Copyright: ZENIT/Deborah Castellano Lubov

FEATURE: ‘Saying ‘I Love You’ Cannot Become Redundant, & Neither Can Saying ‘Hail Mary”

Secretary of Vatican’s Dicastery for Communications Expresses This to ZENIT at Debut of Click2 Pray ERosary, A Smart Rosary to Pray for Peace in the World

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When someone is in love, saying ‘I love you,’ can never become monotonous, or mechanical, for it is special every time. Praying the rosary, and saying the Hail Mary is the same. It never gets old, each time, each prayer is new….

Msgr. Lucio Ruiz, Secretary of the Dicastery for Communication told this to ZENIT in the Holy See Press Office, today, Oct. 15, 2019, following a “Meeting point” for journalists for the launch of Click To Pray eRosary, a new ‘smart’  Rosary to pray for Peace in the World.

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network introduced the new way to engage young people in a traditional prayer.

Msgr. Ruiz was speaking at the Press Office along with Fr. Frédéric Fornos, S.J., international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network; Jerry Kao, president of Gadget Tek Inc. (GTI); Juan della Torre, CEO & Founder of La Machi; Father Tadeusz J. Nowak, O.M.I., general secretary of the Pontifical Mission Society for the Propagation of the Faith (POPF); Father João Chagas, head of the youth section of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.

The Click To Pray eRosary is an interactive, smart and app-driven device that serves as a tool for learning how to pray the rosary. It can be worn as a bracelet and is activated by making the sign of the cross. It is synchronized with a free app of the same name, which allows to access to an audio guide, exclusive images and personalized content about the praying of the Rosary.

The device consists of ten consecutive black agate and hematite rosary beads, and of a smart cross which stores all the technological data connected to the app. When activated, the user has the possibility to choose either to pray the standard rosary, a contemplative Rosary and different kinds of thematic rosaries that will be updated every year. Once the prayer begins, the smart rosary shows the user’s progression throughout the different mysteries and keeps track of each rosary completed.

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network produced all the special contents of this smart rosary, and GadgeTek Inc. (GTI), a tech company dedicated to innovative lifestyle gadgets with operations spanning five continents around the globe, was responsible for the technological design of the wearable device.

The speakers presenting the eRosary also pointed out the importance of this presentation falling on the feast day of St. Theresa of Avila.

Fr. Frédéric Fornos reminded that prayer is the heart of the mission of the Church, and noted that the Pope in Panama told young people to pray the rosary for peace in the world.

“The Rosary helps us profoundly into the Gospel,” he said, noting the mysteries “transform our lives.” He also spoke about  making a Sign of Cross with a rosary in one’s hand, for it makes “a prayer be accompanied by the Blessed Mother.”

Msgr. Ruiz noted that this gesture represents the latest in the Pope’s efforts to channel young people and their faith, and is an important and beautiful one, done with creativity.

“The social network permits us to go to the ends of the earth,” he noted, applauding that sharing prayer through them, “is another way to be a ‘Church in uscita’ (a ‘going out’ Church)

Jerry Kao, Gadget Tek president, spoke about the product itself, which costs $99, and its diverse modalities. He noted that the rosary and phone connect via Bluetooth, and that it is compatible with Ios and Android.

Juan della Torre also shared about the initiative, and how it fits into the Pope’s recommendations for praying for peace in the world, cultivating more devotion to Mary, and to share with other, also that of a spiritual nature…. our prayer life.

Father Nowak underscored that as a Polish man, that devotion to Mary has been so important to him, and how praying the rosary is very close to his heart.

“The Holy Father,” he reminded, “said the first missionary work is prayer,”

Father Chagas reflected on how this tool, in the language of young people, can help them better know Christ, through His mother.

“Let us ask her intercession to get to know her better,” he prayed.

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

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