Clutched by the global faithful and draped on candles and statues, rosaries abound for Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY — As Pope Francis remains hospitalized in Rome, thousands of faithful from around the world have been gathering by St. Peter’s and by the hospital to pray the rosary for him.

Dating to the Middle Ages and popularized in the 16th century, the chain of beads that comprises a rosary is one of the most visible symbols of Christianity — handheld by young and old, hanging from monks’ belts, draped around rearview mirrors in vehicles, crafted in precious stones, olive tree wood from the Holy Land or cheap, even gaudy plastic.

Repetitive prayer exists across multiple faiths. For Catholics, the rosary consists of reciting one “Our father” and ten “Hail Mary” prayers, five times over — starting each “decade” with a brief meditation on different mysteries about the life of Jesus and Mary.

They vary depending on the day of the week — from “glorious” ones like Mary’s assumption to “sorrowful” ones like Jesus climbing the Calvary hill.

“Mary is the mediator between God and humankind,” said the Rev. Enzo Fortunato, a Franciscan who leads the Vatican committee for World Children’s Day. “We turn to Mary as children, with the certainty that she listens to us like a mother.”

The prayer can be done individually or in groups, as it has been done for Francis, at home or on pilgrimage on in churches. The Basilica in Lourdes, France, one of the most popular sites of pilgrimage in Europe, is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, the origin of the images of Mary holding the rosary.

It’s long been a tradition in many countries to pray the rosary for the ill. When the group rosaries in St. Peter’s Square started the night of Feb. 24, many were reminded of the somber vigils held when St. John Paul II was hospitalized at the end of his papacy in 2005.

“It’s a simple prayer, that doesn’t require special knowledge or preparation,” said Fermín Labarga, professor of church history at the University of Navarra in Spain. “It teaches us to pray like Mary, always contemplating Christ.”