A 13 de Maio na Cova da Iria...
On the 13th of May at Cova da Iria, that means. In 1917 three shepherd kids claimed they saw the Virgin Mary at Cova da Iria, central Portugal. Their visions were repeated every thirteenth day after that until October 1917 with the exception of August: the children had been taken to prison and kept under interrogation because they were starting to be “politically disruptive” and the dictatorship couldn’t allow that. It seems the Virgin Mary was patient enough to wait, that month they had their visions on the 19th.
On October 13th the children were surrounded by thousands of people and they all claimed to have witnessed the Miracle of the Sun.
Ever since Fátima has become one of the most important pilgrimage points of the Catholic world, with thousands of believers visiting every day.
Today the place will probably be as crowded as it was during the visits of the Pope John Paul II: the polemics regarding the third secret, the belief of many that it regarded the end of the world in the beginning of the third millennium, the current state of affairs in the middle east, the economical crisis that is affecting our country, all the ingredients to turn people towards faith in search of hope.
Me? I hate Fátima, the town with all those stores selling religious items, trying to profit the most from the tourists and pilgrims.
I hate the fanaticism of most of the pilgrims too.
But there is one thing I love and yet fear in Fátima.
An hospital.
A place where I’ve been several times even though I dread it.
Centro Nacional de Apoio a Deficientes Profundos João Paulo II
A national centre that treats patients with extreme deficiencies like cerebral paralisy. I can’t even try to describe the ailments that afflict those patients, some of them children born with extreme malformations.
And yet there are brave and generous doctors, nurses, auxiliary staff members and volunteers that do all they can to provide those patients with the best possible treatment.
For me that is the true miracle of Fátima, a place where a few people ease the suffering of many who can have no hope of cure.
If you ever go there… instead of spending your money in mementos consider making a donation to this hospital.
On October 13th the children were surrounded by thousands of people and they all claimed to have witnessed the Miracle of the Sun.
Ever since Fátima has become one of the most important pilgrimage points of the Catholic world, with thousands of believers visiting every day.
Today the place will probably be as crowded as it was during the visits of the Pope John Paul II: the polemics regarding the third secret, the belief of many that it regarded the end of the world in the beginning of the third millennium, the current state of affairs in the middle east, the economical crisis that is affecting our country, all the ingredients to turn people towards faith in search of hope.
Me? I hate Fátima, the town with all those stores selling religious items, trying to profit the most from the tourists and pilgrims.
I hate the fanaticism of most of the pilgrims too.
But there is one thing I love and yet fear in Fátima.
An hospital.
A place where I’ve been several times even though I dread it.
Centro Nacional de Apoio a Deficientes Profundos João Paulo II
A national centre that treats patients with extreme deficiencies like cerebral paralisy. I can’t even try to describe the ailments that afflict those patients, some of them children born with extreme malformations.
And yet there are brave and generous doctors, nurses, auxiliary staff members and volunteers that do all they can to provide those patients with the best possible treatment.
For me that is the true miracle of Fátima, a place where a few people ease the suffering of many who can have no hope of cure.
If you ever go there… instead of spending your money in mementos consider making a donation to this hospital.
posted by DCveR at 11:20 AM
7 Comments:
But isn't it true that Lucia died with the secret? Or... was there ever any secrets at all.... i am still quite skeptical towards this Catholic gimmick!
btw, i did not know that there was such a hospital in Fátima. Good to know, i agree with you, you are better off donating to the hospital than wasting money on buying candles for the offering, candles that will melt, which wax will be re-used to make more candles to be re-sold. Broad daylight theft!
coffe addict: Who knows? The one thing I know is that a revealed secret doesn't attract as many people as hidden one. Keeping the polemics around it feeds people's curiosity. Also, by claiming to hold the key to a secret is a way to ensure a kind of superior status, kind of reminds me Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco: if you make up a fake secret someone is bound to find an answer for it.
you have got a point!!
i still need to read your short story - the portuguese version.
i like that, agree completely-
sometimes people are moved to do GREAT big things and pilgrimages in the name of religion and God ETC ETC ETC...
yet what they don't realize is that if they really wanted to be helpful there are plenty of ways right infront of one's face- like the hospital
ale: Most of the pilgrims go there thanking for something, many of them walk there, sometimes for hundreds of miles. Another thing many pilgrims do is going around the sanctuary in circles on their knees.
I hate fanatics too, and missionaries too, but you knew that already.
caribbean colors: Missionaries often help local populations, but at the same time they force their own culture upon the natives, obliterating native cultures. Even worst than that: the problems most missionaries help solving are created by the culture clash with the said missionaries. Missionaries should be illegal!
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