God Intervenes
Let us now look more deeply at the message of Our Lady at Fátima. In the previous segment, we talked about the miracle of the sun. This powerful miracle is a striking demonstration of both the existence of God and His power. But, let us think for a moment. Why would such a demonstration be given? Such grand and large-scale miracles don’t happen every day, though solar prodigies are not exactly unknown to happen as we read in Joshua 10:13 when the sun is said to have stopped in the sky.
What, then, is the deeper significance and reasoning for this unprecedented miracle? For an answer to this question, let us turn to Church teaching.
The Church teaches that every so often, God intervenes in human history in some extraordinary way in order to draw us back to Himself. That He draws us back to Himself presumes that we are straying or are about to stray from Him. In a “particularly difficult moment” of human history, God offers us His help.[1] What, then, was going on in 1917 that God intervened in such a notable manner? In order to answer this question, let us take a step back in time to the 19th century.
A Difficult Moment of History: The Rejection of God
The 19th century had seen many uprisings and revolutions that threatened the peace of nations and undermined the very fabric of society. Social unrest was very prevalent throughout Europe due to strife that had arisen between the social classes as a result of the rise of industry and the means of production. Within this context, ideas that were contrary to the laws of God and the holy Faith, such as Socialism and Communism, were being invented and disseminated, and religion was marginalized in favor of “progress.”[2] In the words of Pope Leo XIII (r. 1878-1903):
Now, the source of these evils lies chiefly, We are convinced, in this, that the holy and venerable authority of the Church, which in God’s name rules mankind, upholding and defending all lawful authority, has been despised and set aside. The enemies of public order, being fully aware of this, have thought nothing better suited to destroy the foundations of society than to make an unflagging attack upon the Church of God, to bring her into discredit and odium by spreading infamous calumnies and accusing her of being opposed to genuine progress. They labor to weaken her influence and power by wounds daily inflicted, and to overthrow the authority of the Bishop of Rome, in whom the abiding and unchangeable principles of right and good find their earthly guardian and champion.[3]
Man was rejecting God and His Church. This rejection was about to take a very serious turn.
Communism and Its Goals
In late 1917, Vladimir Lenin successfully overthrew the Russian monarchy and replaced it with Communism.[4] This particular development was noteworthy because previously, Communism was an idea on paper. After Lenin’s revolution, Communism not only possessed the power of the State to enforce its ideas, but it became a formidable power in the world. Russia became the epicenter of Communism, and this fact was going to be at the heart of much of twentieth century history.
Communism believes that the State is supreme. Nothing else is higher and there is nothing to which the State is beholden or answerable. In this light, Communism requires atheism as well as materialism. Materialism teaches that only the material world exists, and therefore we should be occupied with material things instead of spiritual things. Since it denies the spiritual side of man’s nature, it usually goes hand-in-hand with atheism.[5] The famous ex-Communist lawyer from New York, Bella Dodd, described the relationship this way:
There is no doubt that the Marxist-Leninist principles are completely materialistic and, therefore, against anything which has to do with God or religion.
At different times in the history of the Communist Party, they emphasized the fact that it was possible for you to be religious and, at the same time, Communist. But those were the periods in which they were trying to win over larger numbers of, let’s say, Catholic trade-unionists, Catholic workers, and so forth and so on. Those were the periods which were called the periods of extending the hand of communism to the people in the religious groups. [….]
Substantially, Marxism-Leninism denies that there is any soul; that there is any after life; that there is any God. That is part and parcel of the entire theory.[6]
As a godless political system, Communism sought to eradicate God and Faith in Him from the world.[7] Regretfully, Communism was not adverse to using horrific means to attain its ends, means such as torture and physical or psychological abuse. One of its most effective means, however, was the spread of atheistic propaganda from Moscow.[8]
Gradually, the atheism at the heart of Communism would spread, causing much upheaval within many societies and cultures of the world—unfortunately, even within the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XI (r. 1922-1938) himself characterized the revolution against the Church as exceeding “in amplitude and violence anything yet experienced in the preceding persecutions launched against the Church.”[9] He also warned that Communism was attempting to work its way into Catholic organizations, and warned, like Bella Dodd, against believing its claims to work with religion:
Under various names which do not suggest Communism, they establish organizations and periodicals with the sole purpose of carrying their ideas into quarters otherwise inaccessible. They try perfidiously to worm their way even into professedly Catholic and religious organizations. Again, without receding an inch from their subversive principles, they invite Catholics to collaborate with them in the realm of so-called humanitarianism and charity; and at times even make proposals that are in perfect harmony with the Christian spirit and the doctrine of the Church. Elsewhere they carry their hypocrisy so far as to encourage the belief that Communism, in countries where faith and culture are more strongly entrenched, will assume another and much milder form. It will not interfere with the practice of religion. It will respect liberty of conscience. There are some even who refer to certain changes recently introduced into soviet legislation as a proof that Communism is about to abandon its program of war against God.
