Loreto, Italy, Mar 25, 2019 / 05:38 am
On the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of family and marriage for society. He also called the Virgin Mary a model for every vocation.
"It is necessary to rediscover the plan drawn by God for the family, to reaffirm its greatness and irreplaceability in the service of life and society," the pope said March 25, during a visit to the Shrine of the Holy House in Loreto, Italy.
The Shrine of the Holy House preserves the building where tradition holds the Virgin Mary was born, raised, and greeted by the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. Historic documentation shows that the Holy House was brought from Palestine to Italy in the 13th century. The Holy House also holds the statue of Our Lady of Loreto.
The Holy House of Mary is the "home of the family," Pope Francis said during his visit, noting that "in the delicate situation of today's world, the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman takes on an importance and an essential mission."