Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Medjugorje

2008-05-04T22:23:30Z

Andrewdunn:

Medjugorje is a village in the mountains of [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]]. In 1981, six young people claimed to be having apparitions of the [[Virgin Mary]]. The Blessed Mother first appeared, then later told the visionaries that God had sent her into Medjugorje to help convert hearts and lives back to Him. Her messages, which continue to this day, center around peace, love, faith, conversion, prayer and fasting.[http://www.medjugorje.org/medpage.htm] Each of the visionaries will receive ten individual secrets that will be revealed when the apparitions cease.

News of the Virgin Mary's apparitions began to attract pilgrims to the small village, first from the surrounding areas and then, from around the world. At the time, Bosnia was part of the [[communist]] nation of [[Yugoslavia]]. Despite the official [[athiest]] policy of communism, clergy, theologians as well as experts from the physical and medical sciences visited and testified that some type of phenomenon was taking place when the apparitions occurred. In addition, some pilgrims reported seeing the sun spin as it had in [[Fatima]]. Others reported that their rosaries turned gold. And, as had happened at other sites of Marian apparitions, physical, spiritual and moral healings were taking place.[http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm].

'''The Visionaries''' [http://www.medjugorjepilgrim.com/Visionaries.html]
1. Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic is the oldest of the visionaires. Her prayer mission given by Our Lady is to pray for the sick. Vicka's apparitions have not stopped as of 2008; Our Lady has confided nine secrets to her.
2. Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo was born in Sarajevo but spent summers with her grandmother in the area around Medjugorje. Her prayer mission from Our Lady is to pray for the unbelievers. Mirjana was the first of the visionaries to receive all ten secrets. Since that time, Our Lady appears to Mirjana once a year on her birthday (March 18) and the second day of each month to pray with her for unbelievers.
3. Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti's prayer mission is to pray for the souls in purgatory. Marija still has daily apparitions and is the visionary who relays Our Lady's messages to the world on the 25th of each month.
4. Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez was the first to see Our Lady on June 24, 1981. Her prayer mission is to pray for families. Ivanka had daily apparitions up until 1985 when she received her tenth secret. She now has a yearly apparition on June 25.
5. Ivan Dragicevic has received nine secrets and still has daily apparitions. His prayer mission is to pray for priests and the youth of the world.
6. Jakov Colo is the youngest of the visionaries. He has received all ten secrets and now has a yearly apparition on [[Christmas]] Day. Jakov's prayer mission is to pray for the sick.

'''The Catholic Church's Position'''
Unlike [[Fatima]], [[Lourdes]] and Guadeloupe, Medjugorje has not yet been approved by the [[Vatican]] as an official Marian apparition. The Church permits [[Catholics]] to visit Medjugorje including priests who visit as chaplains. The Church has not suppressed discussion of Medjugorje but forbids official pilgrimages until a final decision has been rendered[http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm].

[[Category:europe]]
[[Category:Cities]]

Medjugorje

2008-05-04T22:07:33Z

Andrewdunn:

Medjugorje is a village in the mountains of [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]]. In 1981, six young people claimed to be having apparitions of the [[Virgin Mary]]. The Blessed Mother first appeared, then later told the visionaries that God had sent her into Medjugorje to help convert hearts and lives back to Him. Her messages, which continue to this day, center around peace, love, faith, conversion, prayer and fasting.[http://www.medjugorje.org/medpage.htm] Each of the visionaries will receive ten individual secrets that will be revealed when the apparitions cease.

News of the Virgin Mary's apparitions began to attract pilgrims to the small village, first from the surrounding areas and then, from around the world. At the time, Bosnia was part of the [[communist]] nation of [[Yugoslavia]]. Despite the official [[athiest]] policy of communism, clergy, theologians as well as experts from the physical and medical sciences visited and testified that some type of phenomenon was taking place when the apparitions occurred. In addition, some pilgrims reported seeing the sun spin as it had in [[Fatima]]. Others reported that their rosaries turned gold. And, as had happened at other sites of Marian apparitions, physical, spiritual and moral healings were taking place.[http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm].

'''The Visionaries''' [http://www.medjugorjepilgrim.com/Visionaries.html]
1. Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic is the oldest of the visionaires. Her prayer mission given by Our Lady is to pray for the sick. Vicka's apparitions have not stopped as of 2008; Our Lady has confided nine secrets to her.
2. Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo was born in Sarajevo but spent summers with her grandmother in the area around Medjugorje. Her prayer mission from Our Lady is to pray for the unbelievers. Mirjana was the first of the visionaries to receive all ten secrets. Since that time, Our Lady appears to Mirjana once a year on her birthday (March 18) and the second day of each month to pray with her for unbelievers.
3. Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti's prayer mission is to pray for the souls in purgatory. Marija still has daily apparitions and is the visionary who relays Our Lady's messages to the world on the 25th of each month.
4. Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez was the first to see Our Lady on June 24, 1981. Her prayer mission is to pray for families. Ivanka had daily apparitions up until 1985 when she received her tenth secret. She now has a yearly apparition on June 25.
5. Ivan Dragicevic has received nine secrets and still has daily apparitions. His prayer mission is to pray for priests and the youth of the world.
6. Jakov Colo is the youngest of the visionaries. He has received all ten secrets and now has a yearly apparition on [[Christmas]] Day. Jakov's prayer mission is to pray for the sick.

