The Golden Rose

Today being Lætare Sunday is the day for the blessing of the Golden Rose by the Pope before the Solemn Mass of the day.

The New Liturgical Movement had an article about it the other day which can be seen at The Tradition of the Rosa d'Oro (Golden Rose) of Laetare Sunday

Wikipedia has a lengthy, illustrated article about the history of the custom and of the ceremonial associated with the Golden Rose, together with a list of recipients since 1096. This can all be accessed at Golden Rose

That article is almost entirely based on that in the Catholic Encyclopaedia but with some additions as to changes in the twentieth century, and has a much more complete list of recipients. The older Encyclopaedia entry has a few pieces of additional information about the ceremonial associated with the rose and can be accessed at Golden Rose

The Golden Rose is not presented to an individual or, as these days, a shrine, every year by any means and some Popes have never bestowed it. Looking at the list of recipients it can clearly be linked as a gift to Papal diplomacy in the past, or at least in more recent centuries as an honour given to the consort of a Catholic sovereign. In recent decades it has become a way of honouring Marian shrines.

British recipients of the rose begin with King William I of Scots in 1183, King Henry VI in 1444, King James III in 1486, King James IV in1491, King Henry VIII on apparently three occasions in 1512, 1521 and 1524, Queen Mary I of England in 1555, Queen Mary I of Scots in 1560 and Queen Henrietta Maria in 1625.

It is rather a wonder when so much was unnecessarily and seemingly wilfully jettisoned in terms of Papal ceremonial and traditions in the pontificate of Pope Paul VI that it survived as a custom at all.