“Lady of Fatima”
Lady of Fatima is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria, in Fátima, Portugal. The three children were Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto. These children claimed to have been visited by the Virgin Mary six times between May and October 1917. The apparition is now popularly known as Our Lady of Fátima.
Bishop José Alves Correia da Silva of the Catholic Church declared that the events of Lady of Fátima are worthy of belief on 13 October 1930. On 13 May 1946, Pope Pius XII granted a canonical coronation to the venerated image enshrined at the Chapel of the Apparitions of Fátima. And on 11 November 1954, the Pope uplifted the Sanctuary of Fátima to the status of a minor basilica by his papal brief Luce superna.
The Three Secrets of Lady of Fatima
One of the visionaries, Lucia, wrote down what she saw and heard, and the text can be found on the Vatican website. Here are the three secrets of Lady of Fatima:
First Secret – Vision of Hell
“The first part is the vision of hell. Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration…” The apparition then spoke to them and explained that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was a means to save souls from going to Hell.
Second Secret – World War I & II
“The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this 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 of 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.” The apparition then spoke about the “errors” of “Russia,” which many believe is a reference to “communism.” The path to peace is a special Marian consecration.
Third Secret – Penance & Papal Assassination Attempt
The Third Secret contains apocalyptic imagery, including a vision of a pope who is shot. Pope John Paul II believed this vision had much to do with his own experience.
The Messages of Lady of Fatima
According to the website the “Lady of Fatima,” www.fatima.org. The visions of Lady Fatima called people to:
- Pray to Mary.
- Wear the Scapular of Mount Carmel.
- Amend lives through the Sacrament of confession.
- Make reparation to the sacred heart of Jesus by Eucharist adoration and communion of reparation.
- Make reparation to the immaculate heart of Mary.
Are the Messages of Lady of Fatima Biblical?
1-Prayer of the Rosary
Prayer to Mary or to saints is not Biblical. The Bible directs the believers to pray to God alone (Matthew 6:6-9; Luke 10:2; 11:1-2; Philippians 4:6; Acts 1:24; 8:22; 10:2; 12:5; ; Acts 8:24; Hebrews 4:14-16; 2 Corinthians 13:7; Romans 10:1; 15:30; Zechariah 8:21-22; Jonah 2:7; 4:2, etc.).
2-Marian consecration
Marian consecration is not Biblical. The first commandment states: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). God doesn’t share His glory with any other being (Isaiah 42:8). The Bible declares, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Christ (Hebrews 7:25) and the Holy Spirit only intercede for humans (Romans 8:26-27). Therefore, believers must go directly to God the Creator and Redeemer (Hebrews 4:16).
3-Confession
Wrong deeds secretly done are to be confessed to God alone (Psalms 32:5). Only through Jesus can the sinner be reconciled to the Lord (John 14:5–6; Romans 5:1–2). Christ alone is the sinner’s “advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1).
4-Partaking of the Eucharist
Jesus asked the believers to partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Luke 22:18-20 and Matthew 26:26-28). He gave the bread and the wine in figurative way as he did other examples (John 10:7; 14:6). However, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1366, the bread and wine turns to the actual flesh and blood of Jesus by the priest’s prayer. The Eucharist is not Biblical because it is not possible for the human priest to create His Creator. Also, “Christ was offered once” (Hebrews 9:28; Hebrew 10:10,12; Hebrew 7:27) not every time the priest prays during mass.
5-The immaculate heart of Mary
Mary is referred to as having an “Immaculate Heart.” Catholics don’t mean that she is righteous through Christ’s blood (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) but that she was saved from sin through having been conceived in her mother’s womb without the blemish of original sin. This is not Biblical for the Scriptures teach that all humans are sinners (Romans 3:10, 3:23, etc.). In fact, Mary refers to God as her Savior (Luke 1:47). Only Jesus is without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5).
6-Reparation and penance
The Bible doesn’t teach of the need to make “reparation” for our sins or doing “penance” to atone for sin. Man’s best acts are worthless in God’s eyes (Isaiah 64:6). Christ paid in full the penalty for people’s transgressions, and those who accept Him owe no works of penance for cleansing, but are already considered “washed” in the blood of the Lamb (Romans 8:1; Micah 7:18, 19). Salvation is by grace alone (Romans 3:24; 4:5). It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).
7-Veneration of idols
The Bible clearly forbids the veneration of idols. God’s moral law states: “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:3-6).
8-Miracles and signs
Catholics associate the Lady of Fatima with miracles and signs. But miracles are not evidence for divine power for the devil can also do miracles to deceive the world (Revelation 16:13-14; Revelation 19:20). The Bible gives many cases of “lying wonders” (Exodus 7:22; 8:7; 8:18; Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; Revelation 13:13-14). In fact, Satan and his demons can masquerade as angels of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). In Deuteronomy 13:1-5, we read that even if a “prophet” makes a prediction that comes to pass or gives a miraculous “sign” but teaches the worship of false gods, he is a false prophet and should be rejected.
9-No one is in hell today
The Scriptures teach that no one is burning in hell fire today. Both the wicked and the righteous that have died are in their graves “sleeping” awaiting the Resurrection (John 11:11-13; John 5:28, 29; Job 21:30, 32). Rewards and punishments will be given at the judgement and the Second Coming not at death (Revelation 22:12; Matthew 13:40–42; John 12:48; Revelation 21:8; 2 Peter 3:7).
10-Prayers should only be addressed to the living God not to the dead
Mary and the saints (except Enoch, Elijah and Moses) are sleeping in the grave (1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Hebrews 13:18, etc.). The Bible forbids praying to the dead and associates it with sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, and divination (Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-13). For more on the state of the dead, check the following The Intermediate State.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
