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Pope Francis to visit Fatima during World Youth Day

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Pope Francis will embark on an Apostolic Journey to Portugal this summer, returning to the Sanctuary of Fatima on the occasion of the upcoming World Youth Day. The official announcement was made by Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, in a statement on Monday.

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Pope Francis will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima during World Youth Day celebrations in August.

Highlights

By
5/22/2023 (11 months ago)

Published in Europe

Accepting the invitation from the civil and ecclesial authorities of Portugal, His Holiness will travel to Lisbon from 2-6 August of this year, with a visit to the Shrine of Fatima scheduled for 5 August.

This will be the Holy Father's second visit to the Marian pilgrimage site since becoming Pope. Fatima attracts millions of pilgrims every year and holds great significance in the Catholic faith. The Pope previously visited the Shrine on 12-13 May 2017, commemorating the centenary of the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Cova da Iria. During that visit, Pope Francis fervently prayed for an end to the world's ongoing conflicts.

More than 100 years ago, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three Portuguese children in the humble farming village of Fatima, leaving an indelible mark on the community and inspiring devotion among believers.

Lisbon will be hosting the fourth World Youth Day presided over by Pope Francis. He previously led the WYDs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013; Krakow, Poland in 2016; and Panama City, Panama in 2019. The 38th World Youth Day was originally scheduled for 2022 in the Portuguese capital but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For this year's World Youth Day, the Holy Father has chosen the motto "Mary arose and went with haste" (Lk 1:39), a biblical quote that opens the account of the Visitation. This theme symbolizes Mary's journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth following the angel's announcement that she would become the mother of the Son of God.