Thank you for the wonderful article by Gregory Orfalea in the July 11 issue chronicling his time in Rome between the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo.  

I’d like to add a note, if I may, to the description of Francis’ tomb. The author eloquently described the simplicity of the tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore, but I think it’s worth reminding ourselves of the proximity of the burial site to the icon of the Virgin Mary known as Salus Populi Romani, meaning Health (or Salvation) of the Roman people.  

This was a beloved icon for Pope Francis, and seeing it on TV struck me as a powerful visual. By ensuring that his tomb is positioned near the icon’s location, Francis was testifying not only to his love and devotion to Mary, but seemed to be preaching his last sermon to us, as if to say: If you want to get to heaven, entrust yourself to Mary! In the words of the ancient prayer, we ask her to pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death!

— Anne Biondi, Sherman Oaks