Saint Michael the archangel is the guardian of the Church and of the People of God. According to the Christian tradition, Saint Michael the archangel in addition to being the patron of the Universal Church is also the protector of the Pope. It is as if Saint Michael the archangel were the vigilant, most faithful bodyguard and invincible of the Pope.
The first Vicar of Christ and beneficiary of his help was the apostle Peter. In fact, it is said that Peter was saved from danger several times by a mighty angel. There are many stories, but also legends, which tell of various apparitions of the archangel Michael to different popes.
However, the apparition that took place in 590 AD in the Eternal city seems to be true. Rome at that time was a city destroyed by famine and devastated by the plague. Pope Gregory the Great asked Heaven for help and to obtain grace he organized a procession.
When the citizens, led in procession by the Pope, reached the height of Hadrian’s Mausoleum, they saw an extraordinary spectacle. In the sky, everyone clearly saw a luminous angel in the act of putting the sword back in its sheath. This gesture symbolized the end of the battle and the victory of good over evil.
After that apparition, the plague disappeared and the Pope, attributing salvation to the archangel Michael, dedicated the mausoleum to him. In the 11th century, the Romans had the first wooden statue of Saint Michael the Archangel erected on the top of the castle. Over time this has been replaced several times with various versions, up to the current one in bronze.
The current statue of the archangel Michael was placed on top of the castle in 1752 and was created by the Flemish artist Peter Anton von Verschaffelt. Anyone who was in Rome, visiting Castel Sant’Angelo, can see this splendid statue of the archangel Michael in the act of sheathing his sword.
I highly recommend everyone to climb to the top of the castle at least once in their lifetime. In the presence of the statue of the archangel Michael, it is really possible to feel his mighty energy, his love, and his protection. He is there, with all his greatness and his strength. He reminds us that we can always count on his help and that he will always defend us from danger.
St. Michael the archangel is the guardian of the Church and of the People of God and that is why the Church recognizes him as the role of protector. Never stop invoking him!
Saint Michael Prayer
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle, against the perfidy and the snares of the devil, be our support.
Let God exercise his dominion over him, we supplicants Pray Him!
And you, Prince of the celestial militias, cast Satan and other evil spirits, who roam the world to the perdition of souls, into hell.
OH Archangel St. Michael, defend us in combat so that we do not perish in the terrible day of judgment.