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 blossom

Before 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 the 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 and was almost 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 stated that the rose conferred about the year 1650 cost about 500 Roman scudo. The two roses sent by Pope Alexander VII were valued at about 800 and 1200 scudi respectively. Pope Clement IX sent the Queen of France one costing about 1600 scudi, made of of gold. The workmanship on this rose was exceedingly fine, for which the artificer received the equivalent of 300 scudi. Innocent XI caused of gold to be formed into a rose, which was further embellished with many sapphires, costing in all 1450 scudi.
Rock adds that in the 19th century not a few of the roses cost 2000 scudi 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 privy chamberlain of sword and cape de numero participantium, a rank within the Papal Household, but it was abolished in a series of reforms in 1968 by Pope Paul VI.

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.
Image:Entrega da Rosa de Ouro por Monsenhor Jacobini à Rainha D. Amélia - O Occidente.png|thumb|The Golden Rose is presented by Archbishop Domenico Maria Jacobini 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 person 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, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, the Basilica of Our Lady Aparecida,, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

In the twentieth century Pius X, Benedict XV, John XXIII, and John Paul I made no awards of the Golden Rose.
Pius XI revived the practice which was continued by Pius XII.
Paul VI made five awards.
John Paul II made ten awards.
Benedict XVI made nineteen awards.
Francis made sixteen awards.
Leo XIV has made two awards.

Since Paul VI, all Golden Roses have been awarded to churches; all of Benedict XVI's, Francis', and Leo XIV's awards have been to Marian shrines or Marian images.

