Pope Francis on pastoral visit to Loreto

By Linda Bordoni

Addressing the crowds in St. Peter’s Square after the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis reminded them  that on Monday, 25 March, he will undertake a pastoral journey to Loreto, in Italy’s Marche region, where he will visit the House of the Virgin Mary.

“I have chosen this place in which to sign the Apostolic Exhortation dedicated to Young People” he said, and he asked for prayers “so that the Virgin Mary’s ‘yes’ may be the ‘yes’ of many of us.”

During his 6-hour visit to the tiny town, home to the Marian Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto, the Pope will sign the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, “Vive Cristo, esperanza nuestra”, the Spanish for “Christ, our hope, lives”.