Prophecy: A History of the Future
Robert A. NELSON
1. Venerable Mary of Agreda
2. Our Lady of La Salette
3. Our Lady of Lourdes
4. St. John Bosco
5. Our Lady of Fatima
6. Our Lady of Garabandal
7. Padre Pio
8. Sr. Agnes Sasagawa
9. Veronica Lueken
10. Maria Bianchini
11. Our Lady of Medjugorje
12. References
The misogynist Septuagint Council thoroughly edited the female principle from the first official edition of the New Testament, with the exception of a few polite mentions of Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene (who may well have been Jesus’ wife; the "heretical" 1970s paperback book The Jesus Scroll makes that assertion). The Mother is not so easily suppressed by ignorance, however, and she has appeared to her devotees many times throughout Church history, albeit at irregular intervals. She often makes appointments for her next visit. She usually appears within a globe of white light, wearing a dress and scarf, her feet in a cloud, sometimes holding the infant Jesus. Lightning and thunder, clouds of unusual shapes, and angels sometimes accompany her manifestations. There were over 300 reported apparitions of Mary in the 20th century alone. The visitations reviewed here (in "chronological" order) include interesting prophecies, some of which have come to pass.
The Venerable Mary of Agreda, who lived in the 17th century, left this Marian message for us today:
"It was revealed to me that through the intercession of the Mother of God, all heresies will disappear. This victory over heresies has been reserved by Christ for His Blessed Mother...Before the Second Coming of Christ, Mary must, more than ever, shine in mercy, might and grace in order to bring unbelievers into the Catholic Faith."
Maxime Giraud (L) & Melanie Calvat (R)The shepherdess Melanie Calvat (1831-1940) was the daughter of a stonemason in La Salette, France. On September 19, 1846, Melanie, then 14 years old, and Maxime Giraud, age 11, were approaching a mountain stream near when they saw a ball of light downhill from them, looking "as though the sun had fallen there. A beautiful lady, all light and flowers," appeared in the brilliant light and sat crying on a stone. Then she levitated before Melanie and Maxime and delivered a prophetic warning of a terrible future:
"France, Italy, Spain and England will be at war. Blood will flow on the streets, Frenchmen will fight Frenchmen and Italian against Italian and in the end will come a war that will be terrible.
"For a period of time God will not remember Italy or France for they will have forgotten the Gospel. The evil ones will display all their malice and there will be murders even in houses. At the first blow of the sword of God which will fall, like lightning on humanity, the mountains and all nature will tremble because the disorder and the misdeeds of man will rise to the vault of heaven.
"Paris will be destroyed by fire and Marseilles will be inundated by the sea, other great cities will be destroyed by fire and razed to the ground. The just will have to suffer much: their prayers, penitence, and tears will rise to heaven; all the people of God will pray for pardon and sing misericords, and they will come to Me for My intercession and My help... There will be reconciliation between God and man and peace. They will serve, adore, and glorify Jesus Christ: love will blossom everywhere. The new rulers will be the right arm of the holy Church, which will be strong, humble, pious, poor, fervent, and a perfect imitator of the virtue of Jesus Christ. The Gospel will be preached everywhere and men will make great progress in the faith because there will be union between the workers for Jesus Christ and all who live in the fear of God.
"But this peace will not last for long; twenty-five years of plenty will be almost forgotten and the sins of men will be the cause of all the punishment which will once again be meted out to Earth.
"A forerunner of Antichrist will marshal an army drawn from all nations, united under his banner. He will lead them in a bloody war against those still faithful to the living God. He will shed much blood in eradicating the cult of the living God and by taking His place. Then there will be seen many types of punishment on Earth besides the diseases and hunger which will be universal. Wars will follow wars and the final one will be led by one of the ten kings of Antichrist who will have only one will and will be the only ones to rule in the world.
"Before this event the world will have apparent peace and people will think of nothing but pleasure and the bad ones will commit sins of all kinds. But the sons of the Holy Church, the Sons of Faith, My perfect imitators, will grow in the love of God and in all virtue, under the guide of the Holy Spirit. I will fight on their side until they arrive at the fullness of time.
"For the evil done by men even Nature will cry out and earthquakes will occur in protest even against those who have committed crimes on Earth. The Earth will tremble and you yourself will also tremble of you, who are dedicated to the service of Christ, yet inside only admire yourselves. Tremble! The Lord is on the point of giving you into the hands of your enemies, inasmuch as the holy places are contaminated by corruption. Many convents are no longer the houses of God, but pastures of "Asmodeus," that is of the devil, impurity, and their followers.
