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Pope Francis Arrived Safely in Rome after Successful Trip to Africa and Thanked Our Lady as is his custom. Pope Francis visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major upon his return on Sunday, February 5th and prayed before the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He prayed in thanksgiving for his Apostolic Journey to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This is his 104th visit to Our Lady's icon.
The Holy See Press Office released that the Pope prayed briefly before the ancient icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani (‘Salvation of the Roman Peoples’),
He had already visited the Basilica on Monday, ahead of his trip.
Tradition holds that the icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani arrived in Rome during the reign of Pope St. Gregory the Great, sometime around 590 AD.
In 1838, Pope Gregory XVI crowned the icon, and a century later, Pope Pius XII – during the Marian year of 1954 – repeated the gesture of devotion.
Edited from Vatican News and the Holy See Press Bulletin
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