The iconic Marian shrine in Fatima will be visited by Pope Francis during his trip to Portugal for World Youth Day, the Vatican announced.
The visit, which takes place from August 2–6, lasts longer than anticipated and encompasses practically the whole week of the significant Catholic rally that St. John Paul II started in an effort to rekindle young people’s faith.
Francis will spend the entire time in Lisbon, but on August 5 he will travel to Fatima for the day.
Francis previously visited there in 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a significant Catholic Church event from the 20th century: the visions of the Virgin Mary reported by three shepherd children and the “secrets” she told them.
Francis’s visit coincides with the conflict raging in Ukraine, creating a contrast to when the visions were reported during the First World War. As the Portuguese Catholic Church deals with the legacy of priest s*xual abuse, the visit occurs.
An independent assessment released earlier this year discovered that more than 4,800 individuals may have been victims beginning in 1950. Senior Portuguese church authorities had previously claimed that there had only been a few incidents. Francis has seen victims multiple times elsewhere, but it was unclear if he would do so here.
Following the Vatican’s announcement of Francis’ visit, the Portuguese Bishops Conference expressed “huge joy” and said that countless numbers of young people from around the world would attend.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the rally was delayed by a year from its initial 2022 date. Panama hosted the most recent international World Youth Day in 2019.
The Bishops’ Conference stated in a statement, “We believe that Pope Francis’ presence among us, which includes a big pilgrimage to the Fatima shrine, will give a profound sense of rebirth and grace to the church in Portugal.
Francis is also anticipated to make a brief trip to Marseille, France, on September 23 to address a gathering of bishops from the Mediterranean. A planned trip to Mongolia beginning in late August is also being thought about.