杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

In his greetings to Polish-speaking faithful during the weekly General Audience, 杏MAP导航 Francis took note of the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, honoured as the Queen and Protectress of Poland.

Recalling his own during his visit to Poland for World Youth Day in 2016, the Holy Father said, 鈥淚 unite myself today to the thousands upon thousands of pilgrims who are gathered there, together with the Polish episcopate, to entrust themselves, their families, the nation, and all of humanity to her maternal protection.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis invited the faithful gathered at the Shrine to 鈥減ray to the Blessed Mother to intercede for us all, especially for those who in different ways are suffering from the [Covid-19] pandemic, and bring them relief.鈥�

The Polish Episcopal Conference met together at Poland鈥檚 national shrine ahead of their 386^th Plenary Assembly, which formally opens on Thursday in Jasna Gora. It is the first plenary meeting held this year, as earlier gatherings scheduled for March and June were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A sign of God鈥檚 grace in dark times

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary goes back to the earliest days of Christianity in Poland, says Father Michal Legan, spokesman for the Jasna Gora Sanctuary. 鈥淚t was the most important sign of the Lord鈥檚 grace during the very, very difficult history, even in the darkest moments of our national history,鈥� he said in an interview with Vatican Media鈥檚 Emanuela Campanile. 鈥淓ven in the darkest hours of the personal story of each of us, she was present, and she was the point of the hope and of the faith,鈥� he said.

鈥淪he鈥檚 the most important way to Jesus鈥� for each of us, he added.

Entrusted to Our Lady of Czestochowa

Father Legan said that throughout the pandemic, the people of Poland 鈥渁re looking to Our Lady with faith and prayer, with all our hopes.鈥� That, he said, 鈥渋s why the Polish episcopate is gathered here during the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, to proclaim the act of devotion an act of love and hope,鈥� to express to the Madonna 鈥渢hat we of the nation are her children and we want her as our queen.鈥�

Father Legan noted that, during his visit to Jasna Gora four years ago, 杏MAP导航 Francis said Poland had a great privilege, 鈥渂ecause we have our mother as the queen, and our queen as the mother.鈥�

Prayer to the Blessed Mother during the pandemic

Poles have felt the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and have turned to her in prayer throughout the coronavirus crisis. Father Legan noted that the sanctuary has seen far fewer pilgrims since the beginning of the pandemic. But even if the faithful are not able to come to Jasna Gora, he said, there is still a special, spiritual bond, 鈥渨ith the sanctuary, with the holy icon, and this is something we know deeply in our hearts.鈥�

That is why 鈥渨e pray every day to our Black Madonna for all the people who are sick, and for all who work鈥� in the field of medicine.

And, he said, 鈥渨e can assure you that here in the Sanctuary of Our Lady, this prayer, will be continued.鈥