Pope Leo XIV celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception, praying for Jubilee hope to spread reconciliation, nonviolence, and peace globally. The Pope led thousands in prayer near the Spanish Steps in Rome, at the base of a statue of Mary. A tradition dating back to 1958, a firefighter named Roberto Leo placed a wreath of white flowers on the statue's arms using an aerial ladder. The Pope blessed a basket of white roses and read a special prayer referencing current events in the church, city, and world.
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Pope Leo XIV marked the end of the Jubilee Year by leading prayers at the Marian statue near Rome's Spanish Steps on December 8, 2025.1 Thousands gathered, including pilgrims and tourists, as the pope invoked Mary's intercession for hope to flourish worldwide.1
A tradition dating to 1958 saw firefighter Roberto Leo ascend an aerial ladder to place a white flower wreath on the statue's arms, 90 feet high.1 The pope then blessed a basket of white roses placed at the statue's base.1
In a custom prayer, Pope Leo reflected on the Jubilee's millions of pilgrims, symbolizing a "tried" humanity seeking life's Spirit.1 He asked Mary to nurture hope in believers, allowing Christ's Word to grow and take form in them.1
As Rome's basilica Holy Doors close on January 6, the pope prayed for new "doors of homes and oases of peace" to open, fostering dignity, nonviolence, and reconciliation.1 He sought Mary's inspiration for the Church to address contemporary joys, hopes, griefs, and anxieties, especially among the poor.1
The prayer emphasized baptism's role in creating "holy and immaculate" individuals as active members of Christ's Body, transforming society.1 In a world of unprepared changes, Mary was called to spark dreams, visions, and courage, reminding that God works with human freedom.1
Pope Leo urged the Church to remain "leaven" among people crying for justice and hope.1
Earlier at noon, in St. Peter’s Square, the pope recited the Angelus, highlighting God's preservation of Mary from sin at her conception.1 This granted her a pure heart for Christ's incarnation, bearing fruit through her free acceptance of God's plan.1
He noted God's gifts come with freedom to accept or reject them.1 The feast celebrates Mary's beauty while inviting believers to emulate her faith and generously embrace their missions.1
Examine how the Immaculate Conception fosters hope and peace
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on December 8, reveals God's eternal plan to preserve humanity from the stain of original sin, offering profound hope for redemption and fostering peace through Mary's unique role as intercessor and victor over evil. This dogma, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854, underscores Mary's preservation from original sin from the moment of her conception, making her the perfect vessel for the Incarnation. Drawing from Scripture and papal teachings, this mystery not only renews our confidence in divine mercy but also positions Mary as a beacon of reconciliation in a world marred by conflict, inviting all to trust in her maternal advocacy for peace among nations and in individual hearts.
At the heart of the Immaculate Conception lies the biblical promise of salvation, which ignites hope by demonstrating God's initiative in overcoming sin's curse. The Book of Genesis recounts the protoevangelium, where God declares enmity between the serpent and the woman, foretelling that her offspring will crush the serpent's head. This ancient prophecy points to Mary as the new Eve, immaculately conceived to bear the Savior, reversing the effects of the Fall and restoring humanity's original harmony with God. Eve's naming as "the mother of all living" further symbolizes life's renewal through Mary's sinless state, offering hope that what was lost in paradise can be reclaimed.
The Responsorial Psalm echoes this victory, proclaiming God's marvelous deeds and steadfast love revealed to all nations. It calls the earth to joyful praise, envisioning a universal peace born from divine faithfulness—a theme amplified by the Immaculate Conception, where Mary's purity manifests God's unwavering covenant. In the Letter to the Ephesians, we see the predestined holiness that undergirds this hope: God chose us in Christ before the world's foundation to be holy and blameless, adopting us as children through Jesus. Mary's Immaculate Conception exemplifies this preordained grace, extended uniquely to her, assuring believers that divine election precedes and surpasses human frailty, kindling hope for our own sanctification.
The Gospel of Luke's Annunciation narrative brings these promises to fulfillment, as the angel Gabriel hails Mary as "favored one" and announces her conception of the Son of God through the Holy Spirit. Her fiat—"Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word"—embodies total surrender, fostering hope by showing how human cooperation with grace can usher in salvation's dawn. Nothing is impossible with God, as the angel affirms, linking Mary's immaculate preparation directly to the hope of eternal kingdom where Christ's reign knows no end.[4†L32-L33, L37] These scriptural foundations portray the Immaculate Conception not as an isolated privilege but as the pivotal moment where hope breaks through sin's shadow, promising peace through the Prince of Peace born of Mary.
