(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday prayed to Our Lady at Piazza di Spagna in Rome, asking her to invoke her maternal protection “for us, our families, this city and the whole world.” He also prayed that humanity would be free from every form of spiritual and material slavery. Please…
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(Vatican Radio) One of the highlights of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Rome is the visit of the Pope to Piazza di Spagna where he traditionally pays homage to the statue of Our Lady that commemorates the proclamation of the dogma in 1854. Listen to Seàn-Patrick Lovett’s report The statue of Our Lady…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday prayed to Our Lady at Piazza di Spagna in Rome, asking her to invoke her maternal protection “for us, our families, this city and the whole world.” He also prayed that humanity would be free from every form of spiritual and material slavery.
Please find below a full Vatican Radio translation of Pope Francis’ prayer on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Mary our Mother, today the People of God celebrate you and venerate you as Immaculate, preserved forever from the stain of sin.
Accept the homage I offer you in the name of the Church in Rome and throughout the world.
Knowing that you, who are our Mother, are totally free from sin, is of great comfort to us.
Knowing that evil has no power over you, fills us with hope and strength in the daily struggle we have to face against the threats of the evil one.
But we are not alone in this struggle, we are not orphans because Jesus, before dying on the Cross, gave you to us as our Mother.
Even though we are sinners, we are still your children, children of the Immaculate, called to that holiness that shines in you by the grace of God since the beginning.
Inspired by this hope, today we invoke your maternal protection for us, our families, this city and the whole world.
Through your intercession, may the power of God’s love that preserved you from original sin, free humanity from every form of spiritual and material slavery and make God’s plan of salvation be victorious in both hearts and in history.
May grace prevail over pride in us too, your children.
May we become merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful.
During this time leading to the celebration of Jesus’ birth, teach us to go against the flow: to strip ourselves, to be humble and giving, to listen and be silent, to go out of ourselves, giving space to the beauty of God, source of true joy.
Pray for us, our Immaculate Mother!
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) One of the highlights of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Rome is the visit of the Pope to Piazza di Spagna where he traditionally pays homage to the statue of Our Lady that commemorates the proclamation of the dogma in 1854.
Listen to Seàn-Patrick Lovett’s report
The statue of Our Lady stands above a 12-metre high ancient Roman column that dominates the bustling shopping area of Rome’s historic centre. It was placed here on September 8 th 1857 and commemorates Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception which states that Mary was conceived without original sin.
The column and statue were originally erected with the help of 220 firemen, which is why the floral tributes always include a garland of flowers placed in Our Lady’s arms by a member of Rome’s fire department. The tradition of offering flowers to her image here on this feast day was begun by Pope Pius XII.
Traffic stopped and holiday-makers paused to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis as he arrived in Piazza di Spagna with his own massive bouquet of white roses which was placed at the foot of the column. Before singing the litanies of the Blessed Virgin, the Pope invoked Mary’s “maternal protection on us, our families, this city and the whole world”.
As we approach Christmas, he prayed, “teach us to go against the flow, to strip ourselves, to be humble and giving, to listen and be silent, to go out of ourselves, giving space to the beauty of God, source of true joy.”
The brief ceremony concluded with the Pope immediately putting into practice what he’d just said by spending time greeting groups of aged and disabled people – plus kissing several babies, of course.
(from Vatican Radio)…
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