null / Credit: Stephen Kiers/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A New Jersey teacher’s dismissal from her Catholic school classroom over her role as a surrogate mother has raised the question of just when Catholic employers can dismiss workers for not adhering to the faith. 

The teacher, Jadira Bonilla, was put on paid administrative leave after school officials discovered that she had agreed to serve as a surrogate for another couple. She told a Philadelphia news station that she had previously served as a surrogate for the same couple without incident while working at another Catholic school.

Administrators at St. Mary Catholic School in Vineland “said I was possibly in violation of my contract and that I would be suspended or placed on administrative leave,” the teacher told the news outlet. 

Bonilla “is a valued teacher and one we hope will one day again teach in our school with the full knowledge of our faith, which guides our educational principles,” the school told the media in a statement. 

Court rulings protect Catholic employers

L. Martin Nussbaum, an attorney who specializes in First Amendment and religious freedom protections and who serves as counsel for the Catholic Benefits Association, said there are “many protections for Catholic employers” in the United States. 

The Catholic Benefits Association says on its website that it “advocates for and litigates in defense of our members’ First Amendment rights to provide employee benefits and a work environment that is consistent with the Catholic faith.” 

The organization notes that “new regulations, laws, legal outcomes, and legislation” can affect how Catholic employers can do business, though Nussbaum said there are “a number of very powerful protections” for Catholic businesses in the U.S. 

It is unclear if Bonilla, the New Jersey teacher, has filed a lawsuit against the school over its policies, but Nussbaum said if she did, “she would probably file it under a discrimination lawsuit, under the basis of pregnancy, which is a protected class under some laws.”

Yet the school and other Catholic employers can cite multiple Supreme Court rulings in their defense, Nussbaum said. Among them is the landmark 2012 Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In that decision the high court ruled unanimously that the First Amendment allows religious organizations to hire and fire ministers without regard to federal discrimination laws. A ruling in 2020’s Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru further strengthened that principle. 

The rule applies to teachers as well, “especially if they’re involved in helping inculcate the faith,” Nussbaum said.

“[That’s] the only reason Catholic schools exist,” he noted. “You can hire a secular atheist to teach a child to read. But parents make tremendous sacrifices to put their children in Catholic schools, not only to read and write, but to transmit the faith.”

More broadly, for decades U.S. case law has recognized the right to “freedom of association.” 

In the Supreme Court’s landmark 2000 ruling in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, the court held that the government is not allowed to “compel [an] organization to accept members where such acceptance would derogate from the organization’s expressive message.” In that ruling, the court denied efforts by a gay man to force the Boy Scouts of America to allow him to be a scoutmaster. 

Nussbaum said that state laws can offer protection in addition to federal shields. In 2023, for instance, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that a “religious tenets” exception to a state nondiscrimination law allowed a Catholic school to fire a teacher who became pregnant out of wedlock.

Nussbaum said there is “some variation around the edges” regarding state laws but that the federal rulings make religious protections “really quite strong across all the states.”

He said Catholic employers can take care to ensure they are within the law in hiring and firing decisions in part by outlining the religious dimensions and roles of jobs. “That should be articulated,” he said.

The attorney said disputes over transgender identity and ideology have opened up new avenues for plaintiffs to potentially sue Catholic employers over religious employment decisions.

But “the law is quite strong for vindicating the freedom of religious institutions to insist that those who are advancing the religious mission are in line with that mission,” he said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Jesus is always walking alongside everyone, no matter how mundane or precarious their journey, Pope Leo XIV said.

"Sometimes we think that the Lord comes to visit us only in moments of contemplation or spiritual fervor, when we feel worthy, when our lives appear orderly and bright," the pope said Oct. 8 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"Instead, the Risen One is close to us precisely in the darkest places: in our failures, in our frayed relationships, in the daily struggles that weigh on our shoulders, in the doubts that discourage us," he said. "Nothing that we are, no fragment of our existence, is foreign to him."

Among the more than 60,000 pilgrims in the square was a group of students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy in Chicago with Cardinal Blase J. Cupich. The students were wearing white and scarlet outfits and a four-cornered hat similar to what a cardinal wears. One student was dressed as a Swiss guard. 