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception profoundly strengthens Christian hope by confirming faith in God's redemptive design, as articulated in papal encyclicals. Pope Pius X explains that just as faith is the "substance of things to be hoped for," Mary's sinless conception confirms our belief and arouses hope, for she was preserved precisely to mother the Redeemer, rekindling the promise of everlasting happiness in our souls. This mystery reminds us that God's grace operates from eternity, choosing Mary—and through her, all humanity—for holiness before the world's beginning, countering despair with the assurance of divine adoption.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori elaborates on Mary as the "dove all-faithful," whose intercession has averted divine chastisements and obtained peace and salvation for a sinful world. He queries why God now shows mercy despite greater sins than in Old Testament times, attributing it to Mary's pleas: "Totum hoc facit propter beatam Virginem." Without her, the earth would long have been destroyed, positioning her as our "hope" (Spes nostra), a title the Church bestows upon her. This fosters hope by illustrating Mary's role in sustaining creation, encouraging trust not in creatures alone but in God through her, as Luther's objection is clarified: hope in Mary is never independent of the Creator but flows from her union with Christ.
Pope Pius IX's Ineffabilis Deus reinforces this, declaring all hope reposed in the Immaculate Virgin who crushed the serpent's head and brought salvation. She is the "safest refuge" and "most trustworthy helper," ensuring difficulties are removed and errors dissipated, leading to the Church's flourishing and genuine peace. In her, we find confidence for pardon, health, and consolation, with the certainty that she will gather the flock under one shepherd, embodying hope's triumph over division and sin. Thus, the Immaculate Conception cultivates hope by revealing Mary as the foretaste of redeemed humanity, inspiring believers to persevere toward the glory prepared in Christ.
Beyond hope, the Immaculate Conception actively promotes peace, as Mary emerges as the "Queen of Peace" whose sinless life mediates reconciliation between God and humanity. Pope Leo XIII notes that Catholics in danger have always sought refuge in Mary, whose favor with her Son exceeds any creature's, making her eager to receive the Church's aspirations for comfort. This maternal goodness, rooted in her immaculate purity, has historically turned to her for peace amid tribulations.
Popes have invoked this feast specifically for global peace. Pope Pius XII called for a midnight Eucharistic sacrifice on the Immaculate Conception to beseech peace through Mary's patronage, preserved from original sin, so that hatreds cease and differences resolve equitably. Similarly, Pope John Paul II, in his 2001 prayer, urged Mary to "show yourself a Mother," interceding amid gathering dark clouds of conflict, opening hearts to pardon and solidarity. He emphasized her as the "All Holy One" prepared as God's unsullied habitation, asking her to dispel hatred's shadows for peace in a world overwhelmed by threats. In 2003, he reiterated: "Queen of Peace, pray for us!" imploring her to listen to war victims' cries, dispel revenge, and obtain peace for nations where people fight daily, ultimately giving Christ, the true Peace.
Pope Francis connects this to contemporary mercy, signing his 2017 World Day of Peace message on December 8, hailing Mary as Queen of Peace whose Son brought peace to people of good will. He calls for banishing violence through prayerful nonviolence, affirming that "nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer," with Mary guiding efforts to build peaceful communities. In his 2016 homily on Mary's maternity, Francis presents her as an "icon of peace," where her belief in the angel's words fulfilled the ancient promise, enabling us to ponder events through her wisdom and open pathways to negotiation via Christ's grace. The torrent of misery from sin is powerless against mercy's ocean, and Mary's "yes" invites us to immerse in this peace, cooperating for a just world.
Even in disastrous times, as Pius X laments—echoing Hosea on earth's lack of truth and mercy—Mary rises like a rainbow, the sign of covenant, crushing the serpent with her virginal foot and ensuring no flood destroys flesh. Trusting in her during the Immaculate Conception celebration dispels dismay, fostering peace as she remembers God's everlasting covenant.
In daily life, the Immaculate Conception invites us to emulate Mary's fiat, fostering personal hope by surrendering fears to God's plan and promoting peace through acts of forgiveness and solidarity. Amid modern conflicts, her intercession calls us to nonviolent politics and communal care, as Francis urges, turning to her for strength against indifference. By honoring her sinless conception, we participate in the victory over evil, building families and societies rooted in mercy.
In summary, the Immaculate Conception fosters hope by manifesting God's predestined grace and Mary's role in salvation's renewal, while promoting peace through her powerful mediation that reconciles humanity to God and dispels division. As the Church teaches, turning to the Immaculate Virgin ensures errors fade and tranquility reigns, calling us to live her "yes" for a world of mercy and harmony.