Fatima is a small town located in Portugal, which gained
worldwide attention due to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary that occurred
there in 1917. The events at Fatima have become a significant part of modern
Catholic history, and the site has become an important place of pilgrimage for
believers from around the world. Here is a brief history of Fatima and the
secrets associated with it.
History:
The events at Fatima began in 1916 when three young shepherd
children named Lucia dos Santos, Jacinta Marto, and Francisco Marto reported
seeing a vision of an angel while tending their sheep. Over the next few
months, they reported several more apparitions of the angel, who identified
himself as the Angel of Peace and encouraged the children to pray and make
sacrifices.
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| The three children of Fátima: Lúcia Santos (age 10, pictured in the middle) and her two cousins: Francisco (age 9) and Jacinta Marto (age 7) holding their rosaries. Date circa 13 September 1917 |
On May 13, 1917, the children reported seeing a vision of a
beautiful lady dressed in white who identified herself as the Lady of the Rosary.
She urged the children to pray the rosary every day, and to do penance for the
sins of the world. Over the next several months, the Lady appeared to the
children several more times and delivered three secrets to them.
The first secret was a vision of Hell, which the children
said was filled with people suffering in eternal flames. The second secret
involved the end of World War I and the start of World War II, as well as the
rise of Communism and the need for Russia to be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary. The third secret, which was not revealed until 2000, was a vision of a
bishop in white who is shot and killed by soldiers.
The Secrets of Fatima:
The secrets of Fatima have been the subject of much
speculation and interpretation over the years. The first two secrets were
revealed by Lucia in 1941, while the third secret was not revealed until 2000,
after much controversy and speculation.
Many people believe that the visions and secrets of Fatima
were a warning from the Virgin Mary about the dangers of war and the rise of
Communism. Some believe that the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, as requested by the Lady of the Rosary, was instrumental in the fall
of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
Others see the secrets of Fatima as a call to prayer and
penance, and a reminder of the importance of faith in the modern world. The
site of the apparitions at Fatima continues to be an important pilgrimage site
for Catholics, and the message of the Lady of the Rosary remains relevant to
believers around the world today.
The Controversial Third Secret
The
interpretation of the secret: The third secret of Fatima
was written down by Lucia dos Santos, the only surviving seer of the Fatima
apparitions, in 1944 and entrusted to the Bishop of Leiria. Some believe that
the secret predicted the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981,
while others see it as a warning about the crisis in the Church and the need
for repentance and renewal.
The
Vatican's handling of the secret: The Vatican's handling
of the third secret of Fatima has also been a source of controversy. Some have
accused the Vatican of covering up the secret or of withholding important
information. In 1981, a year after the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II,
the Vatican released a statement saying that the third secret had been fully
revealed and that it referred to the events of the 20th century. However, many
people remained skeptical of this interpretation.
The
authenticity of the secret: There have also been
questions about the authenticity of the third secret of Fatima. Some have
claimed that the secret is a forgery or that it was altered by the Vatican. The
third secret was originally composed as a signed letter addressed to the Bishop
of Leiria. However, the version of the third secret that was released by the
Vatican is not presented in the form of a letter. It is important to note that
the original document, which was entrusted to the Vatican in 1957, was not made
public until the year 2000. This delay in disclosure has led to much
speculation and controversy surrounding the contents of the third secret. Despite
the lack of a formal letter format in the released version, the message
conveyed in the third secret remains a matter of great interest and debate
among scholars and religious leaders alike. Some interpret the message as a
warning of impending global catastrophe, while others see it as a call to
spiritual renewal and repentance.
The
role of Russia in the secret: One of the most
controversial aspects of the third secret of Fatima is the role of Russia in
the vision. The secret refers to a "bishop dressed in white" who is
killed by soldiers, and many have interpreted this as a reference to the
assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. However, others believe that the
secret refers to Russia and the need for the consecration of that country to
the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
According to the official interpretation, the third secret
was a symbolic vision of the persecution of the Church and the assassination
attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981. However, some critics and conspiracy
theorists have argued that this interpretation is incomplete or false, and that
the real secret has been hidden by the Church for various reasons. Some of the
alternative theories include:
- The third secret predicts a great apostasy within the
Church and a false pope who will lead many astray.
