Vatican City, May 19, 2010 / 08:33 am
During Wednesday's audience, the Holy Father offered an overview of the many events of his Apostolic Journey to Portugal from a week earlier, highlighting his impressions and the principal messages he delivered. The Pope revisited the message of Fatima and spoke of the support he felt from his "beloved predecessor."
More than 13,000 people were in attendance in St. Peter's Square, experiencing another mild day in a string of unseasonably cool days in Rome.
As is customary, the Holy Father used today's general audience to review his just completed trip to Fatima. He said that the "almost palpable" presence of the Virgin Mary is present there and that there is "an atmosphere of authentic mysticism" that characterizes the city.
Pope Benedict called the Mass at the Fatima Shrine on May 13 with 500,000 people the culmination of the visit.