THE VIRGIN MARY - p3/4
HER BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCES FOR PROPHECY

WORDS OF THE VIRGIN AND MESSAGE OF
ANGEL OF PEACE AT FATIMA

".....I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation all those who, on the first Saturdays of five consecutive months, confess, receive Holy Communion, pray the Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter of an hour meditating on the fifteen mysteries with the intention of offering me reparation." (Blessed Virgin Mary to Sr. Lucia in 1925)

This time the cloud moved toward them and finally became distinguishable as a transparent "young man" about fourteen years of age. The young man identified himself to the astonished children,

"Don't be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me." He then knelt on the ground, bending forward until his forehead touched it, and prayed:

"My God, I believe, I adore, and I love You! I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You!"

He said this prayer three times. When he stood he then said to the children:

"Pray thus. The hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."

Saying that, he vanished from sight. The children were overwhelmed and in a state of ecstasy. They repeated this prayer for a long time as the angel had done - on their knees.

The children decided not to tell anyone of their experiences fearing ridicule and censure by their parents and friends. Several weeks later, the angel appeared again and requested that they pray a great deal, offer sacrifices to the Most High and accept whatever sufferings which the Lord sent to them. In his third and final appearance in October, the angel brought with him a Chalice and suspended above it, a Host. Before offering the Host to Lucia, the only one who had received First Communion, he prostrated himself on the ground and said:

"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly and offer You the most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the earth, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."

He repeated this prayer three times and then rising up, lifted the Host before his eyes and said: "Take and drink the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly insulted by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God." With this, he gave the Host to Lucia and let the other children drink from the Chalice.

As all this was occurring in Portugal, World War I was raging across Europe. In the fall of 1914, Pope Benedict XV pleaded with the leaders of Europe to stop the bloodshed but to no avail. After a number of such pleas, on May 5, 1917, the Pope directed that the invocation

Queen of Peace, pray for us

be permanently included in the Church's litany of prayer to Mary. He also noted:

To Mary, then, who is the Mother of Mercy and omnipotent by grace, let loving and devout appeal go up from every corner of the earth - from noble temples and tiniest chapels, from royal palaces and mansions of the rich as from the poorest hut - from every place where a faithful soul finds shelter - from blood-drenched plains and seas. Let it bear to her the anguished cry of mothers and wives, the wailing of innocent little ones, the sighs of every generous heart; that her most tender and benign solicitude may be moved and the peace we ask for be obtained for our agitated world.

In Fatima, the children continued to pray and offer whatever sacrifices they could as the angel had requested. On May 13th - eight days after the Pope directly asked for heaven's intervention - the little shephards were moving their flocks to the meadows of the Cova da Iria when they were startled by a very bright flash. Thinking it was lightning, they ran for the nearest cover they could find near a large oak tree. A second bright flash once again frightened them and they ran from the tree toward the east seeking better shelter. They were startled to see a bright globe of light hovering over a small evergreen that stood directly in their path. At the center of the light stood a Lady dressed in brilliant white, holding her hands against her breast in a prayerful repose; in her right hand she held a Rosary.

The Lady spoke to them in a soft, melodious voice,

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you!"

Lucia asked the Lady where she came from, to which she replied,

"I am from heaven."

Hearing this, Lucia asked the Lady what she wanted of her. The Lady replied,

"I come to ask you to come here for six months in succession, on the thirteenth day at this same hour. Then I will tell you who I am, and what I want. And afterwards I will return here a seventh time."

Lucia then asked if she would go to heaven, and the Lady responded,

"Yes, you will."

She then asked if Jacinta and Francisco would go to heaven also. The Lady responded,

"Also. But Francisco will have to say many Rosaries!"

After Lucia asked about the state of two girls who had died recently, the Lady spoke again,

"Do you wish to offer yourselves to God, to endure all the suffering that He may please to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and to ask for the conversion of sinners?"

The children replied, "Yes, we do." The Lady then told them that they would have much to suffer, but that God's grace would be their comfort.

