Pope Benedict XVI travels to shrine in Pompeii Places the World in Mary’s hands
(October 20, 2008) Pope Benedict XVI travelled to the shrine of our Lady of Rosary
near the ruins of ancient Pompeii, near Naples on Sunday, 19th October,
for a day’s pilgrimage, and placed the world in Mary's hands. He prayed for all people
in pain or difficulty, saying faith can promote personal and social recovery. The
Pope's leading of the Supplication of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, a prayer written
by Blessed Bartolo Longo was one of the high points of this 12th pastoral trip in
Italy. "We implore you to have pity today on the nations that have gone astray, on
all Europe, on the whole world, that they might repent and return to your heart,"
the text of the prayer reads. With the words of Bartolo, the Pontiff turned to Mary,
saying: "If you will not help us because we are ungrateful and unworthy children of
your protection, we will not know to whom to turn." In a gesture of filial love,
the Pope then offered the Madonna a golden rose. The Holy Father travelled by helicopter
this morning to Pompeii, and was welcomed by 50,000 faithful. This is the third time
a Pope has visited the shrine. Pompeii was destroyed by the lava and ashes from the
eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The new Pompeii arose 1,796 years later, when,
in 1872, Bartolo Longo, a lawyer and lay Dominican, built a church dedicated to Our
Lady of the Rosary. The shrine contains an image of Mary to which hundreds of miracles
and healings are attributed. In the homily delivered during the open air Holy Mass,
celebrated in front of the shrine, the Pope evoked the figure of Bartolo Longo, who,
like St. Paul, had persecuted the Church, "becoming militantly anticlerical and engaging
in spiritualist and superstitious practices." Longo was a Satanist priest who later
repented when he encountered the "true face of God," the Holy Father said. "Wherever
God comes in this desert, flowers bloom," said Pope Benedict XVI. "Even Blessed Bartolo
Longo, with his personal conversion, bears witness to this spiritual power that transforms
man from within and makes him capable of doing great things according to God's designs.
“This city, which he re-founded, is thus a historical demonstration of how God transforms
the world: filling man's heart with charity." "Here in Pompeii," the Pope continued,
"it is understood that love for God and love for neighbour are inseparable.” Here
at Mary's feet, families rediscover or reinforce the joy of love that keeps them united."
The secret of Pompeii, the Holy Father revealed, is the rosary: "This prayer leads
us through Mary to Jesus." "The rosary is a contemplative prayer that is accessible
to all” he said. "The rosary is a spiritual weapon in the struggle against evil, against
all violence, for peace in hearts, in families, in society and in the world."