The Rosary is a weapon against our common enemy

In an interview with the French newspaper La Croix, Father William (Guillaume) de Menthière, professor of theology at the Bernardins College in Paris (France), answered questions about the Rosary. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

La Croix: "What is the use of the repetitive prayer of the Rosary? And first of all, when did it begin?"

Father William: "Tradition says that it was given to Saint Dominic by the Virgin Mary herself, in the 12th century. It gradually acquired its present form in the 16th century."

La Croix: "What is the difference between a 5-decade rosary and what we simply call the Rosary?"

Father William: "The 5-decade rosary is only a part of the whole Rosary, which consists of the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries."

La Croix: "And have all the Popes been attached to this prayer?"

Father William: "Yes, and this is an astonishing fact. Do you know that Leo XIII, the great Pope of the Church's social doctrine, wrote no less than eleven encyclicals on the Rosary? Not to mention the letters and decrees in which he insists that the People of God go back to praying the Rosary. Pius XII prayed it often, encouraged people to pray it, and called it ‘the breviary of the Gospel.’ Saint John XXIII dedicated his first encyclical to the Rosary. Saint Paul VI’s first general audience, on the day after his election, was dedicated to the Rosary. Not to mention Saint John Paul II…!"

La Croix: "What about Pope Francis?"

Father William: "He often speaks about it as well. He says that prayer is a struggle, and that the Rosary can be used as a weapon. Praying the Rosary is an exercise in endurance and perseverance that makes us stronger to fight against our enemy, who is the devil himself. Because the battle we are talking about is a spiritual battle."

Sophie de Villeneuve from an article published in La Croix (2020)