Editor’s Introduction: In 1917, in the small village of Fátima, Portugal, three shepherd children received a series of apparitions from the Blessed Virgin Mary. The messages they received—a call to prayer, a warning of punishment, and a promise of hope—would become one of the most famous and dramatic prophecies of the 20th century. Today, many believe that warning has gone unheeded.
In this sobering analysis, Fr. Vincent Michael Maria revisits the words of Sister Lúcia, the last surviving visionary, and presents an urgent call to re-examine the message of Fatima. It is a message about a world in peril, a spiritual battle for souls, and the final remedies offered by Heaven.
“Father, the Most Holy Virgin is very sad because no one has paid attention to Her message, neither the good nor the wicked… But believe me, Father, God will punish the world, and He will do so in a terrible way. Heaven’s punishment is imminent.” — Sr. Lúcia to Fr. Fuentes, 1957
The Unheeded Warning
As recounted by Sister Lúcia, the visionary of Fatima, the core of Our Lady’s message is one of profound sadness. The good continue on their path but give no importance to her message, while the wicked continue in their sin, heedless of the warning.
It will be very sad for everyone; no individual will be able to experience any joy unless the world first prays and does penance. Lúcia explained that her mission was not simply to announce material punishments, but something far more serious:
“My mission is not to point out to the world the material punishments that will surely come if the world does not pray and do penance in advance. No! My mission is to point out to everyone the dangers we run of losing our souls for all eternity if we stubbornly continue in sin.”
The specifics of this warning, contained in the third part of the secret of Fatima, included a chilling prophecy. The Most Holy Virgin told the children that many nations will disappear from the face of the earth, and that Russia will be the instrument of punishment chosen by Heaven to chastise the entire world if the conversion of that nation is not first obtained.
A Decisive Spiritual Battle
At the heart of this message is a spiritual conflict of immense proportions. As Sr. Lúcia stated, “the devil is about to engage in a decisive battle against the Blessed Virgin.”
To win this battle, the devil knows what most offends God and what will gain him the greatest number of souls. His primary target is the priesthood and religious life. What afflicts the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus most is the fall of consecrated souls. The devil knows that for every priest or religious who denies his holy vocation, many souls are dragged to hell with them.
He seeks in every way to corrupt them, so that he may lull the souls of the faithful to sleep, leaving them without guidance and making them fall more easily into his hands, leading them to the worst impenitence.
The Two Final Remedies
In the face of this grave danger, Our Lady did not leave humanity without hope. She provided a clear path to safety. As Sr. Lúcia recounted, the choice is now upon us:
“From now on, we must choose sides… either we are for God, or we are for the devil. Our Lady said to the three shepherd children, ‘God is now giving the world the last remedies, namely, THE HOLY ROSARY AND DEVOTION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.‘”
These are not just suggestions; they are presented as the final remedies. In the plans of Divine Providence, when God has exhausted every other means of warning the world, He sends His Most Holy Mother. To scorn this last means of salvation is to approach the sin against the Holy Spirit—rejecting with full awareness the mercy that God offers.
We must remember that Jesus Christ is a good Son, and He does not permit the world to offend and despise His Most Holy Mother. Church history has documented that those who attack the honour of His Mother often end very badly.
A Choice for Every Soul
Sister Lúcia said in 1957 that in all the apparitions, the children always saw the Blessed Virgin as sad. “The Virgin never smiled at us,” she said, because “no one pays attention to her message.”
We must all work to save our own souls and the souls of those around us. The devil does everything he can to distract us and deprive us of our love for prayer. There is no middle ground. To live up to this challenge, we have the two most effective means to gain heaven in these last days: the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which is most perfectly expressed through total consecration to her.
With these two remedies, we will save ourselves, console the Lord, and obtain the salvation of many souls.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches” (Revelation 2:7).
