On May 13, 2023, Pope Francis expressed his sadness at Portugal's development in euthanasia law. He went on to remark that we are learning about this on the day when we remember the Virgin Mary's apparitions to the children in Fatima. The nation where the Virgin appeared is adding its name to the growing list of nations that practice euthanasia by passing a law that allows killing. He then urged everyone to regard the Virgin Mary as a representation of the ideal woman, one who lives completely a gift and a task: the gift of motherhood and the duty of raising her children in the Church.

Pope Francis delivered an address on May 13, 2023, to attendees of the general assembly of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations, which would take place in Assisi from May 14 to May 20. In his address, he voiced his concern over the fact that Portugal is pushing forward with its euthanasia bill on the same day that we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

A few months before his anticipated trip to Portugal for World Youth Day, which will take place in Lisbon from August 1 to 6, Pope Francis commented on the decision in the Portuguese Parliament the day before.

The Argentine Pontiff may visit Fatima again on the WYD trip. He already went there in May 2017 to mark the centennial of the apparitions, and his secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is currently there this weekend.

The Pope's direct criticism of the euthanasia law may have an impact on the planning of his second trip to this nation, which was once regarded as a Catholic stronghold but has recently undergone extremely rapid societal change.

The same-sex marriage statute, which Portugal's socialist government enacted in January of that year, three years before France, was not put into effect until after Benedict XVI's visited the nation.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal has consistently opposed the legalization of euthanasia even though it has been a major political issue in the country for several years.

But due to constitutional restrictions, he sent the authority to approve Decree 43/XV on medically assisted death to Parliament last April. On May 12, passed the decree.

This marked the sixth attempt by Parliament to pass the bill in five years. The law was rejected the first time it was brought up in Parliament; the second time, it was adopted before being struck down by the Constitutional Court. It was adopted the third and fourth times, under successive governments, but the President rejected it.

Portugal has now joined the list of countries that have legalized assisted suicide or euthanasia in some capacity, along with Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada, and New Zealand. It is now allowed in some Australian and American states as well. Whether the Portuguese law enters into force remains unclear.

Pope Francis has frequently voiced his vehement opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide, decrying it as a result of the "throw-away culture" and exclusion of the sick and aged from the full range of life in society. He has stated that the motivation for euthanasia disappears when there is adequate treatment and that it is all about money.

Significance of woman
Pope Francis emphasized the significance of recognizing women in social life in his speech to the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO).

He asserted that the world today urgently needs peace, a peace that starts within the heart. He continued by noting how women's anthropological identities are in peril due to their usage as tools, as the focus of political debates, and as objects of cultural ideas that downplay their inherent beauty. He also stated that men need to comprehend the depth of the reciprocity they get from women, and women need to have a stronger understanding of their ability for relationships and giving.

Pope Francis invited us to consider Mary while pointing out the Our Lady of Fatima liturgical memorial. Mary teaches us to always create and defend life while merging three languages: the language of the head, the language of the heart, and the language of the hands, all of which must be synchronized.

He then returned to the Fatima episode, reminding us that in the middle of the fields' calm and solitude, a good woman full of light met the poor, innocent children. And like all of God's great works, this incident too is marked by poverty and humility. Those shepherd children are a representation of how we all feel when confronted with life's unexpected circumstances that sometimes leave us in a crisis and leave us feeling helpless, little, confused, and even scared.

The love of God and remaining connected to him, like the branches of the vine (cf. Jn 15:1-11), to live like Mary - the fullness of being women with the awareness of feeling chosen and agents in God's salvific work - is the secret of all discipleship, according to Pope Francis, and the key to being ready for the mission. But this is insufficient on its own. To aid each person in developing their faith, this inward relationship with Jesus must externalize. We must "pray" through action and put prayer "to work."