Three Secrets of Fatima

In Portuguese: Os Tres Segredos de Fatima.

This was a series of apocalyptic visions & prophecies given to 3 young Portuguese shepherds (Lucia Santos, & her cousins, Jacinta & Francisco Marto) by a Marian apparition. It started on May 13, 1917. The 3 shepherd kids claimed to have been visited by the Virgin Mary 6 times between May & October 1917. This apparition is now popularly called: Our Lady of Fatima.

According to Lucia (who became the de facto leader of the 3 kids), around noon on July 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary entrusted the kids with 3 secrets. 2 of the secrets were revealed in 1941, in a document written by Lucia, at the request of Bishop Jose Alves Correia de Silva (Bishop of Leiria) to help with the publication of a new edition of a book on her cousin, Jacinta.

When the bishop asked, in 1943, to reveal the 3rd secret, Lucia struggled for a short period. Because she was “not yet convinced that God had clearly authorized her to act.” In October 1943, the bishop ordered her to put it in writing. Lucia then wrote down the secret & sealed it in an envelope not to be opened until 1960, when “it will appear clearer.”

The text of the 3rd secret was officially released, allegedly, by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Some claim the 3rd secret wasn’t fully revealed by Lucia. Despite the Holy See’s protests to the contrary. According to various Catholic interpretations, the 3 secrets involve Hell, WWI, WWII, & the modern-day persecutions of Christians.

NOTE: Only 12 of the hundreds of alleged Marian apparitions the Catholic Church has investigated have gotten ecclesiastical approval. 9 occurred between 1830 & 1933.

On June 17, 1921, 14 year old Lucia was accepted as a boarder at the Sisters of St. Dorothy school in Vilar. In 1925, at the age of 18, Lucia began her novitiate at the convent of the Sisters of St. Dorothy in Tui, just across the border in Spain. Novitiate is the period of training, or probation, for a beginner, or novice, usually in a religious order, during which they learn about that community’s practices & deepen their commitment to a vowed life, or to see if they want to continue their journey within the organization.

Lucia continued to report private visions intermittently throughout her life. In the mid-1930s, the Bishop of Leiria encouraged (or strong-armed, depending on the account) Lucia to write her memoirs. So that she could disclose further details of her cousins & the 1917 apparitions.

As early as July 1917, mention was made that the Lady of the apparitions had entrusted to the kids a secret, “that was good for some & bad for others.” It wasn’t until her 3rd memoir, written in 1941, that Lucia began to write more in depth about the content of the secret.

In this, she follows the French visionary, Melanie Calvat, who saw Our Lady of La Salette in 1846, who wrote down the secrets from that event almost 20 years after. Lucia wrote that the secret has 3 parts. The 1st 2 of which she revealed in 1941. The 3rd wasn’t written down until January 3, 1944.

In her 3rd memoir (1941), Lucia said that the 1st secret was a vision of Hell. This was given to the kids on July 13, 1917.

The 2nd secret refers to the devotion to the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was initially only partially revealed to the kids of July 13, 1917.

Various prophecies related to this devotion were made. Such as a statement that WWI would end. Along with a prediction of another war during the reign of Pope Pius XI, should men continue offending God & should Russia not convert. The 2nd half is a future request of the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary & the First Saturdays Devotion.

On December 10, 1925, Sister Lucia reported an apparition of the Virgin Mary, joined by the Child Jesus on a luminous cloud, while living at the Convent of St. Dorothea at Pontevedra, Spain. The Virgin Mary specified the conditions for the First Saturdays Devotion & asked her to spread the devotion. Later, on February 15, 1926, she reported a subsequent vision on the Christ Child reaffirm this request.

On June 13, 1929, she reported a vision of both Mary & the Holy Trinity, in which Mary had asked for the Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart by the Pope. This is in communion with all the bishops of the world.

This later vision fulfilled what was said in 1917 about how the Virgin Mary would come later to request the consecration. The message regarding the establishment of the 1st 5 Saturday Devotions is reminiscent of that reported by Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century which led to the First Friday Devotions.

