The Message of Fatima and the Pro-Life Movement
Patrick McCrystal, Executive Director Human Life
International Ireland
2004

The Gospel message is at the core of the pro-life, pro-family message. Conversion to Jesus Christ, repentance of our sin, returning to God and his merciful love is irreplaceable for establishing a ‘culture of life’. Only when people turn to God will the ‘sacrileges and outrages’ of abortion, fornication, morning-after pill and euthanasia come an end, will contraception be rejected, the unborn be safe, will marriages remain uncorrupted and will chastity be virtue to be extolled and prized. Only when people turn back to God will people have peace in their hearts both in this world and eternally.

Eighteen pilgrims, under the excellent care of Lauri Duffy Travel, Dublin, travelled with Human Life International (Ireland) on its first international pilgrimage to Fatima May 27th-3rd June 2003. From Ireland and England, many of us for the first time, we travelled to this renowned Portuguese Marian apparition site which emanates a gentle, powerful global message for all nations to heed. A deep message resounds for the pro-life movement. These are some reflections.

Key components
In 1916, three children, Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia (still alive) first received three visits from an angel, followed by six visitations monthly from Our Blessed Lady in 1917.
Key components of the Fatima messages given by the angel and Our Lady to the world during the apparitions are as follows:

• Recite the Rosary devoutly every day to obtain world peace
• Pray and make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners
• The sin, sacrileges and outrages that are committed against God greatly offend Him
• A vision of Hell granted to the children
• God’s desire to spread devotion to the Immaculate
  Heart of Mary,
• The chalice and Eucharistic host suspended in mid-air, with blood dropping from the host into the chalice,
• Our Lady holding the brown scapular out to the world
• The consecration of Russia and the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
• The call for communion of reparation on the five first Saturdays for the blasphemies committed against the blessed Virgin Mary

Solar Miracle
Many people did not believe the children when they started to tell of their experiences. Our Lady promised to display a miracle on 13th October 1917 for all to see. On that day between 70,000-100,000 people congregated in pouring rain at the foretold site in the so-called ‘Cova Da Iria’. Many were journalists, professed atheists, non-believers or simply curious observers.

During the apparition that day (which only the children saw) Our Lady said: “I am the Lady of the rosary” “I want a chapel built here in my honour”. At the end of the apparition the clouds parted, the sun came out, danced in the sky, became like a firework display of different colours, plunged to the earth (people became terrified, thinking it was the end of the world), then returned to the sky, and suddenly everyone present found their clothes dry. The secular newspapers, which had journalists present to report what they believed would be an enormous flop, were filled with reports of the incredible phenomenon witnessed by thousands. The Fatima solar miracle was the only miracle date that has been pre-told by heaven which proved to be true and was witnessed by thousands on the specified date.

First Saturdays
In a subsequent apparition to Lucia in 1929, Our Lady gave to Lucia (now a religious sister) details of the five first Saturdays devotion. These are in reparation for the five kinds of offences and blasphemies committed against Our Lady which require reparation as revealed to Lucia. The five Offences are:

1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
2. Blasphemies against her virginity
3. Blasphemies against her divine maternity and refusing to recognise her as mother of men
4. Blasphemies by those seeking to alienate children from her
5. The offences of those who insult her in her sacred images

Our Lady told Lucia:

“Do you at least try to console me, and announce in my name that I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to confession and receive Holy communion, recite the rosary, and keep me company for a quarter hour while thinking prayerfully upon the mysteries of the rosary, with the intention of making reparation”

Angels Prayer
The prayer to the Blessed Trinity taught to the children by the Angel whilst the chalice and the host remained suspended in mid-air highlights issues that heaven clearly wished to bring to our attention:

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore you profoundly and I offer you the most precious body, blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And. through the infinite merits of his most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of you the conversion of poor sinners”

The meaning of it all
The Catholic Church and the Popes since the apparitions have unreservedly accepted and propagated the Fatima message. Francisco and Jacinta have been beatified by Pope John Paul II. The message for me is an intensely Eucharistic, Marian and reparative message of mercy to the world. It is an unprecedented effort on heaven’s part in these present times to point the world to the rosary, the Eucharist and penance for sinners. It is an incredible act of mercy by God to show us the path of world peace and eternal salvation for all. Devotion to Mary’s Immaculate heart is promised as a means to save sinners from hell. Our Lady asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart or otherwise Russia would “spread its errors throughout the world”. (Sister Lucia believes Pope John Paul II has properly fulfilled this request). If enough people say the rosary for peace, and conduct the Five First Saturdays devotion, this will bring peace to the world. If not, the consequences for the world are serious.

Conclusion
The Fatima message lies at the core of a successful pro-life movement. In 2002, Human Life International Ireland conducted its national speaking tour “Banner of Truth” campaign. The message we proclaimed was “Ireland - turn away from your sins, turn back to God and His Merciful love”. Many did just that, including some who had lapsed from the sacraments for several years. We saw what happens when the truth is proclaimed. This call was completely in line with the Fatima message.

The pro-life movement must play its part in re-evangelising our culture. We must win the ‘middle ground’, the extremes and indeed everyone else with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every Catholic has his part to play. Only then will we have new waves of pro-life people energised with undying commitment and driven by love for God, our babies, marriages and society. The alternative is too terrible to contemplate. However, no matter how badly things may become, we have Our Lady’s assurance that “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph”

Footnote: An excellent synopsis of the Fatima apparitions, with photographs, the dates and details of the key messages, is contained in a 56 page booklet YOU CAN BRING PEACE by Dublin based priest Fr Vincent Montes CSSp, price €4 which includes p+p from Human Life International (Ireland), 6 Belvedere Place, Dublin 1, Ireland Tel (01) 8552504