Cardinal Vincent Nichols has crowned a statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the centenary year of her appearance, and reconsecrated England and Wales to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
In a packed Westminster Cathedral, filled to its 3,000 capacity and with large crowds spilling onto the plaza, Cardinal Nichols led the prayer of consecration, saying: “To you and your Immaculate Heart, in this centenary year of the apparitions of Fatima, we re-consecrate ourselves in union not only with the Church, the Mystical Body of your Son, but also with the entire world.”
The cardinal was renewing a consecration made by his predecessor as Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Bernard Griffin, in 1948.
In May 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. She told them of a coming upheaval in the world, linked especially to Russia, which would cause terrible suffering. She also reminded the children of the danger of hell, and asked them to pray the rosary and make sacrifices for sinners.
She explained that there would be a great event on October 13. That day, vast crowds gathered, and the “Miracle of the Sun” took place, at which many onlookers saw the sun dance.
Catholics are not obliged to believe in the Fatima revelations, but the Church has officially declared them “worthy of belief ”, and Our Lady of Fatima has a central place in Marian devotion. In his homily, Cardinal Nichols said Catholics must ask themselves: “How well do we express our discipleship of Christ every day? How are we getting on in those two ways of giving time to the Lord and to others: in those areas of prayer and sacrifice? Our response to this challenge can be guided and sustained by what we know of Our Lady of Fatima, and what she has to say to us.”
The cardinal recommended the rosary as a prayer to help one to say “yes” to God, which was, he said, the essence of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Beginning in May, the statue will tour 20 cathedrals in England and Wales, ending in Wrexham Diocese in October.
Feed Zambia in Lent, urge bishops
Scotland’s bishops have urged Catholics to support the Lent appeal of their overseas aid agency Sciaf.
The Wee Box appeal, which runs through Lent, focuses on how Sciaf is helping families in Zambia grow food and build a more secure future. Bishop Joseph Toal, Sciaf’s president, said that giving up spare change could mean families in countries such as Zambia “will get help to grow enough food to eat, earn an income and have hope for a better future”.
Bishops to canvass views of young people via app
Young Catholics in England and Wales will be able to make their opinions known to their bishops via a new app.
The app, which will be launched at the Flame Congress in Wembley Arena next month, will canvass young people’s views ahead of the forthcoming synod. The synod is a meeting of bishops to be held in Rome next year, with a special focus on youth.
In a letter to young people, Pope Francis said the Church wanted “to listen to your voice, your sensitivities and your faith, even your doubts and your criticism.”
The synod’s themes are “Young people, faith and vocational discernment”. It follows the two synods on the family of 2014 and 2015, which were marked by major debates about Church teaching on marriage and divorce.
Before the 2014 synod, several bishops’ conferences, including that of England and Wales, issued questionnaires on the family for Catholics to answer.
On this occasion, the Vatican has published a preparatory document, indicating what the synod will prioritise. It asks: “In what manner does the Church listen to the lived situations of young people?”
The synod is expected to discuss such matters as the economy, the digital age and vocational discernment. It defines young people as those aged between 16 and 29. A website, sinodogiovani.va, will be launched in May, according to Bishop Fabio Fabene, undersecretary of the synod office.
The Flame Congress, at which the app will be launched, is the largest event for young Catholics in England and Wales. It is run by the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation, which works with the bishops’ conference.
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