Lucia,
Francisco and Jacinta Fatima, Portugal 1917
Feastday – Fatima 13th October
Lucia.
Born 1907
Died 2005
Lucia Dos Santos was baptized in the Parish
Church of Fatima. Her parents were Maria Rosa and Antonio Dos Santos, residents
with Aljustrel, a hamlet pertaining to the Parish of Fatima. Lucia had a
cherished childhood being the last of 7 children, however she did not miss
sorrows or family misfortunes courageously overcome by her exemplary mother.
From 1917 shewas accompanied almost exclusively by her cousins Francisco &
Jacinta Marto. Between May 13th and August 13th 1917 The Blessed Virgin Mary
appeared six times to these 3 shepherd children near the town of Fatima. Lucia
was the only one who spoke to Our Lady and requested favours on behalf of many
people and also requested a Miracle so that all would believe, In 1928 Lucia
became Sister of Saint Dorothy and entered the Convent of the Carmelite Sisters
of Coimbra where she still resides at the age of 90.
Francisco Martos
Born 1908
Died 1919
Older brother of Jacinta Martos and first
cousin of Lucia Dos Santos. At the time of the Apparitions, he was 9 years old.
Unlike his two companions he saw The Angel and The Blessed Virgin, but was not
permitted to hear what was said. In October 1918, Francisco became very ill but
continued to offer constant Sacrifices to console Jesus offended by so many
sins. He died on April 4th 1919 without any sign of suffering.
Jacinta Martos
Born 1910
Died 1920
At the time of The Apparitions she was 7
years old the youngest of the seers. She saw and heard everything, but didn’t
speak to The Angel or The Mother of God. After much sacrifice and pain for the
conversion of sinners, Jacinta died of tuberculosis on February 20th 1920.
Contents
1. The Circumstances and Dialogue of the 1916 Apparitions
2. The Circumstances
and Dialogue of the 1917 Apparitions
3. The Three Prophecies of Fatima (as officially published by Rome)
4. Private visions of Sister Lucy (since 1917)
5. Summary of the Controversy of the 3rd Secret of Fatima NEW!
A Must Read!
1. Circumstances and Dialogue of the 1916
Apparitions
By The Fatima Network (http://www.fatima.org/essentials/facts/1916appar.asp)
In the spring of 1916, three young
Portuguese shepherds, Lucy dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta
Marto, led their sheep to graze on a hill called the Cabeço. Rain began to
fall, so the children found a place on the hillside to serve as a shelter. Even
after the rain had passed and the sun had returned, the little shepherds spent
the day at this spot, eating lunch, saying the Rosary and playing games. Lucy
was then only nine years old, Francisco was eight, and Jacinta was six.
As they were playing, a strong wind
suddenly blew, shaking the trees, and the children saw a figure approaching
above the olive trees. Lucy described the figure as having “the appearance of a
young man of fourteen or fifteen, whiter than snow, which the sun rendered
transparent as if it were of crystal, and of great beauty. We were surprised
and half absorbed. We did not say a word.
“While coming closer to us, the Angel said:
‘Do not fear! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.’ And kneeling on the
earth, he bent his forehead to the ground. Prompted by a supernatural movement,
we imitated him and repeated the words which we heard him pronounce: ‘My God, I
believe in Thee, I adore Thee, I hope in Thee and I love Thee. I ask pardon for
all those who do not believe in Thee, do not adore Thee, do not hope in Thee
and do not love Thee.’
“Having repeated that prayer three times, he
got up again and said to us: ‘Pray in this way. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary
are attentive to the voice of your supplications.’ And he disappeared.”
Lucy recalled, “The supernatural atmosphere
which enveloped us was so intense that, during a long moment, we barely
realized the fact of our own existence. We remained in the position in which
the Angel had left us, always repeating the same prayer. The presence of God
made itself felt in such an intense and intimate manner, that we did not dare
even to speak any longer among ourselves. The next day, we still felt our
spirit enveloped in this atmosphere which only disappeared very slowly.”
The Angel of Peace had come to speak to the
children, to infuse them with this extraordinary grace through which they were
penetrated with the Divine Presence, and to demonstrate to them the attitude,
posture and fervor with which to pray to God. Interestingly, during the
apparition Francisco could not hear the words of the Angel, and had to be told
what was said afterward; this would be the case for all of the other
apparitions as well. After some time the three little shepherds recovered their
physical strength and playfulness.
The second apparition of the Angel took
place during the summer of 1916. While the children were playing around their
favourite well, the Angel suddenly appeared. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Pray, pray a great deal! The Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of
mercy on you. Offer unceasingly prayers and sacrifice yourselves to the Most
High.”
Lucy asked the Angel how they were to make
sacrifices. The Angel replied, “Make of everything you can a sacrifice and
offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended,
and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. In this way, you will draw
peace upon your country. I am its Guardian Angel, the Angel of Portugal. Above
all, accept and bear with submission the sufferings which the Lord will send
you.”
Lucy comments, “Those words of the Angel
engraved themselves in our spirit, as a light which made us understand Who God
is, how much He loves us and wants to be loved by us, the value of sacrifice
and how pleasing it is to Him, and that out of respect for it, God converts
sinners.” The dominant theme in this second apparition of the Angel was the
importance of making offerings to God through every possible action and
sacrifice, even the smallest, and of making the offerings with special
intentions, especially for the conversion of sinners.
In the autumn of the same year, the
children took their sheep to the same place where the first apparition took
place. There in the blessed place of the Cabeço, they were reciting the prayer
the Angel had taught them when above them an unknown light appeared. Lucy
relates, “We got up again to see what was happening, and we saw the Angel
again, who had in his left hand a Chalice over which was suspended a Host, from
which some drops of Blood fell into the Chalice.”
Leaving the Chalice and the Host suspended
in the air, he prostrated himself down to the earth near the children and
repeated three times this prayer:
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood,
Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in the tabernacles of the world, in
reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He, Himself
is offended. And I draw upon the infinite merits of the Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, that You might convert poor sinners.
Then, getting up, the Angel took the
Chalice and Host. He gave Lucy the Sacred Host on the tongue. Then while giving
the Precious Blood from the Chalice to Francisco and Jacinta, he said:
“Eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus
Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes
and console your God.” Then, prostrating himself on the ground he repeated with
the children three times the same prayer: Most Holy Trinity, etc., and
disappeared.
This final apparition of the Angel was
clearly the summit of the three, as the children were graced to see the
Precious Blood of Our Lord fall from the Sacred Host into the Chalice, and then
receive Holy Communion from the hands of the Angel.
Again, the need for converting poor sinners
was a theme in this final apparition of the Angel. The prayer repeated by the
Angel demonstrates that through our prayers, united with the infinite merits of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, sinners can be
converted. Our prayers and sacrifices alone amount to very little; but when
they are united to the merits of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, they become
infinitely valuable. Also emphasized was the need for reparation for the sins
committed against God, by which He is constantly hurt and seeking consolation.
In addition, the way the children received Holy Communion is particularly
instructive for our time: they received Communion in the kneeling position, and
the Sacred Host was given on the tongue.
The appearance of the Angel of Peace to
three little Portuguese shepherds was a preparation for the signal grace that
was about to be bestowed upon them: the appearance of the Queen of Heaven, the
Blessed Virgin Mary. The apparitions of the Angel prepared them for seeing the
Mother of God, through the transforming Divine graces the Angel showered on
them, and his instructions about prayer, sacrifice and offerings. Through his
apparitions to Lucy, Francisco and Jacinta, the Angel of Peace came to ready
them for the decisive roles they were each to play in the most important event
of the Twentieth Century, the appearance of Our Lady at Fatima.
Yet the Angel of Peace’s instructions were
not meant for the children alone. They apply to each of us, and just as they
prepared the children for the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin, they can also
serve as a preparation for our reception of Our Lady’s Fatima Message.
2.
Circumstances and Dialogue of the 1917 apparitions
By the Fatima
Network (http://www.fatima.org/essentials/facts/1917appar.asp)
May 13, 1917
By May of 1917 several months had passed since the final
apparition of the Angel to the three children. They had continued their task of
shepherding their flocks, and had resumed their former vivaciousness and
playfulness. On the thirteenth of May, after Sunday morning Mass, they chose to
lead their sheep to a property of Lucy’s parents called Cova da Iria. After
eating their meal at noon and praying the Rosary, the children began to play.
Suddenly they saw a kind of lightning, making them believe that a storm was
approaching, and they began to descend the hill to make for home. When about
halfway down the slope there was another flash of light, and a Lady appeared
above a holm-oak tree. Lucy says that the Lady was “all dressed in white, more
brilliant than the sun, radiating a light clearer and more intense than a
crystal glass filled with clear water pierced by the most burning rays of the
sun.” The children stopped and found themselves in the light that emanated from
Her. Lucy describes the apparition in this way:
Then Our Lady said to us: ‘Do
not be afraid. I will do you no harm.’
‘Where is Your Grace from?’ I
asked Her.
‘I am of Heaven.’
‘What does Your Grace want of
me?’
‘I have come to ask you to come
here for six months in succession, on the 13th day, at this same
hour. Later on, I will tell you who I am and what I want. Afterwards, I will
return here yet a seventh time.’
‘Shall I go to Heaven too?’
‘Yes, you will.’
‘And Jacinta?’
‘Also.’
‘And Francisco?’
‘Also, but he will have to say
many Rosaries.’
I remembered then to ask about
two girls who had died recently. They were friends of mine and they used to
come to my home to learn weaving with my eldest sister.
‘Is Maria das Neves already in
Heaven?’
‘Yes, she is.’
It seems to me that she was
about sixteen years old.
‘And Amelia?’
‘She will be in Purgatory until
the end of the world.’
It seems to me that she must
have been between eighteen and twenty years old.
‘Are you willing to offer
yourselves to God to bear all the sufferings He wants to send you, as an act of
reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and for the conversion of
sinners?’
‘Yes, we are willing.’
‘You are then going to have much
to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort.’
It was in pronouncing those last words (the grace of God, etc.)
that Our Lady opened Her hands for the first time, and communicated to us, as
by a reflection which emanated from them, a light so intense that, penetrating
our heart and even to the depths of our soul, it made us see ourselves in God,
Who was this light, more clearly than we see ourselves in the best mirrors.
Then, moved by an interior impulse which was communicated to us,
we fell on our knees and said repeatedly: ‘O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee.
My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Holy Sacrament.’ The first moments
passed, and Our Lady added:
‘Recite the Rosary every day in
order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.’
‘Can You tell me whether the war
will still last a long time, or if it will soon end?’
