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Pope Francis Draws 1.5m Pilgrims To Vigil In Portugal

Published

2 years ago

August 6, 2023

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An estimated 1.5 million young people filled a field Saturday in the Portuguese capital for Pope Francis’ World Youth Day vigil, braving scorching heat to secure a spot for the evening prayer and to camp out overnight and be in place for his final farewell Mass on Sunday morning.

Temperatures soared to 38 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on Saturday in Lisbon and were forecast to top 40 C (104 F) on Sunday. The heat forced pilgrims to shelter under umbrellas and makeshift shades of plastic canvas sheets tied between trash bins in the otherwise exposed field on the edge of the River Tagus.

Crews blew misters at the pilgrims to try to cool them down as they made their way into the venue, many flying their national flags. They formed long lines in the heat of the day to fill water bottles from what organizers said were more than 400 faucets around the field.

Smoke from a spate of wildfires that broke out around Portugal during a weekend spike in temperatures cast a haze over the sky as they arrived on foot from all around the city for one of the liturgical highlights of the Catholic youth festival. Citing local organizers, the Vatican said an estimated 1.5 million people were on hand.

There, he ditched his prepared speech and a prayer for peace, the third time he has opted to speak casually to the crowds in his native Spanish. The prayer had been expected to be a highlight of Francis’ visit to Fatima, given the shrine’s century-old affiliation with exhortations of peace and conversion in Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Francis instead “prayed silently for peace, with pain,” while meditating for a long period before a statue of the Virgin Mary, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said. And the Vatican later posted the prayer on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

An estimated 200,000 turned out for Francis’ visit to Fatima, packing the central esplanade long before the red-tinted moon set and the sun rose. Nearby wildfires turned the sky smoky black and sent ash snowing down on the crowd.

“We are here with great joy,” said Maria Florido, a 24-year-old Spaniard who also saw Francis in Lisbon. “We woke up very early to come here and see the pope … and we’re here with great enthusiasm.”

The Fatima story dates back to 1917, when according to tradition, Portuguese siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto and their cousin Lucia said the Virgin Mary appeared to them six times and confided to them three secrets. The first two described an apocalyptic image of hell, foretold the end of World War I and the start of World War II, and portended the rise and fall of Soviet communism.

In 2000, the Vatican disclosed the long-awaited third secret, describing it as foretelling the May 13, 1981, assassination attempt against St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square, which fell on the anniversary of the original vision.

According to later writings by Lucia, who became a nun and died in 2005, Russia would be converted and peace would reign if the pope and all the bishops of the world consecrated Russia to the “Immaculate Heart of Mary.” Lucia later claimed that John Paul fulfilled that prophecy during a 1984 Mass, even though he never specified Russia in the prayer.

Fatima has long captivated Catholics, because of its blending of mystical, Marian apparitions, apocalyptic prophesies about the rise and fall of Soviet communism and the death of a pope. While Saturday’s wildfires and related ashfall were easily explained, they also harked back to another element of the Fatima phenomenon, an unusual weather phenomenon known as the “Miracle of the Sun.”

According to legend, on Oct. 13, 1917, the Fatima “seers” predicted that the Virgin would perform a miracle that day, and tens of thousands of people flocked to Fatima. They saw what witnesses reported was a vision of the sun “spinning” in the sky and zigzagging toward Earth.

Vatican Media had said before the trip that Francis would pray for peace in Ukraine and the world while in Fatima. It seemed logical, given Francis had already consecrated both Russia and Ukraine to Mary in a prayer for peace following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, essentially fulfilling Sr. Lucia’s exhortation.

In the prayer posted on the platform X by the @Pontifex account but not read aloud, Francis didn’t name either country but consecrated the church and world, “especially those countries at war,” to Mary. “Open paths where it seems that none exist,” he wrote. “Loosen the tangles of self-centeredness and the snares of power.”

Fatima Bishop Jose Ornelas made a prayer for Ukraine explicit in his remarks. “We associate ourselves to Your Holiness’ prayer for peace, for which this sanctuary is profoundly identified, thinking in particular of the war in Ukraine and so many other conflicts in the world,” he said.

In explaining the changes, Vatican spokesman Bruni said Francis “always addresses firstly the people he meets, as a shepherd, and speaks accordingly.” The 86-year-old Francis often deviates from his prepared remarks, even more when speaking in his native Spanish. Bruni denied the changes had any other serious reason, including with his eyesight.

Francis has been hospitalized twice this year, including in June when he spent nine days in the hospital recovering from abdominal surgery to repair a hernia and remove scar tissue on his intestine. Saturday was perhaps the most grueling day of his five-day visit to Portugal, given the round-trip helicopter ride to Fatima and a planned prayer vigil that wasn’t expected to begin until his usual bedtime in Rome.

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South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges

Published

7 hours ago

October 1, 2025

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A South African court on Wednesday found firebrand opposition leader Julius Malema guilty of violating gun laws for firing an assault rifle at a 2018 rally.

Malema, leader of the radical anti-capitalist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, is known for fiery speeches and courting political tensions both at home and abroad.