Unlike [[Fatima]], Lourdes and Guadeloupe, Medjugorje has not yet been approved by the [[Vatican]] as an official Marian apparition. The Church permits [[Catholics]] to visit Medjugorje including priests who visit as chaplains. The Church has not suppressed discussion of Medjugorje but forbids official pilgrimages until a final decision has been rendered[http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm].

Medjugorje

2008-05-04T22:06:02Z

Andrewdunn: New page: Medjugorje is a village in the mountains of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1981, six young people claimed to be having apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The Blessed Mother first appeared, th...

Medjugorje is a village in the mountains of [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]]. In 1981, six young people claimed to be having apparitions of the [[Virgin Mary]]. The Blessed Mother first appeared, then later told the visionaries that God had sent her into Medjugorje to help convert hearts and lives back to Him. Her messages, which continue to this day, center around peace, love, faith, conversion, prayer and fasting.[http://www.medjugorje.org/medpage.htm] Each of the visionaries will be old ten individual secrets that they will reveal when the apparitions cease.

News of the Virgin Mary's apparitions began to attract pilgrims to the small village, first from the surrounding areas and then, from around the world. At the time, Bosnia was part of the [[communist]] nation of [[Yugoslavia]]. Despite the official [[athiest]] policy of communism, clergy, theologians as well as experts from the physical and medical sciences visited and testified that some type of phenomenon was taking place when the apparitions occurred. In addition, some pilgrims reported seeing the sun spin as it had in [[Fatima]]. Others reported that their rosaries turned gold. And, as had happened at other sites of Marian apparitions, physical, spiritual and moral healings were taking place.[http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm].

'''The Visionaries''' [http://www.medjugorjepilgrim.com/Visionaries.html]
1. Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic is the oldest of the visionaires. Her prayer mission given by Our Lady is to pray for the sick. Vicka's apparitions have not stopped as of 2008; Our Lady has confided nine secrets to her.
2. Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo was born in Sarajevo but spent summers with her grandmother in the area around Medjugorje. Her prayer mission from Our Lady is to pray for the unbelievers. Mirjana was the first of the visionaries to receive all ten secrets. Since that time, Our Lady appears to Mirjana once a year on her birthday (March 18) and the second day of each month to pray with her for unbelievers.
3. Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti's prayer mission is to pray for the souls in purgatory. Marija still has daily apparitions and is the visionary who relays Our Lady's messages to the world on the 25th of each month.
4. Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez was the first to see Our Lady on June 24, 1981. Her prayer mission is to pray for families. Ivanka had daily apparitions up until 1985 when she received her tenth secret. She now has a yearly apparition on June 25.
5. Ivan Dragicevic has received nine secrets and still has daily apparitions. His prayer mission is to pray for priests and the youth of the world.
6. Jakov Colo is the youngest of the visionaries. He has received all ten secrets and now has a yearly apparition on [[Christmas]] Day. Jakov's prayer mission is to pray for the sick.

Unlike [[Fatima]], Lourdes and Guadeloupe, Medjugorje has not yet been approved by the [[Vatican]] as an official Marian apparition. The Church permits [[Catholics]] to visit Medjugorje including priests who visit as chaplains. The Church has not suppressed discussion of Medjugorje but forbids official pilgrimages until a final decision has been rendered[http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/medjugorje.htm].

Bosnia

2008-05-04T21:23:44Z

Andrewdunn:

'''Bosnia''' is the northern part of [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]]. It is a mountainous republic of south-central [[Europe]]; formerly part of the [[Ottoman Empire]] and then a part of [[Yugoslavia]]. The capital of Bosnia is [[Sarajevo]]. Bosnia voted for independence in 1990 but the mostly [[Serbian]] army of Yugoslavia refused to accept the vote and began ethnic cleansing in order to rid Bosnia of its [[Croats]] and [[Muslims]] (see [[Bosnian War]]).

In 1981, six children in the small Bosnian village of [[Medjugorje]] began to have apparitions of the [[Virgin Mary]]. The apparitions continue to this day though they have not yet been approved by the [[Vatican]]. As a result, Medjugorje has become a popular Marian pilgrimage site along with [[Fatima]], Lourdes and Guadeloupe.

[[category:European Countries]]

Conyers, Georgia

2008-01-30T02:56:30Z

Andrewdunn:

Conyers is a town in Rockdale County, [[Georgia]].

In 1990, Nancy Fowler, a resident of Conyers began to have apparitions from the [[Virgin Mary]] and [[Jesus]]. On September 2, 1990, The Blessed Mother said, "There is too little faith here. I am very sad. This is my first message for the [[United States]] of America." Calling herself 'Our Loving Mother', Mary said to Nancy that she would appear on the 13th of each month with a message for the United States.<ref>http://www.ourlovingmother.org/Messages_Monthly_1990_OurLovingMother.aspx</ref>. Nancy's reported apparitions continued for eight years, ending in 1998. The apparitions have not yet been officially approved by the [[Catholic]] Church.

