ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />Pope Francis celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary by making a personal pilgrimage to Rome on Monday (December 8) to pay homage and pray at the statue of the Madonna in Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps).<br/> <br />The Pope was repeating a custom of all pontiffs to mark one of the major feast days within the Catholic Church in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus.<br/> <br />Upon his arrival in a modest Ford Focus, he greeted some VIPs including Rome's Mayor Ignazio Marino.<br/> <br />Crowds of visitors had gathered in the square to join in prayer with the Pope in a solemn ceremony filled with music.<br/> <br />Francis asked the Madonna for protection and prayers.<br/> <br />"We pray today for your maternal protection for us, for our families, for this city, for the whole world. Our Mother Immaculate, pray for us!" said the Pope.<br/> <br />The iconic piazza, shaped in the form of two sharp triangles that meet at the points, has been the destin
