The Pope's appeal for recovery: a prayer for an end to the pandemic in 30 shrines around the world

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April 27, 2021 At the heart of Pope Francis' desire, the month of May - traditionally the Marian month - will also be dedicated to a "marathon" of prayer to invoke the end of the pandemic, which has afflicted the world for more than a year now and for recovery. social and work activities.

The Pontiff wanted to involve all the sanctuaries of the world in this initiative, so that they become instruments for a prayer of the whole Church. The Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, commissioned by the Pope to organize the event, has extended the invitation to all the sanctuaries in the world, in order to promote the dissemination of the initiative in the relevant regions.  

The initiative, a note reads, is intended "to reach all priests, families and faithful, inviting them to join in this prayer of intercession and hope to the Blessed Virgin". With the prayer of the Rosary, every day of the month is characterized by an intention of prayer for the various categories of people most affected by the tragedy of the pandemic: for those who have not been able to greet their loved ones, for health personnel, for the poor. , the homeless and people in financial difficulty and for all the deceased. These are some of the intentions that will mark the prayer to Our Lady. 

Every sanctuary in the world is invited to pray in the way and in the language in which the local tradition is expressed, to invoke the resumption of social life, work and the many human activities that remained suspended during the pandemic. "This community call wants to try to realize a continuous prayer, distributed on the meridians of the world, which rises incessantly from the whole Church to the Father through the intercession of the Virgin Mary". For this reason the sanctuaries are called to promote and solicit the participation of the people as much as possible, so that everyone can dedicate a moment to daily prayer, in the car, on the street, with the smartphone and thanks to communication technologies, for the end of the pandemic. and the resumption of social and work activities. 

Pope Bergoglio will open and close the prayer, together with the faithful around the world, from two significant places within the Vatican city state. On 1 May Francesco will pray at the Madonna del Soccorso, an icon venerated as early as the seventh century depicted in a fresco above the altar of San Leone, near the southern transept of the primitive Vatican basilica, later placed, where everything is now, inside the new basilica of San Pietro under construction, by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578, in the Gregorian chapel, where, moreover, the relics of San Gregorio di Nazianzo, doctor and father of the Church, are kept. 

In 2013, during the year of faith, the icon underwent a new restoration. Since it was the first restoration carried out in the pontificate of Pope Francis, recently elected at that time, the words "succurre nos" and Franciscvs pp. AI ", thus entrusting the Pope to the Virgin of Help. On this occasion the Pontiff will bless some special rosaries used specifically for the event, which will then be sent to the thirty shrines directly involved. Some families from the parishes of Rome and Lazio, together with the young representatives of the new evangelization movements.On May 31, however, the Pope will conclude the prayer from a significant place in the Vatican gardens, of which further information will be given. 

Thirty representative shrines, scattered around the world, have been chosen to lead the Marian prayer on a day of the month: Our Lady of Walsingham in England; Jesus the Savior and Mother Mary in Nigeria; Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland; Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth; Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in South Korea; Our Lady Aparecida in Brazil; Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the Philippines; Our Lady of Lujan in Argentina; Holy House of Loreto in Italy; Our Lady of Knock in Ireland; Virgin of the Poor at Banneux in Belgium; Notre Dame D'afrique in Algeria; Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Fatima in Portugal; Our Lady of Health in India; Our Lady Queen of Peace in Medjugorje in Bosnia; St. Mary's Cathedral in Australia; Immaculate Conception in the United States;Our Lady of Lourdes in France; Meryem Ana in Turkey; Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre in Cuba; Our Lady of Nagasaki in Japan; Nuestra Señora de Montserrat in Spain; Notre Dame du Cap in Canada; National Shrine of Madonna Tà Pinu in Malta; Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Mexico; Mother of God in Zarvantysia in Ukraine; Black Madonna of Altötting in Germany; Our Lady of Lebanon; Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii in Italy.Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii in Italy.Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii in Italy.