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November 24, 2014, Monday — The Pope and Mary: 30 Minutes of Silent Prayer
A
few moments ago, on the afternoon of Monday, November 24, in Rome, Pope
Francis prayed silently for half an hour before an ancient and
important icon of the Virgin Mary.
The Pope was praying before the icon this evening because tomorrow he will travel to Strasbourg, France, to speak to the leaders of the European Union.
So,
this afternoon in Rome, as has become his custom before making any
trip, Francis visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray to the
Virgin Mary.
It was the 14th time Pope Francis has visited St. Mary Major to pray before the icon, known as the Salus Populi Romani (The Safety, or Protection, of the Roman People), since his election to the papacy on March 13, 2013.
The Pope visited the Basilica at 5:30 p.m.
He went immediately to the chapel on the left side of the main altar.
He prayed to Our Lady for her protection for his journey tomorrow
to the governing bodies of a new, united Europe which has in recent
years become increasingly "post-Christian" and increasingly hostile to
traditional Christian morality.
The Pope's remarks tomorrow
are being awaited with considerable interest. It is expected that,
among other things, he will call on the people's of Europe to remember
the Christian faith that shaped their customs and laws for centuries.
The
Pope's prayer continued for half an hour. The Pope brought to Our Lady a
floral wreath with roses the colors of Europe, yellow and blue.
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