Questions about the penitential rosary

[ashley73]

I was trying to find a good link to the penitential rosary. I found one that says to pray the little office of the Holy Ghost between decades. When I looked up the little office of the Holy Ghost it looks like it would take a hour to say. That means it would take about six hours to say the rosary on you knees with arms stretched out. Could someone please help. Is this how you say it?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I have been saying Rosaries for decades and I never heard of the “penitential rosary”. Any rosary can be penitential if said in a spirit of penitence.

What exactly is this “penitential rosary” and why would Our Lady be expecting anyone who hadn’t been practicing asceticism for years on the level of a St. Seraphim of Sarov to be praying with their arms out for 6 hours?

Edited to add, I note that there is a so-called “Penitential Rosary of St. Padre Pio” that seems to involve saying the following on a Rosary:

The Mysteries of the Rosary are commemorated on each of the large beads.

On each of the 50 small beads, say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be to the Father, and the ejaculation: ‘Hail Mary Most Pure, conceived without original sin.’

As in the traditional Rosary, the Creed is said on the Crucifix.

While there is nothing wrong with this prayer, I do not see any reliable website stating that Padre Pio actually promoted this devotion. That doesn’t mean he didn’t pray it or promote it, but there are so many odd websites making claims about Padre Pio that I tend to be skeptical unless presented with a very good source.

 

[CRV]

I found an earlier thread on this, and reading through it, it is rather interesting, in particular the last post.

Penitential Rosary Spirituality

Has anyone heard of the Penitential Rosary? How do you pray it?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

This devotion seems to be associated with Mother Maria Concepcion of the Nativity (aka Maria Concepcion Zuniga Lopez), the Mexican foundress of the Order of Atonement of the Franciscan Minims of the Perpetual Help of Mary. The purpose of the Order seems to have been to be “victim souls” and make atonement for sin. She claimed to see visions of Jesus where he gave her this devotion and the rules for her Order. She died in 1979 and I am not finding online any sort of church approval for her visions, also the status of her order is not clear from the available material. I also couldn’t find anything regarding a sainthood cause for her, and frankly if she only died in 1979 then she would have to be on the level of a Pope JPII or a Mother Teresa to be getting beatified or canonized that fast, which doesn’t seem to be happening.

I note that the page with the Penitential Rosary that you posted seems to have an imprimi potest on it and there’s nothing inherently wrong with the prayers, but if this was a prayer practice of a religious order of victim souls, it’s probably not something the ordinary lay person is going to be able to easily say.

Edited to add, I read through the prayers and it doesn’t look like that would take six hours, also you are allowed to lower your arms after you finish each Rosary decade. Am I missing something?

 

[CRV]

it’s probably not something the ordinary lay person is going to be able to easily say.

Yes, I agree with you there. This was the conclusion I came to after scrolling through it all. Seems rather lengthy and involved and a little complicated compared to the standard rosary.

ETA - No, I read that too. I can’t see any human holding their arms out whilst kneeling for however long it took to pray. Doesn’t seem humanly possible.

• I would guess it would take an hour or may be a little longer. I couldn’t hold my arms out at my side for 5 mins!