‘I cannot tell you yet, as I
have not yet told you what I want.’
Then She began to rise serenely,
going up towards the east until She disappeared in the immensity of the sky.
During the apparitions, each child’s part was distinct: Lucy was
the only one who spoke to Our Lady; Jacinta saw and heard Her but did not
speak; and Francisco saw Her but could not hear Her, and had to be told
afterward what She said. In the Divine light that had shone forth from Our
Lady’s hands in this apparition, the most profound impression the children
received, especially Francisco, was the sadness of God. In fact, consoling the
sadness of God would afterward become Francisco’s particular vocation. The
children understood that God is very much offended by the sins of humanity.
Another important theme that would be reaffirmed in each apparition was the
necessity and power of the Rosary. Our Lady always held a Rosary in Her hands
when She appeared, and in each apparition reminded the children to say the
Rosary to obtain peace. Lucy explains the experience: “The apparition of Our
Lady came once again to plunge us into the supernatural, but in a much milder
manner [than the apparitions of the Angel]. Instead of this annihilation in the
Divine Presence, which prostrated us, even physically, this last apparition
left us a peace, an expansive joy which prevented us from speaking afterwards
about what had happened.” Since Our
Lady did not ask them to make known what they had been told, the children
decided that it would be best to remain silent about the apparition. Little
Jacinta, however, could not contain her joy for long and, prompted by a special
grace, immediately gave an enthusiastic account of the apparition to her
parents. As a result, the news spread quickly.
June 13, 1917
The children went to the Cova da Iria on June 13 as they had
promised Our Lady, even though it meant missing all of the festivities for the
Feast of St. Anthony, who was Patron Saint of their parish and of Portugal.
When they arrived at the Cova that morning there were already several dozen
people gathered there, mostly from the neighboring hamlets, where word of the
apparition had spread. By noon the
number of spectators had risen to about fifty. The crowd had just finished
praying the Rosary when Lucy cried out, “There is the lightning! ... Our Lady
is arriving!” The crowd saw neither the lightning nor Our Lady, but one witness
observed that “the branches of the tree gave way on all sides, as if the weight
of Our Lady had really been supported on them.” This observation demonstrates
that Our Lady was in fact physically present, in Her glorified body, and that
the children were not merely “seeing” a vision of questionable authenticity.
Others present related that they had heard something like the sound of a very
light voice, though they could not make out what was being said. Also observed
was that the bright noontime sun had dimmed considerably. Lucy gives an account of the second
apparition of Our Lady in her Fourth Memoir:
“We saw Our Lady, on the
holm-oak, just as in the month of May.
‘What does Your Grace want of
me?’ I asked.
‘I wish you to come here on the
13th of next month, to pray the Rosary every day, and to learn how to read.
Later I will tell you what I want.’
I asked for the cure of a sick
person.
‘If he is converted, he will be
cured within the year.’
‘I would like to ask You to take
us to Heaven.’
‘Yes, I will take Jacinta and
Francisco soon, but you, Lucy, are to stay here some time longer. Jesus wishes
to make use of you in order to make Me known and loved. He wishes to establish
in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To whoever embraces this
devotion, I promise salvation; those souls will be cherished by God, as flowers
placed by Me to adorn His throne.’
‘Am I to stay here alone?’ I
asked painfully.
‘No, My daughter. Are you
suffering a great deal? Do not lose heart, I will never forsake you! My
Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.’
It was at the moment when She pronounced
those last words that She opened Her hands and communicated to us, for the
second time, the reflection of that immense light. In it we saw ourselves as
submerged in God. Jacinta and Francisco appeared to be in the part of that
light which elevated itself to Heaven, and I in the part which spread itself on
the earth. In the palm of the right hand of Our Lady there was a Heart,
surrounded by thorns which seemed to pierce it. We understood that it was the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged by the sins of humanity, which demanded
reparation. Then, as Our Lady left them, the crowd heard a sound like a
firecracker in the distance. Lucy rose quickly and pointing, cried, “See, She
is going, She is going!” The crowd did not see Her, but did note a small cloud
that rose from above the tree and, moving toward the east, gradually
disappeared. The holm-oak tree, on which Our Lady had stood, had its branches
bent slightly toward the east.
In this apparition Our Lady had once again conveyed to them the
reflection of that Divine light, through which they were given a special
knowledge of and increased love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lucy writes,
“It seems to me that on that day, that reflection of light had as a principal
goal to instil in us a knowledge and a special love towards the Immaculate
Heart of Mary; in the same way as the other two times, it had that same goal,
but with respect to God and to the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Since that
day, we felt in our hearts a more ardent love for the Immaculate Heart of
Mary.”
July 13, 1917
The third apparition brought to the Cova da Iria a crowd of 5,000
people. Lucy led the Rosary and the crowd answered. At noon she rose and looked
toward the east, crying, “Close the umbrellas! Close the umbrellas! (They used
umbrellas to protect themselves from the intense noontime sun) ... Our Lady is
arriving!” The apparition then began in the usual way, with a flash of
something like lightning and the appearance of Our Lady atop the holm-oak. Lucy
relates the apparition in her memoirs:
‘What does Your Grace want of
me?’ I asked.
‘I want you to come here on the
13th of next month, to continue reciting the Rosary every day in
honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace in the world and the
end of the war, because only She can help you.’
‘I should like to ask You to
tell us who You are, and to work a miracle so that everyone will believe that
Your Grace is appearing to us.’
‘Continue to come here every
month. In October, I will say who I am and what I want, and I will perform a
miracle so that all might see and believe.’
Here I made some requests which
I do not remember. What I do remember, is that Our Lady said it was necessary
to say the Rosary in order to obtain these graces throughout the year.
Our Lady continued: ‘Sacrifice yourselves
for sinners, and say often to Jesus, especially whenever you make a sacrifice:
O Jesus, it is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in
reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.’
As
Our Lady spoke these last words, She opened Her hands once more, as She had
done during the two previous months. The rays of light seemed to penetrate the
earth, and we saw as it were a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons
and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or
burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air
by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of
smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight
or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us
and made us tremble with fear. (It must have been this sight which caused me to
cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons could be distinguished by
their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black
and transparent like burning coals. That vision lasted only a moment, thanks to
our good Mother of Heaven, Who, at the first apparition, had promised to bring
us to Heaven. Without that, I think we would have died of terror and fear.
Terrified and as if to plead for succor, we looked up at Our Lady, who said to
us, so kindly and so sadly:
‘You have seen hell where the souls of poor
sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My
Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and
there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease
offending God, a worse one will break out during the reign of Pius XI. When you
see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign
given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes by means of
war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. ‘To prevent
this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate
Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If My requests
are heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, she will
spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the
Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer,
various nations will be annihilated. In the end, My Immaculate Heart will
triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be
converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. In Portugal, the
dogma of the Faith will always be preserved, etc. Do not tell this to anybody.
Francisco, yes, you may tell him.”
‘When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need.’
After this, there was a moment
of silence, and then I asked, ‘Is there anything more that you want of me?’
‘No, I do not want anything more
of you today.’
Then, as before, Our Lady began
to ascend towards the east, until She finally disappeared.
In the cycle of the apparitions, the apparition of July 13 is
decidedly the most important. It was in this third apparition of Our Lady that
the Secret was given to the seers. Also, the announcement of the October
miracle was made for the first time, clearly indicating its date, time and
place. Our Lady would reiterate the coming miracle in the August and September
apparitions as well.
August 13 & 19, 1917
On August 13, between 10,000 and 20,000 people gathered at the
Cova da Iria to await the arrival of Our Lady. The three little seers, however,
were not present. The administrator of the district, Artur de Oliveira Santos,
a prominent Freemason, had imprisoned the children on August 13, and for two
days he used many means, including the threat of boiling them in oil, to pry
from them either the Secret itself, or a confession that they were lying.
Courageously the children refused to betray their confidence and remained
steadfast under every tactic used. In fact, believing that they were soon to be
killed, they were full of joy at the thought of soon being in Heaven. This
willingness to suffer martyrdom is another proof of the truthfulness of the
Message. Realizing that he was getting nowhere, after two days the
administrator released the children. While the seers were being held on August
13, Our Lady still came to the Cova da Iria and manifested Her presence to the
large crowd. One faithful woman described the scene: The clap of thunder was
more or less similar to that of the preceding time. Some say that it came from
the road, others from the holm-oak …. It seemed to me that it came from very
far. Everyone kept quiet, frightened .... At the clap of thunder there followed
lightning, and at once we began to notice a small cloud, very pretty, white in
color, very light, which hovered some moments over the holm-oak, then rose
towards the sky, and disappeared in the atmosphere. While looking around us, we
observed a strange thing, which we had already seen the previous time, and
which we were going to see again in the future. The faces of the people had all
the colors of the rainbow: pink, red, blue ... The trees did not appear to have
branches and leaves but only flowers; everything seemed laden with flowers, and
every leaf appeared to be a flower. The ground was covered with squares of
different colors. Clothes were also of every color of the rainbow.
On the afternoon of August 19, Lucy and Francisco, accompanied by
Francisco’s older brother John, went to put their sheep to pasture. This is the
account that Sister Lucy gave of what occurred: I felt that something
supernatural was approaching and enveloping us. Suspecting that Our Lady was
going to appear to us, and feeling sorry that Jacinta would not be there to see
Her, we asked her brother John to go and get her. However John wished to stay
and see Our Lady. Lucy, therefore, gave John one coin to fetch Jacinta, and
promised him another when he brought her back. While he ran to get her, Lucy
and Francisco saw the characteristic flash of light, and just as Jacinta
arrived, Our Lady appeared above a holm-oak tree. Lucy’s account continues:
[Lucy asked:] ‘What does Your
Grace want from me?’
‘I want you to continue going to
the Cova da Iria on the 13th, that you continue praying the Rosary every
day. On the last month, I will perform a miracle so that all may believe. If
they had not taken you to the town, the miracle would have been greater. Saint
Joseph will come with the Child Jesus, to give peace to the world. Our Lord
will come to bless the people. Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Sorrows
will come also.’
‘What do you want them to do
with the money the people leave at the Cova da Iria?’
‘Have two litters made. You will
carry one with Jacinta and two other girls dressed in white; the other one
Francisco is to carry, with three boys, like him, dressed in white. It will be
for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. What is left over will help towards
the construction of a chapel that is to be built.’
‘I should like to ask you to
cure some sick persons.’
‘Yes, I will cure some of them
during the year.’
Then looking more sad, Our Lady
said: ‘Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go
to Hell because they have no one to make sacrifices and pray for them.’
