THE ROSARY, AN EFFICACIOUS SUPPORT DURING PERSECUTION

VATICAN CITY, MAR 11, 2001 (VIS) - Before praying the angelus with the estimated 30,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's for today's beatification of 233 Spanish martyrs, Pope John Paul reflected on the relationship of the new Blesseds with Mary. "She is," he said, "in particular, the Mother and Queen of Martyrs, present with them in the hour of their trial as she was at the Cross next to her Son."

"These new Blesseds confided in her, the faithful Virgin, during the dramatic moments of persecution," the Pope went on. "When they were prevented from freely expressing their faith or, later, in prison, in order to face the supreme moment, they found constant support in the holy rosary, recited alone or in small groups. How efficacious is this traditional Marian prayer in its simplicity and in its profoundness! The rosary is in every era a valid help for countless believers."

After reciting the angelus, the Holy Father, speaking Spanish, said he wished "to warmly greet all the pilgrims who have come to Rome to participate in this joyous occasion. Especially the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who accompanied them, as well as civil authorities."
"May the new Blesseds," the Pope concluded, "models of a coherent life, constancy in faith and a spirit of reconciliation, intercede in heaven for their fellow countrymen today, inspire them to keep alive the Christian energy which made fruitful their country's history and encourage their efforts to reach ever greater heights of harmony, solidarity and a spirit of Christian fraternity."

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