Our Lady of Fatima – Her Prophecies and Warnings Remain as Essential as Ever!

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 10-12-15 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Our Lady of Fatima – Her Prophecies and Warnings Remain as Essential as Ever!

Msgr. Charles Pope • October 12, 2015 •

This week on October 13 and 14th I am in Fatima. Such a profound apparition occurred there, and so accurately prophetic of our times!

Our Lady’s warnings of the consequences if we did not pray and convert have proven to be sadly accurate. She warned of another, more terrible war (World War II). She spoke of great lights in the sky that would serve as a final warning before the terrible war. (They appeared all over Europe just before Hitler invaded Poland, in the form of a stunning display of the Aurora Borealis.) She said that Russia would spread her errors, that the Church would have much to suffer, and she warned of a pope who would be struck down.

A final and belated prophecy from Fatima seems to have come in the form of a letter written by Sister Lucia to Cardinal Carlo Caffara. He had written to her asking for her prayers as he had been commissioned by Pope John Paul II to establish the Pontifical Institute for the Studies on Marriage and the Family. The year was 1981. According to Cardinal Caffara, she wrote back with the following:

[T]he final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family. Don’t be afraid, she added, because anyone who operates for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be contended and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. And then she concluded: however, Our Lady has already crushed its head. [*]

Thus, from Fatima comes one accurate prophecy after another. Here we are today, locked in a terrible battle over the most basic units of any civilization: families and the marriages that form them. Fatima, the great prophecy of our time and a summons to sobriety and prayer!

Something else that has always intrigued me about Fatima is the name of the town itself. Fatima is a town bearing the name of the daughter of Mohammed; this is so stunning! Why of all places would Mary appear there? Is it just coincidence? If you think so, you have not pondered that everything about the apparition of Fatima is prophetic.

The great Archbishop Fulton Sheen, in his book The World’s First Love, reflected on its significance and posed a few questions. Please note that the book was written in 1952 and therefore some of the spellings are not the modern ones. Here are some excerpts:

The Koran, which is the Bible of the Moslems, has many passages concerning the Blessed Virgin. First of all, the Koran believes in her Immaculate Conception, and also, in her Virgin Birth … The Koran also has verses on the Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Angels are pictured as accompanying the Blessed Mother and saying, Oh Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and elected you above all the women of the earth. In the 19th chapter of the Koran there are 41 verses on Jesus and Mary. There is such a strong defense of the virginity of Mary here that the Koran in the fourth book, attributes the condemnation of the Jews to their monstrous calumny against the Virgin Mary.

Mary, then, is for the Moslems the true Sayyida, or Lady. The only possible serious rival to her in their creed would be Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed himself. But after the death of Fatima, Mohammed wrote: Thou shalt be the most blessed of women in Paradise, after Mary. In a variant of the text Fatima is made to say; I surpass all the women, except Mary.

This brings us to our second point; namely, why the Blessed Mother, in this 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 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.

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.

Missionaries, in the future will, more and more, see that their apostolate among the Moslems will be successful in the measure that they preach Our Lady of Fatima. Mary is the advent of Christ, bringing Christ to the people before Christ himself is born. In any apologetic endeavor, it is always best to start with that which the people already accept. Because the Moslems have devotion to Mary, our missionaries should be satisfied merely to expand and develop that devotion, with the full realization that our Blessed Lady will carry the Moslems the rest of the way to her divine Son. She is forever a “traitor,” in the sense that she will not accept any devotion for herself, bit will always bring anyone who is devoted to her to her divine Son.

A beautiful reflection by Archbishop Sheen and one we can surely hope will come to pass! Relations are much tenser between Christians and Muslims today than in 1952. But Fatima is the apparition that just keeps prophesying.

It is nothing less than astonishing that Mary should appear in a town with the name of Fatima. Surely this is no mere coincidence. As Sheen points out, Heaven does nothing without purpose. It is very clear to me that we are not to pass over this detail. “Our Lady of Fatima” has a different ring to it when we consider that Fatima is more than a place; Fatima is the daughter of Muhammad and the greatest woman in Islam. “Our Lady of Fatima” sounds and feels so different when it is heard in this context of person rather than place. It is hugely significant.

It seems clear that Mary will play an important role in the years ahead as the Muslim/Christian conflict likely grows sharper. Perhaps, as Sheen notes, she will be the bridge that connects two vastly different cultures; the common mother who keeps her children talking. Right now this connection seems little pursued, even (as far as I can tell) by the Vatican.

