Rome: Thousands gathered in Rome yesterday as Pope Leo XIV continued a long-standing Vatican tradition by visiting Piazza di Spagna to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

The tradition dates back almost a century, beginning after the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It was strengthened under Pope Pius XII, and in 1958 Pope Saint John XXIII visited the same site, placing white roses at the statue’s base. Since then, every pope has marked December 8 with this gesture.

Pope Leo travelled through the city in the popemobile and was met by hymns and applause as he arrived. The choir sang “You rise more beautiful than the dawn,” and the Holy Father was welcomed by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar of Rome, and Rome’s Mayor Robert

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