Pope Francis prays for peace ‘with sorrow’ in Fatima

By Alessandro De Carolis

Following the recitation of the Rosary led by Pope Francis at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday, the Pope’s X account @Pontifex tweeted a prayer: "To you, we consecrate the Church and the world, especially those countries at war."

As he prayed the Rosary, a profound silence encapsulated the collective voice of millions of souls, all united in the single wish for the world to put aside the horrors of war, every war.

Pope Francis' Rosary in Fatima, shared in person with 200,000 people, as well as countless others praying with him on live TV and social media, was sealed on Saturday afternoon with a tweet, containing an additional invocation for peace to the Blessed Virgin Mary by the Pope.

Praying for peace

After the Rosary, Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, explained to reporters that during that "long moment of silence" in the Chapel of the Apparitions, as he sat before Our Lady, "the Pope prayed, with sorrow, for peace."

His silent prayer was a sort of anticipation of the fourth mystery of the Rosary recited shortly afterward, which carried the same supplication at its core.

Screenshot of the Pope's tweet

Papal tweet

The text of the tweet, accompanied by an image of Pope Francis praying before the Marian image, featured brief yet intense lines of prayer.

“With child-like hearts, we consecrate to you our lives, forever. To you, we consecrate the Church and the world, especially those countries at war. Obtain peace for us. You, Virgin of the way, open paths where it seems that none exist.”

The final sentence exudes complete confidence in the intercessory power of the Virgin Mary, surpassing any evil

“You who untie knots, loosen the tangle of self-centredness and the snares of power. You who are never outdone in generosity, fill us with tenderness, fill us with hope and help us taste the joy that never ends, the joy of the Gospel. Amen.”