During an apparition on April 16th, 1991, Jesus appeared to Nancy, asking that she put the Angel of Peace from [[Fatima]]'s prayer on the back of a prayer card honoring the [[Virgin Mary]]. Jesus said, "Teach My children about My presence in the Tabernacle... Remember, it is My request that this prayer be echoed all over the world... Teach My children the importance of this prayer."<ref>http://www.ourlovingmother.org/HolyCard.aspx</ref>

In 1999, Nancy Fowler disassociated herself from the non-profit group that owns and maintains the site of the apparitions. Fowler cited three concerns: an increasing request for larger donations, an unauthorized publication about the apparitions and attempts to link the Conyers apparitions with another reported one in Bolivia.<ref>''Georgia Bulletin''. March 11, 1999.</ref>

Although no longer associated with the site of the apparitions, Nancy maintains an official website where visitors can read the messages [[Jesus]] and Our Loving Mother delivered for eight years.
[http://www.ourlovingmother.org/]

Conyers, Georgia

2008-01-30T02:53:16Z

Andrewdunn: New page: Conyers is a town in Rockdale County, Georgia. In 1990, Nancy Fowler, a resident of Conyers began to have apparitions from the Virgin Mary and Jesus. On September 2, 1990, The...

Conyers is a town in Rockdale County, [[Georgia]].

In 1990, Nancy Fowler, a resident of Conyers began to have apparitions from the [[Virgin Mary]] and [[Jesus]]. On September 2, 1990, The Blessed Mother said, "There is too little faith here. I am very sad. This is my first message for the [[United States]] of America." Calling herself 'Our Loving Mother', Mary said to Nancy that she would appear on the 13th of each month with a message for the United States.<ref>http://www.ourlovingmother.org/Messages_Monthly_1990_OurLovingMother.aspx</ref>. Nancy's reported apparitions continued for eight years, ending in 1998. The apparitions have not yet been officially approved by the [[Catholic]] Church.

During an apparition on April 16th, 1991, Jesus appeared to Nancy, asking that she put the Angel of Peace from [[Fatima]]'s prayer on the back of a prayer card honoring the Virgin Mary. Jesus said, "Teach My children about My presence in the Tabernacle... Remember, it is My request that this prayer be echoed all over the world... Teach My children the importance of this prayer."<ref>http://www.ourlovingmother.org/HolyCard.aspx</ref>

In 1999, Nancy Fowler disassociated herself from the non-profit group that owns and maintains the site of the apparitions. Fowler cited three concerns: an increasing request for larger donations, an unauthorized publication about the apparitions and attempts to link the Conyers apparitions with another reported on in Bolivia.<ref>Georgia Bulletin. March 11, 1999.</ref>

Although no longer associated with the site of her apparitions, Nancy maintains an official website where visitors can read the messages, [[Jesus]] and Our Loving Mother delivered for eight years.
[http://www.ourlovingmother.org/]

Te Deum Foundation

2008-01-30T00:02:48Z

Andrewdunn: New page: The Te Deum Foundation is a non-profit, benevolent organization aimed at providing for the material and spiritual needs of those men in formation for the Roman Catholic Priesthood. Thr...

The Te Deum Foundation is a non-profit, benevolent organization aimed at providing for the material and spiritual needs of those men in formation for the Roman [[Catholic]] Priesthood. Through the fiscal generosity of the People of [[God]], the Te Deum Foundation provides seminarians with materials necessary for study towards the Priesthood. These material needs are satisfied for those men who are unable to provide for these needs by way of their own resources and the resources of their family. These needs are fulfilled tangibly, that is to say, they are never monetary gifts. These generosities are extended to those men in an anonymous way, unassigned to any individual. Periodically, all contributing members to the Te Deum Foundation receive a statement detailing what needs have been met through their munificence. These statements do not include the names of the recipients.<ref>http://www.tedeumfoundation.org/mission.htm</ref>

Contributors to the Te Deum Foundation, in addition to their fiscal gifts, promise prayers for those men in formation for the Priesthood. The Te Deum Foundation asks for the ''Memorae'' to be prayed daily for the work of the Foundation.<ref>ibid</ref>

As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, it is never the intention of the Foundation or any of its members to seek gain from these endeavors<ref>ibid</ref>

== Origins ==
Headquartered in Winston-Salem, [[North Carolina]], The Te Deum Foundation was founded in 2003 by members of the laity faithful to the Magisterium, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and the Roman [[Catholic]] Church. The Foundation's Board of Directors consists of laity, Deacons and Priests. The phrase, Te Deum is an ancient hymn-prayer of the [[Catholic]] Church. Simply put, the opening line of the Te Deum translates to "You are [[God]], we praise You."<ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14468c.htm</ref>

== Activities ==
The Te Deum Foundation supplies such items as cassocks, surplices, clerical attire and prayer books for Seminarians and other religious. The Foundation evaluates each request individually. In addition to study materials, the Te Deum Foundation sponsors an annual pilgrimage to [[Fatima]], to foster a devotion to Our Lady with Seminarians. It is the desire of the Te Deum Foundation to build a seminary in the Southeastern United States. Aware of this intention, His Excellency, The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte, has granted permission to the Te Deum Foundation to raise money to purchase land for this project and has blessed the work of the foundation.<ref>http://www.tedeumfoundation.org/seminary.htm</ref>

