Pope Francis entrusts Corsica visit to Our Lady’s protection

By Devin Watkins

According to his custom, Pope Francis made his usual visit to the feet of the ancient icon of Mary. Salus Populi Romani in anticipation of his apostolic journey to Corsica.

The Holy See Press Office issued a statement saying the pope drove to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore on Saturday afternoon.

There, he stopped to pray in the Gregorian chapel and entrusted his visit to Corsica to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As he finished praying in the chapel, the Pope stopped to pray for a moment with the participants in the Living Nativity in the Basilica.

“I greet you with joy in this Christmas climate, because Christmas always brings us joy,” he said. “Christmas brings us the tenderness of a child and that gives us hope.”

“Christmas brings us the care of a mother, Our Lady, who accompanies us all our lives,” Pope Francis added. “It brings us the example of St. Joseph, who worked tirelessly to advance his family. The message of Christmas is always family.”

The Pope will leave for Corsica aboard the papal plane on Sunday around 7:45 a.m. and will arrive on the Mediterranean island around 9:00 a.m.

He will attend the closing session of the “Popular Devotion in the Mediterranean” Congress before meeting the local Bishop, priests, religious men and women and pastoral lay people.

In the afternoon, Pope Francis will preside over mass for the Corsican faithful and then meet French President Emmanuel Macron at Ajaccio international airport.

The papal plane will return to Rome around 7 p.m.