See 'Our Lady of the Hush,' a new icon Pope Francis thinks will help with this important goal

Pope Francis has enlisted the support of a powerful ally to stop one very annoying problem in the Vatican. According to La Repubblica, Pope Francis has asked the Virgin Mary to help suppress gossip among Vatican officials. He has even posted a special icon for the purpose.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Pope Francis has enlisted the help of the Virgin Mary to suppress gossip in the halls of the Apostolic Palace.

The Holy Father has been concerned with the volume of gossip in the halls of the Apostolic Palace, which is where the leadership of the Church meets and works to conduct daily business. In order to remind the staff to refrain from gossip, a new icon of the Virgin Mary has been created and posted between the two elevators taking the staff in and out of the building.

The Marian icon shows Our Lady with a single finger over her lips, the universal sign for quiet. The icon has been dubiously nicknamed, "Our Lady of the Hush."

The icon will serve a traditional purpose. Icons have a long history in the Church of serving as educational aids and reminders of Catholic virtue. In this case, all who see the icon are reminded of the sin of gossip and the importance of respect for the work they do and the people they encounter.

According to reports, the icon was created in a monastery in Northern Italy and was given as a gift to Pope Francis by Mariella Enoc, who is head of a pediatric hospital in Rome.