Pope sends Message to celebrate Our Lady of Mercy
(Vatican Radio) This Sunday also marks the 200th anniversary of the Coronation of Our Lady of Mercy, by Pius VII, in the northwestern Italian port city of Savona. Pope Francis sent a Message to the Bishop of Savona-Noli, Vittorio Lupi, to mark the occurrence, in which the Holy Father implores the particular protection of Our Lady of Mercy for the Jubilee of Mercy he has convoked for the coming year.
The Basilica that houses the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy was built in the mid-16th century (between 1536 and 1540) in honor of the Virgin Mary, who appeared to a peasant named Antonio Botta on march 18th, 1536. The site quickly became a destination for pilgrims, and the statue of the Virgin erected within the shrine was presented with a golden crown by Pope Pius VII in 1815.
“I hope,” writes Pope Francis, “that, as we approach the Extraordinary Holy Year, our trust in the Mother of Mercy might be deepened and spread throughout the whole Church.”