24 march, 2009
The program of celebrations commemorating the birth of Blessed Francisco Marto will conclude with a congress to be held at the Shrine of Fatima, Portugal, between the 18th and the 20th of June. Its purpose is to study the figure and the testimony of this child, as well as some aspects related to the spirituality of children.
Francisco died before completing eleven years of age; nevertheless, he will always be linked to the history and to the message of Fatima, as a witness to the apparitions of Our Lady and as a faithful practitioner of the message of Mary.
Fr. Vítor Coutinho, a priest of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima who heads the executive committee of the congress, explains: “The celebration of this centennial is an occasion to hold a congress to study the figure of this child, through the understanding of the challenges it may pose to the living of the faith, and to open up for us new horizons to reflect on the role of infancy in the context of Christian spirituality”.
And he goes on: “Besides the personality of Francisco Marto and the message of Fatima, several questions related to infancy will be dealt with: music, literature, spirituality, catechesis, juridical protection, theology, pastoral ministry”.
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