1 Marian Pilgrimage and Popular Piety John Eade (University of Roehampton, UK, and Toronto University, Canada) Popular devotion across Catholic world and relationship with official iconography The election of Pope Francis in 2013 as the first non-European head of the Church was a very important reminder that we need to look beyond Europe to the Church world-wide. Although the ChuƌĐhs offiĐial Đultuƌal heƌitage has ďeeŶ deeplLJ shaped by Europe – as this exhibition so brilliantly shows – there is a long tradition of popular piety which has co-existed with that official heritage around the world. This tradition draws on local beliefs and practices and it is a global phenomenon which Pope Francis has encouraged us to appreciate more fully. AŶ iŶdiĐatioŶ of the popes approach was made during his visit to Paraguay where he celebrated Mass at the Marian shrine of CaaĐupé. As the head of the HolLJ “ees Pƌess OffiĐe ĐoŵŵeŶted, the ĐeleďƌatioŶ was undoubtedly a ŵoŵeŶt of pƌofouŶd joLJ foƌ hiŵ, siŶĐe Pope FƌaŶĐis deeplLJ appƌeĐiated populaƌ pietLJ, seeiŶg it as the edžpƌessioŶ of a pƌofouŶd faith. (http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/07/12/fr_lombardi_pope%E2%80%99s_appreciation_of_po pular_piety/1157929 ) Pope Francis clearly sets out his approach towards popular piety in his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. He describes it as a tƌue edžpƌessioŶ of the spoŶtaŶeous ŵissioŶaƌLJ aĐtiǀitLJ of the people of God and refers to his pƌedeĐessoƌ, Paul Vϭ, ǁho saǁ populaƌ pietLJ as ŵaŶifestiŶg a thirst for God which only the poor and the simple can know (http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa- francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html) His respect for Latin American popular traditions is also reflected in his reference to his immediate predecessor, Benedict XVI. FƌaŶĐis Ƌuotes BeŶediĐts desĐƌiptioŶ of these tƌaditioŶs as