In Portuguese Fátima, a new temple will be consecrated

Lisbon - From Friday to Sunday, around a quarter of a million pilgrims are expected at the world-famous Marian shrine of Fatima in Portugal for the consecration of the new temple of the Holy Trinity. This was announced today by the Portuguese National Republican Guard.
    The ceremonies associated with the consecration of the temple, which will be presided over by Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, will begin according to church authorities on Friday and will culminate on Sunday with a mass, during which the message from Pope Benedict XVI will be broadcast live on television to the faithful.
    The opening of the new temple will conclude the celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the reported apparition of the Virgin Mary at this site to three small shepherds in 1917.
    Security during the services will be provided by 300 police officers, 150 firefighters, and several civil protection teams.
    The temple of the Holy Trinity, which covers an area of 12,000 square meters and has 9,000 seats, was built at a cost of 70 million euros (almost two billion CZK). According to church sources, it is one of the largest temples in the world.
    The circular-shaped nave made of white concrete has a diameter of 125 meters and is 15 meters high. The dome rests on a single central pillar. The construction of the temple, which stands opposite the old basilica from the 1950s, was entrusted to Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis. The temple has one main entrance and 12 doors, symbolizing the Last Supper of Christ.
    According to the Catholic Church, the Virgin Mary appeared on May 13, 1917, to three small shepherds in the Cova da Iria cave near Fatima, about 130 kilometers north of Lisbon, which then became one of the main pilgrimage sites for Catholic believers, attracting millions of visitors each year.