Do only Catholics pray the Hail Mary?

[QNDNNDQDCE]

Lutherans use the Hail Mary

But do they ask for her intercession? Martin Luther:

25]*The invocation of saints is also one of the abuses of Antichrist conflicting with the chief article, and destroys the knowledge of Christ. Neither is it commanded nor counseled, nor has it any example [or testimony] in Scripture, and even though it were a precious thing, as it is not [while, on the contrary, it is a most harmful thing], in Christ we have everything a thousandfold better [and surer, so that we are not in need of calling upon the saints].

26]*And although the angels in heaven pray for us (as Christ Himself also does), as also do the saints on earth, and perhaps also in heaven, yet it does not follow thence that we should invoke and adore the angels and saints, and fast, hold festivals, celebrate Mass in their honor, make offerings, and establish churches, altars, divine worship, and in still other ways serve them, and regard them as helpers in need [as patrons and intercessors], and divide among them all kinds of help, and ascribe to each one a particular form of assistance, as the Papists teach and do. For this is idolatry, and such honor belongs alone to God.*27]*For as a Christian and saint upon earth you can pray for me, not only in one, but in many necessities. But for this reason I am not obliged to adore and invoke you, and celebrate festivals, fast, make oblations, hold masses for your honor [and worship], and put my faith in you for my salvation. I can in other ways indeed honor, love, and thank you in Christ.*28]*If now such idolatrous honor were withdrawn from angels and departed saints, the remaining honor would be without harm and would quickly be forgotten. For when advantage and assistance, both bodily and spiritual, are no more to be expected, the saints will not be troubled [the worship of the saints will soon vanish], neither in their graves nor in heaven. For without a reward or out of pure love no one will much remember, or esteem, or honor them [bestow on them divine honor].

29]*In short, the Mass itself and anything that proceeds from it, and anything that is attached to it, we cannot tolerate, but must condemn, in order that we may retain the holy Sacrament pure and certain, according to the institution of Christ, employed and received through faith.

My guess is that is more what the OP was asking about.

bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#part2.2.25

 

[JonNC]

But do they ask for her intercession? Martin Luther:

My guess is that is more what the OP was asking about.

bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#part2.2.25

No. Typically Lutherans will not invoke the saints in that way - no command, example or promise regarding it - but that’s not to say we do not recognize that she and they do pray for us.
She is, indeed, the best example of a Christian in history- Luther said that - and to honor her is appropriate. The pre-Trent Hail Mary does so.

Jon

 

[QNDNNDQDCE]

The modern Latin version of the Hail Mary was standardized after the Council of Trent, but that does not mean that no one added any statements of petition to the Hail Mary prior to Trent. The Catholic Encyclopedia says, for example, “What is certain is that an Ave Maria identical with our own, except for the omission of the single word nostrae, stands printed at the head of the little work of Savonarola’s issued in 1495, of which there is a copy in the British Museum.” Your statememt is not really wrong, but it could be misunderstood by others.

Luther’s position, as set forth in the Smalcald Articles, is not definitively that the saints do not pray for us, but he says in more or less words that we should not pray to them, and we should not count on them for any assistance whether “bodily [or] spiritual.”

 

[Sarcelle]

I think a few evangelical college and professional football players pray it at key times of their football games

In all seriousness, I typically don’t say it but I found myself saying the Hail Mary last year once during a serious tornado outbreak in my area in which a tornado was bearing down on my location, along with praying to God the Father and Jesus.

In short, I felt a sense of peace and calm after that. I wouldn’t hesitate to say it again in the future. The tornado actually lifted back up into the clouds before it got to my immediate area.

I had a similar experience. Several summers ago, a tornado touched down a mile away from where I was. I prayed and after a while the tornado sounds disappeared. I cautiously looked out the window and instead of gray/black soupy clouds there appeared a rainbow.