The Third Secret of Fatima
The Vatican has now released the so-called third secret of Fatima, where three young Portuguese children supposedly had a revelation from the Virgin Mary in 1917. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger acknowledges that a “careful reading of the text” will “probably prove disappointing or surprising after all the speculation it has stirred”. Yet the announcement on the Vatican web site manages, with a particularly blasphemous reference to the Pope, to make it sound absolutely critical to the history of the last hundred years: “The twentieth century was one of the most crucial in human history, with its tragic and cruel events culminating in the assassination attempt on the sweet Christ on earth”.
“The third part of the secret”, we are told, “refers to Our Ladys words: Russia . . . 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.” We are also asked to believe that the Virgin Mary further declared, “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world”. Cardinal Ratzinger then admits, “Since we did not heed this appeal of the message, we see that it has been fulfilled, Russia has invaded the world with her errors.”
The most important part of the vision for the Vatican reads: “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 . . . the other bishops, priests, men and women.” Clearly, one needs considerable imagination to see here, as the Vatican does, a prophecy of the non-fatal shooting of the Pope by a single gunman in 1981. However, it allows the Pope to further, as is his wont, the cult of Mary. He has made it known that his recent pilgrimage to Fatima should be seen as “a renewed gesture of gratitude to Our Lady for her protection”.
The suggestion is made by the Vatican, but only to be dismissed, that the childrens statements are “only projections of the inner world of children, brought up in a climate of profound piety but shaken at the same time by the tempests which threatened their own time”. The trouble is that Rome, in her own interests, even latches on to what children imagine to be revelations. No one should be deceived by them. The revelation given in Scripture is complete. Nothing needs to be added to it. Nothing ever will.
Papal Interference
The Pope has urged world leaders to use 2000, what Rome is pleased to call a holy year, as an opportunity for a “gesture of clemency” to prisoners, and to rethink their attitude to punishment and jail conditions. While prison conditions in many countries leave much to be desired, this looks like a cheap attempt to gain publicity and to influence next years Italian elections.
He claimed that even a modest reduction in “the term of punishment would be for prisoners a clear sign of sensitivity to their condition and would surely . . . encourage them to regret the evil done and lead them to personal repentance.” This request for “all those in prison” lacks common sense. To give in to it would be totally irresponsible. But it should not surprise anyone who knows anything about Roman Catholic doctrine to find the Pope ignoring the fundamental corruption of the human heart. It requires more than gestures of clemency to bring criminals to personal repentance. The fact is that the Pope is no safe guide to religion or morals; he and his system are uniquely dangerous.
Return to Table of Contents for The Free Presbyterian Magazine – August 2000