Year	Recipient	Pope	Type of recipient	Geographical area of recipient	Notes
1096	Fulk IV, Count of Anjou	Urban II	man	France
1148	Alfonso VII, King of León and Castile	Eugene III	man	Spain
1163	Louis VII, King of France	Alexander III	man	France
1183	William I, King of Scots	Lucius III	man	Scotland
1227	Raimondo Orsini	Gregory IX	man	Italy
1244	Church of Saint-Just, Lyon	Innocent IV	church	France
1304	Church of San Domenico, Perugia	Benedict XI	church	Italy
1348	Louis I, King of Naples	Clement VI	man	Italy
1348	Louis I, King of Hungary	Clement VI	man	Hungary
1350	Niccolò Acciaioli, Grand Seneschal of Naples	Innocent VI	man	Italy
1362-70	Valdemar IV of Denmark	Urban V	man	Denmark
1368	Joanna I, Queen of Naples	Urban V	woman	Italy
1369	St. Peter's Basilica	Urban V	church	Italy
1389	Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini	Urban V	man	Italy
1391	Alberto d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara	Boniface IX	man	Italy
1393	Astorre I Manfredi da Bagnacavallo	Boniface IX	man	Italy
1398	Ugolino III Trinci, Lord of Foligno	Boniface IX	man	Italy
1410	Niccolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara	Alexander V	man	Italy
1411	Charles VI, King of France	John XXIII	man	France
1413	Luigi Alidosi, Lord of Imola	John XXIII	man	Italy
1415	Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor	John XXIII	man	Germany
1419	Republic of Florence	Martin V	state	Italy
1420	Guidantonio da Montefeltro, Count of Urbino	Martin V	man	Italy
1435	Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor	Eugene IV	man	Germany
1444	Henry VI, King of England	Eugene IV	man	England
1448	Casimir IV, King of Poland	Nicholas V	man	Poland
1452	Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Empress Eleonora	Nicholas V	couple	Germany	received the day after they were crowned
1457	Charles VII, King of France	Callistus III	man	France
1461 March 15	Thomas Palaiologos	Pius II	man	Greece
1477	Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua	Sixtus IV	man	Italy
1481	Louis XI of France	Sixtus IV	man	France
1482	Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg	Sixtus IV	man	Germany
1486	James III, King of Scotland	Innocent VIII	man	Scotland
1491	James IV, King of Scotland	Innocent VIII	man	Scotland
1493	Isabella I, Queen of Castile	Alexander VI	woman	Spain
1505	Alexander Jagiellon, King of Poland	Julius II	man	Poland
1506	Manuel I, King of Portugal	Julius II	man	Portugal
1514	Manuel I, King of Portugal	Leo X	man	Portugal	Second award
1518	Frederick III, Elector of Saxony	Leo X	man	Germany
1512?	Henry VIII, King of England	Julius II	man	England
1521?	Henry VIII, King of England	Leo X	man	England
1524	Henry VIII, King of England	Clement VII	man	England
1537	Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua	Paul III	man	Italy	because of his kindness towards the Fathers of the Council of Trent
1543	Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara	Paul III	man	Italy
1548	Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France	Paul III	woman	France
1550	João Manuel, Prince of Portugal	Julius III	man	Portugal
1551	Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore	Julius III	church	Italy
1555	Mary I, Queen of England	Paul IV	woman	England
1557	María Enríquez Álvarez de Toledo, Duchess of Alba de Tormes	Paul IV	woman	Spain	wife of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba de Tormes
1560	Mary, Queen of Scots	Pius IV	woman	Scotland
1561	Anne, Queen of Bohemia	Pius IV	woman	Bohemia
1564	Republic of Lucca	Pius IV	state	Italy
1568 May 11	Joanna of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany	Pius V	woman	Italy
1572	Charles IX, King of France	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	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	Clement VIII	man	France
1597	Morosina Morosini	Clement VIII	woman	Venice	given at her coronation as Dogaressa of Venice
1598	Margaret, Queen of Spain	Clement VIII	woman	Spain	received on the day she was married by proxy to Philip III, King of Spain
1607	Santa Maria sopra Minerva	Paul V	church	Italy
1610	Sancta Sanctorum	Paul V	church	Italy
1625	Henrietta Maria, Queen of England and Scotland	Urban VIII	woman	England and Scotland	received at Amiens
1626/7	Ferdinand II, Grand Duke of Tuscany	Urban VIII	man	Italy
1628	Maddalena, Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany	Urban VIII	woman	Italy
1630	Maria Anna, Queen of Hungary	Urban VIII	woman	Germany	later Empress Consort
1631	Taddeo Barberini, Prefect of Rome	Urban VIII	man	Italy	he was the pope's nephew
1634	St. Peter's Basilica	Urban VIII	church	Italy
1635	Maria Anna, Electress of Bavaria	Urban VIII	woman	Germany
1649	Mariana, Queen of Spain	Innocent X	woman	Spain
1651?	Marie Louise, Queen of Poland	Innocent X	woman	Poland
1654	Lucrezia, Duchess of Modena	Innocent X	woman	Italy
1658	Siena Cathedral	Alexander VII	church	Italy	cathedral of the pope's hometown, rose designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
1668	Maria Theresa, Queen of France	Alexander VII	woman	France	for her infant son, the Dauphin, for whom the pope was godfather
1672	Elenor, Queen of Poland	Clement X	woman	Poland
1684 March 25	Marie Casimire Louise, Queen of Poland	Innocent XI	woman	Poland
1699	Wilhelmina Amalia, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire	Innocent XII	woman	Germany
1701	Maria Luisa, Queen of Spain	Clement XI	woman	Spain
1726	Violante Beatrice, Grand Princess of Tuscany	Benedict XIII	woman	Italy
1736	Maria Josepha, Queen of Poland	Clement XII	woman	Poland
1759	Francesco Loredan, Doge of Venice	Clement XIII	man	Italy
1776	Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen	Pius VI	woman	Austria
1784	Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma	Pius VI	woman	Italy
1790	Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples	Pius VI	woman	Italy
1819	Caroline Augusta, Empress of Austria	Leo XII	woman	Austria
1825	Maria Theresa, Queen Dowager of Sardinia	Leo XII	woman	Italy
1830	Cathedral of Cingoli	Pius VIII	church	Italy	cathedral of the pope's hometown
