Pope Francis: giving everyone the opportunity to protect themselves with vaccines

“He visto tanta participación en el Pueblo de Dios, que a través de los medios de comunicación y el Compromise de tantos Santuarios en todo el mundo ha llegado a millones de personas, que con una sola voz han elevado su oración a la Santa Madre de God. […] Let us continue to ask the Lord to protect the whole world from the pandemic and that everyone, without exclusion of any kind, soon have the possibility of protecting themselves thanks to the vaccine “: these are the words with which Pope Francis concluded the marathon of prayer which he called in May, month of the Virgin, to invoke the end of the pandemic. In front of the image of Mary, the one who unties the knots, to which he is very attached, the Holy Father prayed to the Blessed VirginExplain the suffering that devastated the world in this period of health crisis, but also economic, psychological and social. In the Vatican gardens, a procession took place, before the recitation of the Rosary, with five prayer intentions and as many knots.

Intentions placed at the feet of the Unchained Virgin

The image of the Virgin Mary was carried in procession by the children of the parish of Santa Maria della Grotticella in Viterbo who received their first communion, by the children confirmed in the parish of San Domenico di Guzmán, by a group of scouts of Rome, by a few families and by a few religious representing the whole People of God. The procession was animated by the choir of the diocese of Rome and the brass band of Arcinazzo Romano. Young people from Catholic Action, families made up of newlyweds or awaiting a child, and a deaf family where a religious vocation was born, took turns in prayer.

The first “knot” to untie was that of the hurt relationship, of loneliness and indifference, which deepened during this time. The second node was dedicated to people looking for a job or in a precarious situation, with particular attention to youth unemployment, female unemployment, parental unemployment and those who try to defend their employees. The third knot to untie is that of victims of violence, especially those of family origin. Finally, the fourth and fifth nodes were oriented towards human progress and the pastoral activity of the Church, so that they “rediscover the enthusiasm and the new impulse in all pastoral life”, with the intention that “young people can get married and have a family and a future. “

The Coronation of the Virgin

At the end of the rosary recitation, Pope Francis crowned the image of the Virgin Mary and recited a prayer. After the final blessing, he said a few words of greeting and gratitude, especially addressed to the Dicastery for the New Evangelization and to the thirty Shrines which took turns during the month to animate the recitation of the Holy Rosary. He also showed his gratitude to the Diocese of Augsburg for the image of the Knotenlöserin [“la que Desata los nudos”], in the copy made by the painter Ana María Berti, which was offered to the Pontiff. “We continue to ask the Lord to protect the whole world from the pandemic and that everyone, without exclusion of any kind, soon have the opportunity to protect themselves with the vaccine,” urged Francisco, who asked, before taking his retirement, that we do not forget to pray for him.

The initiative was carried out in light of the biblical expression: “From the whole Church prayer to God rose unceasingly” (Acts 12, 5), and was promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.