Pope Leo XIV will continue the tradition of visiting the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The annual tradition involves representatives from the city and various organizations offering prayers and flowers at the statue in Piazza Mignanelli. The fire brigade will initiate the floral tributes, honoring their predecessors who inaugurated the statue in 1857. Pope Leo XIV will be welcomed by the Cardinal Vicar of the Diocese of Rome and the mayor of Rome.
13 days ago
Pope Leo XIV will uphold the longstanding papal tradition by visiting the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome's Piazza di Spagna on December 8, 2025, for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.1
This act of devotion follows in the footsteps of predecessors like Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II, emphasizing continuity in honoring Mary amid the conclusion of the Holy Year.1
The tradition dates back to 1857, when the statue was inaugurated by Rome's fire brigade, who annually place the first wreath at 7 a.m. on the Virgin's arm atop the 12-meter column.1
Last year, Pope Francis entrusted the Jubilee to Mary during the visit, highlighting themes of hope amid global crises; Pope Leo XIV's participation now marks a return just weeks before the Holy Year's end.1
The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with a hymn performed by the Vatican Gendarmerie band, followed by floral offerings from groups including the parish of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, the Sovereign Order of Malta, and various educational institutions.1
At 9 a.m., a Mass will be celebrated in the Church of Trinità dei Monti by Monsignor Francesco Pesce, attended by workers from Roman companies.1
Pope Leo XIV arrives at 4 p.m., greeted by Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina and Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, to pray and deposit a wreath at the statue's base.1
Leading up to the solemnity, the Conventual Franciscans at the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles host Rome's oldest novena to the Immaculate Conception, running from November 29 to December 7.1
Daily events include a 5:45 p.m. Rosary, litanies, and a 6:30 p.m. Mass introduced by the hymn "Tota Pulchra," with different cardinals presiding each day.1
Examine the Catholic tradition of papal visits to Marian statues
In the heart of Catholic devotion, papal visits to Marian statues represent a profound expression of filial piety, linking the successors of St. Peter to the ancient veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of God and Queen of Heaven. This tradition, deeply rooted in Roman Christianity, underscores Mary's role as intercessor and protector, particularly through iconic images like the Immaculate Conception statue in Piazza di Spagna and the Salus Populi Romani in St. Mary Major. Drawing from papal addresses and encyclicals, these visits are not mere formalities but acts of public worship that renew the Church's Marian heritage, fostering unity among the faithful and invoking Mary's grace amid worldly challenges. They highlight how popes, as visible heads of the universal Church, model devotion to Mary, encouraging the laity to approach her images with prayerful confidence.
The practice of honoring Marian statues traces back to the earliest centuries of Christianity in Rome, where the city emerged as a center of Marian piety. From the time the Church transitioned from catacombs to public worship, sacred sites dedicated to Mary proliferated, adorned with mosaics, marbles, and revered icons that served as focal points for communal prayer. Pope Pius XII, in proclaiming a Marian Year to commemorate the centenary of the Immaculate Conception dogma, emphasized Rome's singular role in this devotion. He urged the Roman people to lead by example, flocking to the Liberian Basilica—now known as St. Mary Major—home to the ancient icon of Salus Populi Romani, or "Salvation of the Roman People." This image, venerated since at least the fifth century, symbolizes Mary's protective maternity over the Eternal City and the universal Church. Pius XII invoked St. Leo the Great to remind Romans of their duty to excel in piety, positioning the basilica as a premier site for suppliant prayers that seek Mary's intercession for faith, piety, and sanctity.
This historical continuity reflects the Church's understanding of Marian images as conduits of grace, not idols but sacramentals that direct the faithful toward Christ through his Mother. Early popes, like Sixtus III, enhanced these sites with artistic tributes to Mary's divine maternity, establishing a precedent for papal involvement that persists today. Such visits affirm the dogmatic truths of Mary's Immaculate Conception and Assumption, proclaimed in 1854 and 1950 respectively, as cornerstones of Catholic Mariology.
Twentieth-century popes have actively embodied this tradition through personal visits and public homages, often tied to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. These gestures, performed in Rome's historic squares and basilicas, blend liturgical celebration with popular devotion, drawing crowds and reinforcing Mary's role as patroness.
