The Pontifical Coronation of Nossa Senhora da Soledade of Portugal
Channel: James Benedict Malabanan
Date: 2023-09-20

The image of Our Lady of Solitude received a coronation at the directive of Pope Francis, carried out by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, in the Royal Basilica of the Parish of Mafra on September 17th of the previous year.

Up until recently, this image was only exhibited during procession days. However, a discovery was made within one of her mantles: several prayers composed by unidentified women. This revelation sparked considerable interest and devotion to this particular title.

As a result, Dom Manuel Clemente, who was the Patriarch of Lisbon at the time, upon consulting the opinion of the Royal and Venerable Brotherhood of the Most Holy Sacrament of Mafra, the organization responsible for promoting the veneration in the Basilica, forwarded a request to Pope Francis for the coronation. This request was granted by a decree issued in November 2020. It acknowledged the devotion within the Basilica and sought to expand it globally.

To create the crown for the image, both the faithful and visitors generously contributed all the necessary materials, including nearly 2 kilograms of gold and silver, precious gemstones, and monetary donations. Remarkably, people of other faiths also made contributions. The orb, made from lapis lazuli and crowned with a cross resembling the one on the Portuguese royal crown, was donated by an Orthodox Armenian. The crown itself was meticulously crafted by the Spanish goldsmith Manuel Valera Pérez and subsequently blessed by Pope Francis in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Lisbon on August 4th.

Canonical coronation is a significant liturgical ceremony, surpassing what a bishop can perform within his own diocese. It is an act through which the Supreme Pontiff acknowledges the profound devotion associated with a particular Marian title in a specific location. In Portugal, there have been two prior canonical coronations: one for the image of Our Lady of Sameiro in 1904 and another for the image of Our Lady of Fatima in 1946.

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