Oh, Steve, you're going to lead me to damnation now. Here are photos I took in the gift shop at the shrine in Fatima:

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I suppose I should be more compassionate toward those who take such things seriously, but I had a grand time taking tacky photos of tacky statues in tacky displays.

The Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to three teenagers in Fatima (note the Morish name) in the hills of northern Portugal, 6 times from May to October, 1917. The Virgin left the children with a decidedly anti-Communist message in three "secrets" that were released over the years until the time of Pope John Paul II. And the shrine was built, and stimulated the economy of the entire area. There's a procession every night, led by a soldier carrying a neon cross, and then there's the Blessed Sacrament about 2/3 of the way back in the procession, sheltered by a canopy held aloft by soldiers in uniform (did I mention that Portugal was fascist for a significant part of the 20th century?). Now, I have to admit that the grounds of the shrine are beautiful and that it means a lot to many people, but I was taken aback by the tackiness and the militarism.

Enjoy the photos.

-Joe-