May has been one of the two traditional months Catholics have reserved to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. On May 13 we remember Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary. I happened to acquire a copy of a book, not yet released, titled The Last Secret of Fatima. It was written by none other than Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, with a forward by His Holiness, Benedict XVI. It is not the typical book on Fatima but is written by the last two people to officially communicate with Lucia aside from John Paul II. It is less a re-hash of the event of Fatima but more an exploration of the impact Fatima had on the world and the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. Rather than the typical discussions of possible apocalyptic outcomes of the “secrets” it rather speaks to the hope that the messages give to all peoples. Cardinal Bertone also speaks frankly and openly about his discussions with Lucia, the secrets, how they were released and debunks some of the speculation that has been generated. Below are a few selections from the book that I thought you would benefit from and perhaps encourage you to read the whole book in the future.
“… in our era of globalization, it would be foolish to downplay the importance of an event such as Fatima. Fatima changed history. But it did so by creating more space for the Spirit, which is a dimension of reality that modern society derides or tries to ignore altogether. But the fact that you could fill an entire library with what has been written both about Fatima in particular and about apparitions in general suggests that God is trying to break through the hard shell of our indifference. Apparitions are meant to affect the business of real life, to play a role on the stage of history. This role is intended to challenge both believers and nonbelievers alike. Far from contradicting faith, authentic apparitions lead us to the heart of the Gospel message.
“There are certain times in history when it seems that the forces of evil are making a particularly concerted assault on the world. But they never stand unopposed. They must reckon with the resistance of another force, a power of love that upsets or, if you will, derails the course of events. Moreover, love seems to have won. In fact, it has won. … “The point I am driving at with all of this is that the purpose behind the revelation of the Third Secret, and of the role John Paul II played in it, was not to stir up the emotions that some people wrongly believe are the real roots of religious experience. Fatima is not a myth but an objective fact and a substantive message that had a real impact on the twentieth century. Both the fact and the message were authoritatively confirmed by Sister Lucia, the only surviving witness, and they were echoed in the intense suffering experienced by Pope John Paul II.”
Reprinted with permission, Doubleday Publishers.
