Pope Leo XIV’s Marian devotion and the power of the rosary as a source of faith and peace

Leo XIV, a Pope deeply devoted to Mary

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

*Fr. Eduardo Barrios, SJ

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Two days after his election on May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV showed his Marian spirituality by visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel on the afternoon of May 10. The church is located in Genazzano, not far from Rome, and is entrusted to his fellow Augustinian friars.

Upon returning to Rome, he stopped at the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray before the image of the patroness, Mary Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the Roman People). He has visited the basilica many times, as did his predecessor, Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV’s most recent visit to Our Lady of Good Counsel took place Sept. 7, on the eve of the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As a gesture of Marian devotion, the pope urged the faithful last year to pray the rosary during October for peace in the world. Throughout this year, he has taken many opportunities to pray the rosary with Catholic faithful.

October became the month of the rosary through the initiative of Pope Leo XIII, who established it on Sept. 1, 1883, with the encyclical Supremi apostolatus officio (On the Supreme Apostolate).

The practice of praying the rosary began centuries ago when St. Dominic de Guzmán had a mystical experience in 1208 that inspired him to begin this Marian devotion. The word “rosary” means “crown of roses.” The Order of Preachers, founded by St. Dominic and commonly known as the Dominicans, helped spread this Marian prayer throughout the world.

The original rosary was not exactly like the one we know today. It evolved over time until a Dominican pope, St. Pius V, gave it the form that endured from 1571 until the beginning of this century. The rosary consisted of three groups of mysteries taken from the Gospels: the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries.

Pope St. Pius V called on Catholic faithful to pray the rosary to stop the Muslim advance into Europe. The decisive battle involving the Catholic fleet took place at Lepanto on Oct. 7, 1571. For that same reason, the Dominican pope added the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary to the Roman Missal.

From the late 16th century to the present day, all popes, without exception, have prayed and promoted the rosary.

The rosary expanded when Pope St. John Paul II added five new mysteries drawn from the public life of Jesus, which he called the luminous mysteries.

The rosary can be prayed in different ways. One of them was devised by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, beatified this past Sept. 24. It consists of offering each decade of the rosary for the Church’s evangelizing mission on the five continents: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Pope St. John XXIII had a devotion to this form of the rosary.

The rosary has proved valuable because it can be prayed by people with little formal education as well as by intellectuals. It can be described as a vocal prayer. The Our Father, Hail Marys and Glory Be are recited aloud or quietly. But it is also a mental prayer, because those who pray it can contemplate the 20 principal mysteries or episodes in the lives of Jesus and Mary according to the four Gospels.

Those who pray the rosary testify that this rhythmic prayer brings them great inner peace, something much needed in today's world, so full of turmoil. They also affirm that the rosary strengthens their faith and weakens the power of the Evil One's temptations.

Finally, it is comforting to know that indulgences are attached to the rosary, bringing special graces to the living and the dead.

Comments from readers

Ana Rodriguez - 10/18/2026 08:20 AM

El momento único del rezodel rosario es de conexión con la Fe, y es Paz que llega al alma. Gracias, Señor y a la Virgen Santísima por tanto.

Sister Lidia Valli - 10/15/2026 10:14 PM

Thank you for this informational article. May our Lord grant us peace, through the intercession of Mary.

BKO - 10/15/2026 12:44 PM

Maria, he asked the faithful not to use the title of coredemptrix because it risks obscuring Jesus Christ’s unique and exclusive role as the sole redeemer of humanity. While it is true we are all coworkers of the Lord in His vineyard, He is the sole redeemer of the world. Her role is to lead people to her Son. This distinction is crucial: * Christ redeems humanity by His own divine power and saving work. * Mary and the saints cooperate in that redemption by grace. * Their intercession has efficacy only because Christ incorporates them into His risen Body and allows their prayers and actions to participate in His saving plan. Thus, Mary cannot be understood as a second redeemer or as someone whose action competes with Christ. Her role is entirely derivative, subordinate, and united to her Son. The term Coredemptrix can be interpreted correctly if the prefix “co-” means “with” in the sense of cooperation, not equality or parity. Under that interpretation, it refers to Mary’s unique cooperation with God’s plan: she freely consented to become the mother of the Incarnate Word, remained united to Christ throughout His earthly mission, and continues to intercede for the Church. However, the term can easily be misunderstood as suggesting that Mary is equal to Jesus in redeeming humanity. That interpretation would be unacceptable because it obscures Christ’s unique role. Accordingly, it is safer and clearer to say that Mary cooperated uniquely in Christ’s work of redemption rather than to use “Coredemptrix” without explanation. Correspondingly, the title "Mediatrix" (or "Mediatrix of All Graces") is also cautioned against or considered unacceptable if it is interpreted as placing Mary outside or alongside Christ's unique mediation, though it is permissible strictly in a subordinate and participatory sense.

Maria - 10/15/2026 08:48 AM

Please explain why someone so devoted to Mary allows to take away Her title of corredemtor?

Ana Rodriguez - 10/18/2026 08:20 AM: El momento único del rezodel rosario es de conexión con la Fe, y es Paz que llega al alma. Gracias, Señor y a la Virgen Santísima por tanto.

Sister Lidia Valli - 10/15/2026 10:14 PM: Thank you for this informational article. May our Lord grant us peace, through the intercession of Mary.

BKO - 10/15/2026 12:44 PM: Maria, he asked the faithful not to use the title of coredemptrix because it risks obscuring Jesus Christ’s unique and exclusive role as the sole redeemer of humanity. While it is true we are all coworkers of the Lord in His vineyard, He is the sole redeemer of the world. Her role is to lead people to her Son. This distinction is crucial: * Christ redeems humanity by His own divine power and saving work. * Mary and the saints cooperate in that redemption by grace. * Their intercession has efficacy only because Christ incorporates them into His risen Body and allows their prayers and actions to participate in His saving plan. Thus, Mary cannot be understood as a second redeemer or as someone whose action competes with Christ. Her role is entirely derivative, subordinate, and united to her Son. The term Coredemptrix can be interpreted correctly if the prefix “co-” means “with” in the sense of cooperation, not equality or parity. Under that interpretation, it refers to Mary’s unique cooperation with God’s plan: she freely consented to become the mother of the Incarnate Word, remained united to Christ throughout His earthly mission, and continues to intercede for the Church. However, the term can easily be misunderstood as suggesting that Mary is equal to Jesus in redeeming humanity. That interpretation would be unacceptable because it obscures Christ’s unique role. Accordingly, it is safer and clearer to say that Mary cooperated uniquely in Christ’s work of redemption rather than to use “Coredemptrix” without explanation. Correspondingly, the title "Mediatrix" (or "Mediatrix of All Graces") is also cautioned against or considered unacceptable if it is interpreted as placing Mary outside or alongside Christ's unique mediation, though it is permissible strictly in a subordinate and participatory sense.

Maria - 10/15/2026 08:48 AM: Please explain why someone so devoted to Mary allows to take away Her title of corredemtor?