The Vatican reported that Pope Francis approached the Basilica of Santa María Maggiore this Saturday to pray before the image of the Virgin Salvation of the Roman People to entrust him with the apostolic journey that he will make tomorrow to Corsica (France).
“This afternoon, on the eve of his trip to Ajaccio for the conclusion of the Congress ‘Popular Religion in the Mediterranean’, Pope Francis stopped in prayer in front of the icon of the Virgin Salvation of the Roman Peoplein the Basilica of Santa María Maggiore,” reported the Holy See.
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The Vatican added that upon leaving the chapel the Pontiff greeted the participants in the live birth that took place in the Roman basilica, with whom he prayed for a moment.
Tomorrow will be the 47th apostolic trip of Pope Francis, and the third to French territory, after his visits to Strasbourg in 2014 and Marseille in 2023.
The Holy Father will be received by Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who was created cardinal in 2023 and heads the Diocese of Ajaccio, where more than 80% of the 340,000 inhabitants identify as Catholic.
After closing the congress dedicated to popular Mediterranean religiosity, Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass in the historic Place d’Austerlitz, known locally as “U Casone”.
Eduardo Berdejo
Professional in Social Communication from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru, I have more than 20 years of experience in Catholic digital journalism. As part of ACI Prensa I have been sent to cover Pope Francis’ trips to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, in addition to the Synodality Synod in the Vatican in 2023.