According to the Chicago Catholic archdiocesan publication, they had reenacted a "mock papal conclave" May 6, two days before the real College of Cardinals elected Chicago-native Cardinal Robert F. Prevost in Rome.

In their own schoolwide rendition, the children had elected on their third ballot Augie Wilk, a fourth grader, who took the name Pope Augustine.

"Students had to apply to be one of the 20 cardinals; five sixth graders portrayed cardinals over 80 who could not vote but helped run the conclave," the publication reported.

Teachers made the costumes, including the red "mozettas" or capes, out of felt, and the hats out of cardstock, it reported.

Cardinal Cupich, who was one of the 133 cardinals in the conclave that elected Pope Leo, visited the students at their school June 2 to watch their reenactment, it said, "and to answer their questions about the real conclave."

Meanwhile, in his ongoing series of audience talks on the Jubilee theme, "Jesus Christ our Hope," Pope Leo reflected on Christ's resurrection as being marked by simplicity and humility.

"The risen Lord does nothing spectacular to impose himself on the faith of his disciples," he said. "He does not appear surrounded by hosts of angels, he does not perform spectacular feats, he does not deliver solemn speeches to reveal the secrets of the universe."

"We would have expected special effects, signs of power, overwhelming evidence," he said. "But the Lord does not seek this: he prefers the language of proximity, of normality, of sharing a meal."

"There is a valuable message in this," the pope said. "The resurrection is not a theatrical coup; it is a silent transformation that fills every human gesture with meaning."

Every human body, story and relationship, he said, are "destined for the fullness of life" by "entering into a deeper communion with God and with our brothers and sisters, in a humanity transfigured by love."

That means "everything can become grace. Even the most ordinary things: eating, working, waiting, taking care of the house, supporting a friend," Pope Leo said. 

"However, there is an obstacle that often prevents us from recognizing Christ's presence in our daily lives: the assumption that joy must be free from suffering," he said.

The disciples expected "a different ending" for the Messiah, he said. "But Jesus walks alongside them and patiently helps them understand that pain is not the denial of the promise, but the way through which God has manifested the measure of his love."

Their eyes are opened when they are seated at the table with the Lord and realize "their hearts were already burning" despite their sadness, he said. "This is the greatest surprise: to discover that beneath the ashes of disenchantment and weariness there is always a living ember, waiting only to be rekindled.

"Christ's resurrection teaches us that no history is so marked by disappointment or sin that it cannot be visited by hope," he said. "However distant, lost or unworthy we may feel, there is no distance that can extinguish the unfailing power of God's love."

"The risen Lord walks alongside each of us, as we travel our paths -- those of work and commitment, but also those of suffering and loneliness -- and with infinite delicacy asks us to let him warm our hearts," the pope said..

"He waits patiently for the moment when our eyes will open to see his friendly face, capable of transforming disappointment into hopeful expectation, sadness into gratitude, resignation into hope," he added.

"The Risen One desires only to manifest his presence, to become our companion on the road and to kindle in us the certainty that his life is stronger than any death," he said.

"Let us then ask for the grace to recognize his humble and discreet presence, not to expect a life without trials, to discover that every pain, if inhabited by love, can become a place of communion," the pope said.

Christian joy, he added, "comes from the certainty that the Lord is alive, walks with us, and gives us the possibility to start again at every moment."

Pope: God is always near, even in our failure

A look at Pope Leo's general audience Oct. 8, 2025. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

This week’s poem in the Catholic Poetry Room is by Jeffrey Essmann. The Rhythm Salvation has a rhythm: how it paced Itself in times Of prophecy and kings! Oh, how it slowed And stumbled; then how of a sudden flowed With a sublime Delight when she who was so fully graced The meter of redemption […]

The post The Rhythm appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Pope Leo XIV answers questions from the media outside Castel Gandolfo in Italy on Oct. 7, 2025. / Credit: Hannah Brockhaus/CNA

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Oct 7, 2025 / 11:58 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV called Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, an act of terrorism that cannot be tolerated and lamented the large number of Palestinian lives lost during “a painful two years.”

