(13 May 2010)
1. Wide of mass at Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
2. Mid of podium outside Basilica
3. Close up of Pope Benedict XVI giving mass
4. Mid of priest giving communion to young girl
5. Wide pilgrims
6. Various of mass, UPSOUND of Pope giving address: (French)
"We have come here to Fatima, close to the heart of Jesus's mother, Mary, in search of a boost of hope, a source of consolation and encouragement on the human journey."
7. Close of Union Jack flag
8. Pan of nuns in audience
9. UPSOUND: (English) Pope Benedict XVI:
"I welcome the English speaking pilgrims present today, who have come from near and far as we offer our fervent prayers to our Lady of Fatima, I encourage you to ask her to intercede for the needs of the church."
10. Cutaway of flags, UPSOUND of cheering
11. UPSOUND: (English) Pope Benedict XVI: ++soundbite begins on previous shot++
"Dear Spanish speaking pilgrims...the Virgin Mary, leads us tenderly and with a firm hand towards her son, Christ - (inaudible phrase) a source of great hope and strength in the faith. Many thanks!"
12. Cutaway of Spanish flags and UPSOUND: cheering
13. Pan of pilgrims cheering and applauding
14. Pope walking in and kneeling down to pray at the tombs of the shepherd children
15. Pan from statue of shepherd girl to Pope praying
16. Pan across tombs
17. Various of pope praying
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for an outdoor Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday at Fatima, the Catholic shrine that pilgrims visit in search of cures for their ailments.
The Mass was the centrepiece of Benedict's four-day visit to Portugal and marked the anniversary of the day 93 years ago when three local shepherd children reported having visions of the Virgin in this small farming town.
The May 13 celebrations are one of the Catholic church's major annual pilgrimages to a site where, many believe, the Virgin still works miracles.
"As we offer our fervent prayers to our Lady of Fatima, I encourage you to ask her to intercede for the needs of the church. Benedict, the third pontiff to visit Fatima, said to an audience of at least 400,000 people.
Like Lourdes in France, Fatima attracts (m) millions of pilgrims a year seeking cures. One of the rituals pilgrims perform at Fatima involves casting replicas of body parts - eyes, lungs, hearts - on sale at local shops into a big bonfire while reciting a prayer asking for healing.
The pope blessed more than 400 infirm people after the Mass. He also visited the tombs of the shepherd children in the shrine's basilica, where he knelt and prayed.
Pope Paul VI visited Fatima in 1967. Pope John Paul II - who was shot in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981 - came three times before his death, believing that the Virgin's "unseen hand" had "rescued him from death," Benedict said on Wednesday.
The bullet that almost killed John Paul forms part of the crown of Fatima's statue of the Virgin. The statue, decked with white and yellow roses, was carried shoulder-high through the crowd by soldiers before the Mass.
Benedict has spoken repeatedly about the sufferings of the world and even the church's troubles during the trip, saying the "sins of the church" were responsible for the clerical sex abuse scandal.
Portugal is nearly 90 percent Catholic, but only around 2 (m) million of its 10.6 (m) million people describe themselves as practicing Catholics. In recent years, Portugal has drifted away from the church's teachings.
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