At Saint Mary Major the Rosary Prayer recited by Pope Francis

“Grant the great gift of peace, bring a quick end to war..., may your lasting peace reign over all the earth”. This prayer was Pope Francis’ introduction to the Rosary recited on Tuesday evening, 31 May, before the statue of Mary, Queen of Peace, in the Liberian basilica. At the end of the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Father made this gesture of devotion and hope, inspired by the certainty that “with the weapons of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and with the gift of [her] grace, the hearts of men and the fortunes of the whole world can be changed”. Among those who joined Pope Francis were a Ukrainian family, a group of military chaplains, volunteers, a Venezuelan family and a family of refugees. Page 12