

He said it is through her Son that Mary gained the favour of her Immaculate Conception, and as the Son of God became man for us Mary was preserved from sin for us, as a foretaste of God's salvation.
Pope Benedict spoke about the unique circumstances of the event. Piazza di Spagna is in the middle of Rome’s most prestigious shopping districts – and December is its busiest time. Many of the people surrounding the Pope were, in fact, surprised by the ceremony in the midst of their holiday shopping, and watched more out of curiosity than devotion.
The Holy Father said this message of Mary is for everyone, even those not aware of the feast day, even those who feel alone and abandoned.
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At the root of all evil, the Pope said, is disobedience to God's will on the part of human freedom, which has succumbed to the temptation of the devil. And now the evil has its root in the human heart, a heart sick and wounded, unable to heal itself. He said God has prepared a new and everlasting covenant, sealed by the blood of his Son who, to offer himself in atonement, was “born of a woman.” This woman, the Virgin Mary, benefited in advance from the redeeming death of her Son for she was preserved from the contagion of guilt since conception.