EWTN will be providing live coverage of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Fatima beginning on May 11.
Like it, or not, the Church wants everyone of us to be about the Lord’s business right up to the day he calls us home. I don’t need private revelations to keep on keeping on.
But the Vatican is in a catch-22 here. In order to quiet the conspiracy theorists, they could address some of the alleged discrepancies and put them to rest once and for all. But, and this is a big but, they simply cannot do that. To even address the questions would turn the conspiracy cottage industry into a huge growth sector overnight.
Every word or clarification issued would be dissected and dissected again opening up even more inconsistencies and discrepancies resulting in the world’s first perpetual motion conspiracy machine. So the Vatican continues to do what it must, it stays silent.
On an highly emotional spiritual level there has been a great common-ground meeting place between Rome and Mecca in the town of Fatima in Portugal. To quote a Catholic news organization, "Our Lady of Fatima is really Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Mohammed." On October 23, 1995, Iranian television began running stories that the apparitions in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 were religious phenomena of Muslim origin........According to Iranian Television, the woman who appeared to the three shepherd children in 1917 was not the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, but Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam. Her message was reported to be "I am Fatima, daughter of the Prophet of Islam." This television report has helped launch the growing waves of Muslim pilgrims who have been visiting this Christian site in Portugal in recent years.
Catholics, on the other hand, say that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the three shepherd children. She told them to pray, especially encouraging the prayer of the Rosary. Lucía, the only surviving recipient of the vision, was entrusted with three "secrets," of which the third has never been made public. She recently assured that the third secret was never intended for general proclamation. Pope John Paul II has had a strong devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, especially since the failed assassination attempt of Ali Agca, which occurred precisely on May 13, 1991, the anniversary of the first vision at Fatima (May 13, 1917).
-- From the thread The Papacy and Islam
This brings us to our second point: namely, why the Blessed Mother, in the 20th century should have revealed herself in the significant little village of Fatima, so that to all future generations she would be known as "Our Lady of Fatima." Since nothing ever happens out of Heaven except with a finesse of all details, I believe that the Blessed Virgin chose to be known as "Our Lady of Fatima" as a pledge and a sign of hope to the Moslem people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her divine Son too.On the Lady of Fatima:Evidence to support these views is found in the historical fact that the Moslems occupied Portugal for centuries. At the time when they were finally driven out, the last Moslem chief had a beautiful daughter by the name of Fatima. A Catholic boy fell in love with her, and for him she not only stayed behind when the Moslems left, but even embraced the Faith. The young husband was so much in love with her that he changed the name of the town where he lived to Fatima. Thus, the very place where our Lady appeared in 1917 bears a historical connection to Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed.
-- Archbishop Fulton Sheen, in the book The World's First Love
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
I believe that the best way for God to send a message to people on earth was to have Mary tell it to a little girl!!
and make it in 3 parts!
and keep one of them secret because it would be so bad if people knew that Russia was not “consecrated to the sacred heart of mary” or ...something
People believe the silliest things..(seriously, they do! look at the crapola Mooselimbs believe)
Ping!
The loonies will rant and rave, as they always do. NOTHING one does can prevent it. Best bet is largely to ignore them. IMO.
For those interested in Marian apparitions;
http://www.zeitun-eg.org/stmaridx.htm
http://www.garabandal.us/home.html
I am not a graphics expert, but I have seen a handwriting specialist's analysis that the Vatican's 2000 "Third Secret" was not written in Sister Lucia's handwriting.
I should qualify that as the Sister Lucia who was one of the three shepherd visionaries -- since there are several reports that the Vatican also created a doppleganger of Sister Lucia to pose for photos with Pope John Paul II and to "verify" the Vatican's "Third Secret."