ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 13, 2023 / 18:44 pm
A crowd of more than 180,000 pilgrims packed the Shrine of the Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal to pray for peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine and “for all the places where peace is lacking."
The shrine’s website reported that on Oct. 12, on the eve of the commemoration of the “miracle of the sun,” which took place on Oct. 13, 1917, the candlelight event was presided by Cardinal Américo Aguiar, the bishop-elect of Setúbal and president of the organizing committee for World Youth Day (WYD) 2023, held in August in Lisbon.
In his reflection before the faithful from 35 different countries, the cardinal encouraged them to pray to the “Mother of Heaven” for “the gift of peace” for Ukraine, for “the Land of Jesus and for all places where peace is lacking.”
“When we talk about Fátima we talk about peace, and unfortunately this is a gift that is lacking: It is lacking in our beloved Ukraine and in our beloved Land of Jesus. Therefore, we want to ask our Mother for peace for these places and the world.”