Jacinta, the youngest of the children, was struck by the gentleness and beauty of the Lady. When the apparition ended she kept on repeating, "Oh, such a pretty Lady".

Even though they had agreed not to talk to anyone about her appearance at the Cova, Jacinta could not resist telling her mother about the "pretty Lady" she had seen. Her mother was at first skeptical of her story but her father's response, after hearing both his children describe the events at the Cova, was succinct, "Well, if the youngsters did see a lady dressed in white...who could it be but

Our Lady? "

The following morning, Lucia met one of her sisters, Maria, who greeted her, "Oh Lucia, I hear you have seen Our Lady at Cova da Iria! Is it true?" Lucia could only respond, "Who told you?" Maria didn't believe the story nor did the rest of Lucia's family. Her mother, Maria Rosa, was particularly hard on Lucia thinking the young girl was lying about the whole affair.

As promised, Mary appeared to the children on the 13th day of each month for six months. The children did have much to suffer. In her July apparition, the Blessed Mother promised to perform a miracle in October so that all those coming to the Cova would truly believe that she was present there. She also asked them to pray:

"Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and repeat often, especially whenever you make a sacrifice for them: 'O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'"

In her appearances at Fatima, Mary told the children to ask people to pray, convert their lives to God and honor her appearances there. During the July apparition, Mary gave the children three Secrets which were not to be revealed until she authorized their disclosure. She also promised a miracle at the end of her appearance in October that would assist everyone in believing in her visits to Fatima. After giving them the Secrets, she said:

"When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: 'O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need.'"

The apparitions were beginning to draw unwelcome attention to this rural part of Portugal which the mayor did not like, so in August, just before the next scheduled apparition, he kidnapped them, interrogated them, had them thrown in the local jail, and threatened them with execution. All this in response to their refusal to change their story about the beautiful Lady in white and their refusal to reveal the Secrets entrusted to them by her several weeks earlier.

The Apocalypse

"End of World Prophesied"

One of the earliest and most frightening of the rumors, it suggests that the Blessed Virgin detailed the coming of the end of the world. In that description, She spoke of horrifying trials and tribulations resulting from natural and cosmic cataclysms. As part of Her prophecy she urged mankind to turn to prayer and peace as the only means of salvation.

Fatima Prophecies

On May 13, 1917 a luminous Apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to three peasant children and delivered a prophecy that would change the world.

Investigations into the Fatima event have proved that the miracle of October 13, 1917 was seen over an area of 32 miles by 20 - an area of over 600 square miles.

The three children - Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco took their flock of sheep to a natural hollow in the ground known as the Cova da Iria to graze, just outside the town of Fatima in Portugal. While the sheep were grazing the children began to play. Suddenly there was a flash of lightening. The children looked up, bewildered into the sky. The day was quiet pleasent and there was no sign of a storm. They started to gather the sheep thinking a storm was brewing in the distance when there was a second flash that caused total concern.

A few metres away stood a Lady of dazzling light. Their eyes were unable to comprehend the lady's brilliance and beauty.

The children smelled rose.

"Where are you from?" Lucy managed to ask.

"I am from Heaven".

"What do you want of us?" asked Lucia.

"I came to ask you to come here on the thirteenth day for six months at the same time, and then I will return here a seventh time."

After several other messages the lady asked finally for them to recite the Rosary daily before she rose in a cloud of light and glided away into the eastern sky. Lucia warned her cousins to say nothing of what they had seen out of fear of disbelief, but Jacinta was too excited. Predictably Jacinta told her parents about the Apparition and there was a general reaction of disbelief. Lucia`s mother was convinced that her child was lying and punished her continually when she refused to deny her story. Other children laugthed at them and even spat at them.

The Secrets

Lucia said the first secret shown to them by Mary began with a terrifying vision of hell. Mary then indicated that the war would soon end, as World War I did in the following year.

But Mary foresaw that a "night illuminated by an unknown light" would precede a "worse war" in which "The good will be martyred" and "The Holy Father will have much to suffer." On January 25, 1938, a remarkable display of aurora borealis was visible across Europe, the year before World War II began.