As usual, Our Lady began to
ascend towards the east.
After the apparition of August
19, the three children looked for ways to make more sacrifices to offer to
Jesus, “for His love, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the
offences against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Lucy describes one example:
Some days after [the apparition of August 19], we were following a path
with our sheep and I found a piece of rope which had fallen from a cart. I took
it and amused myself by attaching it to one of my arms. I did not take long to
notice that the rope hurt me. I then said to my cousins: ‘Look, that hurts! We
could attach it around our waist and offer this sacrifice to God.’ The poor
children accepted my idea immediately and we then decided to share that rope
among the three of us. A sharp stone, rubbing on another, served as a knife.
Whether because of the size and roughness of the rope, or because sometimes we
squeezed it too much, that instrument made us suffer horribly. Sometimes
Jacinta shed some tears because of the discomfort which the rope caused her. I
told her on several occasions to take it off, and she replied, ‘No! I want to
offer this sacrifice to Our Lord in reparation and for the conversion of
sinners.’
September 13, 1917
On September 13 as many as thirty thousand people gathered at the
Cova da Iria. While waiting for noon to arrive, Lucy led the Rosary for the
crowd. At noon, a certain phenomenon announced the arrival of Our Lady to many
in the crowd. As one witness relates, The sky was blue, without any clouds. I
also looked up, and began to scrutinize the immensity of the firmament, to see
what other eyes, more fortunate than mine, had already contemplated. To my
great astonishment, I then saw, clearly and distinctly, a luminous globe, traveling
from the east to the west, and gliding slowly and majestically in space …
Suddenly the globe, with its extraordinary light, disappeared from our eyes.
The light of the sun then dimmed, and the atmosphere became a yellow-gold
colour, like it had during the former apparitions. Some reported that they
could see the stars, the sky had darkened to such an extent.
Lucy then spoke to Our Lady,
asking, “What does Your Grace want of me?”
‘Continue to pray the Rosary in
order to obtain the end of the war. In October, Our Lord will come as well as
Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Saint Joseph will appear
with the Child Jesus in order to bless the world. God is satisfied with your
sacrifices, but He does not want you to sleep with the rope. Wear it only
during the day.’
‘There is a little girl here who
is a deaf-mute. Would not Your Grace wish to cure her?’
Our Lady replied that a year
from now, the girl would be better.
‘I have many other requests, some for conversion, others for a cure.’
‘I shall cure some, but others
no, because Our Lord does not trust them.’
‘The people would indeed like to
have a chapel here.’
‘With half of the money received
so far, they should make litters and carry them on the Feast of Our Lady of the
Rosary; the other half can be used to build the chapel.’
Lucy then offered Her two
letters and a small flask of water with a fragrance, which had been given her
by a man of the parish of Olival. In offering them to Our Lady, she said to
Her: “They gave me that. Does Your Grace want it?”
“That is not suitable for
Heaven,” Our Lady replied. “In October I will perform the miracle so that all
may believe.”
Our Lady then ascended toward the east and disappeared as usual.
The crowd once again saw the luminous globe, which had accompanied Her upon Her
arrival, rise up toward the east and disappear.
October 13, 1917
There were about 70,000 people present at the Cova da Iria for the
October 13 apparition and Miracle of the Sun. Beginning the night before and persisting
throughout the morning of the 13th, a cold rain fell on the crowd.
The ground was muddy and the rain soaked everything. At the time when Our Lady
was due to arrive, Lucy begged the people to close their umbrellas, which they
did at once.
‘What does Your Grace want of
me?’ [Lucy asked.]
‘I want to tell you that a
chapel is to be built here in My honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. May you
continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end and the
soldiers will soon return to their homes.’
‘I had many things to ask You:
to cure some sick people, to convert some sinners, etc.’
‘Some yes, others no. They must
amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins.’
Then taking on a more sorrowful
air, Our Lady said:
‘Do not offend the Lord Our God
any more, for He is already too much offended!’
‘You want nothing more from me?’
[Lucy asked.]
‘No, I want nothing more from
you.’
“Then I do not ask anything more
of You either.”
As Our Lady ascended into
Heaven, Lucy shouted: “She is going! She is going! Look at the sun!”
The miracle announced by Our Lady then took place: the sky
abruptly cleared and the sun “danced”. The people were able to look at the
bright sun directly, without it bothering their eyes at all. A physician, Dr.
Almeida Garrett, testified: Suddenly I
heard the uproar of thousands of voices, and I saw the whole multitude spread
out in that vast space at my feet … turn their backs to that spot where, until
then, all their expectations focused, and look at the sun on the other side … I
turned around, too, toward the point commanding their gazes, and I could see
the sun, like a very clear disc, with its sharp edge, which gleamed without
hurting the sight … It could not be confused with the sun seen through a fog
(there was no fog at that moment), for it was neither veiled, nor dim. At
Fatima, it kept its light and heat, and stood out clearly in the sky, with a
sharp edge, like a large gaming table. The most astonishing thing was to be
able to stare at the solar disc for a long time, brilliant with light and heat,
without hurting the eyes, or damaging the retina.1 The testimony of
Avelino de Almeida, editor-in-chief of O Seculo, Lisbon’s anticlerical and
Masonic daily newspaper, is similar: “And then we witnessed a unique spectacle,
an incredible spectacle, unbelievable if you did not witness it. From above the
road…We see the immense crowd turn towards the sun, which appeared at its
zenith, clear of the clouds. It looked like a plate of dull silver, and it was
possible to stare at it without the least discomfort. It did not burn the eyes.
It did not blind. One might say that an eclipse had occurred.”2
Others also testified: “It shook and trembled; it seemed like a
wheel of fire.” (Maria da Capelinha)3 “The sun turned like a fire
wheel, taking on all the colors of the rainbow.” (Maria do Carmo)4
“The sun took on all the colors of the rainbow. Everything assumed those same
colors: our faces, our clothes, the earth itself.” (Maria do Carmo)5
The most terrifying aspect of the Miracle of the Sun then took place: “We suddenly heard a clamor, like a cry of
anguish of that entire crowd. The sun, in fact, keeping its rapid movement of
rotation, seemed to free itself from the firmament and, blood-red, to plunge
towards the earth, threatening to crush us with its fiery mass. Those were some
terrifying seconds.” (Dr. Almeida Garrett)6 “The sun began to dance
and, at a certain moment, it appeared to detach itself from the firmament and
to rush forward on us, like a fire wheel.” (Alfredo da Silva Santos)7
“Finally, the sun stopped and everybody breathed a sigh of relief …” (Maria da
Capelinha)8 “From those thousands of mouths I heard shouts of joy
and love to the Most Holy Virgin. And then I believed. I had the certainty of
not having been the victim of a suggestion. I had seen the sun as I would never
see it again.” (Mario Godinho, an engineer)9 Yet another astonishing
aspect of the Miracle was that all of the thousands of people, most of whom
were soaked to the bone and dirty from the mud, suddenly found that their
clothes were dry and clean. “The moment
one would least expect it, our clothes were totally dry.” (Maria do Carmo)10
“My suit dried in an instant.” (John Carreira)11 The academician
Marques da Cruz testified: This enormous multitude was drenched, for it had
rained unceasingly since dawn. But – though this may appear incredible – after
the great miracle everyone felt comfortable, and found his garments quite dry,
a subject of general wonder … The truth of this fact has been guaranteed with
the greatest sincerity by dozens and dozens of persons of absolute
trustworthiness, whom I have known intimately from childhood, and who are still
alive (1937), as well as by persons from various districts of the country who
were present.12 In one aspect, this is the most astonishing effect
of the miracle and an indisputable proof of its authenticity: The amount of
energy needed to accomplish this process of drying in a natural way and in such
a short a time, would have incinerated everyone present at the Cova at that
time. As this aspect of the miracle contradicts the laws of nature radically,
no demon could ever have achieved it.
Finally, many miracles of conversion, the greatest miracle God can
bestow, also occurred. Here are two examples: The captain of the regiment of
soldiers on the mountain that day – with orders to prevent the gathering of the
crowd – was converted instantly. Apparently so were hundreds of other
unbelievers, as their testimony will show.13 “There was an
unbeliever there who had spent the morning mocking the ‘simpletons’ who had
gone off to Fatima just to see an ordinary girl. He now seemed paralyzed, his
eyes fixed on the sun. He began to tremble from head to foot, and lifting up
his arms, fell on his knees in the mud, crying out to God.” (Father Lourenço)14
A number of other cases of cures and conversions are documented in, among
other places, the following books: Documentação Crítica de Fátima and Fatima
from the Beginning.15 The great Miracle of the Sun lasted for ten
minutes. Many more accounts of the miracle have been taken and recorded from
the masses of people present, which verify this incredible manifestation of the
authenticity of the entire Fatima Message. (For more accounts, see Chapter 1 of
The Devil’s Final Battle.)
During the Miracle of the Sun, the three children were witnessing
something else: the beautiful spectacle promised by Our Lady. Lucy writes: Our Lady having disappeared in the immensity
of the firmament, we saw, beside the sun, Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus and
Our Lady clothed in white with a blue mantle. Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus
seemed to bless the world with gestures which they made with their hands in the
form of a cross. Soon after, that apparition having ceased, I saw Our Lord and
Our Lady, Who gave me the impression of being Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lord
seemed to bless the world in the same manner as Saint Joseph. That apparition
disappeared and it seemed to me that I saw Our Lady again, this time as Our
Lady of Mount Carmel. These three successive visions are connected to one of
the dominant messages of Fatima: the Rosary. In each of Her six apparitions,
Our Lady asked that the Rosary be prayed and here, in these visions granted to
the three children, the mysteries of the Holy Rosary were represented. With the
vision of the Holy Family we find the Joyful mysteries; the Sorrowful mysteries
are represented by the vision of Our Lord and Our Lady of Sorrows; and the
Glorious mysteries are represented in the vision of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. When
the visions had disappeared and the sun was again normal, Lucy was placed on
the shoulder of a man in the crowd and carried safely through the masses to the
road. As she was moving past the people, she cried out to them, pleading one of
the important themes in the Fatima Message: to convert, return to God and to
flee sin. Her exact words were: “Do penance! Do penance! Our Lady wants you to
do penance!” but Frère Michel states that in Portuguese this does not mean
“performing mortifications”, but rather “being converted, returning to God,
fleeing sin.” Through this plea Lucy was reiterating the sorrowful request Our
Lady had made of humanity in Her final apparition: “Do not offend the Lord our
God any more, because He is already too much offended.” Thus the Miracle of the
Sun, witnessed by 70,000 people, concluded the cycle of the apparitions at
Fatima. Yet the Message of Fatima, with its great depth and scope, was to
continue to be unfolded to the eldest of the three seers, Lucy. In the years to
come Heaven’s Messenger would be visited and, as promised by Our Lady in the
July 13 apparition, would be instructed to reveal Heaven’s plan for peace for a
turbulent world: the Reparatory devotion of the Five First Saturdays and the
Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Notes:
1. Frère François de Marie des
Anges, Fatima: Intimate Joy World Event, Book One: The Astonishing Truth,
(English edition, Immaculate Heart Publications, Buffalo, New York, 1993) pp.
