Pope John Paul II met with more than 17,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during his general audience on Oct. 16, which marked the 24th anniversary of his pontificate. “On this special day, I entrust once again into the hands of the Mother of God the life of the Church and the life of humanity, which has suffered so many afflictions. And to her I also entrust my own future, too. I lay it all in her hands, so that she will present everything to her Son with a moth-er's love,” he said.

Christ, the Holy Father explained, is at the center of our Catholic faith, and he emphasized that Mary does not overshadow him or his works of salvation. “She is the one who leads us most surely to Christ, the ultimate goal of our activity and of our entire existence,” he observed. He said it was his desire that Mary be a teacher for all Catholics in contemplating the face of Jesus.

The Pope used the occasion to present his latest apostolic letter, “Rosarium Virginis Mariae,” to the public. During his audience, John Paul told pilgrims he was proclaiming the year from October 2002 to October 2003 as the Year of the Rosary. He also said he was proposing another set of five mysteries be added to the rosary, called “the mysteries of light,” which focus on the public life of Jesus from his baptism up to his passion.

“The purpose of this suggestion is to expand the scope of the rosary, so that those who recite it with devotion and not in some mechanical way will be able to penetrate even deeper the contents of the Good News and conform their own lives even more to Christ's life,” the Holy Father noted.

He ended the audience by thanking the pilgrims who were present as well as the faithful around the world for their good will and support in prayer.