The Guadalupe connection – I wonder, too, if the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe presents some historical parallels to our current struggle with the Muslim world. In the early 16th Century in Mexico, missionaries had made only meager progress in bringing the Aztec people to Christ. This was a combination of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the indigenous people by the Spanish soldiers, and also of the fearful superstition surrounding the Aztec gods. The people were locked in with the fear that unless they fed these gods with horrific human sacrifices, their greatest god, the sun, would no longer shine.

Into this fearful and suspicious setting entered Mother Mary. The miraculous image she left in 1531 was richly symbolic. Her face is that of a mother: gentle and compassionate, unlike the appearance of the frightening Aztec gods, who wore fierce masks. Her features seem to be both Aztec and European, two cultures combined in kindness and peace. Her attitude is one of humble prayer, so she is clearly not a god(dess). She is a merciful mother who consoles and prays for us. She is to be honored but not adored. The black band around her waist means that she is with child and offers Jesus to the people. Her message is about Him. The sun was the greatest of the Aztec gods, so by standing in front of it, Mary shows that she is greater than even their greatest god. To the Aztecs, the moon represented the god of darkness and death. That Mary is standing on the moon is a sign that these powers, too, are defeated by the Son she bears.

Mary brought the breakthrough. Within ten years, over twelve million Mexicans came to Christ and entered the Catholic Church.

This history is paralleled in many ways today in the current tensions with the Muslim World. In many Muslim lands today, conversions are few. Part of the reason for this is a strong aversion to the Western culture from which Catholicism comes. Many Muslims also hold grievances due to alleged American and Western “mistreatment.” Finally, a large factor is fear. In many parts of the Muslim world, leaving the Muslim faith is likely to get one killed. So, it is a combination of a wide cultural gulf, grievances, and fear that keep conversions low. All of this is not unlike the situation in 16th century Mexico.

Is Mary key to this? It took Mary to bridge all these similar gaps between the Aztecs and the Christian missionaries. Might Mary also be that bridge today when similar gaps divide people? Time will tell, but one of her greatest modern titles is “Our Lady of Fatima.” And then there is the crescent moon, upon which Mary stands in the image of Guadalupe. In modern times the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam. By God’s grace, and with love and humility, Mother Mary of Guadalupe was victorious in overcoming the false religion of the Aztecs.

Might this crescent moon on which Our Lady of Guadalupe stands also point to our times and the crescent moon of Islam? Might it indicate that her victories, by God’s grace, are not at an end? Perhaps we can hope that what our Lady of Guadalupe was to the Aztec people of Mexico, Our Lady of Fatima will be to the Muslim people of the world.

As always, I invite your comments and answers to my questions.

Here is “Immaculate Mary,” sung in Arabic:

[painter]

I'd hazard a guess that what makes God sick is that someone would come along and posit a way of salvation that does not include the death of Jesus after seeing the great price He paid in coming to this earth, living a life from conception to a horrible, brutal death and deceiving people into thinking that it was all unnecessary because simply praying the rosary and appealing to Mary is good enough

It is obvious you don't have ANY idea what being a Catholic is all about! Next spring during Holy week I invite you to attend the Good Friday services at a local Catholic Church.

[af_vet_1981]

It's absolutely clear and simply written in 841. You're absolutely right: I'm not walking away from anything -- 841 says exactly what it says. Catholics and Muslims "adore the one Merciful God" -- "together with us" is hard to take out of context when it's written in plain language.

Like you, I'd love to hear the context.

The context is the relationship of the one holy catholic apostolic church to those who are not (yet) Christian. It declares how "we" are related to each other. Separated brethren. who are still regarded as Christian, are covered separately.
1. The Jewish people are mentioned first, and more extensively.
2. They also profess to worship and adore "The God" of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
3. Those who acknowledge "the Creator" come next, foremost among whom are the Moslems, who also, with us (the one holy catholic apostolic church and the Jewish people) profess to worship and adore "The God" of Abraham, Isaac. and Jacob.

The Church and non-Christians

839 "Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."325

The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People,326 "the first to hear the Word of God."327 The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews "belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ",328 "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."329

840 And when one considers the future, God's People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.

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."330

[MHGinTN]

Catholics are ripe for satan’s chrislam, as evidenced by their inability to discern the author of Islam. Even as the murderous nature of the father of Islam plays out, catholics continue to remain willfully clueless ... congratulations, your blindness is perfected, catholics. {/sarcasm}

[kinsman redeemer]

Thanks for your kind response.

[Legatus]

Catholics are ripe for satan’s chrislam, as evidenced by their inability to discern the author of Islam.

