Marian devotion
Salus Populi Romani
"Salvation of the Roman People" · Rome
In the Basilica of St. Mary the Major is venerated one of the oldest and most loved Marian icons in Rome. The Popes pray before him; Pope Francis comes to entrust him to every apostolic journey.
Origin and history
A very ancient pious tradition attributes the icon to the evangelist Luke and places his arrival in Rome from Jerusalem; another relates it to the times of Saint Gregory the Great (6th century), when he was already venerated in the city. These stories belong to the field of devotion: the attribution to Luke and the exact itinerary of the image are not historically demonstrated.
The truth and documented is his deep veneration. In times of plague and calamity the image was carried in procession through the streets of Rome as a plea for the protection of the Virgin, and hence its title "Health / Salvation of the Roman People." In 1838 it was canonically crowned by Pope Gregory XVI. His link with the Popes comes to this day: Pope Francis prays before her before and after each journey.
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