Pope’s Rosary for Africa via satellite linkup

(October 9, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI will lead a special recitation of the Rosary in the Vatican Saturday evening for Africa. Joining him will be the participants in the African Synod, in session in the Vatican Oct. 4-25, as well as the university students of Rome. Pope Benedict announced the Rosary last Sunday, during his weekly midday ‘Angelus’ prayer in the Vatican, saying the Rosary in the Vatican’s Paul VI audience hall would be “with Africa and for Africa.” “Dear young university students,” the Pope urged, “I am expecting many of you, to entrust to Mary, "Sedes Sapientiae" (Seat of Wisdom), the path of the Church and the society of the African continent.” Students from 9 African cities will join the papal event in the Vatican via a satellite linkup. The nine African cities are Cairo, Egypt; Nairobi, Kenya; Khartoum, Sudan, Antana-narivo, Madagascar; Johannesburg, South Africa; Onitsha, Nigeria; Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo; Maputo, Mozambique and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The Pope has called for the special Rosary for Africa in the context of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops in this month of October that is traditionally dedicated to the Rosary.