Pope Francis invokes Mary for the peace that comes from Christ

Pope Francis pays a special visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for the liturgical commemoration of the dedication of the papal basilica, and prays for peace for our war-torn world.

By Christopher Wells

Each year on the feast of its dedication, Saint Mary Major becomes the scene of an impressive ceremony, as thousands of white flower petals fall from the gilded ceiling, symbolizing the miraculous August snowfall that led to the foundation of the papal basilica.

An ancient tradition recalls that on the evening of 4-5 August 358, the Blessed Virgin appeared to the reigning Pope, Liberius, and a devout Roman couple, asking for a church to be built on the site that would see a miraculous snowfall at the height of the Roman summer. The next morning, the outline of the Basilica was clearly seen in the new fallen snow.

This year, Pope Francis himself made the journey to Saint Mary Major to take part in the liturgical celebration of Second Vespers for the feast of the Dedication of the Church.

The miracle of the snow: A symbol of grace

In his homily, the Holy Father highlighted the “marvel” and “amazement” of the miraculous snowfall, which he described as a symbol of grace for its beauty and gratuitousness. “Grace cannot be deserved, let alone purchased; it can only be received as a gift,” the Pope said. “As such, it is totally unpredictable, just like a midsummer snowfall in Rome.”

With this attitude, he continued, it is possible to appreciate the more important “sign” connected with the Basilica, namely, the Icon of Mary, “Salus Populi Romani,” the Salvation of the Roman people.

In this icon, he said, the image of the Virgin Mary and Child reveals grace “in its concreteness, stripped of every mythological, magical, and spiritualistic vesture always lurking in the religious sphere.” Here, the Pope continued, we see only what is essential, the Woman and the Son: Mary chosen before all ages, immaculate as the freshly fallen snow; and her Child, in whom “alone dwells all the fullness of divinity.”

Bethlehem of Rome: St. Mary Major and the relics of the Holy Crib

Invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary

This, the Pope said, “is why the faithful come to ask the Holy Mother of God for a blessing, for she is the mediatrix of the grace that always and only flows through Jesus Christ, by the action of the Holy Spirit.”

Pope Francis noted that those present for Monday’s feast formed a sort of “vanguard” ahead of the many pilgrims who will come to Rome for the Holy Year of Jubilee, invoking Mary’s intercession for Rome and the whole world. In a special way, pilgrims call upon Mary to intercede for the gift of true peace, which can only come from “repentant and forgiven hearts, the peace that comes from the Cross of Christ, and from His Blood, which He took from Mary and shed for the remission of sins.”

Archive photo: Pope Francis prays before the image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, 8 December 2023

‘Holy Mother of God, pray for us’

Pope Francis concluded his homily by addressing the Blessed Virgin in the words of St Cyril of Alexandria: "Hail, Mary, Virgin Mother of God, light bearer, incorrupt vessel. Hail, O Virgin Mary, Mother and handmaid; Virgin, for the sake of Him who was born from you; Mother, for the sake of Him Whom you carried in your arms… Hail, Mary, you are the most precious creature in the whole world… inextinguishable lamp; for from you was born the sun of justice.’ Holy Mother of God, pray for us.”