Pope to introduce new mysteries to the Rosary

Today, on the anniversary of his election to the pontificate, Pope John Paul II is expected to release an apostolic letter on devotion to the Virgin Mary. And according to a number of newspaper reports - in this document - he will introduce five new mysteries to the Rosary. The new, "luminous mysteries," will focus on the public life of Jesus Christ, Vatican sources say. They will be: the Baptism in the Jordan, the temptation in the desert, the proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfigurations, and the entry into Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, the Pope announced that he was preparing the document. He urged the faithful to recite the rosary and said then that he wanted people to "rediscover the beauty and depth of this prayer." These additional mysteries will be the first changes to the ancient devotion in more than nine centuries. The Pope has always had a particular devotion to Our Lady. His papal motto is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.