Pope Makes Pilgrimage to Shrine

Today Pope Benedict XVI made an unannounced pilgrimage to the Mother of the Graces of Mentorella shrine, about 30 miles from Rome. He celebrated Mass there in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The visit fell on the 27th anniversary of the first time Pope John Paul II prayed at the shrine as pope.

Pope John Paul II had prayed at the shrine just two days before his election on Oct. 16, 1978. He returned there on October 29, 1978 at the beginning of his pontificate and several times afterwards.

The Holy Father's message on October 29, 1978 was: "Prayer... is... the first task and almost the first announcement of the Pope, just as it is the first condition of his service in the Church and in the world."

"It should never be forgotten that prayer constitutes an essential part of Christian life, understood in its fullness and centrality. Indeed, prayer is an important part of our very humanity: It is "the first expression of man's inner truth, the first condition for authentic freedom of spirit."
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