Salus Populi Romani

The Vicar of Christ before the Crucifix at St Marcello al Corso

Pope Francis before the Madonna Salus Populi Romani at St. Mary Major

Salus Populi Romani: Protectress and Health of the Roman People

The Holy Father makes a pilgrimage. From The Daily Mail:

Pope Francis defied Italian government advice to stay indoors and today walked to church through Rome's deserted streets to pray for the end of coronavirus. The Catholic leader had earlier delivered a blessing from his balcony window above an eerily empty St Peter's Square, which has been closed to worshippers as part of the country's sweeping lockdown. Francis then left the Vatican to visit two churches in the Italian capital, first praying in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore before strolling down the usually bustling Via del Corso. He headed to the St Marcello al Corso, which poignantly hosts a crucifix carried in a 1522 procession in Rome when the city was stricken with plague. (Read more.)

From The National Catholic Register:

The Byzantine icon of Salus Populi Romani was also processed through Rome by Pope Gregory I in 593 for an end to the plague known as the Black Death. The icon has been revered by the people of Rome for centuries and is considered a symbol of the city and its people. According to Fr. Lops, Pope Francis wanted to make the visit to encourage Italians during the quarantine conditions across Italy.

“It was all a surprise,” Fr. Lops said, adding that Pope Francis had wanted to go to the Basilica of St. Mary Major on March 13, the seventh anniversary of his pontificate, but being unable to, had told Cardinal Rylko he would come at another, unspecified time. Rome, like all of Italy, is currently under lockdown, with people required to stay home except for strict cases of necessity. All non-essential businesses are also closed. The action by the pope was not in any way intended to be against the decrees of the Italian government, Fr. Lops explained, but was meant as a sign of encouragement to Romans. It was “also risky in a certain sense for his health, because he is old,” Lops added. Fr. Lops has been assigned to serve at the Basilica of St. Mary Major during the coronavirus lockdown in Italy. Though public Masses have been suspended throughout the diocese, the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major remains open for prayer, confessions, and communion for any Catholics who may request it, Fr. Lops said. (Read more.)