Is Rosary a requirement

[godisgood77]

I would say it’s not required in the same way that a parachute is not required when jumping out of an airplane.

Except you die if you jump out of an airplane without a parachute. One can be a perfectly good Catholic, lead an exemplary life and be give eternal life in heaven without ever picking up a rosary… so your analogy kind of falls apart.

I would say not indulging in the rosary is more like ordering an ice cream sunday and asking them to hold the cherry or whipped cream or other garnish.

 

[Inbetweener]

Has Fatima been validated by the pope, so can the priest say Our Lady of Fatima pray for us?

 

[Sir2v4]

Saying the Rosary every day is an expression of spirituality that (it would seem) a lot of Catholics have, but there is no requirement to pray the rosary. If you recall your reading in the New Testament, I think it’s Paul who advises us to pray without ceasing.

There was a snide remark about a video on youtube.com where someone asked a snarky question about how many Hail Marys does it take to get to heaven. I gave the same answer, that we are told in scripture to pray without ceasing.

Bishops, priests, nuns, and monks don’t say the rosary ALL day, but they are obligated to pray for the Church every day. And, in addition to attending or celebrating the Mass, they are supposed to recite the “daily office” which would be a set of prayers, distributed throughout the day.

I heard some Catholic expert (maybe wrote a book on prayer) said that part of the essence of being a Catholic Christian is to pray to God every day.

I’ve recently read that to pray means to ask. Well, I can assure you that I ask God for many things every day, without ceasing. But, I think it’s important to focus on the Lord’s prayer. What did Jesus tell us to pray? HALLOWED BE THY NAME. The first thing is to offer our commitment to keep God’s name holy, including praying in a real way, and not just mechanically reciting prayers. THY KINGDOM COME. We express our desire to do God’s will every day. THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. We offer ourselves in sacrifice to God so that His will, not ours, be done.

Only after we have spoken to God in these ways, do we DARE to say GIVE US THIS DAY… And, aside from honor and praise to God, we ought to give Him thanksgiving for all our daily blessings, and then present our petitions to Him. As Pope emeritus Benedict XVI says, we have both a right and duty to present our needs to God.

 

[Edmundus1581]

Has Fatima been validated by the pope, so can the priest say Our Lady of Fatima pray for us?

Simple answer: Yes - The apparations of Fatima, and the devotion to Our Lady of Fatima are approved by the Church, so a priest is entirely correct to invoke Our Lady of Fatima.

Our Lady of Fatima is an optional memoria on 13 May

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter; Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima - May 13, 2015 - Liturgical Calendar | Catholic Culture

Longer answer:

The question presupposes that the assent of a Pope is required for a priest to refer to a particular saint or title of our Lady. That seems a bit legalistic. Discernment of private revelations is within the purview of the local bishop, who has first authority to declare a private revelation as worthy of belief, or not. For Fatima, this declaration was made by the bishop in 1930.

Official recognition of the “visions” which the children had at the Cova da Iria came on October 13, 1930, when the bishop of Leiria - after long inquiry - authorized the cult of Our Lady of the Rosary at the site. The two younger children had died: Francisco (who saw the apparition but did not hear the words) on April 4, 1919, and his sister Jacinta on February 20, 1920. Sister Lucia died on February 13, 2005, at her Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal, after a long illness.

[http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2015-05-13]

It so happens that several popes have endorsed the apparitions, and exhorted the faithful to increase their devotion to the Rosary on account of them, however this endorsement by the Pope is not strictly required for us to accept them.

I mention this because Catholics often underestimate the authority of their bishop, thinking that nothing is final until it a ruling comes from the Pope himself. Such is not the case.

So, for Catholics the ruling of the local bishop in 1930 has been sufficient to believe in the apparitions and follow any devotions. Many Churches over the decades have had regular prayers invoking “Our Lady of the Rosary” and “Our Lady of Fatima”. I see that there is an Our Lady of Fatima Church built in 1955.

But, I see another complication of which I am not sure.

For a priest to invoke “Our Lady of Fatima” in the context of Mass (rather than in a prayer group), must there be, strictly speaking, approval from the universal church of the title?

