The Litany of Loreto, also called the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, originated in the Middle Ages. The prayer was approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587, and it is currently the only approved Marian Litany. The Pope has the exclusive ability to add invocations to the Litany, which many have done throughout history. "Loreto" refers to the Holy House of Loreto in Italy, which is believed to be the house where the Blessed Virgin was born and raised. Tradition holds that the house was brought from t