It was the collapse of a wall that made the meeting of the Virgin with the people still possible. Pope Leo pays homage to Madonna of Almudena, patron saint of Madrid starting from the legend which narrates that, «in difficult times for the Christian community, to protect the statue of the Virgin, it was hidden in a ravine in the walls of the citadel, where it remained hidden for a long time, until, after the miraculous collapse of part of the walls, it was found intact.” The millenary Marian devotion of the people of Madrid, “a sign of their Christian roots”, is also a source “of the great hope that continues to inspire you to continue on your journey”. The Pontiff, who places at his feet “the golden rose, symbol of the Pope’s filial love for the Virgin Mary”, underlines that precisely the collapse of the walls still today indicates the path that «Jesus, through his Holy Mother, invites us to travel. At first, a falling wall causes a roar, chaos, disorderbut it also opens up spaces, it re-establishes possibilities and encourages restoration». The Pontiff recognizes that «in our current societies there are still many walls that do not protect, but divide, distance and isolate». Walls that, for fear of facing what we don’t like, we prop up or ignore. Instead, «Our Lady of Almudena, with her presence and her sure protection, tells us something else: to build something new, beautiful and lasting, we must be willing to tear down walls, because to start the journey again we need spaces that allow us to glimpse the horizon.”
Precisely trusting in the help of Mary and convinced of the presence of the Lord who walks with his “holy people”, Leo XIV invites the people of Madrid «not to fail in your testimony of faith, to contemplate the Father’s loving plan. I urge you not to lack charity, to unite as one family of brothers and sisters, and not to lose hope, to support each other in your action in the world. Encourage to be «builders of bonds that restore the universal language of communion, brotherly love and harmony». And, before the homage, making some of the words of the hymn dedicated to the Madonna his own, the Pope prays invoking the powerful help of her love: «Santa Maria della Almudena», he recites, «Virgin and Mother of the Redeemer, Queen of Heaven, Mother of Love, under your mantle, humble Virgin, your children seek protection. Loving Mother, Temple of God, protect us, Lady, and help us to be builders of peace and reconciliation.”
