Saying he wanted to prioritise the spiritual and pastoral care of visitors to Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, Pope Francis has approved a new set of statutes for the basilica’s chapter, the group of priests resident at the church.
In December 2021, the pope had appointed then-Msgr. Rolandas Makrickas, an official at the Vatican Secretariat of State, to be the extraordinary commissioner of the basilica, studying all aspects of its functioning, including what were reported to be serious financial difficulties that were exacerbated by the lack of tourists and pilgrims during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Publishing the new norms for the chapter on 20th March, the Vatican also announced Pope Francis had named Archbishop Makrickas to be coadjutor archpriest of the basilica, with the right to succeed 78-year-old Polish Cardina Stanislaw Rylko, who has served as archpriest since 2016.
The norms specify that the archpriest is a cardinal and is appointed for a five-year renewable term.
Picture: Pope Francis prays in front of the Marian icon, “Salus Populi Romani” (health of the Roman People) after celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on 28th January 2018. (CNS photo/Gregorio Borgia, Reuters pool)