Pope Francis’ last gift

A final gift, requested by Pope Francis during Holy Week and delivered shortly after his death: not only as a sign of gratitude, but also and especially as confirmation of a friendship destined to stand the test of time. This is the meaning behind the small statue of Nuestra Señora de Luján that the Rector of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Elena Beccalli, found waiting for her at Casa Santa Marta, where she had gone to pay her last respects to the Argentine Pontiff. The patron saint of Argentina is precisely the miraculous Virgin venerated in the sanctuary of Luján, about 70 kilometres from Buenos Aires.

In fact, the novena in preparation for the feast of the Morenita, as Our Lady of Luján is affectionately known, will begin shortly. The feast day of 8 May was particularly dear to Pope Bergoglio, who, as archbishop of the capital, never failed to take part in the traditional pilgrimage. Even after his election, he maintained a very close bond with the shrine, a bond reaffirmed in the message he sent in 2020, during the pandemic, to the archbishop of the diocese of Mercedes Luján, Monsignor Jorge Scheinig. On that occasion, the Pope wrote to the Virgin, “we will tell her our worries and our joys.” It is impossible, at this time, not to see the analogy with the devotion to the icon of the Salus Populi Romani preserved in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where Francis has chosen to be buried.

The gift of the statuette, depicting Our Lady of Luján adorned with her typical white and blue mantle, was intended in memory of the affectionate meeting on 16 April, during which the Pope once again thanked the leaders and staff of the Fondazione Policlinico “A. Gemelli”, Università Cattolica and the Health and Hygiene Department of the Vatican City State for the care they had given him during his long hospital stay in recent weeks. The presence of Nuestra Señora de Luján at the University now makes that moment even more memorable. “I will gaze upon her once more,” Francis said in his 2020 message, “and, once again, I will let her look at me.”