Portugal

2008-01-29T23:34:19Z

Andrewdunn: /* History */

{{Country
|name =''República Portuguesa''
|map =Portugal rel82.jpg
|flag =Flag of Portugal.png
|arms =Arms of Portugal.png
|capital =Lisbon
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary Democracy
|government-raw =
|language =Portuguese
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Aníbal Cavaco Silva
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =José Sócrates
|pm-raw =
|area =35,580 sq mi
|pop =10,848,692(2007)
|pop-basis =
|gdp =
|gdp-year =$229.881 billion(2006)
|gdp-pc =$23,464 (2006)
|currency =euro
|idd =
|tld =
}}

'''Portugal''' is a [[European]] nation in the [[Iberian Peninsula]], with land borders with [[Spain]]. Its capital is [[Lisbon]].

==Government and Political Conditions==
Portugal moved from authoritarian rule to parliamentary democracy following the 1974 military coup against dictator Marcello Caetano, himself a continuation of the long-running dictatorship of Antonio Salazar. After a period of instability and communist agitation, Portugal ratified a new Constitution in 1976. Subsequent revisions of the Constitution placed the military under strict civilian control; trimmed the powers of the president; and laid the groundwork for a stable, pluralistic liberal democracy, as well as privatization of nationalized firms and the government-owned communications media. Portugal joined the European Union in 1986, and has moved toward greater political and economic integration with Europe ever since.

The four main branches of the national government are the presidency, the prime minister and Council of Ministers (the government), the Assembly of the Republic (the parliament), and the judiciary. The president, elected to a five-year term by direct, universal suffrage, also is commander in chief of the armed forces. Presidential powers include confirming the prime minister and Council of Ministers; dismissing the prime minister; dissolving the assembly to call early elections; vetoing legislation, which may be overridden by the assembly; and declaring a state of war or siege. The Council of State, a presidential advisory body, is composed of six senior civilian officers, former presidents elected under the 1976 constitution, five members chosen by the assembly, and five selected by the president.

The government is headed by the prime minister, who is nominated by the assembly for confirmation by the president. The prime minister then names the Council of Ministers. A new government is required to present its governing platform to the assembly for approval.

The Assembly of the Republic is a unicameral body composed of up to 230 deputies. Elected by universal suffrage according to a system of proportional representation, deputies serve terms of office of four years, unless the president dissolves the assembly and calls for new elections. The national Supreme Court is the court of last appeal. Military, administrative, and fiscal courts are designated as separate court categories. A nine-member Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation.

The Azores and Madeira Islands have constitutionally mandated autonomous status. A regional autonomy statute promulgated in 1980 established the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores; the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira operates under a provisional autonomy statute in effect since 1976. Continental Portugal is divided into 18 districts, each headed by a governor appointed by the Minister of Internal Administration. Macau, a former dependency, reverted to Chinese sovereignty in December 1999.

===Current Administration===
Parliamentary elections on February 20, 2005, gave the Socialist Party a comfortable majority for the new Prime Minister, Jose Socrates. Socrates’ government formally assumed power March 12, 2005.

The Socialist Party’s 2005 victory followed a period of transition after center-right (PSD) Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durão Barroso resigned to accept the nomination as President of the European Commission. Durão Barroso, elected in 2002, committed his government to public-sector austerity and business incentives to promote growth, trade, and productivity. It faced rising unemployment, meeting euro-zone fiscal requirements, and adapting to European Union and NATO enlargement. After Durão Barroso’s resignation, President Jorge Sampaio asked the former mayor of Lisbon, Pedro Santana Lopes, to form a new government. Sampaio lost confidence in that government by the end of 2004, dissolved parliament, and called for new parliamentary elections.

Social Democrat Anibal Cavaco Silva, a center-right candidate and former Prime Minister, won the Portuguese presidential election on January 22, 2006 with 50.6% of the vote. He was sworn in on March 9, 2006, replacing outgoing Socialist President Sampaio.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President of the Portuguese Republic--Anibal Cavaco Silva
*Prime Minister--Jose Socrates
*Minister of Foreign Affairs--Luis Amado
*Minister of Defense--Nuno Severiano Teixeira
*Minister of State for Internal Administration--Rui Pereira
*Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers--Pedro Silva Pereira
*Minister of State and Justice--Alberto Costa
*Minister of Finance--Fernando Teixeira dos Santos
*Minister of Economy and Innovation--Manuel Pinho
*Minister of Parliamentary Affairs--Augusto Santos Silva
*Minister of the Environment--Francisco Nunes
*Minister of Culture--Isabel Pires de Lima
*Minister of Agriculture--Jaime Silva
*Minister of Public Works--Mario Lino
*Minister of Labor and Social Security--Jose Vieira da Silva
*Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education--Jose Mariano Gago
*Minister of Education--Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues

===Foreign Relations===
Portugal has been a significant beneficiary of the European Union and is a proponent of European integration. Portugal will hold the presidency of the EU Council for the third time during the latter half of 2007. During its upcoming presidency, Portugal hopes to focus on EU relations with North Africa and the Middle East, hold a second EU-Africa summit, revitalize the Lisbon Agenda, and develop a common EU approach toward migration flows.