- The third secret warns of a nuclear war or a meteor strike
that will devastate the world.
- The third secret reveals the identity of the Antichrist or
the date of the Second Coming of Christ.
- The third secret contains a message from Jesus or Mary
that contradicts some of the doctrines or dogmas of the Church.
On February 3, 1946,
Lúcia underwent an interview with Father Jongen. During the interview, Fr.
Jongen inquired about the timing of the Third Secret. Lúcia revealed that she
had already communicated the third part in a letter to the Bishop of Leiria.
Additionally, Canon Galamba, an advisor to the Bishop of Leiria, stated that
Lúcia had made the bishop promise to open and share the letter with the world "either
at her death or in 1960, whichever came first."[1]Lúcia's
interview with Father Jongen sheds light on the mysterious Third Secret. It is
intriguing to learn that Lúcia had already communicated the third part in a
letter to the Bishop of Leiria. Furthermore, the promise made by the bishop to
open and share the letter with the world adds an element of suspense to the
story. The revelation of the Third Secret remains a topic of interest and
speculation to this day.
%20(1).jpg) |
| Sister Lucia in the Chapel of the Apparitions, next to the column which marks the exact place where the Apparitions of Our Lady took place. The picture was taken during Lucia's visit to Cova da Iria on May 22, 1946 |
What caused the church to hesitate in revealing the third
secret? What potential dangers could jeopardize the faith and well-being of
Christians and the world? Is the church itself at risk? And why was the secret specifically
set to be revealed in 1960? Why 1960? These are all valid questions that have
been raised regarding the third secret. To shed some light on the matter, let
us refer to a full quote from the book En
Esto Creo: In This I Believe pp. 203-205.
The Redemption Cycle
“In Matthew 18:21, Peter asked Jesus,
"Lord,
if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven
times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but
seventy-seven times…"
Seventy-seven times, there is something hidden behind the
Master’s words. In fact, Jesus Christ is instructing us in a secret code known
as the Forgiveness Cycle. This is also the key to figuring out Daniel 9:24.
Seventy
weeks are decreed
for your people and for your holy city; then transgression will stop and sin
will end, guilt will be expiated, everlasting justice will be introduced,
vision and prophecy ratified, and a most holy will be anointed.
Here, the seventy weeks is a code for the
490-year-period. In verse 2 of the same chapter,
Daniel tried
to understand in the Scriptures the counting of the years of which the LORD
spoke to the prophet Jeremiah: that for the ruins of Jerusalem seventy years
must be fulfilled.
In Leviticus 25, we read,
Seven weeks
of years shall you count—seven times seven year--so that the seven cycles
amount to forty nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month…the Day
of Atonement…This fiftieth year you shall make sacred…
This is called the Jubilee Year, which begins on the 10th
day of the 7th month of the 49th year and ends on the next Day of Atonement in
the next 49th year cycle, and is added to it to make 50. Thus, 49 years is 1
jubilee, and 490 years is composed of 10 jubilees. This is the Forgiveness
Cycle. If we continue with Leviticus 25, a Jubilee is a sacred year where
liberty is given to all people, when every one of you shall return to his
own property, everyone to his own family estate. This means sins and debts
are forgiven, a new beginning, and a return to God for His mercy.
The Bible’s history is divided into four great periods of
490 years each, with one cycle lasting 1,960 years, or 4 x 490. This is known
as the Redemption Cycle.
a.) There are 505 years recorded from Abraham's birth to
the Exodus; however, due to the 15-year gap between the births of Ishmael and
Isaac, through whom the latter's descendants would come, the total amount of
time is reduced to 505-15 = 490 years.
b.) From the Exodus to the Dedication of the Temple by
Solomon, there are 621 years recorded in Jewish history. After accounting for
the seven periods of enslavement by the Philistines and other tribes, which
totaled 131 years, we can subtract that from the 621 years. This leaves 490
years of Jewish history between the Exodus and the Dedication of the Temple,
that is 621-131 = 490 years again.
c.) Over the course of 560 years, from the dedication of
the Temple to its rebuilding during Nehemiah's time, the Jews spent 70 of those
years in Babylonian captivity. This leaves a total of 490 years. We still have
560-70 = 490 years.
d.) From the rebuilding of the Temple in 457 B.C. under
Artaxerxes to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in 33 AD, a period of nearly five
centuries of history unfolded. We have
a total of 457 + 33 = 490 years.
