Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Pope: Mary, Show Yourself Mother for Rome, Europe and the World

In the annual tribute to the statue of Our Lady in Rome’s Piazza di Spagna, Benedict XVI entrusts to Mary Europe’s Christian roots, the marginalised and the excluded in a world where man is sacrificed “to other purposes and interests.” Every “Yes” to God is a “No” to selfishness, violence and the power of evil. Here is the full text of the Pope’s meditation.

Rome (AsiaNews) – Tens of thousands of people joined Benedict XVI today in paying tribute to the statue of Our Lady at the top of the Column of the Immacolata in Rome’s Piazza di Spagna. The annual event, one of the simplest but also most heart-felt gestures in Rome, takes place in one of the beautiful and exclusive corners of the Italian capital, in a district known for its Christmas shopping, and in the square home to the Propaganda Fide Palace.

Benedict XVI arrived in Piazza di Spagna around 4 pm (CES Time) and after an introductory prayer he offered a basket with a hundred pink roses that was placed at the foot of the tall column on which rests the bronze statue of the Virgin Mary.

After a few chants and some thoughts taken from the texts of the Second Vatican Council the Pope read his tribute to Our Lady, which we publish here in full:

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin,

again this year we find ourselves with filial love at the foot of your image in order to renew the tribute of the Christian community and the city of Rome.

Here we pause in prayer, following the tradition inaugurated by previous popes, in the solemn day in which the liturgy celebrates your Immaculate Conception, mystery that is a source of joy and hope for all the redeemed. We greet You and call upon You using the words of the Angel, “Full of Grace” (Lk 1, 28), the most beautiful name with which God Himself called You since eternity.
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 4:40 PM