In the early days of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV made two significant visits to Marian shrines, emphasizing his devotion to the Virgin Mary and seeking her guidance as he begins his papal ministry. According to the Holy See Press Office, the newly elected pope first visited the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, just outside of Rome, less than 48 hours after his election. Arriving in a Volkswagen multivan and seated in the front, the pope was greeted by a crowd of hundreds of faithful chanting “Leone, Leone” as he entered the church to pray before the revered image of the Virgin.
While at the shrine, Pope Leo XIV recited Pope St. John Paul II’s prayer to the Mother of Good Counsel, along with a Hail Mary and the Salve Regina. “I greatly desired to come here in these first days of my new Ministry… that the Church has entrusted to me,” Pope Leo XIV said to those present, according to Vatican Media. The shrine, which has been under the care of the Augustinians since 1200, holds a beloved image of the Virgin Mary originally from Shkodër, Albania, a devotion cherished by Pope Leo XIII.
Before leaving, the pope addressed the gathered faithful, reiterating his “trust in the Mother of Good Counsel” and quoting Mary’s words at the Wedding at Cana: “Whatever He tells you, do it.” He then held a private meeting with the Augustinian religious community.
Later that same evening, Pope Leo XIV made a second stop at St. Mary Major, where he prayed at the tomb of the late Pope Francis and before the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani. According to the Holy See Press Office, the pope “paused in prayer before the tomb of Pope Francis” and asked for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, invoking her counsel and protection for his new ministry.
The last time Pope Leo XIV had prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis was during the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, when he was still Cardinal Robert Prevost. Now, as the head of the Catholic Church, the pope continues to entrust his ministry to the Blessed Mother, drawing inspiration from both the legacy of Pope Francis and the enduring Marian devotions that have marked his spiritual journey.