The second secret involved the future of Russia. Lucia says Mary revealed that Russia would "spread her errors throughout the world, promoting wars," and that "Various nations will be annihilated." Many believe this is a direct prophecy of the spread of communism. "I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart," continues the account of Mary's revelation. "If people attend to My requests, Russia will be converted and the world will have peace." Some interpret Pope John Paul II's 1984 consecration of Russia as fulfilling the prophecy, and paving the way for the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union as the "conversion" of Russia.

Lucia wrote down the third secret, sealed it, and entrusted it to Portugal's Bishop of Leiria, with instructions that it was not to be read until 1960. The Bishop turned the envelope over to the Vatican. Pope John XXIII reportedly opened the envelope when 1960 arrived, but refused to divulge its contents, saying, "This prophecy does not relate to my time." Pope John Paul II is said to have also read it, and refuses to reveal it on the grounds that its true spiritual message has been obscured by sensationalism.



PROPHECIES AT KIBEHO, RWANDA, AFRICA

"In November 1981, apparitions began in Kibeho, Rwanda, Africa, to seven visionaries: Alphonsine, Emmanuel, Anathalie, Marie-Claire, Stephanie, Agnes, and Vestine. Three of them were boarders in a college administered by nuns in a poor area, and three others live in the bush. Our Lord appeared independently to a young pagan, Sagstashe, who has since taken the Christian name Emmanuel. Our Lord taught him the Our Father and gave him instructions on the faith. Emmanuel was given the following message from the Blessed Mother:

'There isn't much time left in preparing for the Last Judgment. We must change our live, renounce sin. Pray and prepare for our own death and for the end of the world. We must prepare while there is still time. Those who do well will go to Heaven. If they do evil, they will condemn themselves with no hope of appeal. Do not lose time in doing good and praying. There is not much time and Jesus will come.'

Although the apparitions ended for six of the visionaries by 1983, Alphonsine continues to receive apparitions almost every year on November 28. Her last apparition was on November 28, 1989. In these apparitions, Our Lady calls herself the 'Mother of the Word.' She emphasizes the importance of the rosary and prayer and to love ourselves and others. Jesus told Emmanuel,

'Too many people treat their neighbors dishonestly. The world is full of hatred. You will know my Second Coming is at hand when you see the outbreak of religious wars. Then, know that I am on the way.'

The Blessed Mother told them,

'I have come to prepare the way for my Son for your good and you do not want to understand. The time remaining is short and you are absent-minded. You are distracted by the goods of this world which are passing. I have seen many of my children getting lost and I have come to show them the true way.'



MEDUGORJE, BOSNIA PROPHECIES, INTERVIEW WITH THE SEERS

Published Dec. 18, 1985
From: "The apparitions of Our Lady at Medjugorje,"
by Svetozar Kraljevic, O.F.M.
Interview with Mirjana Dragicevic,
By Fr. Tomislav Vlasic Medjugorje, January 10, 1983

T: Mirjana, we have not seen each other for some time, and I would like you to tell me about the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and especially with the events that are connected to you.

M: I have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary for eighteen months now, and feel I know Her very well. I feel she loves me with Her Motherly love, and so I have been able to ask Her about anything I would like to know. I've asked her to explain some things about Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell that were not clear to me. For example, I asked Her how God can be so unmerciful as to throw people into Hell, to suffer forever. I thought: If a person commits a crime and goes to jail, he stays there for a while and then is forgiven - but to Hell, forever? She told me that souls who go to Hell have ceased thinking favorably of God - have cursed Him, more and more. So they've already become a part of Hell, and choose not to be delivered from it.

Then she told me that there are levels in Purgatory: Levels close to Hell and higher and higher toward Heaven. Most people, she said, think many souls are released from Purgatory into Heaven on All Saints' Day, but most souls are taken into Heaven on Christmas Day.

T: Did you ask why God allows Hell?

M: No, I did not. But afterward I had a discussion with my aunt, who told me how merciful God is. So I said I would ask the Madonna how God could......

