(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis is an early riser and surprised the Romans on the
very first morning of his pontificate by visiting, at 8.15 am one of Rome's Major
Basilicas, Saint Mary Major. The Pope came bearing a floral homage.
Upon
his election on Wednesday evening the new Bishop of Rome had anticipated he was
going to “go and pray to the Madonna so that she might protect Rome”.
And
so it was that the newly elected Pope went to venerate Mary in this most ancient
of Christian Basilicas in the West dedicated to her. Going directly to the Pauline
Chapel to the left of the main nave to pray in front of the icon of the Madonna 'Salus
Populi Romani':
" A very old legend recounts that Saint Luke the Evangelist
was a painter, and that among the images he painted was a portrait of the Virgin Mary.
Many artists have portrayed the Saint intent on painting the sweet face of the Mother
of God. The legend very likely arose from the fact that Luke, among the evangelists,
is the one who narrates most fully the birth of Jesus and in this context speaks at
length about the Mother of the Saviour, to the point that he is traditionally indicated
simply as Mary's biographer."...
On this occasion Pope Francis also went to
pray by the main altar where a relic of the manger is housed and subsequently the
Sistine Chapel across from the Pauline Chapel within the Basilica. A place especially
significant to Jesuits as it's where Saint Ignatius of Loyola once celebrated holy
mass on Christmas eve following his ordination to the priesthood, A programme
produced by Veronica Scarisbrick .