Pope Francis sent a message to the Sanctuary of Fátima on the 100th anniversary of the apparitions, recalling his visit to the shrine in May this year.
The Pope's message to the pilgrims was for them to pray for him, "I still have in my heart the memory of the Virgin," he said in a video played to the crowd of pilgrims before the closing ceremony and final procession.
The Pope repeated one of the instructions from Our Lady of Fátima when she appeared in front of the three shepherd children in 1917, "Never leave the rosary, pray every day and pray for me as well."
Pope Francis visited Fátima on May 12 and 13, 2017 as part of the centenary celebrations and to canonise Jacinta and Francisco Marto, two of the shepherd children who claimed to have seen the apparitions.
Bishop António Marto sent a message back to the Pope, “thank you very much Pope Francis, we do not forget you, we continue to pray for you, may Our Blessed Lady bless you."
António Marto said, at the shrine of Cova de Iria, that today was "a historic and unique moment for Fátima, for the Church, for Portugal and for all pilgrims."
The centenary ended today with a concert by the Gulbenkian orchestra and choir, in front of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
See also ''A Pilgrim’s Guide to Fatima and the Surrounding Area' - book review by Janet Johnstone'
and 'Fátima, fake news and black holes' by Len Port