At 5:45 pm on Monday, May 31, 2021, Pope Francis will preside over the recitation of the Rosary in the Vatican Gardens that will conclude the prayer marathon to end the pandemic, which he himself promoted for the month of May, stated a note of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
The Holy Father opened the month of prayer on May 1, facing Our Lady of Succour, in the Gregorian Chapel of the Vatican Basilica, a ceremony after which 30 Shrines worldwide have taken part in a marathon that has given rise to testimonies in local parishes, associations, and those of faithful and Bishops.
Closing Ceremony
The Pontifical Council’s note states that the closing ceremony of the prayer marathon for an end to the pandemic will begin with a solemn procession led by the Bishop of Augsburg, who will carry the icon of the Virgin Untier of Knots to the Vatican Gardens so that the place becomes an open-air Shrine.
Accompanying the procession will be children who have made their First Communion in the parish of Santa Maria della Grotticella in Viterbo, which was the first in Italy to make available a vaccination center against COVID-19; the Confirmation children of the Saint Dominic Guzman parish, a scout group of the capital and a few families and Religious.
The young people of the Saints Peter and Paul Association will carry the icon of the Virgin, and the Swiss Guards and Vatican Gendarmerie will be the guards of honor. The Choir of the diocese of Rome and the Arcinazzo Romano Band will animate the procession. . Taking turns in prayer will be young people of Catholic Action, some newlyweds, and a family of deaf members, where a religious vocation was born.
Taking place at the end of the ceremony will be the crowning of the Virgin’s image, with a crown made by the Fratelli Savi jewelers. The prayer will be broadcast live on the Holy See’s official channels. All Catholic networks worldwide will be connected, and it will be accessible on the Internet to the deaf and people with hearing problems.
The following Shrines will be connected with Rome, in which the Rosary will be prayed together with the Pope: Notre-Dame de Boulogne in Nanterre, France; Our Lady of Schoenstatt in Vallendar, Germany; Our Lady of Sorrows in Kibeho, Rwanda; the National Shrine of Maipú in Santiago, Chile; Our Lady of Os Gozos in Ourense, Spain; Our Lady of Lourdes in Carfin, Scotland; the Basilica of the Virgin of Miracles of Caacupe in Paraguay, and the parish of Nostra Signora della Salute in La Spezia, Italy.
Ecclesial Communion
The note reveals that the “initiative was much appreciated for its simplicity and, at the same time, its profound sense of communion with the Church and with the Pope.” Given the media’s live broadcasts, “it was possible for millions of people to pray the Rosary every day with every culture and country expressing it in a natural way.”
“The different cultures colored the prayer, which reflected the solidity of the faith of Christian communities worldwide. From the simplicity of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Nyaunglebin in Myanmar to the solemnity of Our Lady of Montserrat in Spain to the great participation of the people of the Shrines in Africa, India, and Korea. These are only some significant examples of the enthusiasm with which this initiative was received,” explains the note.
Icon of the Virgin Untier of Knots
Pope Francis wished to address his prayer to an image of the Virgin Mary Untier of Knots. The icon is in Augsburg, Germany. It is an oil painting on canvas made by German painter Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner in 1700. At present, it is in the church of Saint Peter am Perlach.
The Holy Father has always been devoted to this image and extended its devotion, especially in Argentina. The painting represents the Virgin untying the knots of a white ribbon held by two Angels, surrounded by biblical scenes that refer symbolically to images of hope, mercy, and victory over evil.
A single copy of the original icon, known throughout Bavaria due to a pilgrimage of Bavarian dioceses to Augsburg in 2015, will arrive in Rome accompanied by the Bishop of Augsburg, Monsignor Bertram Johannes Meier, who will gift it to the Successor of Peter. The choice of this image refers to the special prayer for the Virgin to intercede for those suffering in this time of pandemic, as well as the economic, psychological, and social situation.
The Pope’s Five “Knots”
Pope Francis has entrusted to the Virgin five prayer intentions — five “knots” to untie, to foster hope in men. The first has to do with the relationships of the wounded, of the loneliness and indifference that have deepened in this time. The second is unemployment, especially that of young people, women, parents, and families.
The third concerns the tragedy of violence, especially violence in the home, within domestic walls, against women, and the social tensions generated by the uncertainty of the crisis. The fourth regards human progress, which scientific research is called to support, sharing the discoveries so that they are accessible to all, especially the weakest and the poorest.
The fifth is pastoral: so that local Churches, parishes, oratories, pastoral and evangelization centers may recover their enthusiasm and give new impetus to their pastoral life, and that young people be able to marry, have a family, and build the future.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
