Ingruentium Malorum
Encyclopedia
Ingruentium Malorum is an encyclical
of Pope Pius XII
on reciting the rosary
, issued on September 15, 1951, the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
entrusted to the Mother of God the destiny of the human family. Six years after the Second World War, fraternal harmony among nations had not yet been re-established. Church "persecution in many parts of the world make the blood of martyrs flow again and again". The encyclical states that the Holy Rosary is the most convenient and most fruitful means to learn about the faith itself:
The Pope argues that the repeating of identical formulas has a positive impact on those who pray, giving them confidence in Mary. "The recitation of identical formulas repeated so many times, rather than rendering the prayer sterile and boring, has on the contrary the admirable quality of infusing confidence in him who prays and brings to bear a gentle compulsion on the motherly Heart of Mary".
He strongly encourages Catholic families to pray the rosary together. The rosary-praying family will become a place of sanctity, where the Holy Rosary will not only be the particular prayer, but will also become a school of Christian discipline and Christian virtue. As a meditation on the Divine Mysteries of the Redemption the rosary teaches adults to live, while fostering daily admiration of the examples of Jesus and Mary, and to draw from these examples comfort in adversity.
Pope Pius XII puts great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils which afflict the times. He states that while reciting the Rosary, Catholics should not forget those who languish in prison camps, jails, and concentration camps. "There are among them, as you know, also Bishops dismissed from their Sees solely for having heroically defended the sacred rights of God and the Church. There are sons, fathers and mothers, wrested from their homes and compelled to lead unhappy lives far away in unknown lands and strange climates". The Pope imparts his Apostolic Blessing to each reader and particularly to those who recite the holy Rosary during the month of October.
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
of Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
on reciting the rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
, issued on September 15, 1951, the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
Contents
The encyclical states that from the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
entrusted to the Mother of God the destiny of the human family. Six years after the Second World War, fraternal harmony among nations had not yet been re-established. Church "persecution in many parts of the world make the blood of martyrs flow again and again". The encyclical states that the Holy Rosary is the most convenient and most fruitful means to learn about the faith itself:
As is clearly suggested by the very origin of this practice, heavenly rather than human, and by its nature. What prayers are better adapted and more beautiful than the Lord's prayer and the angelic salutationHail MaryThe Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
, which are the flowers with which this mystical crown is formed? With meditation of the Sacred Mysteries added to the vocal prayers, there emerges another very great advantage, so that all, even the most simple and least educated, have in this a prompt and easy way to nourish and preserve their own faith.
The Pope argues that the repeating of identical formulas has a positive impact on those who pray, giving them confidence in Mary. "The recitation of identical formulas repeated so many times, rather than rendering the prayer sterile and boring, has on the contrary the admirable quality of infusing confidence in him who prays and brings to bear a gentle compulsion on the motherly Heart of Mary".
He strongly encourages Catholic families to pray the rosary together. The rosary-praying family will become a place of sanctity, where the Holy Rosary will not only be the particular prayer, but will also become a school of Christian discipline and Christian virtue. As a meditation on the Divine Mysteries of the Redemption the rosary teaches adults to live, while fostering daily admiration of the examples of Jesus and Mary, and to draw from these examples comfort in adversity.
The custom of the family recitation of the Holy Rosary is a most efficacious means. What a sweet sight—most pleasing to God—when, at eventide, the Christian home resounds with the frequent repetition of praises in honor of the High Queen of Heaven! Then the Rosary, recited in the family, assembled before the image of the Virgin, in an admirable union of hearts, the parents and their children, who come back from their daily work. It unites them piously with those absent and those dead. It links all more tightly in a sweet bond of love, with the most Holy Virgin, who, like a loving mother, in the circle of her children, will be there bestowing upon them an abundance of the gifts of concord and family peace.
Pope Pius XII puts great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils which afflict the times. He states that while reciting the Rosary, Catholics should not forget those who languish in prison camps, jails, and concentration camps. "There are among them, as you know, also Bishops dismissed from their Sees solely for having heroically defended the sacred rights of God and the Church. There are sons, fathers and mothers, wrested from their homes and compelled to lead unhappy lives far away in unknown lands and strange climates". The Pope imparts his Apostolic Blessing to each reader and particularly to those who recite the holy Rosary during the month of October.
See also
- Encyclical Fulgens CoronaFulgens CoronaFulgens corona is an encyclical by Pope Pius XII, given at St. Peter's Rome, on 8 September 1953, on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the fifteenth year of his Pontificate...
- Encyclical Mystici Corporis ChristiMystici Corporis ChristiMystici Corporis Christi is a papal encyclical issued by Pope Pius XII during World War II, on the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. It is one of the more important encyclicals of Pope Pius XII, because of its topic, the Church, and because its Church concept was fully included in Lumen...
- Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis MariaeRosarium Virginis MariaeRosarium Virginis Mariae is the title of an Apostolic Letter by Pope John Paul II, issued on October 16, 2002. This Apostlic Letter deals with the Holy Rosary and views it as compendium of the Gospel message:...