He Pope Francisco he wanted to visit the Marian sanctuary of Fátima, in Portugal, from the first moment this trip was organized to participate in the events of the World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, and today about 200,000 faithful were waiting for him, to whom who spoke of the figure of Mary, but did not mention the wars in the world.
Francis arrived in a popemobile on the esplanade of the sanctuary, where he was received by 200,000 people, mostly Portuguese faithful, many families who had sent their children to the pontiff to be blessed, and who had spent the night here.
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After praying the rosary sitting in front of the image of Fatima together with six inmates from various Portuguese prisons and 102 sick young people, seated in the first rows of chapels where Catholic tradition indicates, the apparitions to Sister Lucia and her two cousins took place. Jacinta and Francisco, the Pope gave an impromptu speech in which he asked the Virgin: Mother, what are you pointing at me, what is it that worries you?
The apparitions of Fatima are closely linked to pontificates and conflicts, as Sister Lucia revealed many years later, the Virgin announced the end of World War I, the beginning of World War II and asked for the “conversion” of Russia.
Pope Francis calls for peace in Fatima
Although in the fourth mystery of the rosary they asked for peace, some words were expected from the pope about the wars in the world in this Marian sanctuary where he had already been in 2017, but Francisco decided to improvise a speech to talk about the figure of the Virgin who “is always” next to people.
“It is our lady in a hurry, who runs to be close to us and hurries because she is a mother and asks that we follow Jesus”he added.
He asked the faithful “Ask María: What is there about my life that worries you, what is there about my life that moves you, what interests you… and you point it out to me”?
Francis also had planned a prayer to the Virgin, where it was expected that he would ask for peace, as he already did on his trip in 2017, but surprisingly he did not read it either and concluded his visit to Fatima, greeting the faithful after three hours in the sanctuary where he arrived by helicopter.
In the afternoon, Francisco will celebrate the WYD vigil with young people, where more than half a million faithful are expected.