Pope Francis canonized the “shepherds of Fatima” Costa de Francisco and Martha
ROME, may 13 — RIA Novosti, Sergei Elders. Pope Francis, making the pilgrimage to the Shrine of our lady of Fatima, ranked on Saturday, the saints of the Roman Catholic Church the so-called “shepherds of Fatima” Costa de Francisco and Martha, who in 1917, near the Portuguese town of Fatima was the image of the blessed virgin Mary.
The rite of canonization “of our lady of Fatima shepherds” was held during a solemn mass in Fatima, a direct broadcast which is the First channel of Italian state television Rai.
The papal pilgrimage, which was announced in December, the 80th anniversary of Pope Francis to mark the centenary of the apparitions of our lady of Fatima.
Sunday, may 13, 1917, after the festive mass, the three little shepherds Jacinta and Francisco Marta and Luzia DOS Santos witnessed the amazing phenomena in the valley of the Cova da Iria near Fatima. It was the image of the blessed virgin Mary, which, according to the children shone brighter than the sun.
When the children told an adult about it, no one believed them. But then a wonderful phenomenon was repeated on the 13th of each subsequent month until October, when Fatima came already about 70 thousand people. July 13, 1917, Mary revealed to the children three prophecy — the so-called “three secrets of Fatima”, the latter of which was promulgated by the Holy see with the blessing of Pope John Paul II in 2000.
It is noteworthy that John Paul II never forgot that the attempt on his life in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican occurred on 13 may 1981, the anniversary of the first apparition of the virgin Mary.
Pope wojtyła did not conceal his belief that Fatima the mother of God took away death. May 13, 2000 John Paul II visited Fatima and canonized blessed brother and sister Costa de Francisco and Marta.
Their cousin Lucia DOS Santos died in 2005, a little before the age of 98 years. Her John Paul II met for the first time in a year after the assassination attempt on St. Peter’s square. Currently, the Roman Catholic Church is in the process of her beatification.
The Holy see has never questioned the Fatima miracles. Shrine of our lady of Fatima is one of the most revered Catholic shrines, and the Portuguese Catholics celebrate on may 13 as the day of our lady of Fatima.