The statue of Madonna of Fatima is pictured at the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fatima’s Sanctuary on May 12, 2010.. Up to 500,000 are expected to attend the mass in the sanctuary’s esplanade early Thursday, when Benedict will mark the 93rd anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s apparitions to three shepherd children. The incident in 1917 led to the founding of the shrine, one of Christianity’s most popular. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)