172-173.
2. O Seculo, article of October
15, 1917.
3. Frère Michel de la Sainte
Trinité, The Whole Truth About Fatima, Volume I: Science and the Facts,
(Immaculate Heart Publications, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., 1989) p. 337.
4. Frère François de Marie des Anges,
Fatima: The Astonishing Truth, p. 178.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid, pp. 178-179.
8. Frère Michel de la Sainte
Trinité, The Whole Truth About Fatima, Volume I, p. 340.
9. Frère François de Marie des
Anges, Fatima: The Astonishing Truth, p, 179.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Frère Michel de la Sainte
Trinité, The Whole Truth About Fatima, Volume I, p. 340. See also Father John
de Marchi, I.M.C., Fatima From the Beginning, (Missoes Consolata, Fatima,
Portugal, 1981, third edition, first published in 1950) p. 141; and Joseph A
Pelletier, A.A., The Sun Dances at Fatima, (Doubleday, New York, 1983) pp.
129-130.
13. John M. Haffert, Meet the
Witnesses, (AMI International Press, Fatima, Portugal, 1961) p. 62.
14. Ibid., p. 65.
15. Documentaçáo Crítica de Fátima,
Volume II, (Santuário de Fátima, 1999) 17 cases documented on pp. 277-372; and
Father John de Marchi, I.M.C., Fatima From the Beginning.
3. The Three Prophecies of Fatima:
(as officially published by the Catholic Church)
First part of the Secret of Fatima
She (Our Lady) opened Her hands once more,
as She had done during the two previous months. The rays of light seemed to
penetrate the earth, and we saw as it were a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire
were demons and souls [of the damned] in human form, like transparent burning
embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration,
now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves
together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks
in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain
and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. (It must have
been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The
demons could be distinguished [from the souls of the damned] by their
terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and
transparent like burning coals.1 This vision lasted but an instant.
How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, Who had already
prepared us by promising, in the first apparition, to take us to Heaven.
Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror…” 2
Second Part of the Secret of Fatima
“You have seen hell where the souls of poor
sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My
Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and
there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease
offending God, a worse one will break out during the reign of Pius XI. When you
see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign
given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means
of war, famine, and persecutions against the Church and of the Holy Father. To
prevent this, I shall come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to My
Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If My
requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not,
she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions
of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to
suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, My Immaculate Heart
will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be
converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. In Portugal the
dogma of the Faith will always be preserved etc. Do not tell this to anybody.
Francisco, yes, you may tell him.” 3
Third Part of the Secret of Fatima
“After the two parts, which I have already
described, we saw left from, and a little bit above, our beloved Lady an angel,
having a fiery sword in his left hand; it sparkled, and flames emanated from
it, as if they were to set the world on fire; but the flames extinguished when
they came in contact with the brightness which radiated from the right hand of
our beloved Lady towards him— the angel, who pointed with his right hand to the
earth and shouted with a loud voice: Penance, penance, penance! And we saw in
an immense light that is God something similar to how people appear in a mirror
when they pass in front of it, a bishop dressed in white, we had the idea that
it was the Holy Father. [We saw] several other bishops, priests, monks and nuns
climb a steep mountain, and on the top of it was a big cross made out of raw
trunks, such as cork-oak with bark. Before he reached it, the Holy Father went
through a great city which was partially destroyed, and somewhat trembling,
with staggering steps, bogged down with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the
souls of the corpses that he met on his way. Having reached the mountain, he
kneeled down at the foot of the big cross. There, he was killed by a group of
soldiers who fired at him with fire-arms and arrows. The same way, the bishops,
priests, monks and nuns and several worldly persons, men and women from
different classes and positions, died one after the other. There were two
angels under the two arms of the cross; each one had a watering-can out of
crystal in his hand. In it, they gathered the blood of the martyrs and watered
with it the souls that approached God.” 4
*An Additional Vision of the Pope as
described by Jacinta Marto
"I see the Holy Father in a very large
house, on his knees before a table, with his hands over his face, crying. In
front of his house, there are many people, and some are throwing stones at him,
others are cursing him and saying very foul words to him. Poor little Holy
Father! We must pray a lot for Him!"4a "‘Can I say I saw
the Holy Father and all those people?’ she asked. "‘No,’ answered Lucia.
‘Don’t you see that makes part of the secret? And then it will be
discovered?’" 4b
4. Subseqent Private Visions of Sister Lucy, Tuy, Pontevedra and Rianjo, Spain 1920 -1939
Vision of The Blessed Trinity, Spain, June 13, 1919:
Whilst praying the holy
hour in the chapel, suddenly the whole chapel was illuminated by a supernatural
light. In this apparition Lucia saw the mystery of the Trinity. Our Lady was
standing beneath the right arm of the cross and in Her hand was Her Immaculate
heart (it was Our Lady of Fatima, with Her Immaculate Heart in Her left hand
without sword or roses, but with a crown of thorns and flames) 5
Locution from Our Lord Jesus, May 29-30, 1920:
During the night Our
Lord spoke to Sister Lucia and told her the reason for the First Five
Saturday’s Devotion 6
Given by Our Lady with the Child Jesus at her side at Tuy, Spain December 10, 1925:
“Look, my daughter, at
my Heart encircled by these thorns with which men pierce it at every moment by
their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, strive to console me, and so
I announce: I promise to assist at the hour of death with the grace necessary
for salvation all those who, with the intention of making reparation to me,
will, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to confession,
receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the beads, and keep me company for
fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the rosary with
the intention of making reparation to Me.” The Child Jesus also spoke to Sr
Lucia on this occasion. 7
Vision of the Child Jesus February 15, 1926:
The Child Jesus Spoke to
Sister Lucia but Our Lady did not appear. He asked her whether she had spread
this Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lucia told the Lord of the
difficulties she had in convincing her superiors and those in the hierachy of
the Church to spread this Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; all to
Lucia’s great suffering. Likewise Lucia was informed by jesus that the first
Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was incomplete. She made
several communications to superiors endeavouring to have the consecration of
Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary that would please heaven. 8
Locution, Tuy, Spain, 1927:
Whilst praying in the
convent chapel in Tuy, Spain, Lucia received permission from heaven to reveal
the first two parts of the secret, i.e. the vision of hell and the urgent need
for the Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary 9
Given by Our Lady at Tuy, Spain, June 13, 1929:
“The moment has come for God to ask the Holy
Father to make, IN UNION WITH ALL THE BISHOPS OF THE WORLD, THE CONSECRATION OF
RUSSIA TO MY IMMACULATE HEART, promising to save it by this means. There are so
many souls whom the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me, that
I have to ask for reparation, sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray”
(Unfortunately the Pope and Bishops delay…)
Given by Our Lady at Pontevedra December 10, 1929:
“GOD WANTS THE POPE, TOGETHER WITH ALL THE BISHOPS OF THE WORLD,
TO MAKE THE CONSECRATION OF RUSSIA TO HER IMMACULATE HEART.”?
(Unfortunately the Pope and Bishops prevaricate…)
Given by Our Lord at Rianjo, Spain, August 19, 1931:
“Make it known to My ministers that given
they follow the example of the King of France in delaying the execution of My
command, they will follow him into misfortune … They [the ministers of the
Catholic Church] did not want to heed My command. Like the King of France they
will repent of it, and they will do it, but it will be late. Russia will
already have spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and
persecutions of the Church. The Holy Father will have much to suffer…It will
never be too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary.” 5 It is also
reported that while Sister Lucia was in the Chapel in Rianjo, Spain praying for
the conversion of Spain, Portugal, Russia and of the world, that Our Lord Spoke
to her. Jesus told Lucia that He was pleased with her prayer and requested that
Lucia ask this grace also of “My Mother” and then gave her two prayers “Sweet
Heart of Mary, be the salvation of Russia, Spain, Portgual, Europe and the
Whole World” and “By thy pure and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, obtain for me
the conversion of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe and the whole World”
10
Given by Our Lord, 1936:
In response to Sister Lucy's question why
He would not convert Russia without the Holy Father consecrating that nation to
His Mother's Immaculate Heart, Our Lord replied: “Because I want My whole
Church to acknowledge that consecration as a triumph of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary so that it may extend its cult later and put the devotion of the
Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.” 11
Given by Our Lord to Sister Lucy in March, 1939:
“Ask, ask again insistently for the
promulgation of reparation in honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the
first Saturdays. The time is coming when the rigor of my justice will punish
the crimes of different nations. Some of them will be annihilated. In the end
the severity of my justice will fall most severely on those who seek to destroy
my reign in souls.” 12
Response by the Church:
Pope Pius XII refuses to open the 3rd
Secret and consecrates the world to the Immaculate heart of Mary in October 31,
1942. Ten years later he consecrates the Russian people by name (but without
the full support of the Bishops) to Our Lady’s Immaculate heart of Mary over a
Portuguese radio broadcast first and then in July 7, 1952
Pope John XXIII opened the Third Secret
during the course of 1959-1960 (the peak of the Cold War), concluded that its
contents and Our Lady’s request were not relevant to his pontificate and
refused to consecrate Russia
Pope Paul VI partially renewed Pope Pius
XII’s 1942 consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whilst
speaking privately (without the support of his Bishops) to the Fathers of the
Second Vatican Council November 21, 1964
John Paul II entrusted the whole human
family (but not Russia) to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin on
June 7, 1981 and renewed it on December 8, 1981 on the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception
John
Paul II consecrates the World (but not Russia) to the Immaculate heart
of Mary on May 13, 1982 and repeats this in union with the Sacred College of
Cardinals in Rome on June 28, 1982
John Paul II joined by a moral majority of
Bishops consecrates the World (but not Russia) again to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary on March 25, 1984
*Presently a consecration fulfilling Our
Lord and Our Lady’s instruction is yet to be made
Sister Lucy’s Prophetic Letters 1957 - 1971
In a letter to Father Fuentes December 26, 1957:
“Father, the Most Holy
Virgin is very sad because no one has paid any attention to Her message,
neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on their way but without giving
any importance to Her Message. The bad, not seeing the punishment of God
actually falling upon them, continue their life of sin without even caring
about the message. But believe me, Father, God will chastise the world and this
will be in a terrible manner. The punishment from Heaven is imminent 13….The
Most Holy Virgin has told me that the devil is about to engage in a decisive
battle against the Virgin…and the devil knows what most offends God, and what
will make him gain the most souls in the shortest possible time, he does
everything to win consecrated souls from God, for in this manner he will
succeed in leaving souls of the faithful defenceless and so he will lay hold of
them more easily….Tell them also Father, that my cousins Francisco and Jacinta
sacrificed themselves because in all the apparitions of the Most Holy Virgin,
they always saw Her very sad. She never smiled at us. This sadness, this
anguish which we noted in Her penetrated our souls. This sadness is caused by
the offences against God and the punishments which menace sinners. And so, we
children did not know what to think except to invent various means of praying
and making sacrifices 14….Father, we should not wait for an appeal
to the world to come from Rome on the part of the Holy Father, to do penance.
