HOLY ROSARY IS THE MOST EFFICACIOUS OF PRAYERS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 30, 2000 (VIS) - In St. Peter's Square today, the Holy Father received various groups of Italian pilgrims from the archdiocese of Perugia-Citta della Pieve and the dioceses of Sora-Aquino-Pontevorvo, Nola, Nocera Inferiore and Acerra, as well as American pilgrims from the archdioceses of Newark and Kansas City.

John Paul II called upon the pilgrims to "be faithful to Christ and faithful to man, strive to grow while rooted in listening to God's Word and in personal and community prayer."

To pilgrims from Nola, the Pope said that "your land, like other areas of the Campania region, has to face great social challenges, from the lack of jobs to environmental degradation. The Christian community is called to make its own specific contribution to solving these problems, directing its efforts towards the renewed announcement of the Gospel, the living experience of communion and the concrete witness of charity."

In greeting faithful from the archdioceses of Newark and Kansas City, U.S.A., and the members of an Italo-Australian pilgrimage, the Pope recalled that the month of October "is traditionally the month of the holy rosary, one of the best and most efficacious Christian prayers, especially when recited together in the family."

In closing, the Holy Father greeted Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, in particular the group "Immaculate Conception" from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He encouraged them to participate in the sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist and to visit the tombs of the Apostles during their Jubilee itinerary.

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