New Year's Day Mass with Pope Leo XIV
For visitors to Vatican City, all Roman Catholic holidays take on greater significance since they are celebrated in the Holy See and often include a sermon by the sitting Pope himself. But the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on Jan. 1 is especially looked forward to each year.This holy day is devoted to remembering the motherhood of Mary in relation to Jesus. There are many other feast days dedicated to Mary as well, so the day is not just a general celebration of Mary but something more specific. Mary was merely recognised as the “bearer of God,” meaning that she was the vehicle through whom the Eternal Son entered the world clothed in human flesh.While most focus on New Year’s celebrations around the world, in The Vatican, 1 Jan. is the occasion for a very special Papal Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica. The Pope gives a sermon on the meaning and significance of the Marian title “Mother of God” according to the faith of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Where this sits in Rome
Rome is about 33 min by road from Rome Fiumicino Airport. Three thousand years stacked on top of each other, still busy being a capital. Stay central and walk — the Forum, the Pantheon and a dozen churches worth the detour are closer together than the map suggests, and the city rewards wandering more than ticking off.
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