The Pope visits Fatima and avoids talking about wars

Pope Francis wanted to visit the Marian shrine of Fatima, in Portugalfrom the first moment when this trip was organized to participate in the actions World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbonand today about 200,000 believers were waiting for him, to whom he spoke about the image of Mary, but did not mention the wars in the world.

Francis arrived in the popemobile at the esplanade of the sanctuary where he is 200,000 people received itespecially the Portuguese faithful, many families who gave their children to the Pope for blessing, and who spent the night here.

After praying the rosary, sitting in front of the image of Fatima together with six prisoners from various Portuguese prisons and 102 sick young people, sitting in the first rows of the chapel where Catholic tradition points to apparitions to Sister Lucia and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francis, The Pope gave an impromptu speech in which he asked the Virgin: Mother, what are you pointing at me, what worries you?

The Fatima apparitions are closely related to pontificates and conflictsfor as Sister Lucia discovered many years later, the Virgin announced the end of World War I, the beginning of World War II, and sought the “conversion” of Russia.

Although in the fourth mystery of the Rosary they prayed for peace, the pope was expected to say some words about wars in the world in this Marian shrine where he had already been in 2017, but Francisco decided to improvise a speech to talk about the image of the Virgin who is “always” with people.

He asked the faithful “Ask María: What worries you in my life, what moves you in my life, what interests you… and you show it to me”.

Francis too He planned a prayer to the Virgin, where he was supposed to ask for peace as he had already done on his 2017 trip, but surprisingly he didn’t read it either. and he concluded his visit to Fatima by greeting the faithful after three hours in the sanctuary, where he arrived by helicopter.

Afternoon Pope Francis will celebrate the vigil of World Youth Day with young people where more than half a million believers are expected.

The Pope preferred to improvise and did not read the speech he had prepared Today in the sanctuary of Fátima, in Portugal, by his own decision, “as a shepherd before the faithful in front of him”, explained Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, after Francis skipped and improvised some addresses.

“The Pope decides to change his speech as a shepherd in front of the faithful,” explained Bruni, who clarified that not a vision problem.

He added that in parish house of Serafina of Lisbon He did not finish his message either because “there was no good lighting” and, as the Pope himself explained, he did not want to strain his eyes.

Since his arrival in Lisbon this Wednesday to participate in World Youth Day (WYD), Three times the pope has preferred to skip or not read prepared speeches, including this Friday’s Via Crucisuntil even today he did not read the prayer to Our Lady that was planned and in which a plea for peace was expected.