Catholic Fire

Via CWN: At the request of Pope Francis, Cardinal José da Cruz Policarpo of Lisbon dedicated this pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima, in a ceremony on May 13—the feast of Our Lady of Fatima—at the Marian shrine in Portugal. Cardinal Policarpo said that the Pontiff had twice asked him to make the dedication. The Portuguese prelate wrote his own prayer for the occasion, saying it at the end of a Mass concluding an international pilgrimage to the Fatima shrine. “Give him the gift of discernment to know how to identify the ways of renewal of the Church,” the cardinal prayed. “Give him the courage not to hesitate to follow the ways suggested by the Holy Spirit; support him in the hard hours of suffering to overcome with the charity the trials that the renewal of the church will bring.” During the same pilgrimage Archbishop Orani J0ao Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro dedicated this year’s World Youth Day celebration, which will be held in the Brazilian city in July, to Our Lady of Fatima a...

April 18, 2013. (Romereports.com) Just hours after being elected, Pope Francis asked Portuguese Cardinal José Policarpo for a special request. The Pope asked the patriarch of Lisbon to consecrate his pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima.   In the month of April, Portuguese bishops held their annual meeting, where they all agreed to carry out the consecration ceremony together.   The celebration will held on May 13th and it will be led by Cardinal Policarpo, who also serves as the president of Portugal's Episcopal Conference. The bishops have also invited pilgrims to take part in the ceremony to honor the 'Pope's pastoral service.'

A photographic exhibition entitled "Karol Wojtyla: Faith, Journey and Friendship; Excursions with Friends" was inaugurated in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Fatima, Portugal. The proposal was made to the Shrine of Fatima by the Polish Embassy and the Portuguese Catholic University. It was inaugurated on February 13th, commemorating the day of Sister Lucia's death. Attending the inauguration were Dr. Katarzyna Skórznska, Ambassador of Poland in Portugal, António Marto, Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, Father Virgílio Antunes rector of the shrine, and many pilgrims. “It portrays the life of Karol Wojtyla, who later became pontiff of the Church, during the years 1952 to '54 while he was responsible for pastoral activity at the University of Krakow. It is thematically organized in four journeys. The first is dedicated to the long walks that the one who would become Pope used to go on with the youth. Another is about skiing, a third dedicated to canoeing and, finally, a section...

Portugal's parliament voted overwhelmingly to legalize abortion up until the 10th week of pregnancy. Now this small Roman Catholic country can "keep up with the times" just like the rest of its European neighbors. This is devastating news. Many of us have been praying for Portugal and for the leaders of nations to protect and safeguard innocent lives. We might be asking ourselves, "How could God have allowed this to happen?" or "Why is God punishing his people?" God gives us free will and apparently some of our leaders are exercising their free will to the fullest extent. Some consider themselves even above God and his laws. We need to pray and fast for the conversion of our wayard leaders who do not respect human life, but treat it as if it were garbage. These leaders exist not only in Portugal, but throughout the world. They are like vipers - full of the poisionous venom of their power and corruption - a disease which spreads throughout their countr...

"The decision to abort is, in the majority of cases, prey of great loneliness and suffering. A child who at first seems to be a problem often becomes a solution to their lives. Many women who abort feel, later, that if they could turn back they would avoid this mistaken act. Let them open up to someone, and reflect, in conversation, on the gravity of their decision. " "The struggle for life, for dignifying every human life, is one of the most noble tasks of civilization. … The Church will remain faithful to its mission of proclaiming the gospel of life in fullness and denouncing threats against life." ~ The Portuguese Bishops, February 15, 2007

LISBON, Portugal, January 29, 2007 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) - Thousands of pro-life demonstrators marched through the capital city of Portugal yesterday, in anticipation of a national referendum on legalizing abortion scheduled in two weeks’ time. A coalition of 40 pro-life associations participated in the protest, with organizers estimating more than 18,000 people attended the march. The demonstrators carried flags and banners representing all stages of life, from conception to old age. The route led from a maternity center in the center of Lisbon to the western section of the city, the Associated Press reported Sunday. [More] My Comment: May Our Lady of Fatima be with you to spur on in all your pro-life efforts and lead you to victory!