13 october, 2009
By a fortunate coincidence we’ll have the Holy Father in Fatima in the year we celebrate the centennial of the birth of Jacinta Marto, the little shepherd seer who most expressed her dedication to the Pope and to the Church. From amongst the events of Fatima, this is a most significant element, since it reveals a most relevant feature of the spirituality of little Jacinta.It is in this context that the Shrine of Fatima, in order to mark these commemorations, is going to hold a congress on Jacinta Marto. It will take place on June 4 thru 6, 2010, at Paul VI Pastoral Center, in the Shrine of Fatima, and it will be titled “Jacinta Marto: from encounter to compassion”. This occasion seems to us a good opportunity to approach the message of Fatima from the point of view of the spirituality of seer Jacinta. We’ll seek, therefore, to know better the personality of this child as well as to identify some relevant aspects of her interior attitude in order to use them as keys to open up for us both the message of Fatima and the Christian life. The program includes conferences, talking panels, moments of prayer, a musical evening and time for dialogue, as it is customary in events of this type. This congress will count on the participation of experts on different areas, both Portuguese and foreign, who will deal with a wide range of topics. It is open to every person interested in the message of Fatima or in any of the topics that the vast program has to offer. The category of compassion will be the starting point to understand the personality and spirituality of Jacinta. This reflection will also call us to make an effort to clarify theologically the concepts related to that dimension, such as reparation, sacrificial oblation, meaning of suffering, God’s attitude towards evil, communion of the baptized. On the other hand, there will also be an opportunity to explain some implications of compassion in different aspects of life: education, healthcare, spirituality, morality, social commitment, amongst others. We’ll see how this attitude of little Jacinta corresponds to a fundamental element of the message of Fatima, which places questions to the Church and society in general. Fr. Vítor Coutinho, President of the Congress’s Committee |
