Latest News
Vatican Threat against the entire Iranian people is unacceptable West Africa Nigerian dioceses to hold Easter Vigil earlier for security concerns West Africa Don’t Let Go Now, Hold On To Hope Vatican Pope sends medicine, generators and food to Ukraine in freezing winter West Africa Catholic Communicators in Central Africa Urged to Uphold Transparency, Impartiality as “frontline” Evangelizers West Africa Nigeria Diocese of Kontagora: 50 Kidnapped students who escaped, reunited with families Vatican Pope Leo XIV Criticizes Transhumanism: ‘Death Is Not Opposed to Life’ West Africa “I am deeply sorry”: Bishop Kukah Says amid Criticism of Remarks on Genocide Targeting Christians in Nigeria East Africa National Youth Conference a “Pentecost” of Unity, Catholic Archbishop in Uganda Urges Deeper Communion with Christ Vatican Pope Francis’ body to lie in state until funeral on Saturday morning Vatican Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday aged 88 Vatican Pope Francis appears at Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Square Vatican Pope prays at St Mary Major ahead of Holy Week East Africa Central African Republic: Peace efforts bearing fruit Vatican Pray for Those Who Left the Faith as You Walk the Stations of the Cross Vatican Jubilee pilgrims, Rome’s Catholics pray for Pope Francis South Africa South Africa Bishops urge racial healing as Trump condemns country’s land policy Vatican Pope calls Gaza parish from hospital every night, pastor says East Africa African bishop cautions Catholic journalists against compromising standards Vatican Pope’s new cardinals stress peace, evangelization Vatican African bishops speak: How has the Synod on Synodality impacted the Church in Africa? Vatican Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals, including archbishops of Tehran and Toronto Vatican Cardinals approve canonization of Carlo Acutis, date to be decided South Africa South Africa’s Cardinal Napier Sends Out Strong Message about “assault on the family” East Africa Pope Francis erects new metropolitan see in Zambia, appoints archbishop Vatican Pope Francis at G7: AI must not replace human decision-making Europe Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to Verona emphasizes call to be peacemakers America Over 1,000 attend Washington, D.C., Eucharistic procession despite rain South Africa Botswana diocese mourns loss of bishop who collapsed during Mass Vatican Pope Francis: Hope ‘is a gift that comes directly from God’ West Africa Most priests in Sierra Leone are sons of Muslims-bishop

Pope prays at St Mary Major ahead of Holy Week

12th April, 2025 | Vatican Media

According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the Pope entered the Basilica to pray before the icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani.

The Holy Father's devotion to Salus Populi Romani (Our Lady Protectress of Rome) is well known. Upon being discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital three weeks ago, he had paused briefly outside the Basilica on his way back to his residence, Casa Santa Marta, in the Vatican. On that occasion, he gave a bouquet of flowers to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Coadjutor Archpriest of the Basilica, to be placed before the sacred icon.


Saturday's visit marked the 126th time the Pope has visited the papal Basilica to pay tribute to the icon of Our Lady. Since the day after his election on 14 March 2013,  he has made it a point to pray before Salus Populi Romani before and after each Apostolic Journey.


Pope Francis's most recent visit to the Basilica, the latest of more than one hundred such occasions, took place on 14 December 2024. On that occasion, he prayed before his 47th Apostolic Journey to Ajaccio, Corsica, where he was to close the Congress on "Popular Religiosity in the Mediterranean".

Back To News List

FrontPage
The Easter Love Story

The best definition for love according to St. John is that God is love.If so, as people created in the likeness of God, we are also people of love. We are created to love and receive love also. Perfect love…

Winning Family
Forgiveness in Marriage Relationships

Marriage relationship is based on love. Love in itself is compassionate and expressive, showing care and understanding of the person we love. Bearing this in mind, one wonders what happens when love in marriage relationships become sour.

With experience,…

Our Faith
The Ascension of Christ and His Glorified Existence

Forty days after his Resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. During this period between his Resurrection and Ascension, He actually gave the primacy He had promised to Peter, as we read in John 21. The many events between His resurrection and…

Catholic Living
Christ in the Eucharist

Protestant attacks on the Catholic Church often focus on the Eucharist. This demonstrates that opponents of the Church-mainly Evangelicals and Fundamentalists-recognize one of Catholicism’s core doctrines. What’s more, the attacks show that Fundamentalists are not always literalists. This is seen…

Faith & Business
The Ethics of Profit, the Profit of Ethics

In many news stories these days, reporters use the words “executive compensation,” “deregulation,” and “profits” in pejorative, unflattering terms. In this epic battle, we all know the villains – those diabolical profit-seekers and their ilk. They are, according to this…

Young & Catholic
Honouring the Gift of Children

“Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build…” (Psalm 127:1).

“Children’s children are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their parentage” (Proverbs 17:6).

Grandchildren are one of the great blessings we can look…

Tonic For The Soul
A Lesson In Moving On

“Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.”
Right?
“Once a liar, always a liar.”
Right?

Well, according to the wisdom of this world, that’s right. Perhaps you heard this counsel from your parents or grandparents, or from a judge, or from a…

St. Joseph The Worker
While Saint Joseph has his principal feast day on March 19, the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker was introduced by Pope Pius XII in 1955 as…

Videos Of The Month

The God of our Brokenness - Fr. Mike Schmitz
Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the relationship of suffering to love, and how the deepest pains can help us to see the expansive love the Father has for us. Sharing various stories of suffering, He illuminates certain aspects of suffering’s mystery. ...
The Catholic Mass Explained - A Biblical Walk Through The Mass - Dr Edward Sri
Do you ever wish you could get more out of Mass? Discover how all the prayers, symbols, and rituals in the liturgy can come alive for us today once we understand their Biblical roots. ...

Another Mc.Rufus Interactive / CouchCMS Design