What 1,000 years of golden roses tell us about popes’ authority and influence, from Leo IX to Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV presented a golden rose to Our Lady of Lourdes on Sept. 26, 2026, during a four-day visit to France. This gesture marked the fifth time the pope has dedicated a golden rose to a Marian shrine or image.

The ornate rose offered at the Lourdes shrine follows a tradition seen in medieval iterations, such as the oldest surviving rose held at the Musée de Cluny in Paris, which dates to the early 1300s. Historically, these roses were crafted from gold and silver and decorated with gemstones like rubies and sapphires. Some versions included a bud designed to hold expensive fragrances such as musk and balsam.

According to historian Susanna Granieri, the history of who receives these roses reflects how papal influence has shifted over the centuries. While the roses appear frequently in medieval chronicles and papal accounting registers, the selection of beneficiaries has changed significantly since the medieval period.