Pope Francis celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception
Pope Francis prays in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary during the annual feast of the Immaculate Conception at Piazza di Spagna in Rome.- AFP |
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis left the Vatican on Friday
afternoon, headed for Rome’s central Piazza di Spagna in order to pay homage to
the statue of the Immaculate Conception there.
Surrounded by crowds of pilgrims, tourists and local Roman
residents, the Pope recited a specially-composed Prayer to Our Lady in which he asked her, among other
things, to help us “rid ourselves of all pride and arrogance and to recognize
ourselves for what we really are: small and poor sinners” – but always Mary’s
children.
The Pope’s visit to the memorial column dedicated to the
Immaculate Conception, included the traditional blessing of a garland of
flowers which Roman firemen placed on the statue of Our Lady which dominates
the summit of the ancient marble column.
Visit to Basilica of Mary Major
On his way to Piazza di Spagna this year, Pope Francis also
stopped to visit the Basilica of St Mary Major where he laid a floral wreath
below the icon of Salus Populi Romani, depicting Our Lady and the Christ
Child. This is the same image the Pope always prays at both before and after
his apostolic journeys abroad.
Alphonse Ratisbonne
Before returning to the Vatican later in the afternoon, Pope
Francis paid a private visit to the Rome Basilica of Sant’Andrea delle
Fratte.
It was here, 175 years ago, that a French Jew by the name of
Alphonse Ratisbonne, experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary. At that moment,
in the words of the Pope, “from being an atheist and enemy of the Church, he
became a Christian”.
Even more so, following his conversion, Alphonse became a
Jesuit priest and missionary and ended up cofounding his own religious Congregation
dedicated to Our Lady of Sion.
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