T: According to what you've said, then; It's simple as this: People who oppose God on earth just continue their existence after death, and oppose God in Hell?

M: Really, I thought if a person goes to Hell....Don't people pray for their salvation? Could God be so unmerciful as not to hear their prayers? Then the Madonna explained it to me. People in Hell do not pray at all; instead, they blame God for everything. In effect, they become one with Hell and they get used to it. They rage against God, and they suffer, but they always refuse to pray to God.

T: To ask Him for salvation?

M: In Hell, they hate Him even more.

T: As for Purgatory, you say that souls who pray frequently are sometimes allowed to communicate, at least by messages, with people on earth, and that they receive the benefits of prayers said on earth?

M: Yes. Prayers that are said on earth for souls who have not prayed for their salvation are applied to souls in purgatory who pray for their salvation.

T: Did the Madonna tell you whether many people go to Hell today?

M: I asked her about that recently, and She said that, today, most people go to purgatory, the next greatest number go to Hell, and only a few go directly to Heaven.

T: Only a few go to Heaven?

M: Yes only a few - the least number - go to Heaven.

T: Did you ask about the conditions for a person to enter Heaven?

M: No I didn't; but, we can probably say what they are. God is not looking for great believers but simply for those who respect their faith and live peacefully, without malice, meanness, falsehood.

T: This is your interpretation, your understanding?

M: Yes. After I talked to the Madonna, I came to that conclusion; No one has to do great miracles or do great penance; merely live a simple, peaceful life.

T: Well, besides Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, is there anything else new recently?

M: The Madonna told me that I should tell the people that many in our time judge their faith by their priests. If a priest is not holy, they conclude that there is no God. She said: "You do not go to church to judge the priest, to examine his personal life. You go to church to pray and to hear the word of God from the priest." This must be explained to the people, because many turn away from the faith because of priests.

Today, as it was a long time ago, the Virgin told me God and the devil conversed, and the devil said that people believe in God only when life is good for them. When things turn bad, they cease to believe in God. Then people blame God, or act as if he does not exist. God, therefore, allowed the devil one century in which to exercise an extended power over the world, and the devil chose the twentieth century. Today, as we can see all around us, everyone is dissatisfied; they cannot abide each other. Examples are the number of divorces and abortions. All this, the Madonna said, is the work of the devil.

T: This behavior of people - they're under the influence of the devil. But the devil does not have to be in them?

M: No, no. The devil is not in them, but they're under the influence of the devil, although he enters into some of them.

To prevent this, at least to some extent, the Madonna said we need communal prayer, family prayer. She stressed the need for family prayer most of all. Also, every family should have at least one sacred object in the house, and houses should be blessed regularly.

She also emphasized the failings of religious people, especially in small villages - for example, here in Medjugorje, where there is separation from Serbians (i.e., Serbian Orthodox) and Moslems. This separation is not good. The Madonna always stresses that there is but one God, and that people have enforced unnatural separation. One cannot truly believe, be a true Christian, if he does not respect other religions as well. You do not really believe in God if you make fun of other religions.

T: What, then, is the role of Jesus Christ, if the Moslem religion is a good religion?

M: We did not discuss that. She merely explained, and deplored, the lack of religious unity, "especially in the villages." She said that everybody's religion should be respected, and, of course, one's own.

T: Tell me where the devil is especially active today. Did she tell you anything about this? Through whom or what does he manifest himself the most?

M: Most of all through people of weak character, who are divided within themselves. Such people are everywhere, and they are the easiest for the devil to enter. But he also enters the lives of strong believers - sisters, for example. He would rather "convert" real believers than nonbelievers. How can I explain this? You saw what happened to me. He tries to bring as many believers as possible to himself.

T: Can we suppose, then, that one of you might say that three secrets would be revealed before the great sign appears; then the rest of the secrets will be revealed, one by one? Is there anything to that?

