Pope encourages Catholics to pray rosary for peace in families, world

Published: 2003-10-29

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II encouraged Catholics to pray the rosary, asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to help them be peacemakers in their families and to reduce tensions around the world. "The disturbing attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and that which has happened afterward have increased tensions on a planetary level," he wrote in the text prepared for his Oct. 29 general audience. The pope read most of his prepared audience talk, but skipped some parts. The tensions, the pope wrote, "can be stopped through the prayer of the rosary invoked for peace." Because of rain, the audience was moved from St. Peter's Square into the Vatican audience hall, but the hall was too small to accommodate the estimated 16,000 people who came to see the pope.

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