On August 5, 2024, Pope Francis watched the famous rain of white petals in the the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, which commemorates the miraculous snowfall that tradition dates back to the year 358, and which is said to have prompted the construction of the church. The Pontiff did a catechesis on “grace” during the vespers and asked the faithful to pray for peace.
The Basilica of St. Mary Major is very dear to Pope Francis; he has visited it 115 times since his election in 2013 and has expressed his wish to be buried there one day.
Each year, Romans gather in the church to commemorate the miracle of the snow, as according to tradition on the night between August 4 and 5, 358, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to Pope Liberius (352-366), asking him to build a church in her honor in a place she had miraculously indicated. The next morning, in the middle of August, the Esquilino hill appeared covered in snow, a sign of Our Lady's will.
Roman Catholics re-enact this episode every August 5, a sign of their great devotion to the Virgin Mary. Once again this year, at the moment of the Magnificat, a shower of rose petals descended from the basilica's coffered ceiling. For a few minutes, the Argentine Pope contemplated the cascade of white, twirling in the church's choir.
The importance of grace
“Is it merely folklore or does it have symbolic value?” Pope Francis asked about the “snowfall” tradition in his short homily. “This depends on us, on how we perceive it and the meaning we give it,” he reflected.
For the Pope, repeating this miracle every year should help Christians understand the mystery of grace: It is “a reality that combines beauty and gratuitousness. Grace cannot be deserved, let alone bought, it can only be received as a gift. As such, it is also totally unpredictable, just like a midsummer snowfall in Rome.”
With the 2025 Jubilee a couple of months away, during which several hundred thousand Catholics are expected to come and pray at St. Mary Major, one of the four papal Basilicas that will host a holy door, Pope Francis said they were gathered there “as a kind of vanguard.” He especially asked Catholics to pray for Our Lady’s intercession for peace.
“Peace is true and lasting only when it flows from repentant and forgiven hearts; forgiveness brings about peace because to forgive is the noble approach of the Lord,” he said.
This unique summer liturgy, which the Pope does not usually attend, was presided over by Coadjutor Archpriest of the Basilica, Rolandas Makrickas.
Pope Francis has also recently nominated a layman to help restructure the finances of this important church. The current archpriest, Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, accompanied the Pope as he entered the Basilica and venerated the icon of Mary, the Salus Populi Romani, for which Pope Francis has a special devotion.
After a final prayer before Our Lady, the Pope, in a wheelchair, greeted the crowds. In particular, he warmly greeted a nun who had translated the ceremony into sign language for a group of people who are hearing impaired.