"Thus the time will be reached in which the Antichrist will be born of a Jewish nun, a false virgin who will have intimate relations with the ancient serpent, the master of luxury. His father will be a bishop. As soon as he is born he will have teeth and pronounce blasphemies; in a word he will be a born devil. He will emit fearful cries, work miracles and wallow in luxury and impurity. He will have brothers who are demons incarnate as he will be, but sons of evil, and at the age of twelve years they will distinguish themselves in brilliant victories. Almost all of them will be the head of an armed force, supported by the infernal legions.
"The seasons will change their characteristics, the Earth will be lit with a fiendish red light; the water and the fire will cause terrible seismic movements which will engulf mountains and cities.
"Rome will lose the Faith and become the seat of the Antichrist. The demons allied to Antichrist will operate on Earth and in the sky and Humanity will become worse. But God will not give up his truly faithful servants who are men of good will. The Gospel will be preached everywhere to all the people and the nations will know the truth.
"I make an urgent appeal to the whole universe; I call the true disciples of God who lives and reigns in the sky! I use my voice as the perfect imitator of the Word Incarnate, Christ, the only Savior of men. I warn my sons, those truly devoted to me, who are faithful to Me because they lead me to My Son, whom I carried in My arms and Who lives always in My Spirit. Lastly, I appeal to the apostles of the last days, the disciples faithful to Jesus Christ who wait for the rule Melanie will receive for them, who lead a life despising the world and themselves and who live in sight of a world in poverty and humility, in silence and in self-effacement, in continual prayer and in mortification, in love and in union with God in concealment and in suffering.
"The time has come that you should show yourselves to lighten the world. Go and show yourselves, my beloved sons. I am with you and in you. While your faith is the light which will help you in these days of disappointment, your zeal will give you fame in the glory of Christ.
"Fight, Sons of light, you small number who see, because the time of times, the final end, is near.
"The Church will be in the dark, the world will be convulsed, but in this confusion Enoch and Elijah will appear full in the spirit of God. They will preach, and in their words will be the power of God, and men of good will believe in God, and many spirits will be consoled, in virtue of the Holy Spirit they will make great progress and condemn the diabolical errors of Antichrist.
"Woe to the inhabitants of the Earth. There will be sanquinary war, hunger, pestilence and epidemics, terrible rains of insects, thunder which will shake entire cities, earthquakes which will make entire regions uninhabitable. Voices will be heard in the air, and men will strike their heads against the wall, wishing for death, but this will bring them, for their part, terrible torture. Blood will flow everywhere. Who could ever report victory unless God shortened the time of trial?
"Enoch and Elijah will be put to death; pagan Rome will be destroyed and fire will fall from heaven destroying three cities. The sun will be blackened and only the Faith will survive.
"The time is at hand. The abyss is opening: the king of darkness is watching, the beast is watching with his subjects who will proclaim him "savior of the world." He will rise into the air superbly to reach the sky, but the breath of Archangel Michael will kill him. He will fall back and the earth will shake without ceasing for three days. It will then open its womb full of fire and the best and his followers will be allowed into the eternal abyss of inferno. Then water and fire will purify the earth to destroy all human pride and everything will be renewed.
"If humanity is converted, stones and rocks will become fertile and produce grain, and the fields will give abundant harvest."
Another account of the apparition adds the following admonitions:
"Come near, my children; do not be afraid. I am here to tell you great news.
"If my people refuse to submit, I will be forced to let go the arm of my son. It is so strong and so heavy, I can no longer hold it back. How long a time I have suffered for you! If I want my son not to abandon you, I am obliged to plead with him constantly.
"All nature will tremble because of the disorder and the misdeeds of men, which will rise to the very heavens. During the period of the hollow peace, the seasons will change.
"The peace among men which will set in after the great scourge [WWII ?] will be only an ostensible peace. During this period the earth will shake because of manifold concussions and convulsions. Mankind will experience continuous wars, which finally will lead to the last great war.
"A period of peace will follow (WWII implied) but only for the space of twenty-five years. The forerunner of the Antichrist will assemble an army of men drawn from many nations united under his banner. He will lead them in a bloody war against those still faithful to the living God.
"The seasons will be altered, the earth will produce nothing but bad fruit; the stars will lose their regular motion; the moon will only reflect a faint reddish glow. Water and fire will give the earth's globe convulsions, and terrible earthquakes which will swallow up mountains and cities.
"If you have wheat, you must not sow it. Anything you sow, the vermin will eat, and whatever does grow will fall into dust when you thresh it. A great famine is coming. Before the famine comes, children under seven will be seized with trembling and die in the arms of those who hold them. The rest will do penance through the famine. The walnuts will become worm-eaten; the grapes will rot.
"Melanie, what I am about to tell you now will not always be a secret. You may make it public in 1858. The priests, ministers of my son, the priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the holy mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives are crucifying my son again!
