The subject of numerous controversies, she is defined by ambiguity, welcoming outcasts to the Church and provoking more ...

Each year on Aug. 5 the church liturgical calendar commemorates the dedication of St. Mary Major (in Italian, Santa Maria ...

The Jubilee of Teenagers, scheduled for April 25-27, took place with some modifications despite the death of Francis.

Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 on Monday, April 21, after a final appearance at St. Peter's Square following ...

2 Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is of great antiquity in the Church. It was St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, however, who made this devotion widespread. In 1675, within the octave of the feast ...

Pope Francis’ tomb is made of Ligurian (Italian) marble with the sole inscription “FRANCISCUS” and a reproduction of his ...

The basilica houses the icon of the Salus Populi Romani and the Holy Cradle of Jesus. Built on the site of a pagan temple of Cybele, Saint Mary Major preserves the basilica’s floor plan and the ...

In 2023, Pope Francis announced that he would be buried at St. Mary Major; his tomb has been prepared near the Salus Populi Romani icon. While most popes are buried at St. Peter’s in the Vatican, Pope ...

Pope Francis had earlier said that he wants to be buried not in St Peter's Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are ...

Parishioners carry a statue of Jesus during the Living Stations of the Cross procession near the Cathedral of St. Mary on Friday, April 18, 2025, in Miami, Fla. As parishioners moved slowly down ...