At the end of today’s general audience, which gathered over 16,000 pilgrims, the Pope greeted pilgrims of the Czech Republic and of Lithuania in their own language.
He said: «In this Year of the Rosary which we have just begun, I invite you to rediscover the efficacy of the prayer of the rosary for peace in the world and in families,» and «to rediscover communion with the Virgin Mary through this noble prayer.»
In No. 6 of his new apostolic letter «Rosarium Virginis Mariae» (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary), the Pope requested this prayer specifically for these two intentions.
«The revival of the Rosary in Christian families,» he wrote, «within the context of a broader pastoral ministry to the family, will be an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age.»
