Fatima Articles and Talks

Some Unique Aspects of Fatima by Timothy Tindal-Robertson, © August 2025 The message revealed by the Blessed Virgin at Fatima is distinct from all other Marian apparitions by virtue of the following unique aspects which it alone possesses. 1). Continuing Association with the Papacy The most important feature of the apparitions is that Our Lady came to Fatima in direct response to an urgent appeal to heaven from Pope Benedict XV. Thereby, as I have shown in my CTS booklet, Message of Fatima in the Life of the Church and Teaching of the Popes, 1917-1997 , her intervention began an association with the papacy which has steadily increased in the reigns of succeeding popes. But the most significant advances of all in the papal acceptance of Our Lady’s message have taken place in the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, culminating in the Holy Year 2000, when Fatima attained its highest ever papal recognition through three unprecedented initiatives of the Holy Father, as I have recounted in detail in my CTS booklet, Fatima in the Third Millennium , issued in 2001. Firstly, on 13 th May 2000 Pope John Paul II travelled to Fatima to beatify two of the three little shepherds chosen to receive Our Lady’s message, Francisco and Jacinta; secondly, at his direction the text of the third part of the secret was released by Cardinal Ratzinger, together with his Theological Commentary, on 26 th June; and finally, on 8 th October John Paul II made his unprecedented Act of Entrustment of the Third Millennium to Mary Most Holy, during the Jubilee Mass of the Bishops, attended by around 1500 Bishops, and in the presence of the well known statue of Our Lady, which at his request had been specially brought to St Peter’s from the Sanctuary of Fatima. Has the Mother of God ever made such a touching intervention, in direct response to an urgent plea from the Chief Shepherd of all the faithful, at a dire moment in 1917 when the raging inferno of the First World War had descended to new depths of horror, with the prolonged rain and the introduction of deadly gas weapons ? Having been rebuffed in all his attempts to negotiate peace, Pope Benedict XV sent out a pastoral letter to the whole Catholic world, dated 5 th May 1917, in which he urged all to pray fervently to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for peace, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “Mother of mercy and omnipotent by grace”. At the same time the Pope directed that the invocation “Queen of Peace, pray for us” should be added to the Litany of Loreto. Eight days later, the Blessed Virgin appeared to the three shepherd children at Fatima, and the last words in her first apparition constitute a direct response to the urgent plea of Benedict XV: “Pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war”. Providentially, at the very moment the Blessed Virgin was appearing at Fatima, the future Pope Pius XII was being consecrated Bishop. He became known as “the Pope of Fatima” because he was the first pope to consecrate the whole human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on 31 st October 1942. The unique nature of the papal association with Fatima is commemorated in the painting which hangs above the high altar in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima, in which are depicted the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, and Popes Pius XII, John XXIII and Paul VI. 2). Fatima mentioned three times in the Second Vatican Council As a private revelation which one is not obliged to believe, but which is highly commended, Fatima is unique in being mentioned three times by Pope Paul VI in the Second Vatican Council. The Pope addressed the Council Fathers on 21 November 1964, at the end of the third session, when the Council approved the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, whose final chapter 8 is entitled “The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the mystery of Christ and the Church”. In his address, Paul VI considered it “particularly opportune” to recall Pius XII’s consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; bearing that in mind, he announced that he was sending a special mission to carry the Golden Rose to Fatima; and he ended by proclaiming, “to your Immaculate Heart, O Mary, we finally commend the entire human race” (cf. Message of Fatima , p. 59). 3). Fatima the richest ever supernatural manifestation of Our Lady In a message to all the world’s priests on 13 May 1963, Cardinal Larraona, speaking as Pope John XXIII’s legate at Fatima, declared that Our Lady’s message contains “inexhaustible treasures and spiritual riches … Fatima is a living realisation of the Gospel ... indeed, never has there been a supernatural manifestation of Our Lady of such rich spiritual content as that of Fatima, nor has any recognised apparition given us a message so clear, so maternal, so profound”. Pope John Paul II said that the Church has accepted the message of Fatima because it contains the “truth and call of the Gospel itself: ‘repent and believe in the Gospel’ (Mk 1:15) ... The appeal of the Lady of the message of Fatima is so deeply rooted in the Gospel and the whole of Tradition that the Church feels that the message imposes a commitment on her” (Homily at Fatima, 13 May 1982). It is “the true Gospel of Christ, presented anew to our generation” (General Audience, 17 May 2000). 4). Parallel papal consecrations, to the Sacred Heart (1899,) and the Immaculate Heart (1984) The Blessed Virgin’s request for the Pope to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart, in a certain way parallels Our Lord’s request in June 1897, to Sister Mary of the Divine Heart (the Countess Droste zu Vischering), in which Jesus asked the Pope to consecrate the world to His Sacred Heart. Pope Leo XIII said this act, which he carried out on 11 June 1899, was “the greatest act of my pontificate”. John Paul II fulfilled Our Lady’s request, when he consecrated the world including Russia to her Immaculate Heart at St. Peter’s, Rome on 25 th March 1984, in the presence of the venerated statue from Fatima. On 17 November 2001, Sister Lucia confirmed to Archbishop Bertone that this act “was accepted in heaven”. As a result of Our Lady’s intervention, the dire persecution ceased which the Church had suffered from Marxist atheist persecution in Central and Eastern Europe (see my book Fatima, Russia & John Paul II ), and those countries have experienced the resurrection of the Church. 