Nor should we wait for the call to penance to come from our bishops in our
diocese, nor from the religious congregations. No! Our Lord has already very
often used these means and the world has not paid attention. That is why now,
it is necessary for each one of us to begin to reform himself spiritually. Each
person must not only save his own soul but also (seek to save) all the souls
that God has placed on our path….The devil does all in his power to distract us
and to take away from us the love for prayer; we shall be saved together or we
shall be damned together.” 15
Sister Lucy, to a priest-nephew, April 4, 1970
“May
your apostolate, like that of all our missionary brothers and sisters, be for
souls the light of Faith which guides them on the way of Truth, Hope and Love!
This light which the Lord speaks to us about in His Gospel: 'You are the light
of the world, and the salt of the earth.' It is necessary, for this purpose,
not to be led by the doctrines of disoriented disputants... The campaign is
diabolical. We must stand up to it, without placing ourselves in conflict. We
must tell souls that, now more than ever, we must pray for us and for those who
are against us! We must recite the Rosary every day. This is the prayer which
Our Lady recommended the most, as if to arm us in advance, foreseeing these
days of diabolical campaign! The devil knows that we shall save ourselves
through prayer…”
Sister Lucy, to her friend Dona Maria Teresa da Cunha, April 12, 1970:
“People must recite the Rosary every day.
Our Lady repeated this in all her apparitions, as if to arm us in advance
against these times of diabolical disorientation, so that we would not let
ourselves be fooled by false doctrines, and that through prayer, the elevation
of our soul to God would not be diminished.... This is a diabolical
disorientation invading the world and misleading souls! It is necessary to
stand up to it”
Sister Lucy to Mother Martins, her companion at Tuy, September 16, 1970:
“I too, was not feeling very well in my
heart, my eyes, etc.; but it is necessary to the Passion of Christ; it is
necessary that His members be one with Him, through physical pain and through
moral anguish. Poor Lord, He has saved us with so much love and He is so little
understood! so little loved! so badly deserved! It is painful to see such a
great disorientation and in so many persons who occupy places of responsibility...!
For our part we must, as far as is possible for us, try to make reparation
through an ever more intimate union with the Lord; and identify ourselves with
Him that He may be in us the Light of the world plunged in the darkness of
error, immorality and pride. It pains me to see what you tell me, now that that
is going on over here...! It is because the devil has succeeded in infiltrating
evil under the cover of good, and the blind are beginning to guide others, as
the Lord tells us in His Gospel, and souls are letting themselves be
deceived...This is why the devil has waged such a war against [the Rosary]! And
the worst is that he has succeeded in leading into error and deceiving souls
having a heavy responsibility through the place which they occupy...! They are
blind men guiding other blind men”
Sister Lucy, to Don Umberto Pasquale, an Italian Salesian longtime devoted to the cause of Fatima, November 16, 1970:
“The decadence which exists in the world is
without doubt the consequence of the lack of the spirit of prayer. Foreseeing
this disorientation, the Blessed Virgin recommended recitation of the Rosary
with such insistence, and since the Rosary is, after the holy Eucharistic
liturgy, the prayer most apt for preserving faith in souls, the devil has
unchained his struggle against it. Unfortunately, we see the disasters he has
caused. ...We must defend souls against the errors which can make them stray
from the good road.... We cannot and we must not stop ourselves, nor allow, as
Our Lord says, the children of Darkness to be wiser than the children of
Light... The Rosary is the most powerful weapon for defending ourselves on the
field of battle."
Sister Lucy to her Salesian priest-nephew, Fr Jose Valinho, April 13, 1971:
“I see by your letter,” she writes to a
priest, “that you are preoccupied by the disorientation of our time. It is sad,
in fact, that so many persons let themselves be dominated by the diabolical
wave that is sweeping the world and that they are blinded to the point of being
incapable of seeing error! The principle fault is that they have abandoned
prayer, they have in this way become estranged from God, and without God,
everything is lacking. The devil is very cunning and looks for our weak points
in order to attack us. If we are not diligent and careful to obtain strength
from God, we shall fail, for our age is very wicked and we are weak. Only the
strength of God can keep us on our feet…”
Sister Lucy, to Mother Martins, December 1971:
“Thus the little pamphlets (referring to a
text on the Rosary composed by Sister Lucy) will remain with souls, as an echo
of Our Lady's voice, to remind them of the insistence with which She
recommended the prayer of the Rosary to us, so many times. It is because She
already knew that there had to come these times, during which the devil and his
supporters would fight so much against this prayer, to lead souls away from
God. And without God, who shall be saved?! For this reason we must do
everything in our power to lead souls back to God.”
In a letter to a friend, Sister Lucy writes: “Let
people say the Rosary every day, Our Lady has repeated that in all of Her
apparitions, as if to fortify us in these times of diabolical disorientation,
in order that we not let ourselves be deceived by false doctrines ...
Unfortunately, in religious matters the people for the most part are ignorant
and allow themselves to be led wherever they are taken. Hence, the great
responsibility of the one who has the duty of leading them…”
Undated: “The Blessed Virgin has told
us that many nations will disappear from the face of the earth, and Russia will
be the instrument of heavenly punishment for the world, if we do not obtain
beforehand the conversion of that poor nation.” 16
Undated: “The Virgin knew that these
times of diabolical disorientation were to come.” 17
References
1. English translation of text in Sister
Lucy, “Fourth Memoir”, Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words, (Postulation Centre,
Fatima, Portugal, 1976) p. 162. See also Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, The
Whole Truth About Fatima, Volume I: Science and the Facts, (Immaculate
Heart Publications, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., 1989) pp. 181-182.
2. English translation of text in Sister
Lucy, “Third Memoir”, Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words, p. 104. See also The
Whole Truth About Fatima, Volume I, p. 182.
3. English translation of text in Sister
Lucy, “Fourth Memoir”, Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words, (Postulation Centre,
Fatima, Portugal, 1976) p. 162. See also Sister Lucy, Memorias e Cartas da
Irma Lucia, (Porto, Portugal, 1973, edited by Father Antonio Maria Martins)
pp. 340-341; in Sister Lucy’s own handwriting there is no ellipsis after the
“etc.”. See also Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, The Whole Truth About
Fatima – Volume I: Science and the Facts, (Immaculate Heart Publications,
Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., 1989) p. 182.
4. Excerpted from The Message of Fatima as
published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on June 26, 2000
4a. William Thomas Walsh, Our Lady of
Fatima, 1947, Doubleday, Garden City, New York, page 92.
4b. William Thomas Walsh, pages 91-92.
5. The Whole Truth About Fatima - Vol. II:
The Secret and the Church, pp. 543-544. See also Toute La Vérite sur Fatima -
Vol. II: Le Secret et L’Église, pp. 344-345.
6. Peter Heintz A Guide to Apparitions of
Our Blessed Virgin Mary (Gabriel Press, Sacramento, California, 1993), p 51
7. ibid p 52
8. ibid p 55-56
9. ibid p51
10.
ibid p
53
11.
Letter of Sister Lucy of May 18, 1936 (from Pontevedra) to Father José Bernardo
Gonzales, S. J., Memorias e Cartas da Irma Lucia, (Father Antonio Maria
Martins, editor, Porto, 1973), p. 415.
12.
Documentos p. 465 as quoted by Found in Frère Michel de la Sainte
Trinite, The Whole Truth About Fatima, Volume II: The Secret and the Church,
p. 463-64.
13. Frere Michel WTAF Vol. III, p. 504.
14. ibid p. 506
15. ibid
16. Sister Lucy to Fr Augustine Fuentes, December 26, 1957 as quoted
by Frere Michel The Third Secret p 503-510 and 549-554
17. As quoted by the Fatima Network The
Third Secret Revealed (http://www.fatimacrusader.com/crthird/third05.asp)
5. SUMMARY OF THE CONTROVERSY CONCERNING
THE 3RD SECRET OF FATIMA
by
Simon
Galloway
Adapted
from Are There Two Original Manuscripts on the Third Secret? by Andrew
M. Cesane (www.fatimacrusader.com/cr64/cr64pg03.asp)
Introduction
It
has recently come to light that two documents related to the 3rd
secret exist ; one in a letter and one
in a notebook. The letter contained a locution of Our Lady whereas the notebook
contained a record of a vision with no words. The evidence for this was
actually given early on by Sister Lucy herself when she wrote to Bishop da
Silva on January 9, 1944: “I
have written what you asked me; God willed to try me a little, but finally this
was indeed His will: [the text] IS SEALED IN AN ENVELOPE AND IT IS IN THE
NOTEBOOKS…” Source: Quoted by Father Alonso, “Fatima 50”,
October 13, 1967, p. 11. See also Frere Michel, The Whole Truth about Fatima - Vol. III, The Third Secret, Immaculate
Heart Publications, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., 1990, 874 pages p. 47.
Indeed all the inconsistencies between the original secret expected to
be released and that released by the Vatican on July 26th 2000 in
fact prove that there are two texts associated with the 3rd Secret
not just one as commonly believed: A
vision released to the public and Our Lady’s words which explain the
vision….The Evidence?
