Our Lady of Divine Love

Marian vocation of Rome (Lazio)

According to the tradition, la devoción a Our Lady of Divine Love was born in the 18th century, when a pilgrim headed towards the tomb of the apostles in Rome, passing through a fortified tower near Castel di Leva, was surprised by a pack of threatening dogs. In the face of the danger, man looked up to a fresco of the Virgin with the Child, painted in the tower, and invoked his help; prodigious, the animals calmed down and withdrew. From this fact, considered miraculous by popular piety, the fame of the "Madonna of the Divine Amore" as a powerful intercessor began to spread.

Main data

Origin and history

According to the tradition, la devoción a Our Lady of Divine Love was born in the 18th century, when a pilgrim headed towards the tomb of the apostles in Rome, passing through a fortified tower near Castel di Leva, was surprised by a pack of threatening dogs. In the face of the danger, man looked up to a fresco of the Virgin with the Child, painted in the tower, and invoked his help; prodigious, the animals calmed down and withdrew. From this fact, considered miraculous by popular piety, the fame of the "Madonna of the Divine Amore" as a powerful intercessor began to spread.

En la documented historythe advocation "Madonna (or Our Lady) of Divine Love" refers to a Byzantine style icon of the Virgin and the Child to whom this name is given in the 17th century. The sanctuary is canonically erected as a place of Marian devotion in 1744, a few years after the event of the pilgrim (dated 1740), and since then it has become a goal of constant pilgrimages for the Roman faithful. During the Second World War, the people of Rome renewed their confidence in this advocation: in 1944 a vow of protection was made to the Virgin of Divine Love and her intercession was attributed to her in the preservation of the city, at which time Pope Pius XII gave her the title of "Salvator of the City of Rome".

The image and the sanctuary

The original imagen Our Lady of Divine Love es un Byzantine icon of the Virgin with the Child Jesus, of medieval origin. This is an oriental-style Marian representation, in which Mary supports the Child and expresses, according to contemporary theological interpretation, the unique relationship of the Virgin with the Holy Spirit and his spiritual motherhood over the Church. The ancient fresco, which was found in the tower of Castel di Leva, was later moved to the interior of the sanctuary for better custody and veneration.

The main place of worship is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love, located in Castel di Leva, on the periphery of Rome. The first sanctuary was erected in 1744 and soon became an important destination of pilgrimages for the Romans. With the passage of time, and especially after the events of the Second World War, the complex has been expanded and renewed, until it is now configured as a wide Marian sanctuary with historical temple and new sanctuary, with intense liturgical and sacramental life. The sources consulted mention it as Marian sanctuary and place of pilgrimage, but no consta In them, in an explicit way, the formal title of the minor basilica or national sanctuary; its character is mentioned as "important goal of pilgrimage" in the diocese of Rome.

(The requested form indicates "Location: Rome, Department of Lazio, Colombia." In the sources consulted only the sanctuary of Castel di Leva, Rome, Italy as a reference to this advocation, without specific data of a self-named sanctuary in the department of Lazio in Colombia. Therefore, any architectural or canon detail about a possible temple in Colombia no consta.)

Sponsorship and coronation

In the ecclesial field, Our Lady of Divine Love is an advocation particularly linked to the city of Rome. Pius XII proclaimed it "Salvator of the City of Rome" after the experience of protection attributed to his intercession during World War II. In addition, various sources of Marian outreach present it as patrona (or patrona secundaria) de Roma, although the full official references of the diocese of Rome are not collected in the sources cited beyond the title "Salvadora de la Urbe." For the specific area of "secondary patron of Rome" it is based on the recent tradition, but the documentation consulted does not provide an explicit decree that can be cited in the text.

As for the canonical coronationthe sources are convergent: the image received the coronation the 13 May 1883, realizada por el Vatican Chapter. Catholic.net expressly refers that it was the "Vatican Chapter" that crowned the image on that date. It can therefore be said with certainty that a canonical coronation documented in 1883although the sources do not require the specific name of the Pontiff as a direct actor of the ceremony (at that time the Pope was Leo XIII, but it is not indicated that he personally presided over the rite).

Party and devotion

La main party linked to this advocation is celebrated the first Sunday after Easter, as the liturgical and devotional sources point out, and it coincides with the beginning of a cycle of night pilgrimages deep-rooted in Rome. From that first Sunday after Easter to the last Saturday of October, every Saturday at midnight, he leaves a pilgrimage from the area of the Capena Gate (near the Maximum Circus) to the new sanctuary of the Divine Love, culminating in the early Mass. This tradition expresses the popular and penitential character of devotion, marking the Easter time and the Marian months.

The sanctuary is distinguished by a constant influx of pilgrimsespecially on the weekends and in the great Marian solemnities. Several daily Masses are celebrated, confessions are offered and there is prolonged worship, making the place a center of continuous prayer for families, the sick and those who go through times of difficulty. The memory of the protection of Rome in 1944 is still alive: the vote of the Roman people and the annual pilgrimages remember that gesture of trust in the Virgin of Divine Love as a solicitous Mother.

Link to the Rosary

The specific sources on the advocation of Divine Love do not point to a exclusive and private bond with the prayer of the Rosary (such as Lourdes or Fatima); that is, does not contain a unique or own rosarian practice associated only with this title. However, in the ordinary life of the sanctuary and the pilgrimages, the Rosario has a central place as Marian prayer par excellence: it is prayed in the night pilgrimages, in the days of retreat and, in a special way, in the vigil and strong times of the liturgical year.

From a mariological perspective, the advocation of Divine Love deeply harmonizes with the Rosary: the mysteries contemplated in this prayer go through precisely the history of the divine love manifested in Christ and welcomed by Mary. To meditate on the joyful, painful, glorious and luminous mysteries by joining our own prayer to the Virgin of Divine Love helps to understand how Mary, filled with the Holy Spirit, is uniquely cooperating with the plan of salvation. Thus, even if there is no "own" form of rosary of the Divine Love, the prayer of the Rosary is presented as the ordinary way by which the devotees of this advocation join the mystery of redemption and entrust their needs to the intercession of the Mother of God.