"May the Pope guard against the performers of miracles. For the time has come when the most astonishing wonders will take place on the earth and in the air. Evil books will be abundant on earth and the spirits of darkness will spread everywhere. They will have great power over Nature: there will be churches built to serve these spirits. People will be transported from one place to another by these evil spirits, even priests. On occasion, the dead and the righteous will be brought back to life. Everywhere there will be extraordinary wonders, as true faith has faded and false light brightens the people. Woe to the princes of the Church who think only of piling riches upon riches to protect their authority and dominate with pride.
"The Vicar of my Son will suffer a great deal because for a while the Church will yield to large persecution and will witness a frightful crisis. Spiritual faith having been forgotten, each individual will want to be on his own and be superior to people of same identity. They will abolish civil rights; all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family.
"The Holy Father will suffer a great deal. I will be with him until the end and receive his sacrifice. The mischievous would attempt his life several times to do harm and shorten his days, but neither he nor his successor will see the triumph of God. All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every spiritual principle, making way for materialism and vice of all kinds.
"The earth will be struck by calamities of all kinds in addition to plague and famine which will be wide-spread. There will be a series of wars until the last war, which will then be fought by the ten Kings of the Antichrist, all of whom will have one and the same plan and will be the only rulers of the world. Before this comes to pass, there will be a kind of false peace in the world. People will think of nothing but amusement. The wicked will give themselves over to all kinds of sin. But the children faith will grow in their love for God and in all precious virtues. Blessed are the souls humbly guided by the Holy Spirit! I shall fight at their side until they reach a fullness of years.
"The Church will be in eclipse, the world will be in dismay. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! There will be bloody wars and famines, plagues and infectious diseases. It will rain with a fearful hail of animals. There will be thunderstorms which will shake cities, earthquakes which will swallow up countries. Voices will be heard in the air. Men will beat their heads against walls, call for their death, and on another side death will be their torment. Blood will flow on all sides. Who will be the victor if God does not shorten the length of the test? All the blood, the tears and the prayers of the righteous: God will relent. Enoch and Eli will be put to death. Pagan Rome will disappear. The fire of Heaven will fall and consume three cities. All the universe will be struck with terror.
"The earth, which will have been in a continuous series of evolutions for three days, will open up its fiery bowels; and then water and fire will purge the earth and consume all the works of men's pride, and all will be renewed. God will be served and glorified."
The Immaculate Lady appeared on February 11, 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous, her sister Marie and a friend, Pancho. The children were gathering firewood when Bernadette heard sounds coming from the nearby grotto of Massabielle. Bernadette went to investigate, and found a rosebush moving as if it was being windblown (the air was calm). A young, beautiful Lady appeared from a golden cloud in the interior of the grotto and stood above the rosebush. She beckoned to Bernadette to approach, and they prayed together. Bernadette met Mary 18 times during the next 6 months, but she did not know who she was until the last visitation, when Mary said:
"Que soy era Immaculado Conceptiou" (I am the Immaculate Conception).
Mary instructed Bernadette to dig a hole at a certain spot and to drink and bathe in it. The hole became a spring, and Mary promised that it would heal those who used its water. Thousands of cures have occurred among the millions of visitors to Lourdes since then.Mary requested that a chapel be built in honor of her appearances there, but the local pastor refused to believe that the apparitions were genuine. He accused Bernadette of lying, and demanded that the apparition perform a miracle by making the rosebush bloom. The apparitions were determined to be genuine in 1862, and the site has become one of the major pilgrimage sites of Christians.Saint Bernadette Soubirous (Sr. Marie-Bernarde, The Sleeping Saint of Nevers) died April 16, 1879. Her body now lies incorrupt in the chapel of the convent of St.Gildard Sisters of Charity at Nevers. The Lady of Lourdes promised Bernadette in 1858:"I do not promise to make you happy in this world, but in the next".St. Bernadette Soubirous
In September 1988. Father Don Stefano Gobbi received the following messages by the Blessed Virgin Mary concerning a period of 10 years of tribulation:
"Today you are corning from every part of France to the foot of this rock upon which I appeared as the Immaculate Conception, to hold your great cenacle of prayer and fraternal sharing and to renew together the act of consecration to my Immaculate Heart.
"From here I bless my Movement; from here I bless each one of you; from here I bless the Church and all humanity. You have entered into my times. On this day, I am asking you to consecrate to me all the time that still separates you from the end of this century of yours.
"It is a period of ten years. These are ten very important years. These are ten decisive years. I am asking you to spend them with me because you are entering into the final period of the second Advent, which will lead you to the triumph of my Immaculate Heart in the glorious coming of my Son Jesus.
"In this period of ten years there will come to completion that fullness of time which was pointed out to you by me, beginning with La Salette all the way to my most recent and present apparitions.
"In this period of ten years there will come to its culmination that purification which, for a number of years now, you have been living through and therefore the sufferings will become greater for all.
