At audience, pope pays final homage to Mother of God of Kazan icon

Published: 2004-08-25

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Turning his weekly general audience into a prayer service, Pope John Paul II paid his final homage to the Russian icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, which had hung over his desk for 11 years. During the Aug. 25 service in the Vatican audience hall, the pope said the icon "accompanied my daily service to the church with her maternal gaze." He prayed that its Aug. 28 return to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and to the church's bishops would speak "of the affection of the successor of Peter for them and for the faithful entrusted to them." He said, "May it speak of his esteem for the great spiritual tradition which the holy Russian church guards." The pope added, "May it speak of the desire and firm intention of the pope of Rome to continue with them on the road of mutual understanding and reconciliation, to hasten the day of that full unity of believers for which the Lord Jesus ardently prayed."

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