The Apostolic Nuncio travelled to Fatima to entrust his new mission to Our Lady

The Apostolic Nuncio travelled to Fatima to entrust his new mission to Our Lady

Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso celebrated Mass and then travelled to Leiria, where he met those affected by Storm Kristin.

The Holy See’s new representative in Portugal, Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso, officially took up his diplomatic duties on 9 February, the day on which he received his credentials from the President of the Republic. The following day, Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa travelled to Fatima to pray, to stand alongside those who had suffered most from Storm Kristin, and to entrust his mission to Our Lady of Fatima.

“My intention was simply to pray before Our Lady and to celebrate Mass. I also wanted to come to join in the Pope’s message, to pray for the deceased, to pray for the affected families, for the injured, for those affected by the disaster, for the people who have been so badly affected… And I come to do this at the feet of Our Lady, who knows us, who understands what her children are going through, who waits for us, who listens to us, who is our consolation and our hope,” said Bishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso in the homily he delivered during the Mass he presided over at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima, recalling the message of closeness that the Pope addressed to the victims of the storm in the days that followed.

At Cova da Iria, the Vatican’s new diplomatic representative also came to place his mission as the Pope’s representative in Portugal under the protection of Our Lady.

“I wished to present myself before the Mother as a son, to explain to her the whole situation we are experiencing these days, but also to share with her my new mission, in which Pope Leo has sent me as his representative to Portugal, which is for me a joy and an honour,” declared the Holy See’s new Apostolic Nuncio to our country.

Drawing on today’s readings, Bishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso warned against the trap of “external formalism” at the expense of a deep faith, which is the expression of God’s love through love for one’s neighbour, and in particular for those who suffer.

“After this celebration, I shall go to Leiria to be with those who are suffering, for they too are the presence of God… 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Let us not forget that love of God, and love and devotion to Our Lady, must always be united with love for one’s neighbour, especially for those who suffer,” the Apostolic Nuncio reminded us.

The Pope “wishes to visit Fatima”

In an interview with the Ecclesia news agency, the new Apostolic Nuncio expressed his desire to visit Leiria and Fatima today, after Storm Kristin ravaged the region.

“The Pope has already sent a message and spoke of it again during Sunday’s Angelus. It is close to his heart. I have already told the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima that, the day after the presentation of my letter of credence, I wish to visit the places most affected by this situation, in order to convey the Pope’s affection and prayers,” announced Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso during the interview.

His visit to the Leiria region and the Shrine of Fatima was therefore his first official act after receiving his letter of credence from the President of the Republic, which formalised his appointment as the Holy See’s ambassador to Portugal.

During the interview, the new Apostolic Nuncio also mentioned Pope Leo XIV’s intention to visit Fatima.

“He has already mentioned the word Fatima. He himself said: ‘I don’t know when we will be able to do so. The Pope’s travels depend on so many things…’ But it is clear that he wishes to visit Fatima,” said the Holy See’s diplomatic representative.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso as Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal on 11 December 2025. The Holy See’s new diplomatic representative arrived in Lisbon a week ago. Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso has served as the Holy See’s ambassador to Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Panama and Ecuador.

The new Apostolic Nuncio is Spanish, born in Cuenca, aged 70, and began his diplomatic career in the service of the Holy See in 1985. He succeeds Archbishop Ivo Scapolo, who held the post of Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal from 2019 to May 2025.