Candlelight procession at Fatima on May 12, 2025. | Credit: Courtesy of Shrine of Fatima/EWTN
Approximately 470,000 pilgrims gathered in Fátima, Portugal, on May 12–13 to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The prevalent theme of the two-day event was a call for hope amid the world’s conflicts and also prayers for the pontificate of Leo XIV.
At the end of the closing Mass, before the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bishop José Ornelas of Leiria-Fátima consecrated the pontificate of Leo XIV to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
“We are at your feet, the bishops … 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,” Ornelas prayed.
He also asked the Mother of God to grant the new pope tenderness, discernment, courage, and the ability, inspired by the message of Fátima, to “continue to send forth the urgent cry for peace to the world,” as he did in his first words in Rome after his election: “Peace be with you all!”
Nearly half a million pilgrims
Despite occasional rain, the faithful participated in the traditional candlelight procession on the evening of May 12, forming an impressive sea of light on the shrine’s esplanade.
Brazilian Cardinal Jaime Spengler, who presided over the International Anniversary Pilgrimage to Fátima, highlighted Mary’s role as “an intercessor on behalf of all who seek to make her sentiments their own.”
“Mary is a mother! A mother who gives birth, cares for, accompanies, guides, corrects, and encourages! That is why we contemplate her and let her watch over us. Let us allow ourselves to be guided by her; let us listen to what she continues to tell us: Do whatever my son tells you! Dear mother, accompany us; watch over us,” the cardinal said during the procession.
On May 13, the anniversary of the first apparition of the Mother of God to the shepherd children in 1917, Spengler — who celebrated the closing Mass of the events — noted that the world is going through “uncertain, tense, and complex times” in which “some perhaps only think of themselves.”
Twenty-seven bishops participated in the Mass, including two cardinals: António Marto, bishop emeritus of Leiria-Fátima, and Fortunato Frezza, canon of St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as 282 priests and 14 deacons.
By Andrés Henríquez
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, Catholic News Agency's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