The 2nd prophecy wasn’t revealed until August 1941, after WWII had already begun. Those skeptical of the prophecies have questions whether Mary, in 1917, explicitly referred to Pope Pius XI. As Ambrogio Ratti didn’t choose the regnal name until after his election in 1922.

The European portion of WWII is generally held to have begun on September 1, 1939. But by then, Pope Pius XII had succeeded Pope Pius XI. As for the Conversion of Russia, the Bolshevik Revolution didn’t happen until November 1917.

Some supporters of the Fatima prophecies argue that the secret didn’t say the war must begin in Europe, & during the pontificate of Pope Pius XI, Japan had already invaded China in 1937, which is generally seen by historians of China, & other parts of Asia, as when the WWII actually began.

Some critics argue that the Russian Civil War (1918-1921), the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), the Chinese Civil War (1927-1937), the war between Italy & Ethiopia (1935-1936), & the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) serve to illustrate that the prediction that 1 war will end & that another will start isn’t necessarily an indication of divine inspiration.

Supporters of the prophecy point out that the 2nd secret called for a war worse than WWI, not simply any armed conflict. In addition, with regards to the conversion of Russia, there was already, at the time, strong revolutionary ferment in Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution as witnessed by the earlier February Revolution in 1917 & the active Communist & anarchist movements. This would explain Mary’s reference on July 13, 1917 to the need for a conversion of Russia.

Sister Lucia chose not to disclose the 3rd secret in her memoir of August 1941. Lucia fell seriously ill with influenza & pleurisy. Pleurisy is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs & line the chest cavity (pleurae).

Bishop Silva, visiting Lucia on September 15, 1943, suggested that Lucia write the 3rd secret down to ensure that it would be recorded in the event of her death. Lucia was hesitant to do so. Because upon receiving the secret, Lucia had heard Mary say not to reveal it.

Because Carmelite obedience requires that orders from superiors be regarded as coming directly from God, she was in a dilemma as to whose orders took precedence. Finally, in mid-October, Bishop Silva sent her a letter containing a direct order to record the secret. Lucia continued to struggle, even after this direct order. According to Lucia, she overcame it after the Virgin Mary appeared to her in early January 1944.

The 3rd part of the secret was written down “by order of His Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and the Most Holy Mother” on January 3, 1944. In June 1944, the sealed envelope containing the 3rd secret was delivered to Silva. This is where it stayed until 1957, when it was finally delivered to Rome.

Canon Galamba, who was an advisor to the Bishop of Leiria, is quoted as saying that when the bishop refused to open the sealed envelope, Lucia made him promise that it would definitely be opened & released to the world at her death, or in 1960, whichever came 1st. The bishop passed away in 1957.

It was announced by Cardinal Angelo Sodano on May 13, 2000 (83 years after the first apparition of the Lady to the kids in Cova da Iria & 19 years after the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II) that the 3rd secret would be FINALLY be released.

In his announcement, Cardinal Sodano implied that the secret was about the 20th century persecution of Christians that concluded in the failed Pope John Paul II assassination attempt on May 13, 1981, which was the 64th anniversary of the 1st apparition of the Lady at Fatima. The idea of an already fulfilled secret is contested by some Catholics.

There’s speculation that the 3rd secret hasn’t either fully been or revealed at all. There’s a plethora of reasons for why & what the secret actually said/says. Such as the secret contained info about the Apocalypse, apostasy, & Satanic infiltration of the Church. Yes, like the actual devil, Satan himself. Why they don’t release it is because they don’t want to induce mass panic among the global Catholic community.

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Quote of the day, 6 May: St. Edith Stein

As the cardinal electors prepare to gather in conclave, we remember how Edith Stein—then a Catholic scholar of Jewish heritage—turned to the Holy Father in a time of moral darkness, trusting that the successor of Peter would listen to the voices of his children crying out for justice.