Portugal was a founding member of NATO; it is an active member of the alliance by, for example, contributing proportionally large contingents in Balkans peacekeeping forces. Portugal proposed the creation of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) to improve its ties with other Portuguese-speaking countries. Additionally, Portugal has participated in a series of Ibero-American summits. Portugal was a strong advocate of independence for East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, and has committed troops and money to East Timor, in close cooperation with the United States, Asian allies, and the United Nations. Portugal contributed a small gendarme force to Iraq that it withdrew in February 2005, and has contributed funds and personnel for other training and development projects for Iraq reconstruction, including the NATO Training Mission.

==Economy==
Portugal's membership in the European Union (EU) contributed to stable economic growth, largely through increased trade and an inflow of EU funds for infrastructure improvements. Until 2001, average annual growth rates consistently exceeded those of the EU average. Due to slow economic growth, Portugal has lost ground relative to the rest of the EU since 2002. Portugal's per capita GDP dropped from 80% of the EU-25 average in 2001 to 71% in 2006, causing the country to drop three places to 18th in purchasing power parity, behind Greece, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia.

In order to enter the European Monetary Union (EMU) in January 1999, Portugal agreed to cut its fiscal deficit and undertake structural reforms. The EMU brought exchange rate stability, lower inflation, and lower interest rates. Falling interest rates, in turn, lowered the cost of public debt and helped the country achieve its fiscal targets. However, private sector borrowing increased dramatically. By 2001, the economy was in serious external imbalance, with a large current and capital account deficit. Portugal was the first country to breach the Eurozone's Stability and Growth Pact budget deficit target of 3%. The Government of Portugal met the 3% target from 2002-2004, but the deficit surged to an all-time high of 6% in 2005. The government reduced the deficit to 4.6% in 2006 mainly through revenue generating measures. The 2007 budget aims to reduce the deficit to 3.7% through spending cuts and structural reforms.

Helped in part by a wider EU recovery, the Portuguese economy grew by 1.4% in 2006, up from a 0.3% the year before. The Portuguese Government predicts the growth rate will accelerate to 1.8% in 2007. Unemployment was 7.6% in 2006.

Portugal's economy is based on traditional industries such as textiles, clothing, footwear, cork and wood products, beverages (wine), porcelain and earthenware, and glass and glassware. In addition, the country has increased its role in Europe's automotive sector and has a world-class mold-making industry. Services, particularly tourism, are playing an increasingly important role. Portugal’s EU funding will be cut by 10%, to 22.5 billion euros, during the 2007-2013 period. EU expansion into eastern Europe has erased Portugal's historic competitive advantage and relative low labor costs. The government is working to change Portugal's economic development model from one based on public consumption and public investment to one focused on exports, private investment, and development of the high-tech sector.

==History==
Portugal is one of the oldest states in Europe. It traces its modern history to A.D. 1140 when, following a 9-year rebellion against the King of Leon-Castile, Afonso Henriques, the Count of Portugal, became the country's first king, Afonso I. Afonso and his successors expanded their territory southward, capturing Lisbon from the Moors in 1147. The approximate present-day boundaries were secured in 1249 by Afonso III.

By 1337, Portuguese explorers had reached the Canary Islands. Inspired by Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), explorers such as Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias, and Pedro Alvares Cabral made explorations from Brazil to India and Japan. Portugal eventually became a massive colonial empire with vast territories in Africa and Latin America (Brazil) and outposts in the Far East (East Timor, Macau, Goa).

Dynastic disputes led in 1580 to the succession of Philip II of Spain to the Portuguese throne. A revolt ended Spanish hegemony in 1640, and the House of Braganca was established as Portugal's ruling family, lasting until the establishment of the Portuguese Republic in 1910.

Portugal was allied with the Entente Powers during the [[First World War]] and its troops fought on the Western Front.

During the next 16 years, intense political rivalries and economic instability undermined newly established democratic institutions. Responding to pressing economic problems, a military government, which had taken power in 1926, named a prominent university economist, Dr. Antonio Salazar, as finance minister in 1928 and prime minister in 1932. For the next 42 years, Salazar and his successor, Marcelo Caetano, appointed prime minister in 1968, ruled Portugal as an authoritarian "corporate" state. Unlike most other European countries, Portugal did not play a combatant role in World War II, although it was friendly towards the Allied cause and allowed anti-submarine patrols to fly from bases in the Azores. It was a charter member of NATO, joining in 1949.

In 1917, three shepherd children living in the parish region of [[Fatima]], received a series of apparitions from the [[Virgin Mary]].

In the early 1960s, wars with independence movements in Portugal's African territories began to drain labor and wealth from Portugal. Professional dissatisfaction within the military, coupled with a growing sense of the futility of the African conflicts, led to the formation of the clandestine "Armed Forces Movement" in 1973.

The downfall of the Portuguese corporate state came on April 25, 1974, when the Armed Forces Movement seized power in a nearly bloodless coup and established a provisional military government.