5). Fatima a unique prophetic warning of and spiritual remedy for current evils The message of Fatima is unique in containing a prophecy which constituted a warning of as well as a specific spiritual remedy for the most grave evils to have afflicted the 20 th century, namely: the two World Wars, and the spirit of the rejection and denial of God (the “errors of Russia”). These errors continue to threaten the Church, especially in the once-Christian West, through secularism, materialism, and the increasingly grave violations of the sanctity of human life and the family. The extent of the problem is such that “today as never before, humanity stands at a crossroads”, the Pope stated, in his Act of Entrustment of October 2000, and European culture “gives the impression of silent apostasy” in which people have everything and “live as if God does not exist” ( Ecclesia in Europa , 9). It is “because its message announces many of the later events and conditions them on the response to its appeals” that Fatima “is certainly one of the greatest .. signs of the times”, the Pope wrote to the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima on 1 October 1997. “Private revelations approved by the Church … help us understand the signs of the times and to respond to them rightly in faith”, Cardinal Ratzinger explained in his Theological Commentary issued on 26 th June 2000. By his teaching and acts, John Paul II has lived Our Lady’s message. Heaven is now awaiting the response of all people of good to follow the Pope’s example, and evangelise themselves and their communities through prayer, penance, offering up the sacrifices encountered in fulfilling one’s daily duties, amendment of life, daily recitation of the Rosary (according to the sublime teaching in John Paul II’s Rosarium Virginis Mariae of 16 Oct. 2002), and the Five First Saturdays Eucharistic communion of reparation for sin. The Blessed Virgin promised that “in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph … and a of peace will be granted to the world … if my requests are heeded”. As the Pope said, on returning to Rome after beatifying Francisco and Jacinta at Fatima on 13 May 2000, “let us receive the light that comes from Fatima, let us be guided by Mary. May her Immaculate Heart be our refuge and the way that leads us to Christ”. Francisco and Jacinta, two young shepherd children who were chosen by heaven to receive, live and convey the message of Fatima to the Church, responded to Our Lady’s requests with such fidelity and commitment that John Paul II declared them Blessed in heaven. They were canonised by Pope Francis at Fatima on 13 May 2017. May Mary’s Immaculate Heart obtain for us the grace to respond, “Yes, we are willing”, just as they did. 6). Francisco and Jacinta as youngest non-martyr Saints Finally, Francisco and Jacinta are the first children in the history of the Church who became saints in the normal course of their family life, and not through martyrdom. And that Pope John Paul II said they became saints through their heroic fidelity and commitment in fulfilling the requests of Our Lady, and not because of the exceptional supernatural manifestations that they experienced. Their lives are a demonstration that the message of Fatima is meant for the family, and that to live it will bring about sanctification for all.

Just over a century ago, between May and October 1917, Our Lady appeared at Fátima in Portugal, at the height of World War I – as Europe was tearing itself apart in a fratricidal struggle – with a message of peace and salvation for all. In our own time, we can see that we live in a world where peace is still at a premium; particularly in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia we have a situation reminiscent of the worst aspects of the terrible trench warfare of the First World War. Eight years after her apparitions to the children of Fátima – Jacinta and Francisco Marto, and Lucia dos Santos – the Blessed Virgin appeared to the eldest of them, Sr Lucia, while she was a postulant in the Dorothean convent at Pontevedra in Spain. 10 December 1925, she fully revealed the Five First Saturdays devotion associated with the Fátima message. The centenary of this apparition is being celebrated this year by the World Apostolate of Fátima (WAF) in England & Wales, which is part of a worldwide organisation which is the officially approved Fátima body in the Church. The Apostolate is arranging for two Fatima statues, and relics of Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto, to visit all the cathedrals in England and Wales between May of this year and October 2026, in a repeat of what happened in 2017, the Fátima centenary year. The Five First Saturdays is a monthly devotion, to be done over five consecutive months, which involves the recitation the rosary with a 15-minute mediation, plus Confession and Holy Communion, with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary afflicted by the sins of mankind. In return, Our Lady promised to those who complete the devotion assistance at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation – that is a promise of heaven. This devotion is a very important part of the Fátima message, not least because it was linked by the Blessed Virgin to the conversion of Russia during her July 1917 apparition, when the children were given the Secret of Fátima in three parts. In this centenary year of the First Saturdays devotion, the current world situation has become increasingly more serious and worrying, and so a renewed promotion of the Fátima Message, with its promise of the conversion of Russia, the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and an era of peace, has become an even more urgent necessity. As regards Russia and its conversion, this is especially so, given the current aggression in Ukraine, which is also a threat to Europe as a whole, but particularly Eastern Europe. The situation is further complicated with what looks like less American involvement in Europe. At the same time, more countries, for example Iran and North Korea, are striving to develop their nuclear-weapons programmes. The Holy Land and the lands around it are seeing renewed bloodshed, and the China/Taiwan stand-off is an ever-present worry – and this is to say nothing of the continuing humanitarian crises, and the increasing persecution of Christians worldwide. If this seems alarmist or exaggerated, then it is