The 44-year-old and his former bodyguard were charged with firing the gun in the air during the EFF’s fifth birthday celebration in Eastern Cape province.

The court found him guilty of unlawful possession, reckless endangerment, among other charges, the National Prosecuting Authority said.

Malema could face up to 15 years in prison. The case will be heard on January 23 next year for pre-sentencing.

Malema, who was present in court for the verdict, said he will appeal the decision.

Speaking to supporters outside, he struck a defiant tone: “As a revolutionary, going to prison or death is a badge of honour. We cannot be scared of prison or dying for the revolution.”

In August, Malema was found guilty of hate speech for telling his supporters at a 2022 rally that they should “never be scared to kill.”

He has long been criticised by South Africa’s white minority for his radical rhetoric and his singing of the anti-apartheid song “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer”, which some say incites anti-white violence.

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Church Scaffold Collapse Kills 36

Published

9 hours ago

October 1, 2025

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Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, state media said.

The incident occurred at around 7:45 am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70 kilometres (40 miles) east of the capital Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary festival.

District police chief Ahmed Gebeyehu told state media Fana: “The number of dead has reached 36 and could increase more”, adding “more than 200 people have suffered injuries” and were receiving treatment at a local hospital.

Some people remained under the rubble, local official Atnafu Abate told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), without giving further details about those trapped or possible rescue efforts.

He said some of the more seriously hurt were taken to hospitals in the capital.

Images shared on the EBC’s official Facebook page showed a mess of collapsed wooden poles, with crowds gathering amid the dense debris.

Other pictures appeared to show the outside of the church where scaffolding had been precariously constructed.

A government statement shared by EBC expressed condolences and added that “safety must be given priority”.

Health and safety regulations are virtually non-existent in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation, and construction accidents are common.

The sprawling country is a mosaic of 80 ethnic groups and has one of the world’s oldest Christian communities.

Its predecessor, the Axumite Empire, declared Christianity the state religion in the fourth century.

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Rescuers Pull Survivor From Indonesia School Collapse As Parents Await

Published

9 hours ago

October 1, 2025

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Rescuers pulled a survivor from the ruins of a collapsed school in Indonesia on Wednesday, as desperate parents demanded that searchers speed up efforts to find dozens more still believed trapped in the rubble.

Part of the multi-storey school on the island of Java gave way suddenly on Monday, as students gathered for afternoon prayers.

On Wednesday, rescuers said they had retrieved a survivor and a fourth body from the ruined building, but gave no details on either.

Based on school records, “91 people are suspected to be buried,” National Disaster and Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement late Tuesday.

Tearful parents milled near the ruins throughout Wednesday, awaiting news of their children.

“We believe our children might still be alive because they were crying for help,” said father Abdul Hanan, whose 14-year-old son is missing. “The rescue operation must be accelerated.”

“We are racing against time now,” the 45-year-old added, bursting into tears.

Nearby, Dewi Sulistiana was awaiting news of her 14-year-old son, with whom she was last in touch on Sunday. The boarding school limits student access to cellphones.

She rushed to the scene from Surabaya, several dozen kilometres (miles) away, after hearing about the collapse.

“I have been here for days. I cried thinking about my son,” she told AFP. “Why is it taking so long to find him? Why is the search so slow? I haven’t had any updates, so I just wait.”

The rescue operation is complex, said Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

“If vibration happens in one spot, it could affect other places. So now, to reach the spot where the victims are, we have to dig an underground tunnel,” he told reporters.

Digging itself poses challenges, including possible landslides. And any tunnel will only provide an access route around 60 centimetres (about 23 inches) wide because of the structure’s concrete columns.

Technology, including thermal-sensing drones, is being used to locate survivors and the deceased as the 72-hour “golden period” for best survival chances nears its end.

AFP saw rescuers in orange uniforms appearing to snake cameras under the rubble to hunt for traces of survivors.

So far, signs of life have been detected in seven areas, said Emi Freezer, of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

Water and food were being sent in, but access was through a single point, he said. “The main structure has totally collapsed.”

Complicating the operation, an earthquake struck offshore overnight, briefly halting the search.

Around the ruins, local charitable organisations have set up posts offering families food and drink.

The school collapse was so violent it sent tremors across the neighbourhood, said local resident Ani.

“I felt a vibration, and then I heard a noise. I immediately ran to save myself. I didn’t realise at first it was a building collapse,” the grocery stall owner told AFP.

“Many people then also ran to save themselves,” she added.

Investigations into the cause of the collapse were ongoing, but initial signs point to structural issues and construction that did not meet building standards, experts said.

The building collapsed after its foundation pillars failed to support the weight of new construction on the fourth floor of the school, said the national disaster management agency spokesman.

Lax construction standards have raised widespread concerns about building safety in Indonesia, where it is common to leave structures — particularly houses — partially completed, allowing owners to add extra floors later when their budgets permit.s

Earlier this month, at least three people were killed and dozens were injured when a building hosting a prayer recital collapsed in West Java province.

AFP