Pope Visits Santa Maria Maggiore

Pope Francis made his usual pre-apostolic trip visit to Santa Maria Maggiore on Monday evening, the eve of his visit to Strasbourg, France, where he today addressed the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.

In a communique issued by the Vatican press office last night, Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi confirmed that at around 5:30 p.m. Monday night, the Holy Father visited Rome’s Marian basilica.

The Pope, the statement added, remained in silent prayer for about 30 minutes there, he prayed to Mary and brought her flowers in Europe's colors of pink, yellow, and light blue.

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On ZENIT’s Web page:

Background on the Pope’s visits to the Marian Basilica: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/august-5-snow-fell-on-rome