A worldwide crisis like this one, causing thousands of deaths and causing a strict lockdown in all countries, including the suspension of public liturgies and closing of churches, is a tremendous burden for humanity. We live a true purification, as a divine pedagogy, because of our many sins and the sins of humankind. We cannot gather in our parish churches, nor have religious communal celebrations. It is as if God wants us to confine ourselves to our homes, to focus on our individuality, on our "inner castle", our inner heart, and to develop there an intimate life with the Lord. He will come to dwell in our hearts and wipe away our tears, remedy our miseries and forgive our sins. At dusk, he will stay with us forever. There will be a new world renewed by purification.

It will have been worth many sick and deceased, for in the end humanity will be closer to God and the Kingdom of God will come upon the new earth. Conversion is the recipe for achieving this transformation. If not, we must prepare for higher levels of suffering and anguish because of sin. Without God as the center of our lives, we will be left to a life of lukewarmness and sin that will bring the calamities of war, hunger, persecutions against the Church and the annihilation of nations. This can be avoided, if we eradicate the worldly spirit from our hearts and our society during this heavenly warning of the pandemic and, by converting many, we will make possible the definitive triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Let us pray to our holy shepherd-children, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, to give comfort and strength to our families of today, to assist our medical doctors and sanitary personnel in their great sacrifice to combat this dangerous virus, to pray for our scientists to illuminate them in bringing a cure and a vaccine to eradicate this calamity from the face of earth!

Saint Jacinta and Saint Francisco, take care of our afflicted families in this hour of need, so that by your powerful intercession, united to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you can obtain from the Good Lord the remedy we ask for the greater glory of God and the salvation of many!

Prof. Américo Pablo López-Ortiz, International President of the World Apostolate of Fatima