Holy Father!

As a child of the Jewish people who, by the grace of God, for the past eleven years, has also been a child of the Catholic Church, I dare to speak to the Father of Christianity about that which oppresses millions of Germans.

For weeks, we have seen deeds perpetrated in Germany which mock any sense of justice and humanity, not to mention love of neighbor. For years, the leaders of National Socialism have been preaching hatred of the Jews. Now that they have seized the power of government and armed their followers, among them proven criminal elements, this seed of hatred has germinated.

The government has only recently admitted that excesses have occurred. To what extent, we cannot tell, because public opinion is being gagged.

However, judging by what I have learned from personal relations, it is in no way a matter of singular exceptional cases. Under pressure from reactions abroad, the government has turned to “milder” methods. It has issued the watchword “no Jew shall have even one hair on his head harmed.”

But through boycott measures—by robbing people of their livelihood, civic honor, and fatherland—it drives many to desperation; within the last week, through private reports, I was informed of five cases of suicide as a consequence of these hostilities.

I am convinced that this is a general condition, which will claim many more victims. One may regret that these unhappy people do not have greater inner strength to bear their misfortune.

But the responsibility must fall, after all, on those who brought them to this point, and it also falls on those who keep silent in the face of such happenings. Everything that happened and continues to happen on a daily basis originates with a government that calls itself “Christian.”

For weeks, not only Jews but also thousands of faithful Catholics in Germany, and, I believe, all over the world, have been waiting and hoping for the Church of Christ to raise its voice to put a stop to this abuse of Christ’s name.

Is not this idolization of race and governmental power, which is being pounded into the public consciousness by the radio, open heresy? Isn’t the effort to destroy Jewish blood an abuse of the holiest humanity of our Savior, of the most blessed Virgin, and the apostles? Is not all this diametrically opposed to the conduct of our Lord and Savior, who, even on the cross, still prayed for his persecutors? And isn’t this a black mark on the record of this Holy Year, which was intended to be a year of peace and reconciliation?

We all, who are faithful children of the Church and who see the conditions in Germany with open eyes, fear the worst for the prestige of the Church if the silence continues any longer.

We are convinced that this silence will not be able, in the long run, to purchase peace with the present German government. For the time being, the fight against Catholicism will be conducted quietly and less brutally than against Jewry, but no less systematically.

Before long, no Catholic will be able to hold office in Germany unless he dedicates himself unconditionally to the new course of action.

At the feet of Your Holiness, requesting your apostolic blessing,

(Signed) Dr. Edith Stein, Instructor at the German Institute for Scientific Pedagogy, Münster in Westphalia, Collegium Marianum.

Saint Edith Stein

Letter to Pope Pius XI, April 1933

Note: Although undated, this letter from Edith Stein was likely received by the Holy See on 20 April 1933, the date preserved in Vatican archival records. Edith had informed Hedwig Conrad-Martius on 5 April that she was about to travel to the Benedictine Archabbey of Beuron for a personal retreat over Easter, planning to return around 19 April (cf. Letter 139). It is therefore probable that she composed the letter while at Beuron, shortly before being dismissed from her lectureship.

Upon returning to Münster, she lost her position at the German Institute for Scientific Pedagogy on 19 April under the “Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service,” a National Socialist decree enacted on 7 April that excluded Jews from public employment unless they met strict exemptions.

Her letter to the pope arose not only from theological concern but also from deeply personal grief. In the same letter to Hedwig, Edith shared: “Every letter [from home] contains more bad news.” She recounted how relatives in Breslau were “very upset and depressed,” how her brother-in-law Hans Biberstein expected dismissal from his position at the University of Breslau, and how family friends in Hamburg and elsewhere were beginning to feel the strain of systematic anti-Jewish policy.

In 2003, the Holy See released the text of Edith’s letter. This English translation, prepared by the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Baltimore, was published online by the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations (ccjr.us).

