Ever since he opened his tilma the Virgin Mary has been venerated

"Do not be surprised if Castilian roses bloom in winter!" In this enigmatic image, Pope Francis referred to the maternity of Mary manifested during her apparitions to Saint Juan Diego in the 16th century, in Mexico. Since then, the Virgin has been honored there under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas. Pope Francis defines what it means to evangelize under the sign of this maternity:

"The baptized is a missionary" who must "make the Name of Jesus known." It is a joy that we should want to share, rather than being reproachful or imposing regulations: "We must share with everyone the joy of having met Christ." He then evokes the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, in 1531, and the roses that bloomed in winter well before the season. A prodigy which the Virgin Mary explained by saying, at the 4th apparition: "This variety of roses is a proof and a sign that you will carry to the bishop ..."

Juan Diego collected the roses in his "tilma" (woolen tunic), and when he opened it before the bishop, the image of the Virgin was inexplicably printed on it. This image is venerated to this day, in the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Today Guadalupe is the most visited Marian shrine in the world.

Rome, November 16, 2013 (Zenit.org)