Pope Francis granted the Golden Rose to the Virgin of Macarena. This was confirmed this Sunday by the brotherhood and by the Archbishop of Seville, Msgr. José Ángel Saez Meneses, in news released after the Angelus prayer.
The Apostolic Nuncio in Spain, Monsignor Bernardito C. Auzawas tasked with conveying to the Archbishop the message from the Secretariat of State of His Holiness with the granting of “such a high pontifical distinction,” according to the Archdiocese.
Msgr. Edgar Peña Parra, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State and special envoy of Pope Francis for the II International Congress of Confraternities and Popular Piety, which will take place on December 4-8will be responsible for carrying the Golden Rose in the name of His Holiness, and will place it at the feet of the venerated Image on the eve of the opening of the said conclave.
He Archbishop of Seville This Sunday, he went to the aforementioned temple to make this announcement accompanied by the rector of the basilica, José María Losada; the elder brother, José Antonio Fernández Cabrero, and a large group of faithful gathered inside.
THE Golden Rose shows the bond between the Pope and his “deep Marian devotion.” The Virgin of the Macarena will be the third image to receive it in Spain, after the Virgin of the Head (2009) and the Virgin of Montserrat (2023).
Holy Father
The elder brother, visibly moved, thanked the Holy Father for the award of the Golden Rose and renewed the “permanent commitment of the brotherhood continue to evangelize tirelessly.”
According to Fernández Cabrero, this pontifical distinction is “a recognition of the popular and Marian piety of all Archdiocese of Seville“, a gift that will fill the Basilica of Esperanza Macarena with the good smell of Christ.”
The golden rose symbolizes the papal blessing. It is an exclusive gift from pontiffs to express their “reverence” to the Virgin MaryThe tradition dates back to Pope Leo IX, who created it in 1049. Over the centuries, it has been offered to monasteries, shrines, sovereigns and eminent figures in recognition of their commitment to faith and the common good.
In the past, the Golden Rose was also awarded to queens, including Isabella the Catholic, who was the first monarch to receive it in 1493 by concession of Innocent VIII.
Marian devotion
It was in the second half of the 20th century that deliveries of the Golden rose They were rare and began to be granted to Marian shrines.
The Golden Rose is made of gold-plated silver and depicts a rose bush with flowers, buds and leaves, all set in a Renaissance-style silver glass and with the papal coat of arms. The Golden Rose is blessed by the Pope the fourth Sunday of Lent, or Laetare.
