POPE CHANGES THE ROSARY

The announcement on the front page this week that Pope John Paul II has changed the Rosary after 500 years by adding five new mysteries to it might have caused many Catholics to be dismayed. The tradition-bound Church, they would argue, should not monkey around with centuries-old rituals like the Rosary.

Other Catholics realize that many prayers and devotions have been adjusted over the course of time. The Way of the Cross, for example, has added and dropped stations; the text of the Creed was argued about for years by scholars and theologians; and the Mass itself has undergone many shifts in 2,000 years.

Catholics in the Albany Diocese, who have a unique connection to the Rosary, should be especially enthused about the papal changes. It was from here that Rev. Patrick Peyton, CSC, directed his world-wide Family Rosary Crusades in the latter half of the 20th century, in effect making Albany the "home office" of the prayer.

While adding to the Rosary, Pope John Paul is asking Catholics to rediscover it and has dedicated the coming 12 months as the "Year of the Rosary." Between now and October 2003, parish Rosary societies and other organizations will be finding ways to put beads back into the hands of Catholics -- and to introduce them into other hands for the first time. As a start, we encourage all to visit www.familyrosary.org to learn more about the Rosary.

(10-17-02)

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