Addressing a group of journalists just outside his Castel Gandolfo residence, Villa Barberini, on Oct. 7, the pope said: “Two years ago it was a terroristic attack. ... more than 1,200 people killed.”

“We really need to think hard about how much hatred there is in the world and start with ourselves, asking why it exists and what we can do about it,” he added. “Then, in two years, 60,000–67,000 Palestinians have been killed. It really makes you think about how much violence there is and how good it is to promote peace.”

Leo answered questions from journalists as he left Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. He has spent every Tuesday at the papal retreat, located 18 miles south of Rome, since Sept. 9.

“It is certain that we cannot accept groups that cause terrorism; we must always reject this style of hatred in the world,” the pope said, noting as well that antisemitism is also on the rise.

He pointed out that he has asked the Church to pray in a special way for peace during the month of October.

“We must respect the dignity of everyone. This is the message of the Church,” he said.

The pope declined to answer a question about ICE raids in Chicago. “I prefer not to comment at this time about choices made, about political choices, in the United States,” he said.

In the three-and-a-half minute exchange with journalists, Leo also commented briefly on his first international trip to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27–Dec. 2, announced by the Vatican on Tuesday.

The visit to the historic site of Nicaea in Turkey for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will be a “historic moment,” he said, “but it is not to look back, it is to move forward.”

He called it a moment “of unity in the faith for all Christians” and pointed out that his predecessor, Francis, was hoping to make the trip to Turkey himself. 

In Lebanon, there will be “the opportunity to proclaim once again the message of peace in the Middle East, in a country that has suffered so much,” Leo said.

“Pope Francis wanted to go there too,” the pontiff added, “he wanted to reach out to the people who are living after the explosion, after all they have suffered. We will try to bring this message of peace and hope.”

Looking ahead to the Oct. 9 release of his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, which will be on the topic of poverty, Leo said, “that is the message of the Gospel.”

“Ultimately, whatever the pope says or announces must always be rooted in the Gospel. That is what we want to try to do,” he said.

This story was updated on Oct. 7, 2025, at 12:35 p.m. ET.

Haitian refugee Patrick Joseph comes from a country where tropical flowers bloom in a cavalcade of colors. He now lives in Springfield, Ohio, where the dreary winters create a dull gray landscape as the brown earth lies dormant. Nevertheless, Joseph, 50, doesn’t mind the Ohio winter. He sees Springfield, a quintessential American Rust Belt town, […]

The post Haitian parish in Springfield, Ohio maintains faith amid crisis appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

Bishop Pavel Konzbul of Brno, Czech Republic. / Credit: Diocese of Brno

Rome, Italy, Oct 7, 2025 / 09:47 am (CNA).

Czech Catholic bishops welcomed the results of the parliamentary elections on Oct. 3–4, which saw a populist party win the most votes but fall short of a majority.

null / Credit: Amy Lutz/Shutterstock

Vatican City, Oct 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A new institute at Pope Leo XIV’s undergraduate alma mater wants to change the “mental pattern” that associates immigrants with crime.

In the 19th century, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini embraced the travails of millions of recently arrived Italian immigrants to the United States. Inspired by this legacy of the first American saint, Villanova University — the flagship institution of the Order of St. Augustine — has just launched the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration.

It was from this institution of higher learning in Philadelphia that Robert Francis Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977.

The initiative is based on the Augustinian values ​​of “veritas, unitas, and caritas” (truth, unity, and charity) and seeks to bring together the academic community and other external stakeholders to promote concrete actions to address the contemporary challenges of migration.

“Currently, there is a mentality that associates immigrants with crime, drug trafficking, or human trafficking. However, immigrants are the ones who care for our children and our elders; we open the doors of our homes to them so they can clean our homes. We invite them into the most intimate parts of our lives, yet the media generates contrary images that make it difficult to recognize their humanity,” explained Professor Michele Pistone, director of the center, which was inaugurated at the Vatican on Sept. 30.

The institute seeks to reverse negative perceptions through an interdisciplinary approach based on four pillars: teaching, research, advocacy, and service.

