Golden Rose
The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection. Recipients have included churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military figures, and governments.
Significance and symbolism
The rose is blessed on the fourth Sunday of Lent, Lætare Sunday, when rose-coloured vestments and draperies substitute for the penitential purple, symbolizing hope and joy in the midst of Lenten solemnity. Throughout most of Lent, Catholics pray, fast, perform penance, and meditate upon the malice of sin and its negative effects; but Rose Sunday is an opportunity to look beyond Christ's death at Calvary and forward to His joyous Resurrection. The beautiful Golden Rose symbolizes the Risen Christ of glorious majesty. The rose's fragrance, according to Pope Leo XIII, "shows the sweet odor of Christ which should be widely diffused by His faithful followers", and the thorns and red tint of the petals refer to His bloody Passion.Many popes, on the occasion of conferring the Rose, have in sermons and letters explained its mystical significance. Innocent III said: "As Lætare Sunday, the day set apart for the function, represents love after hate, joy after sorrow, and fullness after hunger, so does the rose designate by its colour, odour and taste, love, joy and satiety respectively," also comparing the rose to the flower referred to in Isaiah 11:1: "There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root."
History and development of the modern Rose
Workmanship
The blossomBefore the pontificate of Sixtus IV the Golden Rose consisted of a simple and single blossom made of pure gold and slightly tinted with red. Later, to embellish the ornament while still retaining the mystical symbolism, the gold was left untinted but rubies and afterwards many precious gems were placed in the heart of the rose or on its petals.
Pope Sixtus IV substituted in place of the single rose a thorny branch with leaves and many roses, the largest of which sprang from the top of the branch with smaller roses clustering around it. In the center of the principal rose was a tiny cup with a perforated cover, into which the pope poured musk and balsam to bless the rose. The whole ornament was of pure gold. This 'Sistine' design was maintained but varied as to decoration, size, weight and value. Originally it was little over three inches in height, and was easily carried in pope's left hand as he blessed the multitude with his right hand, when passing in procession from the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme to the Lateran Palace. Afterwards, especially when a vase and large pedestal became part of the ornament, a robust cleric was required to carry it, preceding the papal cross in the procession. The rose sent to Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick, wife of Joseph I, afterwards emperor, by Innocent XI, weighed twenty pounds and was almost eighteen inches high. It was in bouquet form, with three twisting branches that came together after many windings at the top of the stem, supporting a large rose and cluster of leaves.
Vase and pedestal
The vase and the pedestal supporting it have varied as to material, weight, and form. In the beginning they were made of gold; but afterward of silver heavily gilt with gold. The pedestal can be either triangular, quadrangular, or octangular, and is richly ornamented with various decorations and bas-reliefs. In addition to the customary inscription, the coat of arms of the pope who had the ornament made, and that of he who blessed and conferred it, are engraved on the pedestal.
Value of the ornament
The value of the rose varies according to the munificence of the pontiffs or the economic circumstances of the times.Baldassari says that the rose conferred about the year 1650 cost about 500 écus.
The two roses sent by Pope Alexander VII were valued at about 800 and 1200 écus respectively. Pope Clement IX sent the Queen of France one costing about 1600 écus, made of eight pounds of gold.
The workmanship on this rose was exceedingly fine, for which the artificer received the equivalent of 300 écus. Innocent XI caused seven and one-half pounds of gold to be formed into a rose, which was further embellished with many sapphires, costing in all 1450 écus.
Rock adds that in the 19th century not a few of the roses cost 2000 écus and more.
Origin
The custom of giving the rose supplanted the ancient practice of sending Catholic rulers the Golden Keys from St. Peter's Confessional, a custom introduced either by Pope Gregory II or Pope Gregory III. A certain analogy exists between the rose and the keys: both are of pure gold blessed and bestowed by the pope upon illustrious Catholics, and also, both are somewhat reminiscent of a reliquary—the rose contains musk and balsam, the keys are filings from the Chair of St. Peter.The exact date of the institution of the rose is unknown. According to some it is anterior to Charlemagne, according to others it had its origin at the end of the 12th century, but it certainly antedates the year 1050, since Pope Leo IX speaks of the rose as of an ancient institution at his time.
The custom, started when the popes moved to Avignon, of conferring the rose upon the most deserving prince at the papal court, continued after the papacy moved back to Rome. The prince would receive the rose from the pope in a solemn ceremony and be accompanied by the College of Cardinals from the papal palace to his residence. From the beginning of the seventeenth century, the rose was sent only to queens, princesses and eminent noblemen. Emperors, kings and princes were given a blessed sword and hat as a more suitable gift. However, if a deserving Catholic emperor, king or other great prince was present in Rome on Lætare Sunday, he would be presented with the rose.
