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The Rosary (, in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"),〔("Rosary". Wedgewood, Hensleigh. ''A Dictionary of English Etymology''. 2nd ed. London: Trubner & Co., 1872. pg 544. )〕 usually in the form of the Dominican rosary, is a form of prayer used especially in the Catholic Church named for the string of prayer beads used to count the component prayers. When used of the form of prayer, the word is usually capitalized ("the Rosary"), as is customary for other names of prayers, such as "the Lord's Prayer", "the Hail Mary", "the Magnificat". When referring to the beads, it is normally written with a lower-case initial ("a rosary"). The prayers that essentially compose the Rosary are arranged in sets of ten Hail Marys with each set preceded by one Lord's Prayer and followed by one Glory Be. During recitation of each set, known as a decade, thought is given to one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, which recall events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Normally, five decades are recited in a session. Other prayers are sometimes added after each decade (in particular, the Fátima Prayer) and before (in particular, the Apostles' Creed), and after (in particular, the Hail, Holy Queen) the five decades taken as a whole. The rosary as a material object is an aid towards saying these prayers in the proper sequence. A standard fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary, based on the long-standing custom, was established by Pope Pius V in the 16th century, grouping the mysteries in three sets: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. In 2002 Pope John Paul II suggested a new optional set of five, called the Luminous Mysteries, bringing the total number of mysteries to twenty. For over four centuries, the rosary has been promoted by several popes as part of the veneration of Mary in Roman Catholicism.〔(Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 197 ) The Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God *(Popular Piety ) Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.〕 The rosary also represents the Roman Catholic emphasis on "participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ", and the Mariological theme "to Christ through Mary", taught by Saint Louis de Montfort.〔Jenny Schroede, 2006 ''The Everything Mary Book'' ISBN 1-59337-713-4 page 219〕 ==Theological significance== The rosary is part of Catholic veneration of Mary, which has been promoted by numerous popes. In the 16th century, Pope Pius V associated the rosary with the General Roman Calendar by instituting the Feast of Our Lady of Victory (later changed to Our Lady of the Rosary), which is celebrated on 7 October. Pope Leo XIII, known as "The Rosary Pope", issued twelve encyclicals and five apostolic letters on the rosary and added the invocation ''Queen of the most Holy Rosary'' to the Litany of Loreto. Pope Pius XII and his successors actively promoted veneration of the Virgin in Lourdes and Fatima, which is credited with a new resurgence of the rosary within the Catholic Church.〔 Pope John Paul II (whose pontificate had major Marian themes) issued the Apostolic Letter ''Rosarium Virginis Mariae''〔(Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter ''Rosarium Virginis Mariae'' )〕 which built on the "total Marian devotion". On 3 May 2008, Pope Benedict XVI stated that the Rosary was experiencing a new springtime: "It is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother."〔ihmhermitage.stblogs.com/2008/05/15/benedict-xvi-on-the-rosary/〕 To Benedict XVI, the rosary is a meditation on all important moments of salvation history. The Congregation for Divine Worship's directory of popular piety and the liturgy emphasizes the Christian meditation/meditative aspects of the rosary, and states that the Rosary is essentially a contemplative prayer, which requires "tranquility of rhythm or even a mental lingering which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life."〔(''Directory of popular piety and the liturgy'', Congregation of Divine Worship, Vatican, 2001, )〕 The Congregation for Divine Worship also emphasizes the importance of the rosary as a formative component of spiritual life. The theologian Romano Guardini thus defined the Roman Catholic emphasis on the rosary as "participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ."〔A Heinz, Rosenkranz, Marienlexikon, Eos, St.Ottilien, 1993, 555〕 This view had been endorsed by Leo XIII who viewed the rosary as a vital means to participate in the life of Mary and to find the way to Christ.〔Encyclical Jucunda Semper 8.9.1894 quoted in Marienlexikon,Eos St. Ottilien, 1988 42〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rosary」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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