Since the appearances of the Virgin Mary in Fatima in 1917, Pedro’s chair has been occupied by ten pontiffs, the most recent León XIV. Only four have arrived so far the sanctuary built where the Mother of God appeared before the shepherds Lucía, Jacinta and Francisco.
Pedro’s first successor on pilgrimage to Fatima (Portugal) was Saint Paul VIand he did it on May 13, 1967 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first appearance in Cova da Iría.
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“We want to ask Mary a living church, a true church, a united church, a holy church,” said St. Paul VI in his homily before thousands of faithful gathered in the sanctuary.
The second to visit the place of apparitions was San Juan Pablo II On May 13, 1982, on the first anniversary of the attack committed against his life in the Plaza San Pedro. Pope Peregrine traveled to Fatima to thank the Virgin for having protected him.
In 1991, a decade after being “saved” by Maria’s “maternal hand”, Pope Polish returned to Portugal to visit the sanctuary in thanks. He also traveled to Fatima on the occasion of the Jubilee of the year 2000 to beatify seers Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
“The message of Fatima is a call to conversion, alerting humanity so that the game of ‘dragon’ does not follow … the ultimate goal of man is heaven, his true house, where the heavenly Father, with his merciful love, waits for everyone,” said St. John Paul II.
When the 10 years of the beatification of the shepherds, Benedict XVI He also pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Fatima. On May 13, 2010 he celebrated a massive Mass, in which he said that “it is wrong who thinks that Fatima’s prophetic mission is finished.”
“Our blessed mother has come from heaven offering the possibility of sowing in the heart of all those who welcome her the love of God that burns in his. At first there were only three, but the example of their lives has spread and multiplied in numerous groups throughout the face of the earth,” he said.
In 2017, on the occasion of the centenary of the appearances of the Virgin Mary to the three shepherds in Cova da Iria, the Papa Francisco He pilgated Fatima and presided over the canonization of the brothers Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
The Holy Father arrived in Fatima on May 12, where he prayed with the faithful the rosary for peace in the world and blessed the candles before the traditional procession with the image of Our Lady.
In the homily he pronounced during the canonization, he said that Mary, “anticipating and warning us about the danger of hell” to which he leads a life without God, he appeared in Fatima to three shepherds to “remind us of the light of God that dwells in us and covers us.”
“Fatima is above all this mantle of light that covers us, both here and in any other part of the earth, when we take refuge under the protection of the Virgin Mother to ask him, as the Salve Regina teaches, ‘show us Jesus,” he said.
Two cardinals, which would later be elected pontiffs, also pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Fatima.
On May 13, 1956, then Cardinal Angelo Roncalli (which would later be Pope San Juan XXIII) presided over the pilgrimage ceremonies for the anniversary of the appearances. While Cardinal Albino Luciani (who would later be Juan Pablo I) was in Fatima on July 10, 1977.
This news was originally posted on May 11, 2021. It has been updated for republication.
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