M: Nothing like that, but something like this. First, some secrets will be revealed - just a few. Then the people will be convinced that the Madonna was here. They will understand the sign. When Jakov said that the mayor will be the first one to run to the hill, he meant that generally people of the highest social class will understand the sign as a place of occasion to convert. They will run to the hill and pray, and they will be forgiven. When I asked the Madonna about unbelievers, She said: "They should be prayed for, and they should pray." But when I asked again, recently, She said: "Let them convert while there is still time." She did not say they should be prayer for.

T: You can say nothing specifically until the moment the Madonna says you can?

M: Yes

T: What does the Madonna say? Can we prepare ourselves for what will happen?

M: Yes, prepare! The Madonna said people should prepare themselves spiritually, be ready, and not panic; be reconciled in their souls. They should be ready for the worst, to die tomorrow. They should accept God now so that they will not be afraid. They should accept God, and everything else. No one accepts death easily, but they can be at peace in their souls if they are believers. If they are committed to God, He will accept them.

T: This means total conversion and surrender to God?

M: Yes

T: After these ten secrets, after these eighteen months of apparitions, what do you tell the people they should do? What do you say to priests, to the Pope and Bishops, without revealing the secrets? What does the Madonna want us to do?

M: First, I would like to tell you how it was for me at the end, and the.....

T: All right.

M: Two days before Christmas, the Madonna told me Christmas day would be the last time she would appear to me. (I didn't quite believe this.) On Christmas Day, she stayed with me for forty-five minutes and we talked about many things. We summarized everything that had been said between us. On behalf of many people, I asked what they should do. Then She gave me a very precious gift. She said She would appear to me on my birthday every year for the rest of my life. Also, independently of the sign - and anything else - She said She will appear to me when something very difficult happens - not some everyday difficulty, but something quite grievous. Then, She will come to help me. But now, I have to live without Her physical presence, without Her daily personal visits. I say to all people: Convert! - the same as She said. "Convert while there is time!" Do not abandon God and your faith. Abandon everything else, but not that!

T: What is the greatest danger to mankind? What does it come from?

M: From godlessness. Nobody believes - hardly anybody. For example, the Madonna told me that the faith in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria is very weak. The people in those countries model themselves on their priests, and if the priests are not good examples, the people fall away and believe there is no God. When I was in Askona I heard of a priest to whom a rich man had left money to build a home for old people, but instead, the priest built a hotel. Now all the people in that city have turned their backs on the faith, because how could a priest not fulfill the last wish of a dying man and, instead, build a hotel and make money for himself? Nevertheless, people must understand that they shouldn't scrutinize a priest's private life, but listen to what he says through God - God's word.

T: Before we finish this interview, is there anything you would like to add?

M: She said some things that are for me personally. She advised me on various matters. Then She said: "Go in God's peace!"

T: Did She talk to you about the other visionaries and further apparitions?

M: She told me I am - well, more mature than the others and therefore I must help them, spend time with them and talk with them. This will make things easier for them and for me. We are to understand each other and stay together - united.

T: She did not mention further developments or apparitions, either individually or to all of you as a group?

M: I think that when each individual learns the tenth secret, she will cease appearing to that person.

Interview with Ivanka Ivankovic, By Fr. Svetozar Kraljevic

February, 1983

S: Ivanka, you and Mirjana were taking a walk together that day. Why were you walking together?

I: We regularly walked together in that area. We had been at my house; then we decided to take our walk.

S: Who was with you besides Mirjana?

I: At first, just Mirjana and myself. When we returned to my house, Milka, Marija's sister, asked us to go with her to get the sheep and bring them home.

S: So the two of you went with Milka to get the sheep?

I: The first time, Mirjana and I were walking alone, and as we were returning to the village I happened to look toward the hill - and I saw a figure of the Madonna, bright and shining. I said to Mirjana: "Look, the Madonna!" Mirjana dismissed what I said with a wave of her hand, as if I'd been joking, and she said: "It's not very likely that the Madonna would appear to us." So we continued to walk toward the village. Mirjana did not even look where I pointed to the hill. When we got to Milka's house, Milka said: "Help me get the sheep and bring them home." So we turned around and started walking back to the fields. This time, all three of us saw the Madonna. We knelt down and prayed; then we got the sheep and chased them home. Later, Vicka and Ivan and the other Ivan joined us.