“We want to transform hearts and minds, work with all Villanova colleges, and connect with centers, alumni, and community partners to create systemic change,” the professor said.

For Pistone, the university is an ideal setting for this type of work. “What better place to do it than at a university, where we can study it, be active on the ground, learn from the experience, and teach students — the future leaders of our country and businesses — to understand the migrant experience?”

The scholar also participated in the event “Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home,” which took place in Rome from Oct. 1–3 ahead of the Jubilee of Migrants (Oct. 4–5). The more than 200 participants in the global gathering from over 40 countries were welcomed to the Vatican last week by Pope Leo XIV.

As Pistone explained in conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the seed of the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration was planted in 2022 when Pope Francis called on universities to research and teach more about migrants and refugees.

“I was in the front row and felt like he was speaking directly to me. I felt a personal calling to be part of the solution,” said the law professor at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law.

Personal inspiration and lifelong commitment

Pistone’s passion for migration is deeply rooted in her family history. During her studies in Italy, she visited Sicily in search of the origins of her grandparents, who immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.

“Seeing my relatives, who didn’t know my father, and seeing how they rejoiced in his accomplishments in New York, changed my life. I began to understand the history of migrants from a lived perspective, and that led me to work with asylum seekers since 1999,” Pistone said.

For Pistone, migration is part of the identity and mission of the United States. “My state, Pennsylvania, was founded as a refuge for those fleeing religious persecution. That’s what asylum is all about: offering refuge to those who cannot live according to their beliefs or express themselves freely,” she explained.

Inspired by the life and work of Mother Cabrini, canonized by Pius XII in 1946, Pistone emphasized the value of the newly inaugurated center as an intellectual and social hub: “Mother Cabrini was a visionary and social entrepreneur. Her charisma guides us today in asking ourselves: What is Mother Cabrini’s work in the contemporary world? We want to carry out that mission through education, research, public advocacy, and service.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims gathered for the Mass for the Jubilee of Catechists on Sept. 28, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 7, 2025 / 07:08 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will visit Turkey and Lebanon in the first apostolic journey of his pontificate, to take place from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, the Vatican announced Tuesday.

Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said the pope accepted the invitations of the “Head of State and Ecclesiastical Authorities” of both countries in an Oct. 7 statement released by the Vatican.

During the six-day papal trip, the Holy Father will visit the Turkish city of Iznek to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, an ecumenical milestone in Church history that led to the formulation of the Nicene Creed.

According to a media release published by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Tuesday, Pope Leo will undertake a joint pilgrimage with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople to Nicaea on Nov. 28 before spending two days in the Phanar, the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, where he and Bartholomew will celebrate the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle on Nov. 30.

Leo will be the fifth pope to visit Turkey. Early in his pontificate, Pope Francis visited the Middle Eastern nation in 2014 to strengthen the Church’s interreligious dialogue with Orthodox and Muslim leaders.

The last papal visit to Lebanon was made by Pope Benedict XVI from Sept. 14–16, 2012, more than one year after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.

The Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon issued a statement on Tuesday expressing their gratitude to Pope Leo for his “fatherly love and special concern” for the Lebanese people.

“We receive this historic event with great joy and renewed hope, praying this apostolic visit may bring Lebanon peace and stability, and that it may be a sign of unity for all Lebanese Christians and Muslims alike, in this delicate phase of our nation’s history,” the statement read.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the pope’s visit will deepen the “unwavering trust” between Lebanon and the Vatican and a sign of peace in a country of diverse religions and cultures.

“All Lebanese — Christians and Muslims alike, from every sect and community — are preparing to receive him with sincere joy and rare national unity that reflects the true image of Lebanon,” Aoun said on Tuesday.

“Lebanon — its leadership and its people — looks to this visit with great hope at a time when challenges are growing on every level,” he added.

According to a 2024 UNHCR (U.N. refugee agency) report, Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometer in the world, including approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees.

This story was updated on Oct. 7, 2025, at 9:19 a.m. ET.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- True disciples of Christ listen to and understand others, and they always speak the truth, even in the presence of those who are powerful, Pope Leo XIV said.

