The head of the Maronite Church consecrated Lebanon and the whole of the Middle East to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a pilgrimage to Fatima on Sunday.
The solemn act of consecration, by Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, patriarch of Antioch, was to mark the culmination of “Lebanon Day” at the shrine, which began with a candlelit procession and the recitation of the rosary.
In his homily, the the cardinal said: “We have come from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, the Holy Land, Egypt, the Gulf countries and various countries of proliferation – particularly from Australia, Canada, the United States, Europe – to continue, from generation to generation, to honour our Blessed Virgin Mary.”
He concelebrated Mass with Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan and a delegation of bishops and priests.
The cardinal said he was following Mary’s call for devotion to the Immaculate Heart: “We have come to renew the dedication of Lebanon and the countries of the Middle East to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, according to her wishes. This dedication is to repent, to stop wars and to consolidate peace.”
His visit to Fatima came as the shrine marked 100 years since Mary first appeared to three children at the site.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, reconsecrated England and Wales to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in February. The consecration was first made by Cardinal Bernard Griffin in 1948. Pope Francis, meanwhile, consecrated the whole world to the Immaculate Heart in 2013, following the example of Pope Pius XII and St John Paul II.
Vatican releases schedule for Pope’s trip to Colombia
Pope Francis will preside over a reconciliation ceremony between former Farc guerrillas and victims during his visit to Colombia in September.
The Vatican announced the details of the trip days after rebels said they had handed in the last of their weapons to international observers.
The Pope is scheduled to visit four cities, beginning in the capital city Bogotá on September 6, followed by day trips to Villavicencio and Medellin.
His final stop before returning to Rome will be Cartagena on September 10.
One highlight will be Mass at Bogotá’s Simon Bolivar park, which is expected to draw a million people.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos had said that the Pontiff had promised him he would visit Colombia if the government and FARC signed a peace agreement.
Though Colombian voters last year rejected a referendum on the peace deal between the government and Farc, Mr Santos later negotiated a modified agreement with Colombian opposition leader and former president Alvaro Uribe. The deal was achieved with help from the Vatican, including the Pope, who met the two men in late 2016.
Charges against pro-lifers dropped
A court in San Francisco has dismissed 14 of the 15 felony charges levelled against the pro-life Center for Medical Progress (CMP) and two of its undercover investigators.
The charges against David Daleiden, founder of CMP, and Sandra Merritt were dropped on the grounds of being “legally insufficient”.
One charge of invading privacy remains. The pair secretly recorded conversations with Planned Parenthood officials to expose the alleged selling of baby body parts.
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