We can immediately see how the thousand-year history of
God’s chosen people revolved around a period of 490 years. The LORD God
allotted 490 years every time His people forgot and sinned against Him, seventy
times seven Jesus Christ said. It ended in the latter’s death on the Cross, the
80th Jubilee,[143] as the Passover lamb for the forgiveness of Man once and for
all, believers, and non-believers alike, as represented by the two thieves on
the cross, Hestas and Dimas, the one repentant and accepting Jesus Christ and
the other disbelieving and scorning Him. As Paul epitomizes it,
Not that he
might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the
sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to
suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all
he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.
(Hebrews 9:25-26)
But if we notice, this does not stop the redemptive power
of God. Jesus Christ took the burden of the sins of many, but it did not stop
at the cross. In his Second Coming, this time not as a sacrifice but to bring
salvation, St. Paul wrote,
Just as it
is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also
Christ, who offered himself once to take away the sins of many, will appear a
second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly
await him. (Hebrews 9:27)
A second time "to bring salvation to those who
eagerly await him." As he promised, "But I will see you again, and
your hearts will rejoice." (John 16:22)
We ask for the third time: Is it possible to know the
coming of the Son of Man? The LORD God has forgiven His people for four
periods, culminating in His ultimate sacrifice for all of mankind, which is
1,960 years since Abraham's birth. So when will Jesus Christ come? Jesus
Christ's second coming will bring salvation to those who wait for Him. When
will that be? The answer is already given: the redemption cycle of four periods
in 490 years, that is in 1960.”
In November 1984, Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope
Benedict, was quoted as saying that the Third Secret contained warnings of
"dangers threatening the faith and life of a Christian, and therefore the
world".
But what could these dangers be, if not the same as those
posed by the parable of the tenants in the vineyard, as described in Matthew
21:40: "What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he
comes?"
The authentic third secret of Fatima pertains to
the timing of Jesus' Second Coming. The year 1960 marks the culmination of
God's Redemption Cycle. Similar to how the redemption cycle concluded with
Jesus on the cross in 33 AD, the 1,960 years that followed, which is the year 1960,
signifies another redemption of mankind by God. This revelation sheds light on
the significance of the year 1960 and its connection to the divine plan of
salvation. It highlights the cyclical nature of God's redemptive work
throughout history and emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the
Second Coming of Christ. This insight into the true third secret of Fatima
provides a deeper understanding of God's plan for humanity and serves as a
reminder to remain vigilant and faithful in anticipation of Christ's return. But
we are already late in knowing! As he said, “Behold, I am coming like a thief.”
In the 1940s, in the heart of Mindanao, a remarkable event
occurred that left a lasting impression on the people who witnessed it. Datu
Manok, a respected member of the community, was present when Divina Pablo was
brought back to life by the hands of Ben Isay Ngipon, also known as Dr. Laway
and Ubing. This incredible feat left everyone in awe and sparked a curiosity
about Ubing, the mysterious boy wonder. However, the story does not end there.
Ubing went on to reveal a stunning connection between Flora, the daughter of
Datu Manok as the reincarnation of the sister of Sta. Lucia of Portugal. It was
as if the threads of fate and destiny had woven their lives together in a
tapestry of wonder. This revelation left everyone speechless and opened up the
idea that our lives are connected to something greater than ourselves. The
resurrection of Divina Pablo and the connection between Flora and Sta. Lucia of
Portugal are just two examples of the mysteries that exist in the world. But more
mysterious is the mysterious superstar from the South—Ruben Ecleo. There is
still so much to discover and that we should never stop seeking knowledge and
understanding.
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| Sister Lucia (left) Seer of Fatima and Visionary who predicted the Miracle of the Sun on October 13, 1917, vs. the Vatican “Sister Lucy,” (right) who publicly appeared on May 13, 1967 to her death on February 2005. On two counts the tenants failed the owner of the vineyard; first, by not revealing the third secret in 1960, and second, through a "pious fraud" you're looking right now. |
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