However, Christian witness "is not to be confused with ideological propaganda," since witness arises from friendship with the Lord and "is an authentic principle of interior transformation and social awareness," he said in his message to young people ahead of the local celebrations of World Youth Day Nov. 23, the solemnity of Christ the King.

Jesus "does not want us to be servants, nor 'activists' of a political party; he calls us to be with him as friends, so that our lives may be renewed," the pope wrote.

Therefore, "do not follow those who use the words of faith to divide; instead, make plans to remove inequalities and reconcile divided and oppressed communities," the pope wrote in the message released by the Vatican Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. 

The November celebration of World Youth Day is taking place a few months after the summer celebration of the Jubilee of Youth held in Rome and two years before the international celebration in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027.

The theme for local celebrations in 2025, "You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me" from the beginning, is taken from St. John's Gospel account of Jesus sending his disciples into the world to bear witness to Christ despite the threat of persecution.

In his message, the pope thanked all the young people who came to Rome or were united from afar through prayer during the Jubilee.

"I hope the Jubilee encounter marks for each of you a step forward in Christian life and a strong encouragement to persevere in witnessing to your faith," which requires courage, he wrote.

There are two aspects of witness, he wrote: "our friendship with Jesus, which we receive from God as a gift, and our commitment to be builders of peace in society."

Jesus "fully knows who we are and why we are here; young people, he knows your heart, your indignation in the face of discrimination and injustice, your desire for truth and beauty, for joy and peace," he wrote. "Through his friendship, he listens to you, motivates you, and guides you, calling each of you to a new life."

"True witnesses do not seek to occupy the center stage, nor to bind their followers to themselves," he said in his message. "Christian witness is neither a proclamation of ourselves nor a celebration of our spiritual, intellectual or moral abilities."

True witnesses, therefore, "are free to listen, to understand, and also to speak the truth to everyone, even in the presence of those who are powerful," he wrote, because they are "recognizing and pointing to Jesus when he appears, as he is the only one who saves us."

Witnesses can become missionaries by walking with other young people and showing them that God, in Jesus, is "closeness, compassion and tender love," he wrote.

This is especially important as so many young people "are exposed to violence, forced to use weapons, separated from their loved ones, and compelled to migrate or flee," he wrote. They, like everyone, have the same yearning for meaning in life.

Jesus does not hide the "painful reality" that his disciples-witnesses experience rejection "and sometimes even violent opposition," Pope Leo wrote. "However, it becomes an opportunity to put into practice the greatest commandment, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'"

Do not be "tempted to react instinctively by putting yourselves on the same level as those who have rejected you, adopting aggressive attitudes," he told young people. Instead, "overcome evil with good." 

In fact, those who enjoy a true friendship with Christ reflect a warm, fraternal way of life, "made up of selfless closeness, sincere compassion and genuine tenderness," he wrote.

"The witness of fraternity and peace that friendship with Christ awakens in us casts off indifference and spiritual laziness, helping us to overcome closed-mindedness and suspicion," he wrote, and it encourages people to work together through volunteerism or "political charity" in a way that builds "new living conditions for all."

"Let us listen to the voice of God within us and overcome our selfishness, becoming active artisans of peace," he wrote.

Pope Leo encouraged young people to remember Pope Francis' insistence to "go beyond ourselves and our comfort zones" because "if we do not go to the poor and those who feel excluded from the kingdom of God, we cannot encounter Christ and bear witness to him."

He invited young people to read the Gospels and reflect on the lives of Jesus' friends and witnesses. "You will find that they all discovered the true meaning of life through their living relationship with Christ."

"Indeed, our deepest questions are not heard or answered by endlessly scrolling on our cell phones, which captures our attention but leaves us with tired minds and empty hearts," he wrote. "The fulfillment of our authentic desires always comes through going beyond ourselves."

A woman prays the rosary at the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, on Sept. 28, 2024. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 7, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

October is designated by the Catholic Church as the Month of the Rosary, and Oct. 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Here are seven common myths and facts about this devotion to Our Lady:

1. Only Catholics can pray the rosary. 

False. While rosaries are typically associated with Catholics, non-Catholics can certainly pray the rosary — and in fact, many credit it to their conversion. Even some Protestants recognize the rosary as a valid form of prayer.