Pope Paul VI, during his pontificate, made several notable visits that exemplified this practice. In 1963, at the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council's second session—where Marian themes were prominently discussed—he visited a Roman church to conclude the novena in preparation for the Immaculate Conception. There, he offered a simple yet profound act of worship to the Virgin Mary, expressing the Council's collective filial homage to her as "celestial Queen." This visit not only honored the feast but also connected conciliar reflections on Mary to the lived piety of the Roman people, inviting all to join in devotion.
The following year, in 1964, Paul VI extended this tradition to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of Rome's oldest Marian shrines. Addressing the faithful of the Trastevere district, he united his prayer with theirs during the local feast "de noantri" (of ours), venerating the ancient image of Maria Santissima della Clemenza (Most Holy Mary of Mercy). He highlighted the basilica's rich history—from its post-catacomb embellishments to the Cappella del Presepio erected by Gregory IV to honor Mary's maternity—and praised the addition of devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Paul VI portrayed Mary as the Immaculate, Innocent, and Full of Grace, belonging to humanity yet elevated as Mother of Jesus and thus of all believers in Christ.
Paul VI's engagement continued in 1972, when he welcomed Spanish intellectuals who had joined Rome's traditional homage to the Immaculate Conception statue atop the column in Piazza di Spagna—a site erected in 1857 to commemorate the dogma's proclamation and linked to Spain's historical devotion. He commended their pilgrimage as a "delicate act of Marian piety," bridging cultural and artistic worlds with Christian faith, and noted the statue's prominence as a symbol of Mary's patronage over Rome.
This tradition persisted into the pontificate of John Paul II, who in 2001 led the annual floral tribute on December 8 in the same Piazza di Spagna. Kneeling before the historic image, he invoked Mary as the "All Beautiful One" and "All Holy One," prepared by God as an unsullied temple for his glory. Quoting the hymn Ave Maris Stella, he pleaded, "Show yourself a Mother!"—a cry for her intercession amid global threats to peace, such as emerging conflicts at the millennium's dawn. John Paul II presented the homage as an expression of Rome's filial love, marked by numerous signs of Mary's maternal presence, and entrusted the world's pleas for pardon, solidarity, and peace to her care.
These papal actions illustrate a consistent pattern: visits often coincide with the Immaculate Conception novena or feast, involving prayers, tributes, and addresses that weave personal devotion with ecclesial witness. They occur in key Roman loci—Piazza di Spagna, Trastevere, St. Mary Major—each tied to specific Marian titles like Clemenza, Salus Populi Romani, or Immacolata.
At its core, this tradition embodies the Church's Mariology, as articulated in documents like Lumen Gentium from Vatican II, which Paul VI's visits helped contextualize. Marian statues serve as tangible reminders of Mary's sinless conception, her fiat to God's will, and her role as mediatrix of graces. Popes visit them to model veneration (not adoration), directing the faithful's gaze to Christ while invoking Mary's powerful intercession. In times of council, war, or global unrest—as seen in John Paul II's peace prayer—these acts become prophetic, calling for Mary's mantle of protection over the Church and world.
Theologically, such visits affirm Mary's place in salvation history: preserved from original sin by a singular grace in view of her Son's merits. They also foster inculturation of faith, as Paul VI noted in welcoming diverse pilgrims, showing how Marian devotion unites cultures under the universal Church. Devotionally, they encourage the laity to make similar pilgrimages, transforming statues into sites of encounter where believers seek Mary's maternal care— for personal holiness, family unity, or societal peace.
Controversies are minimal here, as the tradition aligns seamlessly with defined dogmas. However, it counters any reduction of Marian piety to superstition by emphasizing its Christocentric focus: Mary leads to Jesus, her womb's fruit.
The Catholic tradition of papal visits to Marian statues endures as a vibrant thread in the tapestry of Roman and universal devotion, exemplified by popes from Pius XII to John Paul II. Through homages in sacred spaces like Piazza di Spagna and Trastevere basilicas, these leaders renew Mary's role as Immaculate Mother and intercessor, inviting all to approach her images with trusting prayer. In an age of uncertainty, this practice calls us to emulate the popes: visit, pray, and let Mary's grace illuminate our path to Christ.