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3208.htm]}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]

Fatima

2008-01-29T23:31:39Z

Andrewdunn:

Fatima is a town in central [[Portugal]], attracting thousands of pilgrims each year, honoring the [[Virgin Mary]]. The sanctuary of Fatima features a Neo-Baroque limestone basilica and an esplanade twice the size of St. Peter's Square in Rome<ref>Eyewitness travel guides: Portugal, first American edition. Ferdie McDonald (editor). page 184. DK Publishing. 1997.</ref>

In the spring of 1916, three shepherd children: Lucia dos Santos, age nine and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, ages eight and six, were tending their sheep on a patch of land called the Cabeco. While they were playing a game of pebbles, a strong wind moved through, revealing a transparent figure of a young man hovering over the olive trees. The young man said to them: "Do not be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 3. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> The angel knelt on the ground and asked the children to repeat after him: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You." After repeating the prayer three times, he arose and before he departed, he told the children: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."<ref>ibid. page 4.</ref>

The children were silent about the apparition but for awhile, prayed the Angel's prayer regularly. By the summer of 1916, they had begun to pray less. One day while playing by a well, the Angel appeared again and asked what they were doing? He told them that the most holy hearts of [[Jesus]] and [[Mary]] had designs of mercy for them. They were to offer prayers and sacrifices to [[God]] as an act of reparation for the sins by which He was most offended and, to accept and bear with submission the suffering the [[Lord]] would send them.<ref>ibid. pages 4-5.</ref>

The third and final appearance of the Angel came in the fall of 1916. Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta were in the Cabeco, praying the Angel's prayer when he appeared to them, holding a chalice in his hands with a Host above it, from which drops of Blood fell into the chalice. This time, he instructed the children to say: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."<ref>ibid. page 5.</ref> The angel then gave the Host to Lucia and the Blood to Jacinta and Francisco.

On Sunday, May 13, 1917, the children were tending their sheep in another patch of land called the Cova da Iria. Seeing what they thought was a flash of lightning, they started to return home when they noticed a Lady, radiantly dressed in white, hovering over a small holmoak tree. She told them not to be afraid, that she was from Heaven and wanted them to come to the Cova da Iria for six months in succession on the 13th day. She asked the children to pray the [[Rosary]] every day, in order to obtain peace for the world and an end to the first world war, which was taking place at the time.<ref>Fatima in Lucia's own words (15th edition). Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD, editor. Secretariado Dos Pastorinhos, Fatima, Portugal. pages 174-176. </ref>

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady told the children: "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times especially whenever you make a sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for the love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."<ref>ibid. page 178.</ref> As she spoke those last words, she opened her hands and pointed to an opening in the ground. The children saw a vision of hell where demons and souls in human form, burned like embers and shrieked with pain and despair. Our Lady told them: "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart."<ref>ibid</ref>"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of [[Russia]] to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.<ref>Letter from Sister Lucia dos Santos, transcribed by Rev. Fr. José Bernrdo Gonçalves, S.J. June 13, 1929.</ref> If my request are heeded, [[Russia]] will be converted and there will be peace.<ref>Letter from Sister Lucia dos Santos, transcribed by Rev. Fr. José Bernrdo Gonçalves, S.J. June 13, 1929.</ref> If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate [[Russia]] to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.<ref>Fatima in Lucia's own words (15th edition). Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD, editor. Secretariado Dos Pastorinhos, Fatima, Portugal. pages 179.</ref> When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need."<ref>ibid</ref>

The children faced much ridicule from their parents, the townspeople and even faced arrest and intimidation from the local authorities. However, increasing numbers of people did believe and accompanied them on their journeys to the Cova da Iria when they received the apparitions. Our Lady promised the children that on the 13th of October, she would perform a miracle for those who did not believe.

On October 13th, 1917, a crowd of people gathered with Lucia, Francisco and Lucia in the rainy field. Our Lady told the children that she wanted a chapel to be built on the site in her honor; she called herself the Lady of the Rosary. She asked them to continue to pray the [[Rosary]] every day. "The war is going to end," she told them, "and the soldiers will soon return to their homes.'<ref>ibid. page 182.</ref> Our Lady departed from the children and Lucia told the crowd to look at the sun. The people gathered in the Cova da Iria saw the sun turn into a huge silver disk. It spun like a wheel of fire, then rotated, casting hues of color onto the crowd below. Then, the sun fell from its orbit toward the earth, causing many people to make acts of contrition, thinking it was the end of the world. The sun though retracted and left the rain-soaked crowd dry and many of those who had arrived with infirmities, cured.<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 31. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> ''O Seculo'', a free-thinking newspaper would report, "...the sun has trembled...unprecedented and outside of all cosmic laws - the sun has danced..."<ref>O Seculo. October 15, 1917.</ref>

Francisco died on April 4th, 1919 from bronchial influenza<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 34. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> and Jacinta died February 20th, 1920 following complications from pleurisy.<ref>ibid. page 39.</ref> Lucia became a nun and continued to receive apparitions from Our Lady and Jesus. She lived to be 97 and passed away on February 13, 2005 at the Carmelite Convent in Coimbra, [[Portugal]].<ref>http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=35248</ref>

Today, Fatima is one of the world's most visited Marian sites. The site of the apparitions of Our Lady in the Cova da Iria is now called the Capelinha. During the evenings, the [[Rosary]] is said by visiting pilgrims from all over the world and a candlelight procession in the esplanade follows.