See to it, Venerable Brethren, that the Faithful do not allow themselves to be deceived! Communism is intrinsically wrong, and no one who would save Christian civilization may collaborate with it in any undertaking whatsoever.[10]
The Virgin Warns: The Errors of Russia
During her July 13th apparition in Fátima, Our Lady summarized all of the problems to come, speaking in terms of the “errors of Russia” that would “spread throughout the world.” She even specified what would happen as a result, as we discussed in the previous segment concerning the “second secret.”[11] This message was then confirmed in a very grand manner via the miracle of the sun and the rapid drying of people’s clothes and the ground.
To summarize, then, Our Lady warned against the spread of Russia’s errors. Chief among these errors was atheism and materialism. These errors, among others, can destroy the supernatural faith given to us in baptism and lead to hell—foretasted on earth and confirmed in eternity. Consider the words of Pope Pius XI in his Encyclical Divini Redemptoris from 1937:
The Catholic who does not live really and sincerely according to the Faith he professes will not long be master of himself in these days when the winds of strife and persecution blow so fiercely, but will be swept away defenseless in this new deluge which threatens the world. And thus, while he is preparing his own ruin, he is exposing to ridicule the very name of Christian.[12]
These errors can also lead to disunity and division among the members of the mystical body of Christ. The reason for this disunity is because there will be some who will maintain the Faith and some who will not. In-fighting will occur that will hinder the Church’s mission of evangelization and saving souls.
Seeing all these things, God intervened by sending Mary to Fátima to give us a powerful message: God does exist, hell is real (and people do go there), and it is necessary for us to have the Faith and to make sacrifices in order to help others get to heaven. The message is an invitation for us to remain in God and be witnesses to Him in these difficult times. As Pope Benedict XVI said:
[Our Lady is] the Teacher who introduced the little seers to a deep knowledge of the Love of the Blessed Trinity and led them to savour God himself as the most beautiful reality of human existence. This experience of grace made them fall in love with God in Jesus, so much so that Jacinta could cry out: “How much I delight in telling Jesus that I love him! When I tell him this often, I feel as if I have a fire in my breast, yet it does not burn me”. And Francisco could say: “What I liked most of all was seeing Our Lord in that light which Our Mother put into our hearts. I love God so much!”[13]
Fátima Devotions
In the last lesson, we saw the instructions given to the three visionaries by the Angel of Portugal. He taught them prayers and encouraged them to make sacrifices for two intentions. The first intention was to sacrifice “as an act of reparation for sins by which [God] is offended.” The second intention was to sacrifice for “supplication for the conversion of sinners.” By these two things, the Angel said, peace would be upon the country of Portugal. Above all, he said, they were to “accept and endure with submission the suffering which the Lord will send you.” The children hardly wasted any time in fulfilling them.
In her Memoirs, Sr. Lúcia wrote about the sacrifices that they would make, as well as described the suffering that they experienced. For example, after the first appearance of the Angel, the three little shepherds remained prostrated while reciting the prayer he taught them until they fell over, tired.[14] Additionally, the foretold suffering came to pass when Sr. Lúcia’s family fell on economic hard times that negatively impacted everyone. Lúcia recalled the Angel’s words and went away to pray and offer up this suffering.[15]
With respect to reparation, supplication and making sacrifices, many Catholics might already be familiar with the concept of “making a sacrifice,” especially through the venerable custom of giving up something during Lent. Moreover, supplication for the conversion of sinners is easily understood by many by considering how we pray for people, especially when they ask us to do so. What, though, does it mean to sacrifice in order to make reparation to God?