S: On that first day, you saw the Madonna twice?

I: Yes. The first time when Mirjana and I were walking back to the village, and the second time when we went with Milka to get the sheep.

S: Who saw the Madonna first?

I: I did.

S: What did you say when you saw her?

I: I said: "Look, Mirjana, the Madonna!"

S: Then what did you do? Where did you go?

I: We went to Milka's. We stopped in front of her house and she asked us to help her get the sheep. Then the three of us went to get the sheep to bring them home. When we passed the hill, I saw the Madonna again, this time holding the Baby Jesus in her hands. Mirjana and Milka also looked, and they too saw the Madonna.

S: What did seeing the Madonna mean to you?

I: It meant everything in the world!

S: When you talk with the Madonna in your visions, we cannot hear you speak.

I: We speak out loud, the same as now.

S: Let me put it this way. Do you speak with the Madonna mentally - that is She understands what you think - or do you speak to her in a low voice, a whisper, so we cannot hear you? Or is your conversation miraculous - beyond our power to hear and understand?

I: I speak with Her normally, the same as I'm speaking now. Also, I hear Her voice and words in the normal way, as well as what the others say.

S: In your visions, have you ever asked favors for anybody?

I: I have, in the beginning, I asked a favor for little Daniel.

S: What did the Madonna say?

I: She says the same thing She always says: Strong faith and prayer will help.

S: What do you mean, "strong faith and prayer"? For what?

I: To believe and pray for a healing.

S: Did you ever ask for anybody in your family who had passed away?

I: Yes, I asked for my father not long ago, and she said the same thing.

S: What did Our Lady say?

I: She said my mother is with her, and that I should obey and not worry.

S: You were saddened by your mother's death, and because of that the Madonna came to comfort you.

I: I don't know; but I don't think so. We asked her why, of all people, She appeared to us. She said She does not always seek out the best people.

S: To whom are the Madonna's messages sent?

I: To the whole world.

S: What are the messages?

I: Peace, Conversion, Fasting, Penance, Prayer.

S: Which is the most important?

Virgin Mary, Fatima, PropheciesI: Peace.

S: Why peace?

I: When everyone in the world is at peace, everything is possible.

S: You mentioned prayer. Tell me honestly, how do you pray?

I: When I get up in the morning, I pray seven Our Fathers and the Credo. At noon, I pray the Angelus. In the evening, I pray seven Our Fathers and the Credo, and sometimes the rosary. When we are all home together, we pray an evening prayer.

S: It is known that the Madonna recommended that all of you enter a convent.

I: She told us it is Her wish that we enter a convent - but only those who have such a wish. She does not want anyone to disgrace the faith and the Church.

S: I believe that everyone is free to choose, and you are free as well. Have you decided what to do in this connection?

I: To tell you the truth, as I feel right now, I do not want to enter the convent. I can live a Christian life, the same as a nun, raising.......

S: Bearing in mind what you know about the future, tell me if the Madonna of Medjugorje will reconcile the world even more.

I: I think She will.

S: Will the "Great Sign" help in achieving this?

I: Yes, when the time comes. More believers will come to church.

S: Will the sign appear very soon, or later?

I: It will appear at the proper time.

S: Ivanka, are you in any way fearful of being able to do what the Madonna expects of you in this life?

I: Why should I be afraid when God is with me? God gives me whatever strength I need.

S: You speak to the people of the Madonna's messages, but some do not believe you. In that case what do you do?

I: I pray for them, that God will enlighten them.

S: Can you do anything else?

I: I will go on trying to persuade them. They will be convinced, once they ...

S: I believe that, but in the meantime people become nervous. It is difficult to wait for that day. What should people do?

I: Pray that God will give us the strength to endure.

S: There are those who are opposed to the Madonna. What would you tell them?

I: I'd tell them: Convert! There is a God. That is it!