==References==

<references/>

Fatima

2008-01-29T03:28:07Z

Andrewdunn:

Fatima is a town in central Portugal, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year, honoring the Virgin Mary. The sanctuary of Fatima features a Neo-Baroque limestone basilica and an esplanade twice the size of St. Peter's Square in Rome<ref>Eyewitness travel guides: Portugal, first American edition. Ferdie McDonald (editor). page 184. DK Publishing. 1997.</ref>

In the spring of 1916, three shepherd children: Lucia dos Santos, age nine and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, ages eight and six, were tending their sheep on a patch of land called the Cabeco. While they were playing a game of pebbles, a strong wind moved through, revealing a transparent figure of a young man hovering over the olive trees. The young man said to them: "Do not be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 3. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> The angel knelt on the ground and asked the children to repeat after him: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You." After repeating the prayer three times, he arose and before he departed, he told the children: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."<ref>ibid. page 4.</ref>

The children were silent about the apparition but for awhile, prayed the Angel's prayer regularly. By the summer of 1916, they had begun to pray less. One day while playing by a well, the Angel appeared again and asked what they were doing? He told them that the most holy hearts of Jesus and Mary had designs of mercy for them. They were to offer prayers and sacrifices to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He was most offended and, to accept and bear with submission the suffering the Lord would send them.<ref>ibid. pages 4-5.</ref>

The third and final appearance of the Angel came in the fall of 1916. Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta were in the Cabeco, praying the Angel's prayer when he appeared to them, holding a chalice in his hands with a Host above it, from which drops of Blood fell into the chalice. This time, he instructed the children to say: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."<ref>ibid. page 5.</ref> The angel then gave the Host to Lucia and the Blood to Jacinta and Francisco.

On Sunday, May 13, 1917, the children were tending their sheep in another patch of land called the Cova da Iria. Seeing what they thought was a flash of lightning, they started to return home when they noticed a Lady, radiantly dressed in white, hovering over a small holmoak tree. She told them not to be afraid, that she was from Heaven and wanted them to come to the Cova da Iria for six months in succession on the 13th day. She asked the children to pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world and an end to the first world war, which was taking place at the time.<ref>Fatima in Lucia's own words (15th edition). Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD, editor. Secretariado Dos Pastorinhos, Fatima, Portugal. pages 174-176. </ref>

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady told the children: "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times especially whenever you make a sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for the love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."<ref>ibid. page 178.</ref> As she spoke those last words, she opened her hands and pointed to an opening in the ground. The children saw a vision of hell where demons and souls in human form, burned like embers and shrieked with pain and despair. Our Lady told them: "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart."<ref>ibid</ref>"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.<ref>Letter from Sister Lucia dos Santos, transcribed by Rev. Fr. José Bernrdo Gonçalves, S.J. June 13, 1929.</ref> If my request are heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace.<ref>Letter from Sister Lucia dos Santos, transcribed by Rev. Fr. José Bernrdo Gonçalves, S.J. June 13, 1929.</ref> If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.<ref>Fatima in Lucia's own words (15th edition). Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD, editor. Secretariado Dos Pastorinhos, Fatima, Portugal. pages 179.</ref> When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need."<ref>ibid</ref>

The children faced much ridicule from their parents, the townspeople and even faced arrest and intimidation from the local authorities. However, increasing numbers of people did believe and accompanied them on their journeys to the Cova da Iria when they received the apparitions. Our Lady promised the children that on the 13th of October, she would perform a miracle for those who did not believe.

On October 13th, 1917, a crowd of people gathered with Lucia, Francisco and Lucia in the rainy field. Our Lady told the children that she wanted a chapel to be built on the site in her honor; she called herself the Lady of the Rosary. She asked them to continue to pray the Rosary every day. "The war is going to end," she told them, "and the soldiers will soon return to their homes.'<ref>ibid. page 182.</ref> Our Lady departed from the children and Lucia told the crowd to look at the sun. The people gathered in the Cova da Iria saw the sun turn into a huge silver disk. It spun like a wheel of fire, then rotated, casting hues of color onto the crowd below. Then, the sun fell from its orbit toward the earth, causing many people to make acts of contrition, thinking it was the end of the world. The sun though retracted and left the rain-soaked crowd dry and many of those who had arrived with infirmities, cured.<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 31. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> ''O Seculo'', a free-thinking newspaper would report, "...the sun has trembled...unprecedented and outside of al cosmic laws - the sun has danced..."<ref>O Seculo. October 15, 1917.</ref>

Francisco died on April 4th, 1919 from bronchial influenza<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 34. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> and Jacinta died February 20th, 1920 following complications from pleurisy.<ref>ibid. page 39.</ref> Lucia became a nun and continued to receive apparitions from Our Lady and Jesus. She lived to be 97 and passed away on February 13, 2005 at the Carmelite Convent in Coimbra, Portugal.<ref>http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=35248</ref>

Today, Fatima is one of the world's most visited Marian sites. The site of the apparitions of Our Lady in the Cova da Iria is now called the Capelinha. During the evenings, the Rosary is said by visiting pilgrims from all over the world and a candlelight procession in the esplanade follows.

==References==

<references/>

Fatima

2008-01-29T02:12:02Z

Andrewdunn: New page: Fatima is a town in central Portugal, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year, honoring the Virgin Mary. The sanctuary of Fatima features a Neo-Baroque limestone basilica and an esplana...