1. The Letter contained the words of Our Lady but the vision from the notebooks released by the Vatican doesn’t
(a) Referring exclusively to why the Third
Secret would not be published that year a Vatican Announcement given in the
February 8, 1960 communique of the Portuguese News Agency A.N.I. at Rome
reported: “It has just been stated, in
very reliable Vatican circles, to the representatives of United Press
International, that it is most likely that the letter will never be opened, in
which Sister Lucy wrote down THE WORDS WHICH OUR LADY CONFIDED AS A SECRET to
the three little shepherds in the Cova da Iria.” Source: Quoted by Father Martins dos Reis,
“O Milagre do sol e o Segredo de Fatima”, p. 127-128. Cf. Father Joaquin
Alonso, VSF, p. 55-56. See also Frere Michel de la Sainte Trinite, The Whole
Truth about Fatima - Vol. III, The Third Secret, Immaculate Heart Publications, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., 1990,
874 pages p. 578
(b) Sister Lucy herself testifies that the
letter of the Third Secret specifically starts with WORDS from Our Lady. “In her third Memoir, written in
July-August, 1941, Sister Lucy had been content to mention the existence of a
third part of the Secret, but as yet she had said nothing about it. A few
months later, in her fourth Memoir, written between October-December, 1941, she
decided to say more. She recopied almost word for word the text of the third
Memoir, but adding after the final words – ‘and a certain period of peace will
be granted to the world’ -the new sentence:
‘EM PORTUGAL SE CONSERVARA SEMPRE O DOGMA DA FE, etc’.” These words follow on immediately from the
closing words of the Second Part of the Secret (see above) and constitute Our
Lady’s introduction to the 3rd Secret. They are translated “In
Portugal, the Dogma of the Faith will always be preserved etc…” The “etc”
used here by Sister Lucy strongly suggests that there were more words of Our
Lady to follow in the letter of the 3rd Secret. Source:
Frere Michel WTAF - Vol. III.p. 684.
2. The words of Our Lady were written in a single page letter of around 25 lines not four sheets of paper or around 62 lines like the Vatican’s June 2000 manuscript of the vision
(a) In a press conference of the Pontifical
Marian Academy in Rome given on February 11th, 1967, Cardinalal
Ottaviani, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated he
had read the Third Secret: “I, who have
had the grace and the gift to read the text of the Secret – although I too am
held to secrecy because I am bound by the Secret…” Source: Frere Michel de la Sainte Trinite, The
Whole Truth about Fatima - Vol. III, The Third Secret, Immaculate Heart
Publications, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., 1990, 874 pages p. 727) AND that it was written on a single piece of
paper: “And then, what did she [Lucy]
do to obey the Most Holy Virgin? SHE WROTE ON A SHEET OF PAPER, in Portuguese,
what the Holy Virgin had asked her to tell…” Source: Frere Michel WTAF - Vol. III, p. 725.
(b) Writer Father Alonso reports that both
Sister Lucy and Cardinal Ottaviani stated that the Secret was written on a
single piece of paper: “Lucy tells us that SHE WROTE IT ON A SHEET OF PAPER.
Cardinal Ottaviani, who has read it, tells us the same thing: ‘She wrote it on
a sheet of paper…’.” Source: Father Joaquin Alonso, La Verdad sobre el
Secreto de Fatima, Centro Mariano, Madrid, Spain, 1976, 119 pages, p.
60. See also Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol.
III, p. 651. Also, footnote no. 4 in Frere Francois de Marie des Anges, Fatima:
Tragedy and Triumph, Immaculate Heart Publications, Buffalo, New York,
U.S.A., 1994, 370 pages p. 289.
(c) Bishop Venancio, (then auxilliary
Bishop of Leira-Fatima) was ordered by Bishop Da Silva, (then Bishop of
Leira-Fatima) in March 1957 to bring all copies of Sister Lucy’s writings
(including the original Third Secret) to the Apostolic Nuncio at Lisbon for
transferal to Rome. On holding up the envelope containing the Secret to the
light he saw that it was written on a small sheet of paper: “Bishop Venancio related that once he was by
himself, he took the great envelope of the Secret and tried to look through it
and see the contents. In the bishop’s large envelope he discerned a smaller
envelope, that of Lucy, and INSIDE THIS ENVELOPE AN ORDINARY SHEET OF PAPER
with margins on each side of three quarters of a centimeter. He took the
trouble to note the size of everything. Thus THE FINAL SECRET OF FATIMA WAS WRITTEN
ON A SMALL SHEET OF PAPER.” Source: Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 481.
(d) Moreover Bishop Venancio looked “at the
envelope [containing the Third Secret] while holding it up to the light. He could
see inside a little sheet of which he measured the exact size. We thus know
that the Third Secret is not very long, probably 20 to 25 lines…” Source:
Brother Michael of the Holy Trinity, The Secret of Fatima Revealed,
Immaculate Heart Publications, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, 1986, 32 pages. p.
7.
(e) Fatima theologian Frere Michel reports
“we are just as certain that the twenty or thirty lines of the third Secret…” Source:
Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 626.
(f) Frere Francois de Marie des Anges
concurs “The final Secret of Fatima, written on a small sheet of paper, is
therefore not very long. Probably twenty to twenty-five lines…” Source:
Frere Francois de Marie des Anges, Fatima: Tragedy and Triumph,
Immaculate Heart Publications, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., 1994, 370 pages p.
45.
3. Sister
Lucy stated that the Third Secret was written as a letter yet the vision in the
Vatican’s Booklet The Message of Fatima released on June 26, 2000
contains no salutation, is not addressed to anyone, is dated at the end rather
than the beginning like a diary entry, is not signed by Sister Lucy and is
clearly not a letter. This suggests the Third Secret was in two parts.
(a) Father Jongen interrogated Sister Lucy on
this matter in February 3-4, 1946: “You have already made known two parts of
the Secret. When will the time arrive for the third part?’ ‘I communicated the
third part IN A LETTER to the Bishop of Leiria,’ she answered.” Source:
Revue Mediatrice et Reine, October 1946, p. 110-112. See also Frere
Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 470.
(b) Canon Galabra: “When the bishop refused
to open THE LETTER, Lucy made him promise that it would definitely be opened
and read to the world either at her death or in 1960, whichever would come
first” Source: Quoted by
Father Alonso, VSF, p. 46-47. See also Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 470
(c) The Patriarch of Lisbon declared in
February 1960 “Bishop da Silva enclosed (the envelope sealed by Lucy) in
another envelope on which he indicated that THE LETTER had to be opened in 1960
by himself, Bishop Jose Correia da Silva, if he was still alive, or if not, by
the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon.” Source: Novidades,
February 24, 1960, quoted by La Documentation Catholique, June 19, 1960,
col. 751. See also Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 472.
(d) Writer Father Alonso states “Other
bishops also spoke – and with authority – about the year 1960 as the date
indicated for opening THE FAMOUS LETTER. Thus, when the then titular Bishop of
Tiava, and Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon asked Lucy when the Secret was to be
opened, he always received the same answer: in 1960.” Source: Father Alonso, VSF, p. 46. See also Frere
Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 475.
(e) In 1959 Bishop Venancio (the then Bishop
of Leira) declared: “I think that THE LETTER will not be opened before 1960.
Sister Lucy had asked that it should not be opened before her death, or not
before 1960. We are now in 1959 and Sister Lucy is in good health.” Source:
Father Alonso, VSF, p. 46. See also Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 478.
(f) As we saw above the Vatican’s February
8, 1960 announcement appearing as a communique of the Portuguese News
Agency says the same thing: “it is most
likely that THE LETTER will never be opened, in which Sister Lucy wrote down
THE WORDS which Our Lady confided as a secret” Source: Quoted by Father Martins dos Reis, O
Milagre do sol e o Segredo de Fatima, p. 127-128. Cf. Father Alonso, VSF,
p. 55-56. See also Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 578.
(g) Unlike the vision of
the Third Secret released in the Vatican’s booklet The Message of Fatima
on June 26, 2000, copies of letters written by Sister Lucy have been included
in her published memoirs – these letters all have an addressee, a date, and her
signature which suggest that the Vision was taken from the notebook and the
Letter containing Our Lady’s words is yet to be released.
4. Vatican officials provide contradictory dates for John Paul II’s first reading of the Third Secret first in 1978 and then in 1981 suggesting it exists in two parts
(a) On July 1, 2000 the Washington Post
reported “On May 13, Vatican spokesman and the Pope’s personal press spokesman
(portavoce) Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the Pope first read the secret within
days of assuming the papacy in 1978. On Monday, an aide to Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
said that the pope first saw it in the hospital after his attack” Source: Bill Broadway and Sarah Delancy, 3rd Secret
Spurs More Questions; Fatima Interpretation Departs From Vision, The
Washington Post, July 1, 2000.
(b) An article in the June 26, 2000 edition
of The New York Times verified the Vatican’s new contradictory position and
identified the aide to Cardinal Ratzinger mentioned in the Washington Post “’John Paul II read for the first time the
text of the third secret of Fatima after the attack,’ a top aide to Ratzinger,
Monsignor Tarcisio Bertone, told journalists during a news conference to
present the document.” Source: The Associated Press, Vatican:
Fatima Is No Doomsday Prophecy, The New York Times, June 26, 2000.
(c) The same story was confirmed when the
vision portion of the Third secret was released to the public in the Vatican’s
booklet The Message of Fatima June 26, 2000 “John Paul II, for his part, asked for the envelope
containing the third part of the ‘secret’ following the assassination attempt
on 13 May 1981. On 18 July 1981 Cardinal Franjo Seper, Prefect of the Congregation,
gave two envelopes to Archbishop Eduardo Martinez Somalo, Substitute of the
Secretariat of State: one white envelope, containing Sister Lucy’s original
text in Portuguese; the other orange, with the Italian translation of the
‘secret’. On the following 11 August, Archbishop Martinez returned the two
envelopes to the Archives of the Holy Office” Source:
Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, SDB, “Introduction”, The Message of Fatima, p. 5.
(d) Later in the Vatican’s booklet The
Message to Fatima Archbishop Bertone contradicts the accepted view that
there is only one document to the Third Secret. He admits that the the Pope was
inspired by its contents to consecrate Russia (or rather, the whole world) in June
7, 1981, and yet this was in fact over a month BEFORE his alleged first reading
of it in July 18, 1981 after his attempted assassination: “As is well known, Pope John Paul II
immediately thought of consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
and he himself composed a prayer for what he called an ‘Act of Entrustment’,
which was to be celebrated in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major on 7 June
1981” Source: Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, SDB,
“Introduction”, The Message of Fatima,
p. 5. This discrepancy can only be
reconciled if we accept that it was the Pope’s reading of the one page letter
of Our Lady’s words in 1978 that moved him to consecrate the world on June 7,
1981, whereas it was the four page vision without words that he later read on
July 18, 1981 after his attempted assassination.
5. Our Lady gave an explanation to the seers immediately after the vision of hell, but the vision released by the Vatican is not accompanied by an explanation which suggests it was in two parts.