1832	Maria Anna, Queen of Hungary	Gregory XVI	woman	Austria	later Empress Consort of Austria
1833	St Mark's Basilica	Gregory XVI	church	Italy
1842	Maria II, Queen of Portugal	Gregory XVI	woman	Portugal
1849	Princess Maria Pia of Savoy	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	Pius IX	woman	France
1861	Maria Sophie, Queen of the Two Sicilies	Pius IX	woman	Italy
1868	Elisabeth, Empress of Austria	Pius IX	woman	Austria
1868	Isabella II, Queen of Spain	Pius IX	woman	Spain
1870	Sant'Antonio dei Portoghesi	Pius IX	church	Italy
1877 Sep.	Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes	Pius IX	shrine	France
1886	Maria Christina, Queen Dowager of Spain	Leo XIII	woman	Spain
1887	Mary Gwendoline Caldwell	Leo XIII	woman	United States	Mrs. Caldwell had donated money towards the founding of the Catholic University of America
1888	Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil	Leo XIII	woman	Brazil	see Lei Áurea
1892	Amélie, Queen of Portugal	Leo XIII	woman	Portugal
1893	Marie Henriette, Queen of the Belgians	Leo XIII	woman	Belgium
1923	Victoria Eugenie, Queen of Spain	Pius XI	woman	Spain
1926	Elisabeth, Queen of the Belgians	Pius XI	woman	Belgium
1930	Elena, Queen of Italy	Pius XI	woman	Italy
1937	Elena, Queen of Italy	Pius XI	woman	Italy	in observance of her 40th wedding anniversary
1953	Se Cathedral	Pius XII	church	India	placed on the tomb of Francis Xavier
1956	Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg	Pius XII	woman	Luxembourg
1964	Church of the Nativity	Paul VI	church	Palestine
1965	Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima	Paul VI	shrine	Portugal
1966 March 25	Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe	Paul VI	church	Mexico
1967	Basilica of Our Lady Aparecida	Paul VI	church	Brazil
1979 June	Black Madonna of Częstochowa	John Paul II	shrine	Poland
1979 Sep.	Knock Shrine	John Paul II	shrine	Ireland
1982 June	Basilica of Our Lady of Luján	John Paul II	shrine	Argentina
1985 June 28	Basilica of Assumption of Mary and Saints Cyril and Methodius in Velehrad	John Paul II	shrine	Czech Republic
1987 June	Kalwaria Zebrzydowska	John Paul II	shrine	Poland
1988 May 14	Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Evangelization	John Paul II	shrine	Lima, Peru
2000 Dec.	Holy House of Loreto	John Paul II	shrine	Italy
2004 Aug. 14	Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes	John Paul II	shrine	France	Second award
2004 Oct. 17	Saint Joseph's Oratory	John Paul II	church	Montreal, Canada
2004 Dec.	Sameiro Sanctuary	John Paul II	shrine	Braga, Portugal
2006	Black Madonna of Częstochowa	Benedict XVI	shrine	Poland	Second award
2007 May 12	Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida	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	Benedict XVI	shrine	Austria
2008 Apr. 9	Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting	Benedict XVI	shrine	Altötting, Germany
2008 Apr. 16	Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception	Benedict XVI	shrine	Washington D.C., USA
2008 May 17	Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Misericordia	Benedict XVI	shrine	Savona, Italy
2008 May 18	Shrine of Nostra Signora della Guardia	Benedict XVI	shrine	Genoa, Italy
2008 Sep. 7	Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria	Benedict XVI	shrine	Cagliary, Italy
2008 Oct. 19	Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei	Benedict XVI	shrine	Pompei, Italy
2009 Apr. 28	Shrine of Our Lady of the Cross	Benedict XVI	shrine	Aquila, Italy	after the earthquake
2009 May	Shrine of Our Lady of Europe	Benedict XVI	shrine	Gibraltar
2009 Nov. 22	Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza	Benedict XVI	shrine	Jaén, Spain
2010	Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Valle	Benedict XVI	church	Argentina
2010 Apr. 18	Shrine of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu	Benedict XVI	shrine	Malta
2010 May 12	Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima	Benedict XVI	shrine	Portugal	Second award
2010 Aug. 23	Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Valley	Benedict XVI	shrine	Catamarca, Argentina
2010 Nov. 13	Virgen of Socorro	Benedict XVI	shrine	Valencia, Venezuela
2011 May 15	Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel	Benedict XVI	shrine	Belgium
2012 March 26	Basílica Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad	Benedict XVI	church	Cobre, Cuba
2013 Nov. 22	Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe	Francis	shrine	Mexico	Second award
2015 June 21	Santuario della Consolata	Francis	shrine	Italy	Given during the pope's visit during the public showing of the Shroud of Turin
2016 July 28	Black Madonna of Częstochowa	Francis	shrine	Poland	Third Award
2017 May 13	Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima	Francis	shrine	Portugal	Third Award
2017 October 7	Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida	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	Francis	Marian image	Transylvania, Romania
2021 September 15	Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows	Francis	shrine/Marian image	Slovakia
2022 April 2	Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu	Francis	shrine	Malta	Second award
2022 August 15	Our Lady of Altagracia	Francis	Marian image	Dominican Republic
2022 November 18	Our Lady of Chiquinquirá	Francis	church/Marian image	Venezuela
2023 October 7	Our Lady of Montserrat	Francis	Marian image	Spain
2023 December 8	Salus Populi Romani	Francis	Marian image	Italy
2024 February 26	Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage	Francis	shrine/Marian image	Philippines	Gifted in thanksgiving for the erection of the Antipolo Cathedral as an International Shrine.
2024 September 8	Our Lady of Luján	Francis	Marian image	Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
2024 September 26	Our Lady of Luxembourg	Francis	church/Marian image	Luxembourg
2024 December 3	Virgin of Hope of Macarena	Francis	Marian image	Spain
2025 October 11	Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima	Leo XIV	shrine/Marian image	Portugal	Fourth award
2025 December 1	Our Lady of Lebanon	Leo XIV	shrine/Marian image	Lebanon