CNS PHOTO COURTESY OF PREX COMPANY This is an electronic rosary made by the Prex Co. of Loreto Italy.

An Italian company is offering an electronic rosary, complete with headphones, with the voice of Pope John Paul II leading the prayers.

Electronic rosaries have been on the market for some time, but this year’s novelty is the voice of the late pope reciting in Italian the traditional rosary prayers as well as the luminous mysteries of the rosary, which he added in 2002, said the Prex Co., of Loreto, Italy.

One model is in the shape of a heart; a red light pulses like a heartbeat when it is turned on.

All are light and fit in a pocket.

The makers said the electronic rosaries can be particularly useful for people who are not mobile, for example the elderly, to help them feel “less alone.”

It is also a good tool for teaching children prayers, the company said on its website.