The office of carrying and conferring the rose upon those living outside of Rome was given by the pope to cardinal legates a latere, nuncios, inter-nuncios and Apostolic ablegates. In 1895 a new office, called "Bearer of the Golden Rose" or "Keeper of the Golden Rose", destined for Members of Royal Houses, was instituted, and assigned to a secret chamberlain of sword and cloak participant, a rank within the Papal Household, but it has ceased to exist.
Blessing of the Rose
The earliest roses were not blessed; instead, blessing was introduced to render the ceremony more solemn and induce greater reverence for it on the part of the recipient. According to Cardinal Petra, Pope Innocent IV was the first to bless it. However, others claim that Pope Innocent III, Pope Alexander III or Pope Leo IX was the first. It is said that Leo IX, in 1051, obliged the monastery of Bamberg in Franconia, to furnish a Golden Rose to be blessed and carried on Laetare Sunday each year. Pope Benedict XIV attests that the ceremony of blessing originated at the end of the 14th or the beginning of the 15th century. Catalanus, papal master of ceremonies, believes that even the earliest roses were anointed with musk and balsam, but the blessing with prayers, incense, and holy water had its inception later on, sometime before pontificate of Pope Julius II. Currently, the pope blesses the rose every year, but it is not always a new and different rose; the old one is used until it has been given away.Originally the rose was blessed in the Hall of Vestments in the palace where the pope was; but the solemn Mass and the donation of the rose took place in the Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. The blessing was followed by a solemn Mass sung either by the pope himself or the first Cardinal Priest. In the former case the rose was placed on a veil of rose-colored silk richly embroidered with gold; in the latter the pope held the rose in his hand, except while kneeling, or during the Introit, Confiteor, Elevation and the singing of "Laudemus in Domino". Rose in hand, the pope returned processionally to the Lateran Palace; the Prefect of Rome led his horse by the bridle and aided him in dismounting. Upon arrival, he gave the rose to the Prefect, as a recompense for these acts of respect and homage. Before 1305, the rose was given in Rome to no foreigner, except to the Emperor on the day of his coronation. While residing at Avignon, the popes, unable to visit Roman churches and basilicas, performed many of their sacred functions, among them the blessing of the rose, in the private chapel of their palace. On their return to Rome they retained this custom.
to Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal at Necessidades Palace, 1892
The blessing of the rose now takes place in the Hall of Vestments, and the solemn Mass in the papal chapel. The rose is placed on a table with lighted candles, and the pope, vested in alb and rose-colored stole and cope with precious mitre on his head, begins the ceremony with the usual versicles and the following poetical prayer:
The prayer finished, the pope puts incense into the censer and incenses the balsam and then the musk, and afterwards puts the balsam and powdered musk into the tiny cup in the heart of the principal rose. He then incenses the rose and sprinkles it with holy water. It is then given to the youngest cleric of the Camera, who carries it in front of the pope to the chapel, where it is placed on the altar at the foot of the cross upon a richly embroidered silk veil, where it remains during the Mass sung by the first cardinal-priest. After the Mass, the rose is carried in procession before the pope to the sacristy, where it is carefully put away in a place set apart for it, until bestowed upon some worthy personage.
Recipients
Golden Roses have been awarded to people - men, women, and one married couple - as well as to states and churches.Until the sixteenth century Golden Roses were usually awarded to male sovereigns. From the sixteenth century onwards it became more common to award them to female sovereigns and to the wives of sovereigns. The last male to receive a Golden Rose was Francesco Loredan, Doge of Venice, in 1759. The last female and the last sovereign to receive a Golden Rose was Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg in 1956.
Among the principal churches to which the rose has been presented are St. Peter's Basilica, the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
- In the twentieth century Pope Pius X, Pope Benedict XV, Pope John XXIII, and Pope John Paul I made no awards of the Golden Rose.
- Pope Pius XI revived the practice which was continued by Pope Pius XII.
