Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City houses that image, which is visited by millions of pilgrims each year. She is not only considered the patroness of the Americas, but also of the unborn. Here’s why.
In 1999, Pope St. John Paul II established Dec. 12 as the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“This is our cry: life with dignity for all! For all who have been conceived in their mother’s womb, for street children, for Guadalupe!” he declared at the basilica.
Neary 20 years later, in 2018, Pope Francis entrusted to Our Lady of Guadalupe “in particular, those who are awaiting the birth of their children.”
“Saint John Paul II commended to her maternal protection the life and innocence of children, especially those who run the risk of not being born,” he told Polish pilgrims during his general audience. “By her intercession, in this time of Advent, let us implore the gift of children for families without children, respect for the conceived life and the openness of hearts to Gospel values.”
The website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops USCCB features a prayer asking for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as the patroness of unborn children, for “every child at risk of abortion.”
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