This disturbs me because it rings true. The CCC DOES allow that islam and the Church worship the same God... I doubt the mohammedans would agree. I think the argument that since islam is monotheistic therefore we must be worshiping the same God is ridiculous, completely worthy of ridicule.

OTOH, Belloc makes a very good case that islam did start as a heresy outside of the Church, but I think the final nature of their god is so radically NOT Divine that confusing the two deities is unacceptable.

[kinsman redeemer]

It was kind of you to respond to the challenge of explaining "context" - especially when another wouldn't.

So, are you saying that the context depends on the meaning of the word "we"?

How is it that the Holy Roman Catholic Church view Muslims as "separated brethren?" Is that because of Abraham and his son Ishmael- who was NOT the son of promise?

That's fascinating.

Again, it's good that YOU are willing to make your explanation. It's all very interesting.

[af_vet_1981]

So, are you saying that the context depends on the meaning of the word "we"?

How is it that the Holy Roman Catholic Church view Muslims as "separated brethren?" Is that because of Abraham and his son Ishmael- who was NOT the son of promise?

No, I did not write that. I explained the portion of the Catechism that some find confusing in context.
1. The passages are dealing with the relationship of the holy catholic apostolic church with nonChristians. Separated brethren, as I wrote, are considered Christian (assuming they are in Protestant faith communities that have not apostasized into a nonChristian religion/cult) and are covered in a different passage other than those I linked to. For example, you might be considered among the separated brethren and regarded as a Christian by Catholics.
2. The first people discussed who are not (yet) Christian are the Jewish people.
3. The next group considered who are not (yet) Christian are those who believe in the Creator, chief among whom are Moslems.
4. "We" includes the holy catholic apostolic church, the Jews, and those who profess faith in the God of Abraham (as do the Moslems), as having in common that all three profess to worship and adore the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That itself is the context of the relationship being discussed.

[HossB86]

this still does not address the fact that Muslims and Christians are NOT separated brethren; Muslims do NOT worship the one true living God... Father, Son, and Holy Spirit... and yet the Roman Catholic Church says they do.... Or that the RCC worships the same "god' as Muslims....

Since Mohammedans do not worship or adore the one true God, how can the Roman Catholic Church claim any "kinship" with those that basically worship Satan?

Or is there something more?

Hoss

[kinsman redeemer]

Again, I thank you for your response. I know we have our differences and it is good to have a rational exchange.

Maybe I'm the one who is confused here. I thought that Hoss gave this quote from the catechism:

"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."

Then I saw that another poster said that proper interpretation of catechism (using context that would not be provided) does not lead us to think that Muslims worship the same God of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

In your most recent post, you even say,
4. "We" includes the holy catholic apostolic church, the Jews, and those who profess faith in the God of Abraham (as do the Muslims), as having in common that all three profess to worship and adore the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (emphasis mine)

I understand that Hagar thought she was serving the same God as Abraham but you #4 uses the present tense to claim equivalence.

I admit: it is hard for me to follow what is being said by you and the other poster, but plainly asked:
Does the Holy Roman Catholic Church believe that the God it worships is the same as the God who is worshiped by Muslims?

Please be patient with me. I am not playing "gotcha." That poster was wrong.

[HossB86]

In your most recent post, you even say, 4. "We" includes the holy catholic apostolic church, the Jews, and those who profess faith in the God of Abraham (as do the Muslims), as having in common that all three profess to worship and adore the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (emphasis mine)

That statement regarding the Jews raises another horrible accusation of equivalency -- that the Jews worship the same God as the Muslims.

As we know, Muslims do not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, no matter how much they profess to....they are servants of Satan.

To which I continue to pose the question (which, like yours is not a 'gotcha'), do Catholics worship the same "God" as Muslims? Their CCC states it very plainly. And it continues to disturb me deeply.

Hoss

[MHGinTN]

Hoss, the more disturbing aspect is that faithful catholics on this thread actually believe Islam worships the same God as Judaism and Christianity. It is almost like the beheadings in Islam are a glitch to an otherwise acceptable religion to catholics. This maybe further proof that catholiciism is ‘another religion’, not Christianity.

[HossB86]

This maybe further proof that catholiciism is ‘another religion’, not Christianity.

Sad, but true. Thankfully, according to God's plan, there are Christians in Roman Catholicism, and thankfully, those that hear the Gospel and respond to it recognize the difference between religion and salvation and "cross the Tiber" in the proper direction -- exiting the RCC!

Well said all around, sir. Well said.

