For the first time in nine centuries, the Catholic prayer to the rosary is being altered. On the twenty-fourth anniversary of Pope John Paul's papacy this October 16, the most popular of Catholic prayers is being lengthened to 20 from 15 prayers. In announcing this change, the pope expressed his wish that Catholics "rediscover the beauty and depth of this prayer."
A change in the prayer to the rosary may affect how Catholics maintain their own well being and quality of life. Lengthening it will keep the religion on practitioners' minds more often, thus increasing its usefulness in faith and as a therapeutic tool.
The original 15 rosaries represented events or "mysteries" in the life of Christ and were grouped on the rosary into three sections or life stages: His birth, death and resurrection. The five new events will relate to the life of Christ before his death.
