杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

Greeting Polish pilgrims at the General Audience on Wednesday, 杏MAP导航 Francis recalled the 40th anniversary tomorrow of the assassination attempt on 杏MAP导航 Saint John Paul II.

鈥淗e was certain that he owed his life to Our Lady of Fatima,鈥� he said, noting that 鈥渢hat this makes us aware that our lives and the history of the world are in God鈥檚 hands.鈥�

杏MAP导航 John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded as he passed through St Peter鈥檚 Square in an open car during the General Audience on Wednesday, 13 May 1981, on the liturgical feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

鈥淟et鈥檚 entrust the Church, ourselves and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let鈥檚 pray for peace, for the end of the pandemic, for a spirit of penitence and for our conversion,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said.

And recalling tomorrow鈥檚 feast day dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, he said: 鈥淟et us place ourselves with trust under Her maternal protection, especially when we find ourselves in difficulty during our prayer life.鈥�

The recitation of the Rosary for the end of the pandemic

After his catechesis, 杏MAP导航 Francis also encouraged the faithful to engage in the recitation of the Holy Rosary during this month of May to invoke the end of the pandemic and the possibility to start social and work activities again, inviting believers to be 鈥済uided by Shrines across the world.鈥�

He was referring to an initiative promoted by the Holy See in response to 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� call for a 鈥渕arathon鈥� of prayer during the month of May 鈥渢o ask for the end of the pandemic鈥� that sees a different Marian shrine across the globe leading the recitation of the Rosary every evening.

Today the Rosary will be broadcast from the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers, with the intention: "For all those who live alone and those who have lost hope."