Pope Francis will conclude the Rosary Relay that has been ongoing this month by leading the Rosary before one of his favorite advocations of Mary: Our Lady, Undoer of Knots.
The May 31 Rosary will present to Mary five petitions, corresponding to five "knots."
Knot 1: loneliness and indifference, which have become deeper at this time
Knot 2: unemployment, with particular attention to unemployment of young people and women
Knot 3: the problem of domestic violence
Knot 4: human progress and scientific research, so that discoveries are accessible to all, especially the weakest and the poorest
Knot 5: pastoral care, so that the local Churches may find enthusiasm and a new impetus in their evangelizing mission
The Sovereign Pontiff has often noted his fascination with the altarpiece of the German painter Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner, Mary, Undoer of Knots.
The oil painting on canvas made around 1700 and is preserved today at the Saint-Pierre church of Perlach, in Augsburg (Germany).
The painting represents the Virgin Mary undoing the knots of a white ribbon held by two angels, surrounded by biblical scenes symbolically referring to images of hope, mercy and victory over evil.
A copy of the painting, donated by the bishop of Augsburg, Bertram Johannes Meier, will be led in solemn procession into the Lourdes Grotto at the heart of the Vatican Gardens.
At the end of the Rosary, the crowning ceremony of the image of the Virgin will take place, with a crown made by the jewelers Fratelli Savi.