The Angel of Portugal himself gives us a key to answer this question. In his third appearance to the children, he had with him a chalice and a Communion Host. He took the chalice and the Host in his hands, according to Sr. Lúcia. While administering Holy Communion to the children, he said to them, “Take and drink the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly insulted by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God.”[16]
Notice here how the Angel uses the word “ungrateful” to refer to people who insult Christ. It is likely that the Angel was here referring to the nature of reparation. Reparation is what we do to make up for the harm against justice that is caused by sin. Jesus made reparation for our sins to His Father. We, as baptized members of His mystical body, are spiritually united to Him. Thus, we too are able to make reparation for others, by Christ’s merit and power. This act requires a generous gift of love on the part of a person, and it is this sacrificial love that pleases God the most when acts of reparation are done. The Angel, then, seems to be calling the children to make acts of loving sacrifice, so that those actions might, in some way, “make up” for the injustice of those who ungratefully insult Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament.[17]
The Angel of Portugal helped to prepare the children for some truly extraordinary graces, among which is the practice of reparation for the sin of others. What he prepared, Our Lady brought to fulfillment. During her apparitions to the children, she encouraged the recitation of the Rosary, and proposed that devotion to her Immaculate Heart be spread as a path to God, a renewal of faith, and a means of reparation for sin. At that time, she mentioned a devotion that she called the “Five First Saturdays.”[18]
Our Lady, however, did not specify the precise form of this devotion until December 10, 1925 in a subsequent apparition. This time, Our Lady and the Child Jesus appeared to Lúcia. She was encouraged by the Child to have compassion on Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart and to make reparation. Our Lady spoke next, telling Lúcia:
Look, my daughter, at my Heart surrounded with thorns, which ungrateful men at every moment pierce with blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me. Tell everyone that for five months, on the first Saturday, if they confess, receive Holy Communion, recite a [five decade] Rosary and pass fifteen minutes with me in companionship, meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the end of making reparation to me, I promise to assist them in the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls.[19]
Here, the Blessed Virgin acknowledged that Lúcia consoled her, and also ordered her to tell (diz) others about the Five First Saturdays devotion. Those who practice the devotion are promised to have Our Lady’s assistance at the hour of their death. This promise is very serious, and while it is bound to five successive months, some people extend the devotion, even in perpetuity.
Jesus was even more merciful and made it known to Sr. Lúcia that if people were unable to go to Confession on the first Saturday, they could do so later. The proviso was that they had to be in the state of grace when they received Holy Communion and have the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If they forgot to have this intention, they could do so at their next confession — made, of course, at the earliest opportunity to receive this Sacrament.[20]
In the next segment, we will look at why this particular devotion was proposed by Heaven as a remedy against the foretold evils. But first, we’ll look at a little more of the history surrounding Fátima as it relates to evangelization.
[1] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, The Message of Fatima (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000), 35.
[2] Cf. Deus Caritas Est 31b; Spe Salvi 19-21. In 1910, Portugal itself was affected by these developments. They led to a persecution of the Church in that country.
[3] Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter Inscrutabili Dei Consilio (1978). Acta Sanctae Sedis 10 (1877), 586. Translation: Vatican’s website.
[4] Warren H. Carroll, 1917: Red Banners, White Mantle (Front Royal, Virginia: Christendom Publications, 1981), 112-121.
[5] Cf. Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Divini Redemptoris (Acta Apostolicae Sedis 29 [1937], 65ff). Paragraph 9.
[6] Hearings before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1952), 27-28.
[7] Divini Redemptoris 19.
[8] Cf. Divini Redemptoris 5; 17-19; 57.
[9] Divini Redemptoris 2.
[10] Divini Redemptoris 57-58.
[11] António María Martins, S.J. (edit.), Memórias e cartas da Irmã Lúcia (Porto, Portugal: Simão Guimarães, Filhos, LDA, 1973), 341.
[12] Divini Redemptoris 43.
[13] Homily of Benedict XVI in Fátima, May 13, 2010 in AAS 102 (2010), 325-326. English translation courtesy of the Vatican’s website.
[14] Martins, Memórias, 117. See also page 119.
[15] Cf. Martins, Memórias, 121-125.
[16] Martins, Memórias, 119.
[17] For some reflections upon the nature of reparation in the events of Fátima, see the article “Reparação” by Stefano de Fiores in Carlos A. Moreira Azevedo & Luciano Cristino (edits.), Enciclopédia de Fátima (S. João do Estoril, Portugal: Princípia, 2007), 474-486.
[18] Martins, Memórias, 341.
[19] Carmelo de Coimbra, Um caminho sob o olhar de Maria: Biografia da Irmã Maria Lúcia de Jesus e do Coração Imaculado O.C.D. (Coimbra, Portugal: Edições Carmelo, 2013), 168. Translation by Kevin J. Symonds.
[20] Ibid., 171.