The Vatican has approved the pontifical coronation of a revered Marian image in Rizal province, granting one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors for public devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antipolo announced Wednesday that the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved the coronation of the image of Maria, Ina ng Kapayapaan (Mary, Mother of Peace), which is venerated at the Parish of Maria, Ina ng Kapayapaan in Barangay Kasiglahan, Montalban, Rizal.
Santos described the Vatican approval as a “truly historic blessing” for the diocese and a special grace during the Church’s Jubilee Year.
“Through this pontifical coronation, the universal Church recognizes the deep devotion of the faithful to our Blessed Mother under the title Maria, Ina ng Kapayapaan, and affirms her maternal presence among the people of God,” the bishop said.
He also expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV, calling the approval a paternal blessing for the local Church and its faithful.
Santos thanked parish priests, church workers and generations of devotees who helped foster Marian devotion, saying the Vatican recognition reflects God’s grace rather than human accomplishment.
“This honor is not our achievement but God’s gracious gift. It is a reminder that the Blessed Virgin Mary continues to accompany her children, leading us always to her Son, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace,” he said.
A pontifical coronation is a papal act that formally recognizes a long-established and widespread devotion to a Marian image.
Granted in the name of the pope, the honor follows an evaluation by the Holy See of the devotion’s spiritual fruits, historical significance and impact on the faithful.
