as it is left to the freedom of the pray-ers. As the Holy Father states in *Totus tuus* (n. 38):«The Rosary can be recited entirely every day, without lacking those who worthily perform it. Thus, it fills many contemplative days with prayer, or serves as company to the sick and elderly who have plenty of time. It is obvious, and this applies even more when adding the new cycle of *mysteria lucis*, that many will only recite a part, according to a certain weekly order. This distribution throughout the week gives successive days of these a certain spiritual ‘color’, analogous to what the Liturgy does with the various phases of the liturgical year. According to current practice, Tuesday and Friday are dedicated to the *’mysteries of joy’*, Tuesday and Friday to the *’mysteries of sorrow’*, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday to the *’glory mysteries’*. Where can the *’mysteries of light’* be inserted? Given that the glorious mysteries are proposed over two consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday, and that Saturday is traditionally a day with a strong Marian character, it seems advisable to shift the second weekly meditation of the joyful mysteries, in which Maria’s presence is more accentuated, to this day. Thus, Thursday is free for the meditation of the *’mysteries of light’*. However, this indication does not intend to limit a certain freedom of choice in personal and communal meditation, according to spiritual and pastoral demands, and especially liturgical coincidences that may suggest appropriate adaptations. What is truly important is that the Rosary be increasingly seen and felt as a contemplative journey. Through it, in a complementary way to what is achieved in the Liturgy, the Christian’s week, with Sunday, the day of resurrection, as its pivot, becomes a walk through the mysteries of Christ’s life, so that He is affirmed, in the lives of His disciples, as Lord of time and history.»In brief, by the Pontificate or through Mariological production, we only quote the words of Benedict XVI (2005-2013) when, in 2010, in Fátima, Portugal, having recited the Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions with the thousands of people present, he said:“It is an admirable manifestation of faith in God and of devotion to His and our Mother, expressed in the recitation of the Holy Rosary. This prayer, which is at the heart of the Christian people, found in Fátima a dynamic center for the whole Church and for the world. The ‘White Lady’, in the appearance of June 13, told the shepherd children: ‘I want you to recite the Rosary every day’. We can say that Fátima and the Rosary are almost synonyms.” (Benedict XVI, From Fátima, a message of hope beyond the terrors of history)
In our time, we find Pope Francis (2013-) describing, on May 31, 2013, at the conclusion of the month dedicated to Mary in St. Peter’s Square, Mary’s attitudes as: listening, decision, and action. These words would come to describe the Argentine Pope’s approach to the Rosary, which is the contemplation with Mary of the mysteries of Jesus, where one learns to listen, to decide, and to act for the Kingdom of God. Therefore, for Pope Bergoglio, the Rosary is a prayer that educates us to be ready to hear the Word of life and leads us to make the fundamental choice to follow God in Christ, which in turn leads to identification with Mary, a woman of faith, beloved by God.Tell us about the graces you have received through the Rosary.The Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar Magisterium reaffirmed devotion to Mary. Delve into the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus by Paul VI, published after the Council.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Mariana Theology, Marian Apparitions, and Mariology Postgraduate Studies.
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