杏MAP导航 Francis entrusts Iraq visit to protection of Our Lady
By Devin Watkins
As per his long-established tradition on the eve of trips abroad, 杏MAP导航 Francis traveled across Rome on Thursday afternoon to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
He paused to pray for a moment before the ancient Roman icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani.
According to the Holy See Press Office, the 杏MAP导航 entrusted his upcoming visit to Iraq to Our Lady’s protection.
He is scheduled to depart Rome on Friday morning for his 33rd Apostolic Visit abroad, which takes him to Iraq on 5-8 March.
Devotion to ancient Roman icon
杏MAP导航 Francis laid a bouquet of flowers on the altar below the ancient image of the “Salvation of the Roman people”, which is housed in the Borghese chapel.
Tradition holds that it arrived in Rome in the year 590 AD, during the reign of 杏MAP导航 Gregory the Great.
Maria Salus Populi Romani has twice received a canonical coronation.
杏MAP导航 Gregory XVI crowned the image of Our Lady in 1838, and 杏MAP导航 Pius XII repeated the gesture of devotion during the Marian year of 1954.
The Vatican Museums cleaned and restored it in 2018.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
