The Pope said he was in Fatima today as a pilgrim to pray, in union with Mary and other many pilgrims, for the human family, afflicted by various ills and sufferings.
Pope Benedict made this statement during the mass he celebrated at the esplanade of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in the centre of Portugal.The Pope urged the crowd that filled the area around the shrine to follow the example of the three little shepherd children, who as the Pontiff said, offered their whole lives to God and shared them fully with others for love of God.
Pope Benedict added that only with a fraternal and generous love the civilization of love and peace can be built.
Yesterday, while meeting with over 1000 representatives of the world of culture in Lisbon, the Pope said that the Church considers that her most important mission in today’s culture is to keep alive the search for truth, and consequently for God.
The Pope arrived in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on Tuesday for an apostolic journey to mark the tenth anniversary of the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco, young shepherds of Fatima.
The visit concludes tomorrow with an open-air Eucharist in Oporto’s main square.