Fatima’s Message is Obedience.The reason for stating it now is that it seems to be getting overlooked in many commentaries. For instance; much is made of the Third Secret of Fatima, whether it was completely revealed by the Vatican in 2000, and myriad speculations about what may have been unrevealed, and why that may have occurred.
Into the mix, we have the recent interview with Bishop Fellay with Maike Hickson, published by 1P5. Today, Feb. 10, 2018, the Society posted the interview on their site, here. One pertinent excerpt:
Hickson: . . . “What is, in your own view, the reason for the continued hesitancy of those people in the Church who could disclose, for the greater good, much more information? What do they still have to fear or to lose? Would such a disclosure not be an act of mercy toward the suffering Church in this deep crisis?”
Bishop Bernard Fellay: “I remember that Sr. Lucy, in an interview with a cardinal from India in the mid-1990s, was very afraid that the Pope would publish the Secret. She said, if she were to give the Holy Father advice, she would caution great prudence. If, for instance, the text contained something like the coming of the Antichrist or something else quite serious that would cast grave doubt on the authority of the Church, it could be a reason the same authorities are hesitant to publish this. I don’t pretend these examples are the case; I am simply speculating as to what some possible reasons might be for not releasing it.”
Since the interview was published, readers have asked; Does this mean that we are not to pray for the release of the Third Secret? If Sister Lucia does not want us to know the secret, what was Fatima about? Is Fatima no longer relevant?
Before answering, I’d like to stress that I am only explaining my own understanding of the Message of Fatima and our necessary response to it.
It seems clear to me that Bishop Fellay, in his answer, was simply attempting to offer to the interviewer, his own speculations as to why those who control the Vatican have chosen not to release the Third Secret of Fatima. I did not understand Bishop Fellay’s answer as a call to abandon the message of Fatima, nor as a justification for the continued disobedience of the Vatican, but as an attempt to explain the reasoning of those who remain obstinate in disobeying the Immaculate Mother of God.
That the Blessed Virgin clearly wished the Third Secret revealed is documented in exquisite detail by Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité in the three volumes of his “The Whole Truth About Fatima”. Volume III details everything necessary to understand completely the context of the Third Secret and the absolute importance of the obedience of the Church with regards to it.
The second point that needs to preface any remarks here is that every single authentic revelation exists to affirm the absolute importance of obeying God. Authentic revelation never contradicts itself. God has given His beloved children (for so we are!) free will only that we might choose to love Him, and to that end, to remedy our disobedience, heal it and save us, He gives us His most beloved Son, to surrender His precious life for our salvation, and He gives us His most pure and delightful creature, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be our Mother and our sure path back to Him, in His Heaven prepared for us from all eternity.
Therefore, I see in the Message of Fatima, as in the entire history of salvation, a tender and merciful call to return to Him to His commands, in humility and obedience.
In Volume III, we read:
On July 13, 1917:
“You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart.
“If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out in the reign of Pius XI.
“When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that it is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and the Holy Father.
“To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays.
“If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she 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.
“In Portugal the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved.”
(The Unreleased portion of the Secret…)
“In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”
Thus, you see all depends upon an obedient Pope and obedient Churchmen as well as obedient laity. This did not occur.
After Pope Pius XI’s first refusal in 1931, chastisement had struck Catholic Spain.
After his second refusal in 1937, Europe had foolishly hurled itself into a world war.
After Pope John XXIII’s disobedience, came the onslaught of the spiritual chastisement and the occupation of the See of Peter by the ancient enemy.
My understanding of Bishop Fellay’s remarks is that he is emphasising our need to comply with the message of Fatima as we know it to be revealed and not continue to seek after ever more knowledge.
Regarding the vaguely stated reference to a reputed comment of Sister Lúcia to an unnamed cardinal of India in the 1990’s, there is insufficient information to understand why Sister Lúcia, after a lifetime of obedience to Our Lady, would suddenly be, “very afraid that the Pope would publish the Secret. She said, if she were to give the Holy Father advice, she would caution great prudence.” How is it that she would feel afraid that the Pope would finally accede to the extensively documented and consistently reiterated demand of the Mother of God that her message be revealed?
Since I do not have the answer, and this purported statement of Sister Lúcia’s contradicts every other statement that is available to me, I do not see its relevance. Therefore, to those who ask me, I would say that we must all continue to do our utmost to follow what we know to be true of the Message of Fatima. As we have often reiterated:
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Most Holy Mother, consists in considering Her as the seat of mercy, of goodness and of pardon, and as the certain door by which we are to enter Heaven. ( Sister Lúcia of Fátima)
What steps are called for today?
To begin with, at a minimum:
- Consecrate yourself immediately to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. No specific formula is required for this, nor is any priest required for this initial step. Just kneel down now and sign yourself with the Cross, begging the Blessed Virgin Mary in her perfect purity and fullness of grace to take you as her child and help you to turn from your sins and follow her commands, trusting her to lead you to perfect obedience to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Resolve to surrender your entire being, body and soul, mind and will, to her to do with as she wills.
- Pray Our Lady’s Rosary every day, at least 5 decades, but all three mysteries if possible. Optimally, pray the rosary with your family or friends whenever possible.
- Wear Our Lady’s Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel. If you were enrolled previously, you may simply begin wearing it, if not enrolled, a priest may enroll you.
- Obtain St. Louis de Montfort’s or St. Maximilian Kolbe’s program for Total Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Both can be found online. The true total consecration must be lived daily, indeed minute by minute. It is easy once you understand that it doesn’t depend on your effort, it depends on your constant trust in Mary, your Mother.
- Avoid the Novus Ordo Mass and all sacraments using post-Vatican II ritual. The changes instituted by the Vatican II “reforms” are the fruits of an arrogant, disobedient faction of the true Church. Eschew all modernism and attend a true, traditional Mass.
- Make Our Lady’s First Saturdays for at least five months in a row. Better, continue them in a spirit of reparation for all the Catholics who do not obey Our Lady.
- Fulfill the duties of your state in life with humility and obedience, as a faithful child of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, offering your daily sacrifices of self in reparation for sins and for the conversion of poor sinners.
- Inform yourself of the true doctrine of the faith and help inform others of the Fatima Message.
- We must all do our best to promote the message of Fatima and encourage all to pray and work for the Consecration of Russia. The best preparation for this is of course, our humble compliance withthe foregoing steps, only by purifying ourselves will we be able to truly promote the message of Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima.
† . Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† . Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
† . Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
† . St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
† . St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Please pray for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!
~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!