(a) Even though the children knew what they
saw, nevertheless Our Lady tells them “You have seen Hell. where the souls of
the poor sinners will go. In order to save them, God will establish in the
world reverence for my immaculate heart etc…” (see above)
(b) Similarly according to Sister Lucy’s
“Fourth Memoir” detailing additional information on the visions, we read that
during the apparition of Our Lady on June 13, 1917, after Sister Lucy had asked
to take the three seers to heaven they were granted an explanation AND a vision by Our Lady. The explanation: “Yes, I will take
Jacinta and Francisco soon. But you are to stay here some time longer. Jesus
wishes to make use of you to make Me known and loved. He wants to establish in
the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To whoever embraces this devotion I
promise salvation…” Source:
Sister Lucy, in an account written for her confessor, Father Aparicio,
at the end of 1927. The vision: “As Our Lady spoke these last words, She
opened Her hands and for the second time, She communicated to us the rays of
that immense light. We saw ourselves in this light, as it were, immersed in
God. Jacinta and Francisco seemed to be in that part of the light which rose
towards Heaven, and I in that which was poured out on the earth.” Source:
Sister Lucy, “Fourth Memoir”, December 8, 1941, p. 65. See also WTAF - Vol. I,
p. 159. Where are the words of Our Lady to explain the published vision? This
doesn’t seem to be consistent with the events recording earlier visions.
6. The Vatican’s booklet The Message of
Fatima attributes the 3rd Secret vision to the attempted
assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II on 13th May 1981 but
witnesses say that the words of Our Lady concerned a crisis in the Dogma and
Faith of the Church, which again suggests it was in two parts –(i) the
published vision and (ii) Our Lady’s words to explain it
(a) In the published vision of the Third
Secret Sister Lucy states that a Pope is actually killed (not injured)
which cannot refer to John Paul II’s assassination attempt. Nor did the vision
of gunfire come from a lone assassin but a group of revolutionary soldiers.
Since no such calamity has transpired since the receipt of the vision in 1917
can only refer to a tragedy yet to happen. Source:
Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, SDB, The Message of Fatima.
(b) Sister Lucy stated more
explicitly that the prophecy of the Third Secret HAD NOT BEEN FULFILLED a full
year after the attempted assassination in a letter to Pope John Paul II dated
May 12, 1982 and re-emphasized that the contents of the secret referred to a
coming religious persecution when she wrote:
“The third part of the secret refers to Our Lady’s words: ‘If not
[Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world, CAUSING WARS AND
PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHURCH. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will
have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated’ (13-VII-1917). The
third part of the secret which you are so anxious to know is a symbolic
revelation, referring to this part of the Message, conditioned by whether we
accept or not what the Message itself asks of us: ‘If My requests are heeded,
Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her
errors throughout the world, etc…’ SINCE WE DID NOT HEED THIS APPEAL OF THE
MESSAGE, WE SEE THAT IT HAS BEEN FULFILLED, RUSSIA HAS INVADED THE WORLD WITH
HER ERRORS. AND IF WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE COMPLETE FULFILMENT OF THE FINAL
PART OF THIS PROPHECY, WE ARE GOING TOWARDS IT WITH GREAT STRIDES if we have
not yet seen the complete fulfilment of the final part of the prophecy, we are
going towards it little by little with great strides. If we do not reject the
path of sin, hatred, revenge…It is people themselves who are preparing their
own punishment.” Source: Christopher A. Ferrara Let us Hear
the Witness, for Heaven’s Sake
(http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr70/cr70pg34.asp)
(c) We have already seen how in Sister
Lucy’s Fourth Memoir Our Lady’s introductory words to the Third Secret
specifically indicated a problem with the Dogma of the Faith not any
assassination attempt on the Pope “IN PORTUGAL THE DOGMA OF THE FAITH WILL
ALWAYS BE PRESERVED, ETC.” Source: Frere Michel WTAF - Vol. III.p. 684.
(d) When interviewed by several historians
for more precise information about the Third Secret in 1946, Sister Lucy
indicated that the period to which it refers will be a time when FALSE
DOCTRINES shall propagate throughout the world again indicating a problem with
the Dogma of the Faith: “Question. At what stage are we of the period mentioned
in the secret? Answer. ‘I think you are at that period when false doctrine
shall propagate its errors throughout the world'.” Source: Rev J.
Da Cruz, C. S. Sp More about Fatima p. 65-66 as quoted by The Third
Secret of Fatima and the Dogma of the Faith p. 20-21
(e) In his sermon on May 13, 1982 (One year
after the Assassination attempt) Pope John Paul II re-iterated that it
was an undermining of the Faith that Our Lady’s words indicated in the Third
Secret. “Can the Mother with all the force of the love that She fosters in the
Holy Spirit and desires everyone’s salvation, can She remain silent when She
sees THE VERY BASIS OF HER CHILDREN’S SALVATION UNDERMINED?” Source: Father Nicolas Gruner Jesus Tells us:
“Make it Known” The Fatima Network
(http://www.fatimacrusader.com/crknown/toccknown.asp)
(f) In an interview with the Italian
periodical Jesus in August 1984, (three years after the assassination
attempt) Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Prefect for the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith) also reported to Vittorio Messori that the secret is a
“RELIGIOUS PROPHECY” concerning: “DANGERS TO THE FAITH AND THE LIFE OF THE
CHRISTIAN, and therefore to the life of the world” and that it pertained to…and
also the importance of THE LAST THINGS…[which] correspond to what is announced
in Sacred Scripture and are confirmed by many other Marian apparitions.” Source: Father Paul Kramer The Devil’s final
Battle (Good Counsel Publications Inc. October 1, 2002) 332 pages Chapter 16.
In response to the question “Why is the faith in crisis?” he stated: “The
dangers threatening the faith, the importance of the last times and the fact
that the prophecies contained in this Third Secret correspond to what Scripture
announces” Source: Frere Michel The Third Secret of Fatima
(Augustine Publishing, Chulmleigh, Devon EXIS7HL, 1986)
(g) The trend towards acknowledging the
prophetic and apocalyptic import of the Third Secret (rather than its supposed
correspondence to the 1981 assassination attempt) and its implications for the
Church was more explicit Pope John Paul II’s sermon for the
beatification of Jacinta and Francisco May 13, 2000 (Nineteen years after the
assassination attempt). In it he stated that the 3rd Secret is the
“FULFILMENT OF THE DIVINE PLAN” in these times. “THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA” he went on to say “is a call to
conversion, alerting humanity TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ‘DRAGON’ WHOSE
‘TAIL SWEPT A THIRD OF THE STARS OF HEAVEN, AND CAST THEM TO THE EARTH.” He
cited Chapter 12, Verses 1, 3 and 4 of the Apocalyptic Book of Revelations
which refers to “a woman clothed in the sun with the moon under her feet”
(interpreted by scriptural exegetes as THE CHURCH) doing battle in verse 4,
with the dragon, (THE DEVIL), who sweeps one third of the stars from heaven
(THE CATHOLIC CLERGY) with its tail (INTO APOSTASY). Source:
Father Paul Kramer The
Devil’s final Battle (Good
Counsel Publications Inc. October 1, 2002) 332 pages Chapter 8. Note: Although he hastily concluded that it wasn’t relevant to his own
pontificate and chose not to publish it, Pope Paul VI had previously
interpreted the Message of Fatima in precisely the same way: “The tail of the
devil is functioning in the disintegration of the Catholic World. The darkness
of Satan has entered and spread throughout the Catholic Church even to its
summit. Apostasy, the loss of the faith, is spreading throughout the world and
into the highest levels within the Church” 5 Source: Pope Paul VI’s October 13, 1977
address on the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions
(h) In her reply to someone questioning her
on the content of the Third Secret Sister Lucy confirmed that it warned
of just such an apostasy in the Church:
“ITS IN THE GOSPEL AND IN THE APOCALYPSE, READ THEM” Source:
Mark Fellows Fatima in Twilight (Marmion Publications) p 267. On this
note she confided to Father Fuentes that the Virgin Mary has made her see
clearly that “WE ARE IN THE LAST TIMES OF THE WORLD.” Sister Lucy to Fr
Augustine Fuentes, December 26, 1957 as quoted by Frere Michel The Third
Secret p 503-510 and 549-554. On another occasion, Sister Lucy even
specified chapters 8-13 of the Apocalypse which all deal with the rise of the
beast –the Antichrist. Frere Michel The Third Secret p. 33
(i) Cardinal Ciappi (Pope John Paul
II’s personal theologian) wrote a letter to Professor Baumgartner in Salzburg
reasserting the Pope’s personal view: “In the Third Secret it is foretold,
among other things, that THE GREAT APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH WILL BEGIN AT THE
TOP” Source: Father Paul Kramer, ed., The Devil’s Final Battle,
(The Missionary Association, Terryville, Connecticut, 2002) p. 33.
(j) Cardinal Oddi was also quoted as
saying that -“It [the Third secret] has nothing whatsoever to do with
Gorbachev. THE BLESSED VIRGIN WAS ALERTING US AGAINST THE APOSTASY IN THE
CHURCH” Source: Cardinal Oddi, quoted in the journal Il Sabato
March 17, 1990.
