The tribute to the Immaculate Conception was not without its problems.
A group of anti-bullfighting activists halted the papal procession, though no damages were incurred. The activists were arrested by the police. In the past, this group had interrupted various papal events to ask the Church not to support bullfighting.
However, this did not stop the event from continuing, and Pope Francis, as he does every year, prayed before the Virgin Mary statue on top of the column in Piazza Spagna. This statue was placed in 1857, shortly after the declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
This is one of the few moments of the year when the pope visits the city center. In fact, during his prayer to the Virgin Mary, the pope often comments on current events to ask for her intercession. For example, with the Jubilee approaching, the Eternal City is full of construction work, and the pope did not overlook the discomfort it causes among the locals.
POPE FRANCIS
This, you know, causes quite a bit of discomfort and at the same time is a sign that Rome is alive, that Rome is being renewed, that Rome is trying to adapt to the demands to be more welcoming and more functional.
We pray for the mayor, who has a lot of work to do.
At the same time, the pope said that the Jubilee was an opportunity to work on one’s own soul.
POPE FRANCIS
It is within where one must work to prepare the way for the Lord who is coming. It is also a good opportunity to make a good confession and ask for forgiveness for all sins. God forgives everything, God forgives always, always.
At the end, the pope visited an exhibition nearby, where the famous “White Crucifixion” by Chagall is displayed, as part of the initiatives around the Jubilee.
