Fatima: The Apparition that Changed the World
Mary told the children that she was sent from heaven by God with an urgent message for humanity. At that time, World War I was raging, and Europe was being torn apart by violence and bloodshed. Our Lady promised that God would grant peace the world over should her call for prayer, reparation and universal consecration to her Immaculate Heart be honored. The Blessed Virgin emphasized to the seers and to the world at large, "If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace." However, if it was ignored, a far greater conflict would occur.
War, Our Lady of Fatima explained, is a punishment for sin. She warned that God would castigate the world for its continued disobedience to His Love through, war, hunger and the persecution of His Church, the Holy Father and the Faithful. Mary prophesied that Russia would be God's "instrument of chastisement," spreading atheism and materialism across the earth, provoking wars, annihilating nations and persecuting the faithful. Humanity's only hope was a sincere return to God.
Our Lady's message to the world contained three secrets. These she confided to the children in July 1917. The first secret was a horrifying vision of hell Mary told Lucy, Jacinta and Francisco that many people go to hell because they have no one to pray or make sacrifices on their behalf. She urged the children to perform acts of prayer and sacrifice to save souls. The second secret predicted the future outbreak of World War II. It included Mary’s solemn request for the Consecration of Russia as necessary for peace and that her Immaculate Heart would triumph.
Much of what Our Lady of Fatima said was revealed soon after the apparitions. The third secret was not a message but a prophetic vision witnessed by the children, and not unveiled by the Church until 2000. Pope St. John Paul II, who survived an assassination attempt that nearly ended his life, believed the vision signified the sufferings the Catholic Church endured during the 20th century.
Jean Heimann’s presentation of events during and after the Fatima apparitions are the perfect accompaniment as we celebrate Fatima’s centenary. From the publisher: “Fatima. Few place-names in the Christian world conjure up such powerful images and associations than this humble town in Portugal. For it was there that Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children beginning in 1917—where even non-believers attest the miracles there as the “day the sun danced.”
The Virgin’s message, as it always is, was penance. But she also predicted the rise and fall of communism, the Second World War, and the attempted assassination of Pope St. John Paul II. Yet amid these tragedies, she promised refuge in her Immaculate Heart to all who approach her—a promise extended, and urgently needed, today.
This beautiful volume—filled with more than 50 full-color images—is a treasure for longtime devotees of Our Lady of Fatima, as well as a gripping history for those who seek to learn more about the dramatic events related to the apparition that have unfolded over the course of the last century.
In Fatima, noted Catholic author and Blue Army member Jean M. Heimann traces the events of the apparitions at Cova da Iria and guides the reader through the hundred tumultuous years since.” Fatima: The Apparition that Changed the World, is timely reading. Mary's call is as relevant now as when first delivered.
Comments