The feast was added to the Church’s worldwide calendar by Pope John Paul II in 2002, so since then there can be no doubt in this particular case, however it remains an interesting canonical question, on which I’m open to advise.

My reading of all this is that formal approval by the local bishop is sufficient for any Catholic anywhere to refer to a private apparition, including a priest, in the context of Mass, saying “Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us”.

I’d be interested in a canonical answer, however.

 

[Inbetweener]

Well the priest also said Our lady of Lourdes so that is official aswell, not sure of Medjugore but I know every Irish Catholic in England must have been there.

 

[Bugbear]

On how many Hail Mary’s, I would say, just one, but it has to be the RIGHT one!

 

[Edmundus1581]

Well the priest also said Our lady of Lourdes so that is official aswell, not sure of Medjugore but I know every Irish Catholic in England must have been there.

I was thinking of Medjugorje, and also Garabandal, in my first response.

In both of these cases the local bishop has declared against the apparitions, yet I’ve known many Catholics over the years who simply dismiss that, saying “It’s not final until Rome has ruled, and I’ll defer to whatever Rome says”.

Such people usually refer to obscure comments by the Pope, such as the allegation that John Paul II said “If I weren’t Pope, I would be visiting Medjugorje” (or something like that) as if they carry some authority.

This is a troublesome attitude, as it is waiting on a ruling which will probably never happen. When the local bishop has ruled, as he has in both cases, against the apparition then that should be the end of the matter. Similarly for if he rules in favour (as for Fatima, in 1930).

Medjugorje is a special case, as the popular devotion has just persisted over th years, in defiance of the bishop’s rulings, to the point the Rome has conducted an investigation, which we await the outcome of.

For most of us, it’s safer just to accept the approved devotions, such as Lourdes and Fatima, without getting caught up in dubious ones.

Putting this in context of what is actually “permissible”, I would guess that it is licit for any private person or prayer group, including a priest, to refer to Our Lady of Medjugorje, but it is not licit in the context of Mass.

 

[Edmundus1581]

Thank you for the clarification. When I replied I was just focused on what prayers composed by others a lay Catholic is required to pray and whether the Rosary was one of them - it is not.

I apologise for being a little brusque in my response. I should have highlighted the particular words I thought needed clarification, which were ambiguous but not incorrect.

Agreed on all points, and thanks for taking my “clarification” well.

 

[Vonsalza]

I totally get where you’re coming from. As a guy who grew up Baptist and then went even further off the deep end into reformed theology for years, Marian devotions are something that I have difficulty with as well.

It’s optional, but I’d give it a fair shake. See what all the hoopla is about.

 

[Emperor_Markus]

I’m not confirmed but I pray the rosary anyway. Our Lady of Fatima insisted - 6 times - that the faithful pray the rosary.

 

[Crusaderbear]

I actually started after watching the movie ‘The Longest Day’. There was a scene where Robert Redford was paddling in a raft across a river repeating over and over, “Hail Mary, full of grace…” It stuck with me and I have done it ever since, why? It makes me feel good!

I really love saying the full rosary daily!

I think the rosary is especially comforting due to it’s cadence and wording, it really destresses me!

 

[RoseofMary1]

The Rosary is meant to be contemplative. The verbal prayers lift your mind to God and keep you on track so you can meditate on the mysteries and praise God.

In the Bible, the Apostles caught how many fish? The same number of Hail Mary’s in the whole Rosary (Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries). It is a powerful soul-fishing net.

 

[godisgood77]

I’m not confirmed but I pray the rosary anyway. Our Lady of Fatima insisted - 6 times - that the faithful pray the rosary

Yes, but that is a private devotion and any good catholic can reject the Fatima private revelation and face no negative consequences because of it.

 

[godisgood77]

Medjugorje is a special case, as the popular devotion has just persisted over th years, in defiance of the bishop’s rulings, to the point the Rome has conducted an investigation, which we await the outcome of.

Yes, Medjugorje is a special case. The CDF has forbidden Catholics from participating in any events that assume the validity of the supposed events of Medjugorje. Unfortunately, many well meaning Catholics do not adhere to that instruction.

