Rome commemorates that Mary saved the city from bombardmentCardinal Enrico Feroci tells about the background of the June 4, 1944The picture of Our Lady of Divine Love was brought to Rome to ask for her intercession and attracted numerous faithful: more than a million signatures asking for a vow to Our Lady, 15,000 communions a day, and finally the prayer in the church of St. Ignatius in Campo Marzio.
This year, 2024, the 80th anniversary of the day Our Lady saved the Eternal City from destruction was commemorated in Rome. After the celebration of Mass in the Church of St. Ignatius on June 4 in Rome, Omnes had the opportunity to speak with the rector of the Sanctuary of Divine Love, located a few kilometers from the center of the city.
Cardinal Enrico Feroci has explained some little known details about the vow made to the Madonna eighty years ago, which saved the Eternal City, as it was occupied by the Germans, ready to fight against the Anglo-American troops, with the consequent bombing that would bring widespread destruction.
After the landing of the allied troops in Anzio on the night of January 21, 1944, the image of Our Lady of Divine Love had been taken to the city by order of the Cardinal Vicar for fear that the Shrine would be destroyed.
First it arrived in the small church of the Vicolo, then in San Lorenzo il Lucina and then, given the large number of pilgrims, in the much larger and more spacious church of St. Ignatius. In this church the vow was made, through Bishop Gilla Gremigni, by order of Pius XII, at five o'clock in the afternoon of June 4, 1944. Two hours later, at seven o'clock, it seemed that the city had been abandoned by the German troops.
In fact, that day in the morning, the allied troops had occupied the sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love. At about seven o'clock in the evening, the Allies began to enter the city, without meeting the slightest resistance from the Germans, who had prepared to resist to the last consequences and who, instead, left the city along the Via Flaminia to the north.
The general belief was that it was Our Lady of Divine Love who had saved Rome.
Why was the vow made to Our Lady "Salus Populi Romani", but before the image of Our Lady of Divine Love?
Pius XII asked to make the vow to Our Lady Salus Populi Romani after a letter he received from the students of Don Orione. He then commissioned Cardinal Montini (later Paul VI) to speak to the students of Don Orione, who collected 1,100,000 signatures since April, asking to make this vow.
They printed a kind of bulletin that included the letter they had addressed to the Pope on April 24, asking to be allowed to make the vow. They went from house to house and from parish to parish. They also set up some kind of tents and people would come and sign and have their signatures certified. This 1,100,000 signatures in a city of about 2 million inhabitants led Pius XII to make the vow to Our Lady Salus Populi Romani.
So the vote was for the "Salus Populi Romani"?
Yes, but they decided to do it in the church of St. Ignatius because it was full of people who came to pray before the picture of Our Lady of Divine Love, who had been taken there to save her from the bombings.
We are talking about 15,000 communions a day. There were many people who went to Our Lady of Divine Love. To put it this way among ourselves: it was Our Lady of Divine Love who wanted the vow to be made before her image; it is always Mary, Our Lady, who is at the service of the Roman people.
How was the vote conducted?
To make the vow, the Pope had to come here, to the church of St. Ignatius, but on June 4 he was not allowed to leave the Vatican, because it was feared that the bridges were mined. It was dangerous, there was also the fear that they wanted to kidnap him.
Then the Holy Father spoke with the venerable Father Pirro Scavizzi and commissioned the chamberlain of the parish priests, Gilla Gremigni, assistant of Catholic Action, to read the formula of the promise asking for the salvation of Rome in the church of St. Ignatius. And so they did. A few days later, on June 11, Pius XII came and gave a speech in this church.
Today, the situation in the world, with the war in Ukraine...
I have been a priest for 60 years and I would never have imagined that I would find myself in such a difficult and dramatic situation. I believe that Mary still has to help us a lot. If we do not make a vow we should at least make a promise to be more faithful and disciples of Christ.