2. Praying the rosary is idolatry. 

False. Some have objections to the rosary, claiming it idolizes Mary and is overly repetitive. 

Just like any practice, the rosary can be abused — just as someone might idolize a particular pastor or priest, a form of worship, or fasting. But the rosary itself is not a form of idolatry. 

The rosary is not a prayer to Mary — it is a meditation on the life of Christ revealed in five mysteries “with the purposes of drawing the person praying deeper into reflecting on Christ’s joys, sacrifices, sufferings, and the glorious miracles of his life.” 

When we pray the Hail Mary, we are not adoring Mary, we are asking for her intercession — just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us. 

Second, any prayer can lose its meaning if we do not intentionally meditate on it. Focusing on the mysteries with purpose and intention is key to the rosary’s transforming power. As one author encourages: “The rosary itself stays the same, but we do not.”

3. You can wear a rosary as a necklace.

It depends. It is typically considered disrespectful and irreverent to wear a rosary around one’s neck as jewelry, even though the Church does not have an explicit declaration against doing so. 

However, Canon 1171 of the Code of Canon Law says that “sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons.”

It is important to treat the rosary with respect and intention. If you intend to wear the rosary as a piece of jewelry, this would not be respectful and should be avoided. It goes without saying that wearing the rosary as a mockery or gang symbol would be a sin.

But if it is your intention to use the rosary and be mindful of prayer, then it could be permissible. It is not uncommon in some cultures, like in Honduras and El Salvador, to see the rosary respectfully worn around the neck as a sign of devotion.

Rosary rings or bracelets might be a better option if you want to keep your rosary close at hand as a reminder to pray, as they are kept more out of sight and would not be as easily misconstrued to be a piece of jewelry. 

4. The rosary is an extremist symbol.

False. A widely-shared 2022 Atlantic article went viral for accusing the rosary of being an “extremist symbol.” 

“Just as the AR-15 rifle has become a sacred object for Christian nationalists in general, the rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or ‘rad trad’) Catholics,” the article read.

The author also cited the Church’s stance on traditional marriage and the sanctity of life as evidence of “extremism” and claimed that Catholics’ tendency to call the rosary a “weapon in the fight against evil” as dangerous.

As CNA reported in 2022, popes have urged Catholics to pray the rosary since 1571 — often referring to the rosary as a prayer “weapon” and most powerful spiritual tool.

5. The rosary is not biblical.

Untrue! Most of its words come directly from Scripture.

First, the Our Father is prayed. The words of the Our Father are those Christ taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9–13.

The Hail Mary also comes straight from the Bible. The first part, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,” comes from Luke 1:28, and the second, “Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,” is found in Luke 1:42.

Finally, each of the decades prayed on the rosary symbolizes an event in the lives of Jesus and Mary. The decades are divided into four sets of mysteries: joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious, the majority of which are found in Scripture. 

6. A rosary bead, or pea, can kill you.

Somewhat true. A rosary pea, or abrus seed, is a vine plant native to India and parts of Asia. The seeds of the vine, which are red with black spots, are often used to make beaded jewelry — including rosaries. Rosary pea seeds contain a toxic substance called “abrin,” which is a naturally-occurring poison that can be fatal if ingested. However, it’s unlikely for someone to get abrin poisoning just from holding a rosary made from abrus seeds, as one would have to swallow them.

Today, most rosaries are made from other nontoxic materials, such as olive wood or glass — eliminating this concern.

7. Carrying a rosary can protect you.

True. The rosary has proven to be a miraculous force for protecting those of faith and bestowing upon them extra graces, such as the victory of the Christian forces at the Battle of Lepanto after St. Pius V implored Western Christians to pray the rosary.

Many great saints across history, including Pope John Paul II, Padre Pio, and Lucia of Fátima, have also recognized the rosary as the most powerful weapon in fighting the real spiritual battles we face in the world. 

We know that spiritual warfare is a real and present danger: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Eph 6:11–12). 

“The rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin … If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors,” Pope Pius XI said. 

This story was first published on Oct. 1, 2022, and has been updated.