Pope Francis visits Rome’s Piazza di Spagna on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and prays that Our Lady may help free us from the corruption of heart. During his Sunday Angelus address in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis announced he would be visiting Piazza di Spagna to perform what he called “the traditional act of homage at the foot of the monument to the Immaculate Conception”. He asked all those present to join him spiritually in this gesture, which, he said, “expresses our filial devotion to our heavenly Mother”.
The statue of Our Lady stands above a 12-meter high ancient Roman column. It was placed here on September 8th, 1857 and commemorates Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, stating that Mary is the only human being who was born 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.
When he arrived in Piazza di Spagna on Sunday afternoon, Pope Francis addressed his own prayer to Our Lady at the foot of the monument. He entrusted to her all those in Rome and throughout the world, who are burdened “by discouragement because of sin; those who think there is no longer hope for them, that their sins are too many and too great, and that God certainly does not have time to waste with them”.
The Pope thanked our Immaculate Mother for reminding us that, because of Jesus’ love “we are no longer slaves to sin, but free, free to love, free to love one another, to help one another as brothers and sisters, despite our differences”. Vatican News Department
