Over 1.1 million people in Belgrade, Serbia, recently venerated the cincture of the Blessed Virgin Mary over a ten-day period.
It was the first time in 650 years that the cincture, housed at Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, was venerated in Serbia. Other Marian cincture relics are venerated in Syria and in Prato, Italy.
Reflecting on the extraordinary outpouring of devotion in Belgrade and the enthusiasm for Pope Leo’s visit in Spain, Serbian politician Jovan Palalić contributed an article to the Vatican newspaper in which he asked, “Could the scenes witnessed on the streets of Belgrade and in Spanish cities perhaps be signs of a new era [of Christian faith]?”