WITH the publication of the Third Secret of Fatima and the official explanation of it out of the way, some Vatican officials may believe that it is a closed chapter in the 20th century history of the Church.
They are certainly trying to give that impression.
However, it does not take much reflection to realise that nothing has really changed! The requests made at Fatima – the devotion of the first Saturdays, and the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary – have been hugely neglected. There has been no conversion of Russia (the fall of communism has not been replaced by Catholicism, which is the only event that Our Lady could intend), and definitely no era of peace. The savage destruction of Chechnya and the setting up of a new secret police force to replace the KGB at Vladimir Putin’s command illustrates that atheism still rules in Russia.
There has always been a lot of controversy around the various attempts to get the consecration right. Even various reports allegedly from Sr Lucia are contradictory as to whether the consecration of 1984 satisfied the requirements. Even so, 16 years after the event, the world is still at war with itself. Hardly an “era of peace” promised by Our Lady or “the age of Mary” as it is referred to by St Louis Marie de Montfort.
The article entitled “The history behind the third secret” (CL 9/7/00) quotes Archbishop Bertone who interviewed Sr Lucia shortly before the secret was released. According to the archbishop, Sr Lucia now says that it was she and not Our Lady who asked that it be released in 1960. This, again, is a direct contradiction of all that she has ever said before. Actually, it was to be “opened and read to the world a
Tt her (Lucy’s) death or in 1960, depending on which came first” (The Third Secret of Fatima by Br Michael of the Holy Trinity).
In 1946, when Sr Lucia was asked why 1960, she said: “Because the Blessed Virgin wishes it so” and also that “it would become clearer” (The Third Secret of Fatima by Br Michael of the Holy Trinity). Readers can make their own conclusion as to the cause of the discrepancy.
The article entitled “Cardinal’s role in lifting the Iron Curtain” in the same issue of The Leader certainly explains why the secret wasn’t released in 1960. It did not suit the cause of “Ostpolitik” to have Russia so closely associated with persecution of the Church as Our Lady indicated could happen. Certainly it had become a lot clearer! It is a great scandal that Vatican politics was considered a more important goal than obeying Our Lady.
The Vatican’s official explanation of the third secret makes it clear that they have already decided that it belongs to the past. According to them, it is “inevitable” that the Pope should associate himself with the “bishop in white” of the secret. Since Catholic biblical scholars have always been extremely cautious in dealing with the book of Revelation (to which it was said by several people the secret concerns) it is surprising that they can be so sure. It would appear that they have interpreted it in the light of their conviction that the third secret is a “dead letter”, after having concealed it for so long. Apocalyptic writing is capable of different interpretation – presumptions aren’t a good starting point.
Maybe, as with Lourdes, we may have to wait for Our Lady to make the next move!
D. PURCELL Toowoomba, Qld
