Canonical Coronation

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A Canonical Coronation is an act of the Pope, duly expressed in an Papal Bull, wherein the Roman Catholic Church recognizes an image of the Virgin Mary under a specific name being venerated in a certain locality. The venerated image should be historically old, acclaimed, and in times of need serves as a beacon of faith and hope among the people. Coronation is one form of reverence frequently shown to images of the Virgin Mary. Canonical Coronation also manifests recognition of the fervent devotion of the faithful of a locality to the Virgin Mary.

The Catholic custom of crowning images is a very ancient practice. It originated in 1640 when Alejandro Sfortia, Marquis of Placencia died, leaving in his will a provision in which a large sum of money was to be invested and the proceeds to form a fund for the purchase of crowns of precious metals for the coronation of the most celebrated images in the world. It is especially from the end of the 16th century that in the West, the practice became widespread for the faithful, both religious and laity, to crown images of the Blessed Virgin. The popes not only endorsed this custom but on many occasions, either personally or through bishop-delegates, carried out the coronation of specific images of the Virgin Mary.

The growth of the custom led to the composition of a special rite for crowning images of Mary, and in the 19th century this was incorporated into the Roman liturgy. By means of this rite the Church proclaims that the Virgin Mary is rightly regarded and invoked as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Canonically Crowned Marian Images in the Philippines

1. Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Sto. Domingo, Quezon City; 1907)

2. Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia (Naga City; 1924)

3. Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Piat, Cagayan; 1924)

4. Nuestra Señora de la Paz (Antipolo, Rizal; 1926)

5. Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Manaoag, Pangasinan; 1926)

6. Nuestra Señora de Caysasay (Taal, Batangas; 1954)

7. Nuestra Señora de la Regla (Cebu; 1954)

8. Nuestra Señora de Guia (Ermita, Manila; 1955)

9. Nuestra Señora de la Caridad (Bantay, Ilocos Sur; 1956)

10. Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (San Fernando, Pampanga; 1956)

11. Nuestra Señora de Pronto Socorro (Boac, Marinduque; 1958)