Pope recognizes miracle attributed to Fatima visionaries

Friday, Mar. 31, 2017

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has approved the recognition of a miracle attributed to the intercession of two of the shepherd children who saw Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, thus paving the way for their canonization.

Pope Francis signed the decree for the causes of Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta Marto during a March 23 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, the Vatican said.

The recognition of the miracle makes it likely that the canonization ceremony for the two children will be scheduled soon.

The cardinals and bishops who are members of the congregation must vote to recommend their canonization and then the pope would convene the cardinals resident in Rome for a consistory to approve the sainthood.

 Many people are hoping Pope Francis will preside over the canonization ceremony during his visit to Fatima May 12-13.

The pilgrimage will mark the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions, which began May 13, 1917, when 9-year-old Francisco, 7-year-old Jacinta, along with their cousin Lucia dos Santos, reported seeing the Virgin Mary.

The apparitions continued once a month until Oct. 13, 1917, and later were declared worthy of belief by the Catholic Church. 

A year after the apparitions, the Marto children became ill during an influenza epidemic that plagued Europe. Francisco died April 4, 1919, at the age of 10; Jacinta died Feb. 20, 1920, at the age of 9.  Their cause for canonization was stalled for decades due to a debate on whether non-martyred children have the capacity to understand heroic virtues at a young age. However, in 1979, St. John Paul II allowed their cause to proceed; he declared them venerable in 1989 and beatified them in 2000.