On Sunday, December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated. On the occasion of the anniversary, throughout the day, Roman citizens will pay homage to the statue of the Immaculate Conception in Piazza Mignanelli, near Piazza di Spagna. According to tradition, the first to pay homage to the Mother of God will be the firemen, in honour of the 220 companions who inaugurated the monument on December 8, 1857: at 7 a.m. they will climb to the top to place their garland of flowers on the arm of the Virgin. Pope Francis will also take part in the traditional tribute, with his arrival on the Spanish Steps scheduled for 4:00 p.m. He will be welcomed by the Vicar General, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, and by the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri; he will pray in front of the monument dedicated to the Madonna and leave flowers at its feet.
Tributes from various groups
Before the Pope, numerous groups and personalities will leave floral offerings at the foot of the 12-metre-high column, designed by the architect Luigi Poletti, on which stands the bronze statue of Mary made by the sculptor Giuseppe Obici. The Vatican Gendarmerie Corps will pay homage, with the musical band playing a hymn to Mary; the parish of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, the Sovereign Order of Malta, the Legio Mariae, the Circolo San Pietro, the Don Gnocchi Foundation and many others. Not forgetting the great procession of workers from the most important Roman companies, including municipal and communal companies, the Spanish ambassador to the Holy See with the Spanish groups, and those from Unitalsi.
Songs and prayers with the friars
From five in the morning and throughout the day, the Friars Minor Conventual of the Basilica of the Holy XII Apostles will be in the square to welcome groups and individual believers, encouraging them with songs and prayers. “December 8 is a great opportunity for evangelization – explains the parish priest and rector of the basilica, Father Francesco Celestino – because it is an opportunity to meet many people. Participation in the homage increases year after year.” Furthermore, the oldest novena to the Immaculate Conception in Rome is celebrated at the Santi XII Apóstoli: from 29 November to 7 December, the recitation of the Rosary and the singing of the litanies are scheduled at 5:45 p.m., then, at 6:30 p.m., the Mass will always be presided over by a cardinal with the singing of Tota Pulchra, which “was composed – recalls the parish priest, Father Celestino – by Father Alessandro Borroni, one of our brothers who lived in the 19th century.”
Masses presided over by cardinals
On Friday, 29 November, the Mass was presided over by Cardinal João Braz De Aviz, prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; On Saturday 30th it was the turn of Cardinal Lazzarro You Heung-Sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy; while on December 1st it was the turn of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and Vicar of His Holiness for Vatican City. On Monday 2nd December, the Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; on December 3rd, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Major Penitentiary; on Wednesday 4th, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, will preside on December 5th; on Friday 6th, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops; Finally, on Saturday 7 December, Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, Bishop of Ajaccio.
On Sunday 8 December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Eucharistic celebrations are scheduled at 9 and 10.30 am; at 5.45 pm the Rosary and the singing of the litanies; at 6.30 pm, a solemn Eucharistic concelebration presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, and concelebrated by Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan of the Latins. All the celebrations will be animated by the Constantinian Musical Chapel of the basilica.
