Pope calls for “tearing down walls” to build a new society

In a moving act, Pope Leo XIV presented the Golden Rose to Our Lady of Almudena on the afternoon of June 8, in a ceremony in the cathedral where the Pontiff was accompanied by Queen Sofia. The Holy Father called for the tearing down of walls to build a new society.

The ceremony consisted of a prayer and homage to the Virgin of the Almudena, patroness of the capital. In the temple were three hundred nuns, representing all the communities of nuns that exist in Madrid; as well as the seminarians of the diocese, with their families. Also, the bishops of the dioceses of Madrid, Alcalá de Henares and Getafe. Among the civil authorities, Queen Sofia accompanied the Holy Father. Also present were the Minister Spokeswoman of the Government, Elma Sáiz, the President of the Community Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the Mayor of the capital.

The Almudena Cathedral was consecrated in 1992 by St. John Paul II, as the Archbishop, Cardinal José Cobo, recalled. Leo XIV brought the patroness of Madrid a very special gift: the Golden Rose, a distinction given by the Popes to certain images of the Virgin Mary, as “a symbol of the filial love of the Pope for the Virgin Mary».

According to the website of the Archbishopric of Madrid, the image wore the crown of the coronation, a set made in 1948 for the canonical coronation of the Virgin by Pope Pius XII and that the image wears exclusively inside the cathedral. It was made with contributions from the people of Madrid. Wedding rings, rings, earrings, diamonds... from people of all ages and conditions.

Pope's message of unity

After some words of Cardinal Cobo praising the union of the Patroness with the people of Madrid since she was found at the time of the Reconquest, the Holy Father gave a brief speech also mentioning the origin of the carving. He recalled - as in other interventions during his visit to Spain - that this Marian devotion “is a sign of the Christian roots that characterize you”.

Referring to the fact that “it was thanks to a demolished wall that the reunion of the Mother with her people took place,” he explained that “in our societies today there are still many walls that do not protect, but divide, alienate and isolate.” “Sometimes,” he continued, "thinking that tearing them down means having to face what we do not like, we prefer the comfort of just propping them up and, more often, of ignoring them.  

However, “Our Lady of Almudena tells us something else: to build something new, beautiful and lasting, we must be willing to destroy the walls, because to resume the route we need spaces that allow us to glimpse the horizon”.  

After the presentation of the Golden Rose in the shrine of Our Lady and a few moments of prayer, the Pope took his leave. Those present were warned that no shouts or cheers should be heard. But a somewhat timid “Long live the Pope!” was answered by the hundreds in attendance. As the shout had been weak, it was followed by another stentorian “Viva!” that made the audience in the cathedral explode in cheers and applause.