Nearly 500,000 at Fatima Shrine Join in Consecration of Pope Leo XIV to Our Lady with 282 Priests and 27 Bishops! VIDEO

Around 470,000 believers from all over the world participated in the International Jubilee Pilgrimage to the Portuguese Marian shrine of Fatima on May 12 and 13. Pilgrims from over 30 countries came to the celebrations marking the 108th anniversary of the first Marian apparition in the Cova da Iria, according to information from the Marian shrine. On the eve of the main feast day, around 270,000 people participated in the traditional candlelight procession. Holding candles, they accompanied the procession bearing the statue of Our Lady of Fatima from the apparition chapel to the altar area of ​​the shrine. The atmosphere included silence, prayer, and international diversity, it was said.

In his homily during the nightly celebration of the Word of God on May 12, Brazilian Cardinal Jaime Spengler called for peace and reconciliation. "We need the wine of unity, of forgiveness, of closeness," said the Archbishop of Porto Alegre. Alluding to the Gospel of the Wedding at Cana, he spoke of the need to look one another in the eye and acknowledge: "You are my brother, you are my sister."

Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV was consecrated to Our Lady

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV was mentioned on several occasions during this pilgrimage of May 12 and 13 in Fatima. The most significant reference was the act of consecration to Our Lady of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV that Bishop José Ornelas made, in the presence of the Portuguese episcopate, before the image of the Virgin of Fatima, at the end of the Mass on the 13th.

“We are at Your feet, the Bishops of Portugal and this multitude of pilgrims, on the 108th anniversary of Your Apparition to the Little Shepherds, in this Cova da Iria, to consecrate to You the Ministry of the current successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome, the Holy Father Leo XIV”, he began by saying, in the introduction to the Jubilee prayer of consecration, where he asked the Mother of God for tenderness, discernment, courage and the ability to, inspired by the Message of Fatima, “continue to launch to the world the urgent cry for peace”, as he did in the first words he addressed in Rome, after his election.

The International Anniversary Mass on 13 May was concelebrated by 27 bishops, including two cardinals – Cardinal D. António Marto, Bishop Emeritus of Leiria-Fátima, and Cardinal D. Fortunato Frezza, Canon of St. Peter's Basilica – and 282 priests. There were also 14 deacons present at the altar.Bishop Jose Ornelas, President of the Portuguese Bishops' Conference, recited the consecration prayers at the end of the festive Mass on behalf of all the bishops present, asking for spiritual guidance for the new pontificate in a crisis-ridden world. In remembrance of the connection of previous popes with the shrine, a chalice donated by Pope Francis during his visit to Fatima on May 13, 2017, was used during the Eucharistic celebration. A scene depicted on the chalice depicts Jesus handing the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter—which the shrine interpreted as a reference to the current situation of the Church with the election of a new pope, Leo XIV.

In addition, a new bronze cross sculpture was inaugurated the previous evening in the altar area of ​​the Apparition Chapel, as an artistic symbol of the current Holy Year. The rector of the shrine, Father Carlos Cabecinhas, drew a "very positive conclusion" at the conclusion of the celebrations. The high turnout on weekdays and the spiritual intensity demonstrated that Fatima continues to be a place of deeply felt faith practice. He particularly emphasized the connection between the pilgrimage and the election of the new pope: "This pilgrimage was permeated by the memory of Pope Francis and prayer for Leo XIV." Origins 1917 The origins of Fatima date back to 1917, when three shepherd children—Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco—reported having experienced multiple apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the Cova da Iria.

The central message was penance, prayer, and conversion. The Rosary was particularly emphasized. The apparitions were officially recognized by the Catholic Church in 1930. Fatima developed into one of the most important Marian pilgrimage sites in the world, with millions of pilgrims annually. The so-called "Third Secret"—a dark prophecy—as well as its connection to political upheavals in the 20th century gave the site additional symbolic significance. Several popes, including John Paul II and Francis, visited the shrine and emphasized its relevance to the Church's prayer for peace. Pope Leo XIV told journalists on Monday that he had wanted to visit Fatima as a cardinal, but that it had not happened. He clarified that a visit as pope was not planned, at least not in the near future.
Sources: Sanctuario de Fatima Pt