- Pope Paul VI made five awards
- Pope John Paul II made nine awards
- Pope Benedict XVI made eighteen awards
- Pope Francis has made five awards of the Golden Rose during his reign
| Year | Recipient | Pope | Type of recipient | Geographical area of recipient | Notes |
| 1096 | Fulk IV, Count of Anjou | Pope Urban II | man | France | |
| 1148 | Alfonso VII, King of León and Castile | Pope Eugene III | man | Spain | |
| 1163 | Louis VII, King of France | Pope Alexander III | man | France | |
| 1182 | William I, King of Scots | Pope Lucius III | man | Scotland | |
| 1227 | Raimondo Orsini | Pope Gregory IX | man | Italy | |
| 1244 | Church of Saint Juste, Lyon | Pope Innocent IV | church | France | |
| 1304 | Church of San Domenico, Perugia | Pope Benedict XI | church | Italy | |
| 1348 | Louis I, King of Naples | Pope Clement VI | man | Italy | |
| 1348 | Louis I, King of Hungary | Pope Clement VI | man | Hungary | |
| 1350 | Niccolò Acciaioli, Grand Seneschal of Naples | Pope Innocent VI | man | Italy | |
| 1362-70 | Valdemar IV of Denmark | Pope Urban V | man | Denmark | |
| 1368 | Joanna I, Queen of Naples | Pope Urban V | woman | Italy | |
| 1369 | St. Peter's Basilica | Pope Urban V | church | Italy | |
| 1389 | Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini | Pope Urban V | man | Italy | |
| 1391 | Alberto d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara | Pope Boniface IX | man | Italy | |
| 1393 | Astorre I Manfredi da Bagnacavallo | Pope Boniface IX | man | Italy | |
| 1398 | Ugolino III Trinci, Lord of Foligno | Pope Boniface IX | man | Italy | |
| 1410 | Niccolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara | Antipope Alexander V | man | Italy | |
| 1411 | Charles VI, King of France | Antipope John XXIII | man | France | |
| 1413 | Luigi Alidosi, Lord of Imola | Antipope John XXIII | man | Italy | |
| 1415 | Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor | Antipope John XXIII | man | Germany | |
| 1419 | Republic of Florence | Pope Martin V | state | Italy | |
| 1420 | Guidantonio da Montefeltro, Count of Urbino | Pope Martin V | man | Italy | |
| 1435 | Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor | Pope Eugene IV | man | Germany | |
| 1444 | Henry VI, King of England | Pope Eugene IV | man | England | |
| 1448 | Casimir IV, King of Poland | Pope Nicholas V | man | Poland | |
| 1452 | Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Empress Eleonora | Pope Nicholas V | couple | Germany | received the day after they were crowned |
| 1457 | Charles VII, King of France | Pope Callistus III | man | France | |
| 1461 March 15 | Thomas Palaiologos | Pope Pius II | man | Greece | |
| 1477 | Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua | Pope Sixtus IV | man | Italy | |
| 1481 | Louis XI of France | Pope Sixtus IV | man | France | |
| 1482 | Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg | Pope Sixtus IV | man | Germany | |
| 1486 | James III, King of Scotland | Pope Innocent VIII | man | Scotland | |
| 1491 | James IV, King of Scotland | Pope Innocent VIII | man | Scotland | |
| 1493 | Isabella I, Queen of Castile | Pope Alexander VI | woman | Spain | |
| 1505 | Alexander Jagiellon, King of Poland | Pope Julius II | man | Poland | |
| 1506 | Manuel I, King of Portugal | Pope Julius II | man | Portugal | |
| 1514 | Manuel I, King of Portugal | Pope Leo X | man | Portugal | Second award |
| 1518 | Frederick III, Elector of Saxony | Pope Leo X | man | Germany | |
| 1512? | Henry VIII, King of England | Pope Julius II | man | England | |
| 1521? | Henry VIII, King of England | Pope Leo X | man | England | |
| 1524 | Henry VIII, King of England | Pope Clement VII | man | England | |
| 1537 | Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua | Pope Paul III | man | Italy | because of his kindness towards the Fathers of the Council of Trent |
| 1543 | Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara | Pope Paul III | man | Italy | |
| 1548 | Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France | Pope Paul III | woman | France | |
| 1550 | João Manuel, Prince of Portugal | Pope Julius III | man | Portugal | |
| 1551 | Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore | Pope Julius III | church | Italy | |
| 1555 | Mary I, Queen of England | Pope Paul IV | woman | England | |
| 1557 | María Enríquez Álvarez de Toledo, Duchess of Alba de Tormes | Pope Paul IV | woman | Spain | wife of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba de Tormes |
| 1560 | Mary, Queen of Scots | Pope Pius IV | woman | Scotland | |
| 1561 | Anne, Queen of Bohemia | Pope Pius IV | woman | Bohemia | |