S: Can those who oppose the Madonna frustrate Her plans in the world?

I: You mean the great sign

S: Yes.

I: No. All their armaments and explosives could not destroy it.

S: Can they do harm to the souls of the people and to the Madonna's plans for the people?

I: No.

S: Does that mean that the Madonna is stronger than they?

I: Normally She is. It is Jesus who decides - God. Not the Madonna.

S: Tell me about this.

I: I think that God has sent Her here. When we asked Her for a sign, I think She asked Jesus and He gave Her a sign. Then She promised to give us a sign.

S: That means She can not act independently on Her own. She must do the will of God, as she always has.

I: I believe so.

S: It is important that people of good faith, regardless of denomination, not be turned against each other. But tell me more about this. What did the Madonna say about this?

I: The Madonna said that religions are separated in the earth, but the people of all religions are accepted by Her Son.

S: Does that mean that all people go to Heaven?

I: It depends on what they deserve.

S: Yes, but many have never heard about Jesus.

I: Jesus knows all about that; I don't. The Madonna said, basically, religions are similar; but many people have separated themselves, because of religion, and become enemies of each other.

S: I thank you, Ivanka, for this conversation and testimony!



FIRST AND SECOND PART OF THE "SECRET"


According to the Version Presented by Sister Lucia
in the "Third Memoir" of 31 August 1941
for the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima

(original text)

... This will entail my speaking about the secret, and thus answering the first question.

What is the secret? It seems to me that I can reveal it, since I already have permission from Heaven to do so. God's representatives on earth have authorized me to do this several times and in various letters, one of which, I believe, is in your keeping. This letter is from Father José Bernardo Gonçalves, and in it he advises me to write to the Holy Father, suggesting, among other things, that I should reveal the secret. I did say something about it. But in order not to make my letter too long, since I was told to keep it short, I confined myself to the essentials, leaving it to God to provide another more favourable opportunity.

In my second account I have already described in detail the doubt which tormented me from 13 June until 13 July, and how it disappeared completely during the Apparition on that day.

Well, the secret is made up of three distinct parts, two of which I am now going to reveal.

The first part is the vision of hell.

Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. 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 a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. 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.

We then 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 Pontificate 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 shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world".(7)

THIRD PART OF THE "SECRET"

(original text) (translation) (8) "J.M.J.

The third part of the secret revealed at the Cova da Iria-Fatima, on 13 July 1917.

I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.

After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in 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 impression that it was the Holy Father.' Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God.

Tuy-3-1-1944".

Interpretation of the "Secret"

Letter of his Holiness Pope John Paul II
To Sister Lucia

(original text)

(translation)

To the Reverend Sister
Maria Lucia
of the Convent of Coimbra

In the great joy of Easter, I greet you with the words the Risen Jesus spoke to the disciples: "Peace be with you"!

I will be happy to be able to meet you on the long-awaited day of the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, which, please God, I will celebrate on 13 May of this year.

Since on that day there will be time only for a brief greeting and not a conversation, I am sending His Excellency Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to speak with you. This is the Congregation which works most closely with the Pope in defending the true Catholic faith, and which since 1957, as you know, has kept your hand-written letter containing the third part of the "secret" revealed on 13 July 1917 at Cova da Iria, Fatima.

Archbishop Bertone, accompanied by the Bishop of Leiria, His Excellency Bishop Serafim de Sousa Ferreira e Silva, will come in my name to ask certain questions about the interpretation of "the third part of the secret."

Sister Maria Lucia, you may speak openly and candidly to Archbishop Bertone, who will report your answers directly to me.

I pray fervently to the Mother of the Risen Lord for you, Reverend Sister, for the Community of Coimbra and for the whole Church. May Mary, Mother of pilgrim humanity, keep us always united to Jesus, her beloved Son and our brother, the Lord of life and glory.

With my special Apostolic Blessing.