Posselt, T 2005, Edith Stein: The Life of a Philosopher and Carmelite, translated from the German by Batzdorff S, Koeppel J, and Sullivan J, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Stein, E. 1993, Self-Portrait in Letters, 1916-1942, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Discalced Carmelite, translated from the German by Koeppel, J, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photo taken in 1931 in Vienna, two years before Edith entered Carmel and just before the Nazi rise to power. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (Used by permission).

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
When have I been tempted to keep silent in the face of injustice—and what would Edith ask of me?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#conscience #Holocaust #humanRights #Jewish #Nazism #persecution #PopePiusXI #socialJustice #StEdithStein #witness

Pompei - Feste giubilari della SS. Vergine

#Pompei #Pompeii #Italy #theVirginMary #Madonna #AveMaria #Italian #SalutidaPompei #VirginMary #PopePiusXI #Campania #Napoli #photography #FerroCandilera

https://fotografia.cultura.gov.it/iccd/item/FFC022749

In 1931 to solemnly commemorate the third centenary of the re-acquisition of Mount Carmel, it was decided to hold the General Chapter of the Order in the monastery on the promontory. In preparation for the event the church was once more redecorated. The Maltese lay brother, Luigi Poggi, an accomplished artist, painted the ceiling and the interior of the dome, and the walls were covered with precious marble.

The bell tower was enriched by the addition of three new bells presented by the General Definitory, the nuns of Lisieux Carmel, and the nuns of Haifa respectively. Along the road leading towards the Bay of Haifa, fourteen small chapels were erected containing reproductions of the Stations of the Cross, the work of Rafael of the Infant Jesus of the province of Catalonia, whose work was financed by benefactors in his native country.

Participating at the solemn opening of the Chapter were representatives from all the countries in which the Order was established, including America, India, Mesopotamia, Persia, Poland, Ireland, England, Austria, Bavaria, Hungary, Italy, France, Spain, and Malta. Fr. William of St. Albert was elected as General of the Order for a second term of office. The Chapter decided to place votive lamps before Our Lady’s statue to represent every province of the Order.

Because it was felt that the statue’s garments were not in accord with its ornate surroundings, it was decided to have them carved in wood. Brother Luigi Poggi, conventual on Mount Carmel, carved a copy to be enthroned temporarily, while the head and hands were sent off to Rome [in 1932].

The body was carved in Lebanese cedar, with instructions to keep the same proportions and pose as the original. In Europe, the work of restoration was entrusted to Emanuele Rieda, who finished it in less than a year.

The statue’s return to Mount Carmel was accompanied by great celebrations. In July and August, the image was displayed in the Discalced Carmelites’ Roman churches and was blessed by Pius XI on the 25th of July, 1933.

[When the statue arrived on 8 September 1933, it] was escorted by a long procession made up of civic and religious leaders, all Catholic groups in Haifa, and a group of pilgrims who had come specially from Europe. In the evening it was solemnly enthroned above the high altar in the basilica.

Father Elias Friedman, O.C.D.

Excerpts from chapters 3 and 4

Giordano, S, Salvatico, G & Maccise, C 1996, Carmel in the Holy Land: From Its Beginnings to the Present Day, Il Messaggero di Gesù Bambino, Arenzano.

Featured image: Thousands of pilgrims accompanied the Pilgrim Virgin statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the slow, arduous procession from Saint Joseph Latin Catholic Parish in the City of Haifa up to the Stella Maris Church and Monastery of the Discalced Carmelite friars on the promontory of Mount Carmel on 5 May 2019. It was the 100th anniversary of the procession, which began as an act of gratitude for the liberation of the city from Turkish rule at the end of the First World War. Image credit: Discalced Carmelite General Curia / Facebook (used by permission)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/24/friedman-25jul33-2/

#bells #blessing #CarmelOfHaifa #CarmelOfLisieux #DiscalcedCarmelites #friars #generalChapter #Haifa #HolyLand #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #PopePiusXI #Rome #statue #StellaMaris