| 1564 | Republic of Lucca | Pope Pius IV | state | Italy | |
| 1572 | Charles IX, King of France | Pope Gregory XIII | man | France | given in appreciation of the King's role in enabling St. Bartholomew's Day massacre |
| 1574 March 24 | Don John of Austria | Pope Gregory XIII | man | Spain and Germany | given in the church of St. Clara, Naples, by the Pope's Chamberlain, "in token of his benevolence and paternal love." |
| 1592 | Henry IV, King of France and Navarre | Pope Clement VIII | man | France | |
| 1597 | Morosina Morosini | Pope Clement VIII | woman | Venice | given at the Ceremony of her Coronation as Dogaressa of Venice |
| 1598 | Margaret, Queen of Spain | Pope Clement VIII | woman | Spain | received on the day she was married by proxy to Philip III, King of Spain |
| 1607 | Santa Maria sopra Minerva | Pope Paul V | church | Italy | |
| 1610 | Sancta Sanctorum | Pope Paul V | church | Italy | |
| 1625 | Henrietta Maria, Queen of England and Scotland | Pope Urban VIII | woman | England and Scotland | received at Amiens |
| 1626/7 | Ferdinand II, Grand Duke of Tuscany | Pope Urban VIII | man | Italy | |
| 1628 | Maddalena, Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany | Pope Urban VIII | woman | Italy | |
| 1630 | Maria Anna, Queen of Hungary | Pope Urban VIII | woman | Germany | later Empress Consort |
| 1631 | Taddeo Barberini, Prefect of Rome | Pope Urban VIII | man | Italy | he was the pope's nephew |
| 1634 | St. Peter's Basilica | Pope Urban VIII | church | Italy | |
| 1635 | Maria Anna, Electress of Bavaria | Pope Urban VIII | woman | Germany | |
| 1649 | Mariana, Queen of Spain | Pope Innocent X | woman | Spain | |
| 1651? | Marie Louise, Queen of Poland | Pope Innocent X | woman | Poland | |
| 1654 | Lucrezia, Duchess of Modena | Pope Innocent X | woman | Italy | |
| 1658 | Siena Cathedral | Pope Alexander VII | church | Italy | cathedral of the pope's hometown |
| 1668 | Maria Theresa, Queen of France | Pope Alexander VII | woman | France | for her infant son, the Dauphin, for whom the pope was godfather |
| 1672 | Elenor, Queen of Poland | Pope Clement X | woman | Poland | |
| 1684 | Marie Casimire Louise, Queen of Poland | Pope Innocent XI | woman | Poland | |
| 1699 | Wilhelmina Amalia, Empress of Holy Roman Empire | Pope Innocent XII | woman | Germany | |
| 1701 | Maria Luisa, Queen of Spain | Pope Clement XI | woman | Spain | |
| 1726 | Violante Beatrice, Grand Princess of Tuscany | Pope Benedict XIII | woman | Italy | |
| 1736 | Maria Josepha, Queen of Poland | Pope Clement XII | woman | Poland | |
| 1759 | Francesco Loredan, Doge of Venice | Pope Clement XIII | man | Italy | |
| 1776 | Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen | Pope Pius VI | woman | Austria | |
| 1784 | Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma | Pope Pius VI | woman | Italy | |
| 1790 | Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples | Pope Pius VI | woman | Italy | |
| 1819 | Caroline Augusta, Empress of Austria | Pope Leo XII | woman | Austria | |
| 1825 | Maria Theresa, Queen Dowager of Sardinia | Pope Leo XII | woman | Italy | |
| 1830 | Cathedral of Cingoli | Pope Pius VIII | church | Italy | cathedral of the pope's hometown |
| 1832 | Maria Anna, Queen of Hungary | Pope Gregory XVI | woman | Austria | later Empress Consort of Austria |
| 1833 | St Mark's Basilica | Pope Gregory XVI | church | Italy | |
| 1842 | Maria II, Queen of Portugal | Pope Gregory XVI | woman | Portugal | |
| 1849 | Princess Maria Pia of Savoy | Pope Pius IX | woman | Italy | given by her godfather on the day of her baptism; later Queen Consort of Portugal |
| 1856 | Eugenie, Empress of the French | Pope Pius IX | woman | France | |
| 1861 | Maria Sophie, Queen of the Two Sicilies | Pope Pius IX | woman | Italy | |
| 1868 | Elisabeth, Empress of Austria | Pope Pius IX | woman | Austria | |
| 1868 | Isabella II, Queen of Spain | Pope Pius IX | woman | Spain | |
| 1870 | Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi | Pope Pius IX | church | Italy | |
| 1877 Sep. | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes | Pope Pius IX | shrine | France | |
| 1886 | Maria Christina, Queen Dowager of Spain | Pope Leo XIII | woman | Spain | |
| 1888 | Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil | Pope Leo XIII | woman | Brazil | see Lei Áurea |
| 1892 | Amélie, Queen of Portugal | Pope Leo XIII | woman | Portugal | |
| 1893 | Marie Henriette, Queen of the Belgians | Pope Leo XIII | woman | Belgium | |
| 1923 | Victoria Eugenie, Queen of Spain | Pope Pius XI | woman | Spain | |
| 1926 | Elisabeth, Queen of the Belgians | Pope Pius XI | woman | Belgium | |
| 1930 | Elena, Queen of Italy | Pope Pius XI | woman | Italy | |
