Fatima Shrine wants to present the message through "new languages" to reach new audience

Fatima Shrine wants to present the message through "new languages" to reach new audience

Pilgrims are always the "point of interest" of the Shrine.

This Wednesday, the Rector of the Shrine of Fatima said, in a press conference, that the celebration of the Centennial of the Apparitions "has to go through new languages" to reach those who don’t feel "in tune" with Fatima.

"All the program was established having in mind the persons: not only the usual pilgrims with their needs and expectations, but also those who are not so linked to Fatima, by calling their attention and welcome them," said Father Carlos Cabecinhas in a press conference that took place in the conference room September 13 of the Paul VI Pastoral Centre.

The Shrine prepared and organized a commemorative program that underlines "the impact of Fatima in the context of faith, of social dynamics, of culture and of its significance as a message of peace," said the Rector.

"From the beginning, our concern was that the activities plan was grounded in a thematic itinerary that could create a guiding line throughout the whole cycle and could validate the different initiatives, framing them in a guiding horizon," said Fr Carlos Cabecinhas.

"The itinerary offers the major themes of the Message of Fatima through a path that we wanted cohesive, in order to emphasize the unifiable ideas among the themes, to distinguish the main aspects from the secondary ones and to find a perspective of approach and the essential keys of reading ", has specified the responsible of  the Shrine.

"We have included many and different proposals, within the proper mission of a Christian Shrine" has indicated the Rector adding that "in many cases" it was the Shrine that has organized and realized the projects; and in other cases the Shrine has resorted to other "partnerships with other entities."

"We have looked for initiatives that could improve the welcome conditions of the pilgrims and incorporated them within the normal conditions of the Shrine; we have presented ephemeral proposals and created heritage that will remain as legacy for the coming generations", he also said.

The homestretch of the commemorative program of the Centennial of the Apparitions, in October 2017, will have a "strong cultural component," that we seek it will reach all audiences, because "the Christian faith is always an embodied faith that assumes, transforms and produces culture", has underlined Father Carlos Cabecinhas.

The Fatima phenomenon, with its specifically Christian origin, is no exception to this law of incarnation: it expresses itself, from its beginning and for nearly a century, in the different cultural ways of the environment in which it was born and developed; but at the same time, it marks the surrounding culture and originates new cultural expressions", stressed the Rector.

Starting this month, hundred and fifty projects try to give life to a celebration "opened to the public in general", which aims to "celebrate, evoke, reflect, contemplate and pray," according to the Rector of the Shrine.

The Rector told the journalists that the Pope's visit in May 2017 will be the "most significant initiative of the whole experience of the centennial," but claimed that it would be "unfair to ignore the comprehensive collection of initiatives that are addressed to the public in general and are expected to reach as many people as possible.”

The calendar of events that the Shrine has created covers different expressions and types: exhibitions, congresses, conferences and concerts, among others.

One of the novelties presented is an exhibition in the Vatican, in 2018, which aims to highlight the relationship between "Fatima and the Holy See", as well as to act as an “outcome “of all the commemorative period of the Apparitions Centennial, according to Fr Carlos Cabecinhas.

Faced with the expected “increase of pilgrims" during all the celebrations of the 100th anniversary, the Shrine’s Rector indicated that the institution has sought to collaborate with the different entities and institutions" in order to get the" highest possible safety in all the events. "

For the priest, though, "any alarmism is precisely to say that terrorism is winning," and proposes to reject "alarmist language" in order not to "play the game of terrorist groups".

"We will not follow that kind of alarmist language about the dangers that might occur. We will take precautions and continue to think that Fatima is a safe place", he insisted.

With regard to the celebrations program costs, the responsible of the Shrine of Fatima said that the Shrine intends to "in due course, inform about the cost of all these initiatives."

Among the 150 initiatives planned, there is a projection on the front of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima as "source of light".

Carla Abreu Vaz, consultant of the Executive Service of the Centennial of the Fatima Apparitions, strengthened the intention to "reach a diverse audience."

Consequently, "new proposals of prayer" are available, training courses and theological courses for the diffusion of the Message of Fatima and a wide "artistic reflection."

The training days will end on June 21 to 24, 2017, at the international congress "Thinking Fatima, Interdisciplinary Readings".

The Shrine promotes also a contest of Catholic schools, photo awards, concerts, new works of art and a musical, cultural and artistic program, "challenging several artists to look at Fatima.”

"The Shrine of Fatima will continue to use contemporary languages to communicate and reflect on the message of Fatima and to make known its heritage, that is already 100 years old," said Carla Abreu Vaz.

Particularly relevant examples of the approach to the current languages ​​are the musical works ordered from James MacMillan and Eurico Carrapatoso, which will be interpreted by the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra, under the baton of Conductor Joana Carneiro, in October 2017, and the evocative contemporary dance of Fatima Message to be exhibited in May 2016 by the Vortex Dance Company.

A Centennial of Voices (100 spots on the radio); a mural online of testimonies; the conference cycles (one in each thematic year with five conferences each year); the symposium 2016 - I came that they may have life; the Marialogical Marian Congress at the Pontifical Marian Academy; production of several videos and movies; publications; Cultural magazine Fatima XXI; Exhibitions and concerts. In this chapter, it is worth mentioning the Organ Cycle, in addition to the Great inaugural concert of Olivier Latry, interpreting a work of João Pedro Oliveira, which includes six concerts where it can be heard works that represent periods of 100 years of German music, French, sacred music, contemporary and Marian hymns. In addition to this cycle, there will be another cycle of Sacred Music and a Musical Cycle Listen to Fatima. Troparion for a shepherd of sweet sheep, a piece for choir, piano and accordion from fragments of the Memoirs of Sister Lucia or evocative concerts of the Shepherds; these are other projects of interest of this vast cultural program.

The institution also planned the launch of a new website and a mobile application that aims to ease the visit of the pilgrims and the public in general.

CR