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some major airports of the world (as in Shannon and Buenos Aires). And in November, 1954, the Holy Father closed that Marian Year in a most extraordinary way. Instead of going to St. Mary Majors to crown the image of Our Lady, as so many of his predecessors had done, the Pope ordered that the venerable picture attributed to St. Luke be taken from its place and carried processionally (it was accompanied by tens of thousands of people) to St. Peters! There, on the altar over the tomb of Peter, the Pope solemnly crowned the picture and promulgated the Encyclical Ad Coeli Reginam. To the astonishment of all, the Pope ... on this most solemn occasion ... recalled the statue at Fatima which he had crowned (through Cardinal Masella in 1946) as the MESSENGER OF HER ROYALTY. His Holiness said: It is in the recognition of the Queenship of Mary that the world will find its greatest source of hope. As the Auxiliary Bishop of Fatima at that time, I was present with a banner from the Sanctuary of Fatima because the Pope had also asked that banners be there from all Marian Sanctuaries, and there were hundreds. On each the Pope affixed a commemorative medal. Many may wonder why the Holy Father did this and why he referred especially to the statue of Our Lady of Fatima as the MESSENGER OF HER ROYALTY.
Act of Consecration
Today, as the Pilgrim Virgin enters diocese upon diocese throughout the world, She is crowned by Bishops and pastors and by the faithful. This crowning of Our Lady is an acknowledgment of our fealty to Her. We acknowledge that, as a Queen, She has all rights over us. Pope Pius said that in this devotion lies the worlds greatest hope of peace. We pray that, through the presence of this image of your Queen, each soul will experience Her
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Motherly and Queenly presence. We pray that She will lead and preserve your nation forever into the peace of Her Son, Our Savior, Christ.
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