Fatima is a town in central Portugal, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year, honoring the Virgin Mary. The sanctuary of Fatima features a Neo-Baroque limestone basilica and an esplanade twice the size of St. Peter's Square in Rome<ref>Eyewitness travel guides: Portugal, first American edition. Ferdie McDonald (editor). page 184. DK Publishing. 1997.</ref>

In the spring of 1916, three shepherd children: Lucia dos Santos, age nine and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, ages eight and six, were tending their sheep on a patch of land called the Cabeco. While they were playing a game of pebbles, a strong wind moved through, revealing a transparent figure of a young man hovering over the olive trees. The young man said to them: "Do not be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 3. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> The angel knelt on the ground and asked the children to repeat after him: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You." After repeating the prayer three times, he arose and before he departed, he told the children: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."<ref>ibid. page 4.</ref>

The children were silent about the apparition but for awhile, prayed the Angel's prayer regularly. By the summer of 1916, they had begun to pray less. One day while playing by a well, the Angel appeared again and asked what they were doing? He told them that the most holy hearts of Jesus and Mary had designs of mercy for them. They were to offer prayers and sacrifices to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He was most offended and, to accept and bear with submission the suffering the Lord would send them.<ref>ibid. pages 4-5.</ref>

The third and final appearance of the Angel came in the fall of 1916. Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta were in the Cabeco, praying the Angel's prayer when he appeared to them, holding a chalice in his hands with a Host above it, from which drops of Blood fell into the chalice. This time, he instructed the children to say: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."<ref>ibid. page 5.</ref> The angel then gave the Host to Lucia and the Blood to Jacinta and Francisco.

On Sunday, May 13, 1917, the children were tending their sheep in another patch of land called the Cova da Iria. Seeing what they thought was a flash of lightning, they started to return home when they noticed a Lady, radiantly dressed in white, hovering over a small holmoak tree. She told them not to be afraid, that she was from Heaven and wanted them to come to the Cova da Iria for six months in succession on the 13th day. She asked the children to pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world and an end to the first world war, which was taking place at the time.<ref>Fatima in Lucia's own words (15th edition). Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD, editor. Secretariado Dos Pastorinhos, Fatima, Portugal. pages 174-176. </ref>

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady told the children: "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times especially whenever you make a sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for the love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."<ref>ibid. page 178.</ref> As she spoke those last words, she opened her hands and pointed to an opening in the ground. The children say a vision of hell where demons and souls in human form, burned like embers and shrieked with pain and despair. Our Lady told them: "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart."<ref>ibid</ref>"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.<ref>Letter from Sister Lucia dos Santos, transcribed by Rev. Fr. José Bernrdo Gonçalves, S.J. June 13, 1929.</ref> If my request are heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace.<ref>Letter from Sister Lucia dos Santos, transcribed by Rev. Fr. José Bernrdo Gonçalves, S.J. June 13, 1929.</ref> If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.<ref>Fatima in Lucia's own words (15th edition). Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD, editor. Secretariado Dos Pastorinhos, Fatima, Portugal. pages 179.</ref> When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need."<ref>ibid</ref>

The children faced much ridicule from their parents, the townspeople and even faced arrest and intimidation from the local authorities. However, increasing numbers of people did believe and accompanied them on their journeys to the Cova da Iria when they received the apparitions. Our Lady promised the children that on the 13th of October, she would perform a miracle for those who did not believe.

On October 13th, 1917, a crowd of people gathered with Lucia, Francisco and Lucia in the rainy field. Our Lady told the children that she wanted a chapel to be built on the site in her honor; she called herself the Lady of the Rosary. She asked them to continue to pray the Rosary every day. "The war is going to end," she told them, "and the soldiers will soon return to their homes.'<ref>ibid. page 182.</ref> Our Lady departed from the children and Lucia told the crowd to look at the sun. The people gathered in the Cova da Iria saw the sun turn into a huge silver disk. It spun like a wheel of fire, then rotated, casting hues of color onto the crowd below. Then, the sun fell from its orbit toward the earth, causing many people to make acts of contrition, thinking it was the end of the world. The sun though retracted and left the rain-soaked crowd dry and many of those who had arrived with infirmities, cured.<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 31. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> ''O Seculo'', a free-thinking newspaper would report, "...the sun has trembled...unprecedented and outside of al cosmic laws - the sun has danced..."<ref>O Seculo. October 15, 1917.</ref>

Francisco died on April 4th, 1919 from bronchial influenza<ref>Our Lady Comes to Fatima. page 34. Leaflet Missal Company. 1987.</ref> and Jacinta died February 20th, 1920 following complications from pleurisy.<ref>ibid. page 39.</ref> Lucia became a nun and continued to receive apparitions from Our Lady and Jesus. She lived to be 97 and passed away on February 13, 2005 at the Carmelite Convent in Coimbra, Portugal.<ref>http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=35248</ref>

Today, Fatima is one of the world's most visited Marian sites. The site of the apparitions of Our Lady in the Cova da Iria is now called the Capelinha. During the evenings, the Rosary is said by visiting pilgrims from all over the world and a candlelight procession in the esplanade follows.