FATIMA:

The Message from Heaven that Could Still Save the World

By Paul De Marco

Fatima, Lourdes and Guadalupe are all notable sites of Marian apparitions, with Fatima being the most recent, as Our Lady appeared there just over a hundred years ago. Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto claimed to have seen an apparition of theVirgin Mary on a hillside outside Fatima, and over the course of six visits between 13th May and 13th October 1917, they were given revelations which would have a profound effect on world history. At the time, Europe was gripped by the horror and trauma of World War I. On 13th May, the three children led a few dozen sheep out to pasture before climbing up a hillside to play, when they were suddenly startled by a brilliant flash of light and an apparition of Mary.

This was the first of six apparitions during which Our Lady explained how the sins of mankind were offending God, saying that many souls were going to Hell, and that we should pray for the conversion of sinners.

At her third visit on 13th July 1917, Mary showed the children a terrifying vision of Hell to show them the reality of this state of existence. She gave an assurance that World War I would soon end, but warned that unless mankind stopped sinning then the world would again be punished through a war even worse than the current one.

Mary’s prophecies were highly specific, and she said that this war would break out during the pontificate of Pius XI, and she said that a great sign would be given that this chastisement was imminent, which would be ‘a night illumined by an unknown light.’ She said that the Church would be persecuted and that the Holy Father would have much to suffer, and that Russia would spread her errors throughout the world. To prevent this from happening, and to assure peace in the world, Mary said that she would later return to ask for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart, and the establishment of a new devotion – The Communion of Reparation on the Five First Saturdays.

As was the case with Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858, the villagers and clergy refused to believe the children, and so Mary said that she would perform a miracle in October ‘for all to see and believe.’ The greatest miracle in modern history, the "Miracle of the Sun" of 13th October 1917, was witnessed by an enormous crowd estimated at 70,000 people, who saw the sun perform movements in the sky which were impossible in terms of physics or astronomy.

Doctor Almeida Garrett, Professor of Science at Coimbra University, was present that day and this is part of what he wrote to describe the event: "Then, suddenly, one heard a clamour, a cry of anguish breaking from all the people. The sun, whirling wildly, seemed all at once to loosen itself from the firmament and, blood red, advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge and fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was truly terrible. I must declare that never, before or after October 13 (1917), have I observed similar atmospheric or solar phenomena."

Reverend Joaquin Laurenco also gave an account of what he witnessed: "I feel incapable of describing what I saw. I looked fixedly at the sun, which seemed pale and did not hurt my eyes.

Looking like a ball of snow, revolving on itself, it suddenly seemed to come down in a zigzag, menacing the earth. Terrified, I ran and hid myself among the people, who were weeping and expecting the end of the world at any moment."

Doctor Domingos Pinto Coelho wrote an article on the event for the Ordem newspaper: "The sun, at one moment surrounded with scarlet flame, at another aureoled in yellow and deep purple, seemed to be in an exceedingly swift and whirling movement, at times appearing to be loosened from the sky and to be approaching the earth, strongly radiating heat."

Alfredo de Silva Santos was also present that day and he wrote: "I can hardly find words to describe what followed. The sun began to move and at a certain moment appeared to be detached from the sky and about to hurtle on us like a wheel of flame. My wife – we had been married only a short time – fainted. I fell on my knees oblivious of everything and when I got up, I don’t know what I said. I think I began to cry out like the others."

Two of the children died within two years of the last apparition, with Francisco passing away at the age of ten in 1919, and Jacinta dying the following year at the age of nine. Both succumbed to the Spanish Flu Pandemic which claimed at least 50 million lives. Lucia survived and later joined the religious life, and it was while she was at the Dorothean Convent in Pontevedra, Spain that Our Lady appeared to her with the child Jesus on 10th December 1925.

Our Lady said to her: "Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You can at least try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, for five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."

Our Lady once again appeared to Lucia on 13th June 1929, and said to her: "The moment has come in which God asks 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. So numerous are the souls which the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me, that I come to ask for reparation.

Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray."

Lucia appealed many times for the consecration of Russia to be made and for the Five First Saturdays devotion to be practiced, but unfortunately the Church did not make the consecration and the devotion of the First Five Saturdays was largely ignored. The warning that Our Lady made came to pass, and on the 25th January 1938 during the pontificate of Pius XI, the night skies from Europe to California were ablaze in red. Scientists put it down to being the greatestAurora Borealis phenomenon in recorded history.

Hitler invaded Austria just six weeks later and the world was on the path to a war that would claim 80 million lives. Later, Russia did spread her errors throughout the world and persecuted the Church, and the Holy Father also suffered, with Pope John Paul II being shot on 13th May 1981, the anniversary of the first apparition at Fatima! The pope was convinced that Our Lady had intervened to save him, and on 13th May the following year he visited Fatima and consecrated the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

There are wonderful benefits to us as individuals and to our world by making the devotion Our Lady called for. To do this, for five consecutive Saturdays we must attend confession, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and also spend another fifteen minutes meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to Mary for the sins against her.

These are sins regarding Her Immaculate Conception, Her perpetual virginity, Her Divine Maternity, the sin of sowing in the hearts of children indifference or scorn towards Mary, and blasphemies regarding the treatment of images of her.

Mary has left a wonderful promise for all those who make this devotion, which is that she will assist at the hour of death with the graces required for their salvation. What more could we possibly ask for? ■