VATICAN CITY, NOV. 2, 2003 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II brought to a close the Year of the Rosary, and stressed the importance of the Marian prayer as a means to attain holiness.
The Pope explained this on Saturday, the solemnity of All Saints, when he prayed the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"The saints and blessed of paradise remind us, pilgrims on earth, that prayer is above all the daily sustenance that does not let us lose sight of our eternal destiny," he said.
"For many of them, it was the rosary -- the prayer to which the Year that ended yesterday was dedicated -- which offered a privileged means for their daily conversation with the Lord," he added.
"The rosary led them to an ever more profound intimacy with Christ and with the Holy Virgin," the Holy Father said. Hence, the "rosary can really be a simple and accessible way for all to sanctity, which is the vocation of every baptized person."
John Paul II called the Year of the Rosary in October 2002 as he published the apostolic letter "Rosarium Virginis Mariae."
ZE03110208 - 2003-11-02
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Year of the Rosary Ends on a Note of Holiness
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