Pope Francis today recalled the Fatima apparitions, at the usual Wednesday public audience, asking for prayers for peace, with a particular focus on the war in Ukraine.
“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, of whom tomorrow [Thursday, October 13] we will remember the apparitions of Fatima, be our guide on the path of continual conversion and penance to meet Christ, the Sun of Justice. May her soft light free us from all evil and dispel the darkness of this war-torn world,” the Pope said in St.
On the occasion, the pontiff asked God to “transform the hearts of those who hold the fate of war in their hands, so that the hurricane of war can cease and a peaceful coexistence can be rebuilt, in justice”.
Then, in a greeting to the pilgrims present in St. Peter’s Square, he warned of the “strong desire for a civilization of peace, love, reconciliation and harmony” in humanity.
“In these days, my heart is always with the Ukrainian people, especially in the places where the bombings were fierce. I carry your pain within me, and through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God, I present you to the Lord in prayer,” Pope Francis said, according to Ecclesia.
Today, in Fátima, the last great pilgrimage of the year to the sanctuary begins, which marks the sixth apparition of the Virgin to the visionaries Francisco, Jacinta and Lúcia in 1917.
The ceremonies are presided over by the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima and President of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, José Ornelas.
