Pope Francis: pilgrim to the
Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love
 |
| Interior of the Sanctuary of Divine Love, Rome. |
Pope Francis initiates the Marian month of May by making his
first pilgrimage to the popular Roman shrine, Our Lady of Divine Love (Divino
Amore).
By Richard Marsden
The Pope will be welcomed to the shrine of Our Lady
of Divine Love (Madonna del Divino Amore) by the
vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, Archbishop Angelo De Donatis, the
auxiliary bishop for the southern sector, Bishop Paolo Lujudice, along with the
sanctuary's director, and the current parish priest. The welcome party will
also include the representatives of the Sons and Daughters of Our Lady of
Divine Love based at the shrine.
After reciting the rosary before the medieval icon of the
Madonna and Child, the Pontiff will bless the tomb of Servant of God, Father
Umberto Terenzi, the first rector of the Divino Amore parish
and the founder of two religious orders. He will then meet with elderly
parishioners who were baptised by Father Terenzi. The priest founded the parish
on the site of the sanctuary, which lies on the Via Ardeatina, 12km to the
south of Rome.
Pope Francis also plans to greet residents of both the Divino
Amore retirement home and the Family House of Mater Divini
Amoris, which is run by the Congregation of the Sons of Divine Love and
provides shelter for children and infants.
The Shrine's history
Our Lady of Divine Love shrine originated with a medieval
fresco which adorned one of the towers of a 13th-century gatehouse
called Castel di Leva.
The icon was popular with local shepherds who met there to
pray the rosary. According to tradition, a pilgrim on his way to St Peter’s
Basilica in 1740 was attacked by angry dogs at the gatehouse and was saved
through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
As a result, the numbers of pilgrims to the site increased
and the icon was moved to a new chapel built next to the gatehouse.
The shrine became doubly significant for Romans during the
Second World War when Pope Pius XII, joined by several thousand citizens,
prayed before the fresco for the protection of Rome during the final battle for
the city in 1944 which led to its liberation from German occupation.
A few days after the Allied entry into the city, Pius XII
gave the image the title Salvatrice dell’Urbe, meaning "She
who saves the city".
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