| 1937 | Elena, Queen of Italy | Pope Pius XI | woman | Italy | in observance of her 40th wedding anniversary |
| 1953 | Se Cathedral | Pope Pius XII | church | India | placed on the tomb of Francis Xavier |
| 1956 | Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg | Pope Pius XII | woman | Luxembourg | |
| 1964 | Church of the Nativity | Pope Paul VI | church | Palestine | |
| 1965 | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima | Pope Paul VI | shrine | Portugal | |
| 1966 March 25 | Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe | Pope Paul VI | church | Mexico | |
| 1967 | Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida | Pope Paul VI | church | Brazil | |
| 1979 June | Black Madonna of Częstochowa | Pope John Paul II | shrine | Poland | |
| 1979 Sep. | Knock Shrine | Pope John Paul II | shrine | Ireland | |
| 1982 June | Basilica of Our Lady of Luján | Pope John Paul II | shrine | Argentina | |
| 1987 June | Kalwaria Zebrzydowska | Pope John Paul II | shrine | Poland | |
| 1988 May 14 | Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Evangelization | Pope John Paul II | shrine | Lima, Peru | |
| 2000 Dec. | Holy House of Loreto | Pope John Paul II | shrine | Italy | |
| 2004 Aug. 14 | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes | Pope John Paul II | shrine | France | Second award |
| 2004 Oct. 17 | Saint Joseph's Oratory | Pope John Paul II | church | Montreal, Canada | |
| 2004 Dec. | Sameiro Sanctuary | Pope John Paul II | shrine | Braga, Portugal | |
| 2006 | Black Madonna of Częstochowa | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Poland | Second award |
| 2007 May 12 | Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Brazil | Second award to the image of Our Lady Aparecida. The first award was given to the image in 1967 when it was housed in the Old Basilica, before the construction and consecration of the new Basilica in 1980. |
| 2007 Sep. 8 | Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary Mariazell | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Austria | |
| 2008 Apr. 9 | Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Altötting, Germany | |
| 2008 Apr. 16 | Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Washington D.C., USA | |
| 2008 May 17 | Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Misericordia | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Savona, Italy | |
| 2008 May 18 | Shrine of Nostra Signora della Guardia | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Genoa, Italy | |
| 2008 Sep. 7 | Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Cagliary, Italy | |
| 2008 Oct. 19 | Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Pompei, Italy | |
| 2009 Apr. 28 | Shrine of Our Lady of the Cross | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Aquila, Italy | after the earthquake |
| 2009 May | Shrine of Our Lady of Europe | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Gibraltar | |
| 2009 Nov. 22 | Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Jaén, Spain | |
| 2010 | Cathedral Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Valle | Pope Benedict XVI | church | Argentina | |
| 2010 Apr. 18 | Shrine of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Malta | |
| 2010 May 12 | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Portugal | Second award |
| 2010 Aug. 23 | Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Valley | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Catamarca, Argentina | |
| 2010 Nov. 13 | Virgen of Socorro | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Valencia, Venezuela | |
| 2011 May 15 | Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel | Pope Benedict XVI | shrine | Belgium | |
| 2012 March 26 | Basílica Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad | Pope Benedict XVI | church | Cobre, Cuba | |
| 2013 Nov. 22 | Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe | Pope Francis | shrine | Mexico | Second award |
| 2016 July 28 | Black Madonna of Częstochowa | Pope Francis | shrine | Poland | Third Award |
| 2017 May 13 | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima | Pope Francis | shrine | Portugal | Third Award |
| 2017 October 7 | Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida | Pope Francis | shrine | Brazil | Third award of the Golden Rose to the icon of Our Lady Aparecida; second award since the icon was transferred from the Old Basilica to the new Basilica. This award commemorates the 300 anniversary of the icon's appearance and of devotion to it. |
| 2019 June 1 | Our Lady of Csíksomlyó | Pope Francis | shrine | Transylvania, Romania |