The original statue of Our Lady of Fatima was escorted today in procession by the Swiss Guard to St. Peter's Basilica, as part of the events of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality.

The arrival of the venerated image in Rome gathered thousands of faithful who accompanied the procession to the Vatican basilica with songs and prayers. The participation of the Swiss Guard gave a solemn character to the rite, underscoring the relevance of the event within the jubilee calendar.

According to the organizers, the image will participate in moments of prayer and Marian vigils scheduled for this weekend, in tune with the Jubilee celebrations. Attendance at the events in St. Peter's Square is free, and pilgrims are invited to register through official channels.

Devotion to Our Lady of Fatima maintains a strong root in the entire Catholic world. The presence of the statue in the Vatican constitutes a gesture of spiritual closeness with the faithful and a sign of hope in a time of grace for the universal Church.

The statue, carved in Brazilian cedar in 1920 by the Portuguese sculptor José Ferreira Thedim, has left the Sanctuary of Fatima on few occasions. In its crown is preserved the bullet that wounded Pope John Paul II in the 1981 assassination attempt, which gives it profound symbolic value.

The Dicastery for Evangelization explained that the presence of the image in the Jubilee seeks “to live the closeness of the Virgin Mary in a time of grace and spiritual renewal”. The statue will return to Fatima after the celebrations on Sunday, October 12.