sobering to recall that during her July 1917 apparition, Our Lady spoke of the danger of various nations being annihilated. On 13 July 1917, she requested, “the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays.” The first part of her request was fulfilled when Pope St John Paul II consecrated Russia collegially with the bishops of the world on 25 March 1984; thereafter the Soviet Union and its Communist ideology collapsed from within. It now remains for the Church to fulfil the second part of Our Lady’s request – the promotion of the Five First Saturdays devotion. Then she will fulfil her promise, that “Russia will be converted and a period of peace will be granted to the world.” That is why the Five First Saturdays devotion is so important and why the centenary is being celebrated this year. In this centenary year of the First Saturdays devotion, humanity is entering a more precarious, indeed perilous era, and thus the Fátima Message must surely assume a much greater importance for the Church and the world. As individuals we can do very little to ameliorate the global problems we are now facing in a direct way, but at Fátima, Our Lady gave us the means to bring about real and lasting change in the world, and peace, and that is through the power of prayer to change minds and hearts. The Centenary of the Five First Saturdays devotion is an opportunity to present the Fátima message anew, through increased commitment to prayer and devotion. The World Apostolate of Fátima in England and Wales, through its programme of visits of the Fátima statues and relics to all the cathedrals in England and Wales is leading the way. Donal Anthony Foley is a committee member for the World Apostolate of Fátima (WAF) in England & Wales .

Prayer is the mainstay of the Christian and Catholic life and so it isn’t surprising to see how, once the Fatima children had experienced the awesomeness and power of the angel of Fatima and the beauty and goodness of Our Lady, they increasingly devoted their lives to prayer. We can learn some important lessons from this and from the Fatima message, generally, for our own prayer lives. The Angel of Portugal, or Angel of Peace, as he identified himself, appeared to the three seers during the summer of 1916, when they were playing on the stone slabs of the well at the bottom of the garden belonging to Lucia’s parents. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Pray, pray very much! The most holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High.” That the angel should have spoken to the children in this way is highly significant. He had previously appeared to them in the spring and invited them to pray with him as follows: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You!” – telling them that the Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to their supplications. He appeared again in the fall and taught them a prayer of adoration of reparation for sins against the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, known as The Angel Prayer. Sister Lucia tells us, “His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them. From then on, we used to spend long periods of time, prostrate like the Angel, repeating his words, until sometimes we fell, exhausted.” Later on, during the apparitions of Our Lady, she too, was insistent on the great importance of prayer, calling them to pray the Rosary every day, and relating that Francisco must pray “many Rosaries” before he would be called home to heaven. Following their kidnapping by the local mayor on August 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin implored, “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.” From all of this, we can deduce that their vocation was so exalted that a complete dedication to prayer was demanded of them and that this ought to come before everything else. Sister Lucia later wrote that the Blessed Virgin was not just speaking to three little children. Surely, we who seek to follow in the footsteps of the seers, need to make prayer much more the center of our lives. Prayer Makes A Difference When the Blessed Virgin appeared in Belgium in the early 1930s, at Beauraing and Banneux, the message she delivered then also focused on the importance of prayer. During the apparitions, she told the children at Beauraing to “pray, pray very much,” and to “pray always,” while at Banneux, she told the seer to “pray much.” This was in the context of the rise of Nazism in neighboring Germany, with all the terrible evils that it would bring down on the world. It can be difficult to pray, at times, even when we are in a calm and recollected mood – it becomes much more difficult if we are disturbed by a spirit of fear or discontent at what is going on around us or in the news, or on social media. Somehow, we have to be so focused on prayer that it acts as a rock in our lives and prevents the currents of discontent which swirl around us from overwhelming us. The reality is that rather than neglecting prayer we need to realize that, following the teaching of Our Lady, our prayers and sacrifices really do matter and really do make a difference, and also that they enable us to remain steadfast in the Faith, regardless of what is happening in the world. If, as she repeatedly reminded us at Fatima, the Rosary has the power to stop wars and bring about peace, then praying it devoutly can certainly help us to deal with the lesser problems that we have to deal with in everyday life. Sister Lucia is reported to have said, “The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given new efficacy in the recitation of the Holy Rosary. She has given this efficacy to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families … that cannot be solved by the Rosary.” It’s very easy to get caught up in the idea that the “end times” are upon us, or just around the corner. But Our Lady promised at Fatima that in the end her Immaculate Heart would triumph and that a period of peace would be granted to the world. Therefore, despite the chaos that flares up in our modern world periodically, we are, in a deeper sense, moving onward towards a time of peace, and we ought to concentrate on that rather than on the transitory events of each day. The Fatima seers are our models regarding prayer, and we too must allow ourselves to be led deeper into prayer by the Blessed Virgin, and particularly the prayer of the Rosary. If we do that, we will be truly living the message of Fatima. Donal Anthony Foley