Pope John Paul II is urging missionaries to recite the rosary the traditional Roman Catholic set of prayers saying it can help build peace in the world.
The call is contained in the pope's message for the Church's World Missionary Day celebrated on Oct. 19 the day John Paul is to beatify Mother Teresa, founder of the Missionaries of Charity order.
"If the rosary keeps pace with the speed of our lives, it can become a privileged instrument for building peace in the hearts of persons, in families and among peoples," the pope said in the message, which was released Friday.
The pope has sought recently to highlight the rosary in a bid to reverse the flagging practice of the prayer. Last October, he declared the start of the "Year of the Rosary," and he added a new group of prayers to the traditional set.