This morning, December 8, 2021, Pope Francis prayed before the statue of the Immaculate Conception and before the image of Mary Salus Populi Romani, entrusting to Her the sick and those suffering from wars and climate change.

Shortly before 6:15 am, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Pope Francis went to Piazza di Spagna to venerate Mary Immaculate,” reported Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office.

As was announced, also this year, given the COVID-19 pandemic, this act of veneration was held privately, with the presence of only some firefighters, and some merchants opening their shutters, and of a small group of photographers and faithful.

The Pope “placed a basket of white roses at the base of the column on which the statue of the Virgin is found, and he paused in prayer, asking for the miracle of the cure of numerous patients, healing for peoples suffering harshly from wars and the climate crisis, and for conversion, so that the heart of stone will melt of those that build walls, to distance themselves from the pain of others.

At 6:20 am the Holy Father left Piazza di Spagna and went to Saint Mary Major, “where he continued his prayer before the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani.” He “returned to the Vatican” shortly after 7:00 am, concluded the press release.

For 60 years, Popes have had the tradition of going to the foot of the Marian image of the Immaculate Conception, so loved by the inhabitants of the Roman capital, who pause to pray before it.

Translation by Virginia M. Forrester