 

[Emperor_Markus]

If Catholics can reject Fatima they can also reject VII.
Bad logic.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

If Catholics can reject Fatima they can also reject VII.
Bad logic.

What? No. The church permits a faithful Catholic to ignore any and all private revelations with no loss or disminishment of salvation. This is a basic tennent of the Church. I am glad it gives us this freedom. Personally, I do not pray the Rosay, but I am very attracted to Divine Mercy Chaplet, lectio Divina, Litnay of Saints and other things. They have brought me far closer to God than the Rosary does now. That said, I did go through a time when the Rosary was my primary devotion outside of Mass. It was right for me at the time–it is not the right devotion for me now.

Thank GOD the church stands behind me!

VII was neither private, nor a revelation. It was a council that addressed a church in crisis. The only thing that is not beyond critique is that some executed it of their own free will, and not within the guildelines of the Church. However, given the 2011 Mass corrections, it is clear that the Vatican stands behind the changes made in Vatican II.

 

[godisgood77]

I’m sorry, but you are wrong.

The Church teaches that Catholics and reject private revelation. Fatima is a private revelation. Reference the catechism or speak with your priest.

Howvever, you can not, as a Catholic, reject the teachings of an Ecumenical Council. VII decried several Apostolic Constitutions. Short if ex catheda proclamations Apostolic Constitutions carry the highest authority.

 

[OraLabora]

I would say it’s not required in the same way that a parachute is not required when jumping out of an airplane.

No. Not praying at all would be like jumping from a plane without a parachute. It does not mean it has to be the Rosary. I pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily, all hours, including observing the calendar and that includes the memorial to our Blessed Mother on Saturdays not burdened with another obligation.

That plus lectio and having a life leaves me with little time for other prayers and to be honest, the LOTH moves me much more than the Rosary does, plus as an oblate I have an obligation to pray at least part of the LOTH.

It does not mean however that I think everyone should do the same. I heartily recommend the LOTH, but don’t care if someone else prefers the Rosary, or sitting for hours in adoration or whatever and I don’t feel people are somehow less Catholic if they don’t do the LOTH.

Folks here should unnecessarily burden otherwise faithful Catholics with guilt for preferring a different prayer devotion than their own.

 

[ProdigiousN00b]

This is spot on! I am a convert too and prefer the loth myself. I also have a fondness for the Jesus prayer of the east. Put simply you do not need to pray the rosary, or even believe in Marian apparitions for that matter (i know eastern Catholics who do not like Fatima precisely because of its blatant bias to the Latin rite and clear disregard of eastern theology and spirituality). That’s the great thing about being a part of the Catholic church, you have many forms of spirituality you can pursue. Don’t let anyone make you feel less catholic for not following their brand of catholicism.

 

[StarMapp]

This beautiful prayer should be said in the morning if possible and in quiet and privacy, unless with public prayer groups, which gives it more efficacy. The symptom is common, and is called a dry period. It is meant to test one’s resolve and sincerity. I would guess that the reason would have something to do with the “click” age of instant results and the expectation of people that their acts should produce effects.
So many have left her just has she was winning for them her promises.

The attitude is the complete opposite. If we back step for a moment, we can understand that the Holy Mother has been given much power to establish a list of promises that she willingly gives to those that form a holy bond with her and at the same time work themselves to present a clean conscience and make use of the Sacraments her son allots generously to the deserving.

But think of it, she states so many times in her promises “I will”.

http://www.theholyrosary.org/rosarybenefits

It is out of pure love for her children that the Mother of God would take on willingly such a task. With the same attitude and mandate of her son, she does her share in our redemption.

What a Religion my friend! A Church where every member of the Holy family is actually out there for us. All we need to do is become willing to change, to have patience, to cleanse ourselves, to monitor our thoughts and acts every second, to practice charity just as she does for us undeserving as we may be, and make use of the gifts we are given.

We are showered with love from all directions, and now we have this wonderful means to speak with her, and to give to her a bouquet of roses at every decade recitation. There can never be enough repetitions that can satisfactorily express our love. The choice of words can be nothing more fitting than what the angel once uttered as he bowed to this Queen in her presence.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, blessed art though among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus”