A Cross That Continues the Jubilee: Hope Cast in Bronze

In May 2025, the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fátima received a new cross that silently continues the spirit of the Jubilee of Hope. Cast in bronze and standing 2.6 meters high, it was discreetly placed behind the altar, uniting liturgical sobriety with profound symbolic meaning.

The body of Christ is gently inclined, His gaze fixed on the statue of Our Lady of Fátima. This detail expresses more than artistic sensitivity — it reflects a mystery: the Son looking to the Mother, entrusting the Church to her once more. His right hand is extended toward Mary, open in trust and offering. His left hand is closed, revealing the weight of suffering.

Both hands are nailed into a golden circle, symbol of eternity, divine holiness, and the Eucharist. It recalls the consecrated host and reminds us that the sacrifice of the cross is renewed at every altar. Christ’s feet, however, are nailed outside the circle — a powerful sign of His full humanity, the God who walks with us and embraces our pain.

This cross does not inaugurate a new moment — it makes visible the continuity of the Jubilee. It invites pilgrims to lift their eyes, open their hearts, and contemplate the mystery of redemptive love. At the altar of the Chapel, faith, silence, and presence come together in this bronze expression of hope.

In an age of fatigue and uncertainty, this cross rises as a response to spiritual thirst — not as a burden, but as a light; not as an end, but as a way. It stands in Fátima as a reminder that hope is not abstract, but incarnate — offered, lifted up, and shared.

Photo: courtesy of the Shrine of Fátima