(k) On this note Sister Lucy, had
this to say in an interview with Father Fuentes in 1957: “Father, the devil is
in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Blessed Virgin. And
the devil knows what it is that most offends God and which in a short space of
time will gain for him the greatest number of souls. THUS THE DEVIL DOES
EVERYTHING TO OVERCOME SOULS CONSECRATED TO GOD BECAUSE IN THIS WAY, THE DEVIL
WILL SUCCEED IN LEAVING THE SOULS OF THE FAITHFUL ABANDONED BY THEIR LEADERS,
THEREBY THE MORE EASILY WILL HE SEIZE THEM. THAT WHICH AFFLICTS THE IMMACULATE
HEART OF MARY AND THE HEART OF JESUS IS THE FALL OF RELIGIOUS AND PRIESTLY
SOULS. THE DEVIL KNOWS THAT RELIGIOUS AND PRIESTS WHO FALL AWAY FROM THEIR
BEAUTIFUL VOCATION DRAG NUMEROUS SOULS TO HELL…THE DEVIL WISHES TO TAKE
POSSESSION OF CONSECRATED SOULS. He tries to corrupt them in order to lull to
sleep the souls of laypeople and thereby lead them to final impenitence. He
employs all tricks, even going so far as to suggest the delay of entrance into
religious life. Resulting from this is the sterility of the interior life, and
among the laypeople, coldness (lack of enthusiasm) regarding the subject of
renouncing pleasures and the total dedication of themselves to God.” Source:
6. Sister
Lucy to Fr Augustine Fuentes, December 26, 1957 as quoted by Frere Michel The
Third Secret p 503-510 and 549-554
(l) Bishop Cosme do Amaral (The
Third and present Bishop of Fatima) confirmed that the Third secret forewarned
an apostasy in his speech given in the Aula Magna (large auditorium) of the
Technical university of Vienna, Austria, September 10, 1984: “ITS CONTENT
CONCERNS ONLY OUR FAITH. To identify the Secret with catastrophic announcements
or with a nuclear holocaust is to deform the meaning of the message. THE LOSS
OF FAITH OF A CONTINENT IS WORSE THAN THE ANNIHILATION OF A NATION; AND IT IS
TRUE THAT FAITH IS CONTINUALLY DIMINISHING IN EUROPE.” Source: Frere Michel
WTAF - Vol. III.p. 676
(m) An Article approved by the Holy
Office and Cardinal Ottaviani appearing in the German Publication Neues
Europa in October 15, 1963 which released some sections of the Third Secret
revealed that it consisted of a warning about the persecution of the Church and
the Dogma of the Faith: “Humanity has not developed as God desired. Mankind has
been sacrilegious and has trampled underfoot the gifts of God….No longer does
order reign anywhere. Even in the highest places Satan reigns and directs the
course of events. SATAN WILL SUCCEED IN INFILTRATING INTO THE HIGHEST POSITIONS
IN THE CHURCH…If mankind will not oppose these evils, I will be obliged to let
fall My Son's arm. If the chief rulers of the world and of the Church will not
actively oppose these evils, I will ask God My Father to visit His Justice upon
mankind. Then will God punish mankind even more severely and harshly than He
did at the time of the great Deluge. The great and powerful will perish along
with the lowly and weak….A TIME OF VERY SEVERE TRIAL IS ALSO COMING FOR THE
CHURCH. CARDINALS WILL OPPOSE CARDINALS AND BISHOPS WILL OPPOSE BISHOPS. SATAN
WILL ENTER INTO THEIR VERY MIDST. IN ROME ALSO, THERE WILL OCCUR GREAT CHANGES.
WHAT IS ROTTEN WILL FALL, AND WHAT FALLS MUST NOT BE RETAINED. THE CHURCH WILL
BE OBSCURED, AND ALL THE WORLD WILL BE THROWN INTO GREAT CONFUSION….The age of
ages is coming, the end of all ends if mankind will not repent and be
converted, and if this conversion does not come from rulers of the world and of
the Church. Woe and greater woe to mankind if conversion does not occur.” Source: Neues Europa Stuttgart October 15,
1983 as appearing in L’Osservatore della Domenica (The Sunday Supplement
to the L’Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican Newspaper) signed by Msgr
Corrado Balducci (Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples) October 15,
1978, as quoted by Documentation Catholique January 7, 1979 and Frere
Michel WTAF Vol III, p. 657. According to Cardinal Ottaviani although the text
contained some exaggerations he reported to Fatima expert Father Messias Dias
Coelho that “fundamentally it corresponds to the truth” Source: Mensagem de
Fatima, No. 86, September-October, 1971
(n) Pope John Paul II said in
response to questions about the Third Secret whilst speaking in Fulda, Germany
in 1980: “Lucia’s text speaks of chastisements…the chastisements cannot be
averted, it is too late…the die was cast…The chastisements can be mitigated by
praying the rosary…Given the seriousness of its contents my predecessors in the
Petrine Office, diplomatically preferred to postpone publication so as not to
encourage the world power of communism to make certain moves…NO THE CHURCH
CANNOT BE REFORMED AT THE PRESENT MOMENT” Source: Ted and Maureen Flynn Thunder of Justice:
The Miracle, The Warning, The Chastisement, The Era of Peace (Maxkol
Communications 1993) p 146
(o) Malachi Martin agent provocateur
and perrenial insider to Vatican affairs read the third secret and reports in
his book The Keys of This Blood: “In that ‘Third Secret,’ Lucia’s words
are so explicit and so verifiable –and therefore so authentic –that, were the
leaders of the Leninist Party-State to know these words, they would in all
probability decide to undertake certain territorial and militaristic moves
against which the West could have few if any means of resisting, AND THE CHURCH
WOULD BE PLUNGED INTO FURTHER AND DEEPER SUBJUGATION TO THE PARTY-STATE” Source: Malachi Martin The Keys of This Blood
(Simon and Schuster NY, 1990) p 633
(p) Pope Pius XII summarized all of
these fragments of evidence concerning the Third Secret of Fatima and the
religious persecution to the Dogma of the Faith it contains when, he stated :
“SUPPOSE, DEAR FRIEND, THAT COMMUNISM (Russia and Russia’s errors, in Fatima
terms) WAS ONLY THE MOST VISIBLE OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF SUBVERSION TO BE USED
AGAINST THE CHURCH AND THE TRADITIONS OF DIVINE REVELATION…I AM WORRIED BY THE
BLESSED VIRGIN’S MESSAGES TO LUCY OF FATIMA. THIS PERSISTENCE OF MARY ABOUT THE
DANGERS WHICH MENACE THE CHURCH IS A DIVINE WARNING AGAINST THE SUICIDE OF
ALTERING THE FAITH, IN HER LITURGY…A day will come when the civilized world
will deny its God, when the Church will doubt as Peter doubted. SHE WILL BE
TEMPTED TO BELIEVE THAT MAN HAS BECOME GOD…In our churches, Christians will
search in vain for the red lamp where God awaits them, like Mary Magdalene
weeping before the empty tomb, they will ask, ‘where have they taken
Him?’.” Source: Pope Pius
XII, quoted in the book Pius XII Devant L’Histoire, pp. 52-53.
(q) Most recently Fr Jose dos Santos
Valinho the nephew of Sister Lucy with whom he met often said in a public
statement on national broadcast on Italian TV "I believe that there is a
connection between that which is announced in the first part of the Secret
which concerns wars and sufferings which would be everywhere and the second
part which concerns the persecutions AND A TYPE OF BREAKDOWN OF THE FAITH.
Because where the ellipsis (the three dots ...) was placed - it means 'Here is
the third part which is not revealed' and then the conclusion 'In Portugal the
dogma of the faith will always be preserved etc.' THIS SUGGESTS TO ME THAT
THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND THE THIRD PART OF THE SECRET. Therefore
it is something which relates to the Church. It is some kind of universal
crisis which affects the whole Church and all of humanity." Source
Fr Jose dos Santos Valinho, (nephew to Sr Lucy), public statement made on prime
time national broadcast Italian TV, 14 February 2003
7. That the Third Secret of Fatima exists in two parts was originally implied by Sister Lucy and finally confirmed by Father Schweigl who in 1952 was sent by Pius XII to interview Sister Lucy about the secret:
(a) Sister Lucy was in fact offered the
option to write the Third Secret in a letter or in her notebook; she decided to
write it in both. According to Father
Alonso, Sister Lucy wrote to Bishop da Silva on January 9, 1944: “I have written what you asked me; God
willed to try me a little, but finally this was indeed His will: [the text] is
sealed in an envelope and it is in the notebooks.” Source:
Quoted by Father Alonso, “Fatima 50”, p. 11. See also Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol.
III, p. 47.
(b) Frere Michel too reports that on June
17, 1944: “The seer discretely handed
the Bishop of Gurza the notebook in which she had slipped the envelope
containing the Secret. That same evening, the bishop placed the envelope into
the hands of Bishop da Silva.” Source: Frere Michel, WTAF - Vol. III, p. 49
(c) After this interview, Father Schweigl
reported to writer Frere Michel in a letter, “I may not reveal anything with
regard to the Third Secret, BUT I AM ABLE TO SAY THAT IT HAS TWO PARTS: One
part concerns the Pope. The other part is the logical continuation — though I
may not say anything — of the words: In
Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved, etc…” Source: Frere Michel WTAF, Vol. III, p.710.
Evidently matters concerning the Pope were contained in the Vision released by
the Vatican to the public in its booklet The Message of Fatima released
June 26, 2000 (first made known to the Pope after his assassination attempt in
July 18, 1981) The matter of a crisis in Dogma and Faith that he refers to,
however, was contained in Sister Lucy’s the single page letter which is yet to
be released.
8. Conclusion
In conclusion, the evidence overwhelmingly
supports the existence of two documents. One document is the 4 sheets of paper
containing 62 lines of text copied from Sister Lucy’s notebook (not written as
a letter), which describes a vision seen by the three children of Fatima — it
does not contain any words of Our Lady. This text was written down by Sister
Lucy on January 3, 1944, transferred to the Holy Office on April 4, 1957, read
by Pope John Paul II on July 18, 1981 (but did not move him to consecrate the
world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 7, 1981), was stored in the Holy
Office, and released by the Vatican on June 26, 2000.
The other document is the 1-page letter
containing about 25 lines of Our Lady’s own words. This text was written down
by Sister Lucy on or very shortly before January 9, 1944, transferred to the
Holy Office on April 16, 1957, read by Pope John Paul II in 1978 (and moved him
to consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 7, 1981), was
stored in the Pope’s apartment by his bedside, and to this day remains
unreleased by the Vatican. A reconstruction of this 3rd Secret
letter produced from all direct and indirect testimonies, public statements and
references, collected by Frere Michele reads as follows:
“While
in Portugal the dogma of the faith will still be kept, in many nations, perhaps
throughout the world, the faith will be lost. The Churches Shepherds will fail
gravely in their duties of state. Through their fault, consecrated souls will,
in large numbers, let themselves be seduced by pernicious errors spread
everywhere. The time will have come for the decisive battle between the Virgin
and the devil. A wave of diabolical disorientation will sweep over the world.
Satan will reach up to the top most height of the Church. He will blind the
shepherds minds and harden their hearts because God will have left them to
their own devices as a punishment for their refusal to obey the requests of the
Immaculate heart of Mary. It will be the Great Apostasy announced for the Last
Time: the false lamb, the false prophet handing the Church over to the beast
according to the Apocalpyse” Source: Frere Michel WTAF Vol III p. 841 as quoted by Bishop
Richard Williamson The 3rd Secret of Fatima interviewed by
Bernard Janzen (Triumph Communications, 121 Horsham Avenue, Willowdale, Ontario
M2N 2A1, Canada)
For more information on the controversy of
the 3rd Secret of Fatima please see our excerpted E-book Fr Paul Kramer’s The
Devil’s Final Battle Plan and Brother
Francis of Mary of the Angels John Paul I: The Pope of the Secret