Hoss

[Iscool]

The next group considered who are not (yet) Christian are those who believe in the Creator, chief among whom are Moslems.

Jesus was the actual physical Creator so no the muzlims do not believe in the God of Creation...

[af_vet_1981]

Maybe I'm the one who is confused here. I thought that Hoss gave this quote from the catechism:

I included 841 in the link in post 202, immediately after 839 and 840 to show the context. Hagar did not just think she was serving the same God as Abraham. Hagar belonged to Abraham's house and the angel of the LORD appeared to her and spoke to her and she even gave God a name. She was obviously serving the same God as Abraham.

As for your other question, the Catechism is the authoritative voice and answers it.

Do you think you worship the same God as is worshipped and adored by the Jews ?

[af_vet_1981]

That statement regarding the Jews raises another horrible accusation of equivalency -- that the Jews worship the same God as the Muslims.

As we know, Muslims do not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, no matter how much they profess to....they

Do you think you worship the same God as is worshipped and adored by the Jews ?

[af_vet_1981]

Jesus was the actual physical Creator so no the muzlims do not believe in the God of Creation...

Do you think you worship the same God as is worshipped and adored by the Jews ?

[metmom]

Your guess has nothing to do with my statement.

For one thing, it’s wrong.

For another, it does not negate my statement.

The fact that the apparition posits another way of salvation besides Jesus is the issue.

Do you believe that the apparition is from God then? Do you agree that there’s another way to God other than Jesus. IOW, through Mary and praying the rosary?

[HossB86]

Do you think you worship the same God as is worshipped and adored by the Jews ?

Do the Jews believe that Christ is the Son of God? Do the Jews believe that Jesus came and died a substitutionary death to save us from our sins?

They do not worship God in his totality; they do not believe in God the Son. So, in that case, they do not worship the same God in that they do not believe in the Trinity. But they worship the one true living God, be it imperfectly.

Do Jews worship Jehovah, or Allah?

Mohammedans worship Satan. They do NOT worship Jehovah. They do not worship the Judeo-Christian God.... so the twisting and turning to try to make it seem that the CCC is in some way legitimate doesn't work. Muslims are not brethren. They are lost, just as we all were before God saved us. But, they worship Allah -- not Jehovah/Yahweh. They don't. No amount of spinning will make it so.

So... once again: do Catholics worship the same "God" as Muslims do as stated clearly and without equivocation in CCC 841? Simple question.

Hoss

[kinsman redeemer]

Thanks for your reply.

The reason I said she "thought" was simply to confirm what was on her mind. I did not mean to imply that she wasn't worshipping Abraham's God. She was. and God blessed her. I can see why you thought that I meant something else, though.

Naturally, you know that I don't buy the statement that catechism is authoritative. But I won't go there because we are having a nice dialog.

I definitely DO worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Rahab, Naomi, Nahum, Paul, Mary, and Onesimus -just to name a few.

I worship the same God that Jews worship in truth. They are God's chosen people and I believe that they can be saved if they accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. Without Christ, their knowledge of God is incomplete but they worship the same God as I, when they worship Him in truth.

The simple question isn't whether KR worships the same God as the Jews (He does.), it is:

Does the Holy Roman Catholic Church believe that the God it worships is the same as the God who is worshiped by Muslims?

Please continue to be patient with me.

#839 is about the Jews. It is not relevant to the question I am humbly asking.

#840 is about people of the Covenant. Hagar is not of the same covenant. As Sarah said, (Gen 21) “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” And it is so. See also Gen 17:21 and Gal 4:24, regarding the two covenants.

#841 is an incomplete view of salvation. God's Word is clear about that. Adoring the one merciful God is not a ticket to eternal life. That, too is a subject that we have engaged in the past - and may we put that important question aside for the sake of this dialog?

I want to make one point clear: ANY person who trust God by trusting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior will be saved. I became part of the Covenant by being "grafted in contrary to nature." (Rom 11) The same could be true for any person - including Muslims.

But the question remains and I do not yet see an answer that is plain and clear to me.

[af_vet_1981]

... they do not worship the same God ...

Ok, you voted that the Jews do not worship and adore the same God as you profess to worship and adore.

Jews do not pronounce the name of God as you do, being partial to the Hebrew and substituting Adonai for the Tetragrammaton whose historically correct pronunciation was forgotten. The Arabic word Allah is similar to the Hebrew El/Elohim construct, meaning literally "The God" so a congruent comparison on your part would be El/Elohim and Allah, which are words for God used in constructs (eg., God of Abraham, God Almighty, etc.).