During a visit to the pilgrimage site of Fatima, Pope Francis prayed for peace in the world and a more open Church for all. At the important Marian shrine in Portugal, the pontiff said that the Church is like a mother’s house, which has no doors and is therefore always open “to her children, to everyone, everyone, everyone without exception”.
The Pope used his trip to the World Youth Day in Lisbon for a short detour to the place north of the capital, where in 1917 the Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have appeared several times to three shepherd children. Just at that point by the Chapel of the Apparitions the Pope prayed and spoke of a “House of Joy”. Mary still leads believers to Jesus today, said the pontiff.
Rosary prayer
According to local authorities, around 200,000 people attended the event in the large square in front of the statue of Mary and the chapel in Fatima. Among them were many sick and disabled people who prayed the rosary with Francis. He then greeted some of them and shook hands with them.
Francis had come from Lisbon by helicopter and then drove through the crowd in an open popemobile. Then he sat in front of the statue of Mary and prayed silently. It had been announced in advance that the Pope wanted to pray for peace in the world – especially in Ukraine.
However, he did not mention the Russian attack on the neighboring country in his speech, which he kept almost completely free and which therefore proceeded completely differently than planned in the speech manuscript that had been prepared. The detour to Fatima had been added to the itinerary at relatively short notice.
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Pope had already turned to Fatima in spring 2022 in connection with the Russian war of aggression. At that time he performed an unusual church ritual when he consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thereby he asked for the close assistance of the Blessed Mother for the countries.
The ritual goes back to the Marian apparitions of 1917 – at that time the mother of Jesus is said to have instructed three children to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary so that the country would not break away from the Christian faith. Since February 2022, the Pope and the Vatican have been trying – with rather moderate success – to mediate peace between Moscow and Kiev.
At noon, Francis flew back to Lisbon, where later there was a meeting with Jesuits and then in the evening (9:45 p.m. CEST) in Tejo Park, a joint prayer with participants of the World Youth Day. The event ends on Sunday, the Pope returns to the Vatican.
Program Pope visit
