Pope encourages devotion to Our
Lady of Fatima
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| The statue of Our Lady of Fatima carried in procession (ANSA) |
During the General Audience, Pope Francis urges the faithful
to pray to Our Lady, reminding us that 13 May is the feast of Our Lady of
Fatima.
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ
“Today we celebrate the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of
Fatima,” said Pope Francis in his greetings to Polish-speaking listeners at the
weekly General Audience.“We turn our thoughts to the apparitions and its
message transmitted throughout the world,” he added.
Pope Francis recalled the attack on the life of Pope St.
John Paul II. He pointed out that his predecessor experienced “the maternal
intervention of the Holy Virgin” in sparing his life.
The Pope also said that Monday, 18 May, marks the 100th anniversary
of JPII’s birth. The Pope said he will celebrate his morning Mass on the altar
over the Saint’s tomb in St. Peter’s Basilica. “Let us thank God for giving us
this saintly Bishop of Rome,” he said, “and ask him to help us: that he might
help this Church of Rome to convert and strive ahead.”
Pope Francis then went on to pray for peace in the world,
the end of the coronavirus pandemic, and the spirit of penance and conversion
for the world through the intercession of Our Lady.
The Pope invited the Italian-speaking faithful to have
constant recourse to Our Lady’s help, so that everyone might persevere in the
love of God and neighbour. He prayed especially for the young, the elderly, the
sick and the newlyweds.
Invitation to pray the Rosary
In his greetings to the Portuguese-speaking faithful, Pope
Francisurged Catholics to try to live out this month of May with a more intense
and faithful daily prayer. He reminds us that the prayer of the Rosary is one
of the desires repeatedly expressed by the Madonna at Fatima. “Under her
protection, the pains and afflictions of life will be more bearable,” he said.
Love of neighbour
Addressing the German-speaking faithful, Pope Francis
reminded us that the many examples of the love of God for us are a “strong
invitation to love all the people we meet,” especially in this time of
social-distancing due to Covid-19. He prayed that the Holy Spirit might fill us
with charity and joy.
Our Lady of Fatima
Between May and October 1917, Our Lady appeared several
times to three Portuguese children – Francisco and Jacinta Marto, and their
cousin, Lucia dos Santos, in a cove near Fatima, in Portugal. In those
apparitions, Our Lady asked the children to pray the Rosary for the world and
for the conversion of sinners.
Pope St. John Paul II visited Fatima three times – in 1982,
1991 and 2000. During his 2000 visit, he beatified Jacinta and Francisco. The
liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated on 13 May annually.
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