IOANNES PAULUS PP. II

From the Vatican, 19 April 2000

Conversation
with Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart

The meeting between Sister Lucia, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sent by the Holy Father, and Bishop Serafim de Sousa Ferreira e Silva, Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, took place on Thursday, 27 April 2000, in the Carmel of Saint Teresa in Coimbra.

Sister Lucia was lucid and at ease; she was very happy that the Holy Father was going to Fatima for the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, something she had looked forward to for a long time.

The Bishop of Leiria-Fatima read the autograph letter of the Holy Father, which explained the reasons for the visit. Sister Lucia felt honoured by this and reread the letter herself, contemplating it in own her hands. She said that she was prepared to answer all questions frankly.

At this point, Archbishop Bertone presented two envelopes to her: the first containing the second, which held the third part of the "secret" of Fatima. Immediately, touching it with her fingers, she said: "This is my letter," and then while reading it: "This is my writing."

The original text, in Portuguese, was read and interpreted with the help of the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima. Sister Lucia agreed with the interpretation that the third part of the "secret" was a prophetic vision, similar to those in sacred history. She repeated her conviction that the vision of Fatima concerns above all the struggle of atheistic Communism against the Church and against Christians, and describes the terrible sufferings of the victims of the faith in the twentieth century.

When asked: "Is the principal figure in the vision the Pope?", Sister Lucia replied at once that it was. She recalled that the three children were very sad about the suffering of the Pope, and that Jacinta kept saying: "Coitadinho do Santo Padre, tenho muita pena dos pecadores!" ("Poor Holy Father, I am very sad for sinners!") Sister Lucia continued: "We did not know the name of the Pope; Our Lady did not tell us the name of the Pope; we did not know whether it was Benedict XV or Pius XII or Paul VI or John Paul II; but it was the Pope who was suffering and that made us suffer too."

As regards the passage about the Bishop dressed in white, that is, the Holy Father—as the children immediately realized during the "vision"—who is struck dead and falls to the ground, Sister Lucia was in full agreement with the Pope's claim that "it was a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path and in his throes the Pope halted at the threshold of death." (Pope John Paul II, Meditation from the Policlinico Gemelli to the Italian Bishops, 13 May 1994).

Before giving the sealed envelope containing the third part of the "secret" to the then Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, Sister Lucia wrote on the outside envelope that it could be opened only after 1960, either by the Patriarch of Lisbon or the Bishop of Leiria. Archbishop Bertone therefore asked: "Why only after 1960? Was it Our Lady who fixed that date?" Sister Lucia replied: "It was not Our Lady. I fixed the date because I had the intuition that before 1960 it would not be understood, but that only laterwould it be understood. Now it can be better understood. I wrote down what I saw; however it was not for me to interpret it, but for the Pope.

Finally, mention was made of the unpublished manuscript which Sister Lucia has prepared as a reply to the many letters that come from Marian devotees and from pilgrims. The work is called Os apelos da Mensagem de Fatima, and it gathers together in the style of catechesis and exhortation thoughts and reflections which express Sister Lucia's feelings and her clear and unaffected spirituality. She was asked if she would be happy to have it published, and she replied: "If the Holy Father agrees, then I am happy, otherwise I obey whatever the Holy Father decides." Sister Lucia wants to present the text for ecclesiastical approval, and she hopes that what she has written will help to guide men and women of good will along the path that leads to God, the final goal of every human longing.The conversation ends with an exchange of rosaries. Sister Lucia is given a rosary sent by the Holy Father, and she in turn offers a number of rosaries made by herself.

The meeting concludes with the blessing imparted in the name of the Holy Father.



NEXT - THE VIRGIN MARY 4


Page 1 - White Light in the Mirror | Immaculate Conception
     Cape of Juan Diego
Page 2 - Where She Appears, What She Wears
     Prophecies at Akita, Japan | Update from the Pope
Page 3 - Words of the Virgin at Fatima
     Prophecies at Kibeho, Rwanda
     Medugorje, Bosnia Prophecies
     First and Second Part of the "Secret"
     Third Part of the "Secret"
Page 4 - Announcement by the Cardinal
     Why Pope Benedict Resigned


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