Portuguese cardinals have formally invited Pope Leo XIV to visit the Sanctuary of Fátima on May 13, 2027, marking the 110th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima.
The invitation was extended by the four Portuguese cardinals attending the extraordinary consistory in Rome – Manuel Clemente, António Marto, José Tolentino Mendonça and Américo Aguiar – which concludes this Thursday.
According to national tabloid Correio da Manhã, the cardinals told the Pope that his presence in Fátima on that symbolic date would be a source of “immense joy” for the Portuguese people, and especially for the country’s Catholic community. If the visit goes ahead, it would be the eighth papal visit to Portugal, making Leo XIV the fifth pope to set foot in the country.
The meeting in Rome brought together cardinals from around the world to discuss major global issues, including ongoing crises in Venezuela, Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the medium-term direction of the Church and the Pope’s international travel plans.
The invitation builds on earlier comments made by Pope Leo XIV, who publicly expressed his desire to visit Fátima after the conclusion of the current Jubilee Year.
Speaking to journalists in Spanish after a stay at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo in November, the Pope said he hoped to visit several Marian shrines and countries in Latin America.
“Fátima, all of them. I really like travelling. The difficulty is planning, with so many commitments. But yes – Fátima, Guadalupe as well, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, which are still pending, and Peru, of course,” he said.
In other words, it is possible that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Spain and Portugal by mid-2027.
The Sanctuary of Fátima is one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, linked to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported in 1917 by three shepherd children. The messages, centred on prayer, repentance and peace, and the so-called Miracle of the Sun witnessed by tens of thousands of people, gave Fátima international prominence. Today, the sanctuary welcomes millions of pilgrims each year, particularly on May 13 and October 13.