"In this period of ten years there will come to completion the time of the great tribulation, which has been foretold to you in Holy Scripture, before the second coming of Jesus.
"In this period of ten years the mystery of iniquity, prepared for by the ever increasing spread of apostasy, will become manifest.
"In this period of ten years all the secrets which I have revealed to some of my children will come to pass and all the events which have been foretold to you by me will take place.
"Therefore I am asking you today to consecrate to me all this period of time, as though it were a more extended and continuous Marian Year. Open to me the doors of your hearts and let me work in you. Open to me the doors of your families, of your parishes, of your religious houses and let the immaculate light of my presence enter in.
"Multiply your cenacles of prayer and live in the greatest trust and filial abandonment to me, without allowing yourselves to be seized by vain curiosity to know what is awaiting you.
"May the water of divine mercy purify you of every sin and make of you new buds for the era of grace and of holiness which, in my Immaculate Heart, I am preparing for you each day.
"From this most venerated shrine of mine, I bless you all."
Fr. Gobbi
"St. Giovanni Bosco (1815-1888), the patron of editors and homeless children, founded the religious order of the Salesians (Society of St. Francis de Sales) in 1859. Don Bosco, as he was better known, was devoted to serving homeless children. He was ordained in 1934. He was also devoted to the Virgin Mary ("The August Queen of Heaven"), who graced him with some prophecies. St. John, however, said:
"Do not call me a prophet until the things I have foretold have come to pass."
His predictions especially concern the Catholic Church and the Papacy, which will be forced to evacuate Rome when "Cossack horses will drink from St. Peter's fountain." The following is his most famous prophecy:
"War comes from the south, peace from the north. French laws no longer recognize the Creator, but the Creator will make himself recognized and will visit her thrice with the rod of his wrath. In the first visit he breaks her pride by conquest, plundering ruined harvest and butchery of men and beasts.
"In the second visit the great prostitute of Babylon, which makes decent people sigh and call the Brothel of Europe, will be left without a leader and will be a victim of disorder.
"Paris! Paris! Instead of arming yourself in the name of the Lord, you fortify with Houses of Immorality. They will be destroyed by you yourself. Your idol, the Pantheon, will be burnt to ashes in order that this may come true: "violence, uttereth lies against me." Your enemies will reduce you to want, to hunger, to fear, and will make you the abomination of nations. Ah, woe to you, if you do not recognize the hand that strikes you! I want to punish immorality, the despising of, and the contempt for My Law, says the Lord.
"In the third visit you will fall into the hands of foreigners. Your enemies standing afar off will behold your palaces in flames. Your homes will become a heap of ruins with the blood of your heroes who are no more.
"But there will come a great warrior from the North carrying a banner and on the right hand that supports it is written: "The Irresistible Hand of the Lord." At that very moment there went out to meet him the Venerable Old Man of Lazio, holding aloft a brilliantly glowing torch. The banner then increased in size and turned from black to snow-white. In the middle of the banner, in letters of gold, there was written the name of Him who is able to do all things. The warrior with his men bowed and shook hands with the Venerable Old Man.
"Now Heaven's voice is addressed to the Shepherd of shepherds. You are now in conference with your advisors. The enemy of the good does not stand idle one moment. He studies and practices all his arts against you. He will sow discord among your consultors; he will raise up enemies amongst my children. The powers of the world will belch forth fire, and they would that the words be suffocated in the throats of the custodians of my law. That will not happen, they will do no harm but to themselves. You must hurry. If you cannot untie the knots, cut them. If you find yourself hard pressed, do not give up but continue until the head of the hydra of error is cut off. This stroke will make the world and Hell beneath it tremble, but the world will be safe and all the good will rejoice. Keep your consultors always with you, even if only two. Wherever you go, continue and bring to an end the work entrusted to you. The days fly by, your years will reach the destined number; but the great Queen will ever be your help, as in times past, so in the future She will always be the exceeding great fortress of the Church.
"Ah, but you, Italy, land of blessings! Who has steeped you in desolation! Blame not your enemies, but rather your friends. Can you not hear your children asking for the bread of faith and finding only those who smash it to pieces? What shall I do? I shall strike the shepherds, I shall disperse the flock, until those sitting on the throne of Moses search for good pastures and the flock listens attentively and is fed.
"Of the flock and over the shepherds My hand will weigh heavy. Famine, pestilence, and war will be such that mothers will have to cry on account of the blood of their sons and of their martyrs dead in a hostile country.
"And to you, Rome, what will happen! Ungrateful Rome, effeminate Rome, proud Rome! You have reached such a height that you search no further. You admire nothing else in your Sovereign except luxury, forgetting that you and your glory stands upon Golgotha. Now he is old, defenseless, and despoiled; and yet at his word, the word of one who was in bondage, the whole world trembles.
"Rome! To you I will come four times.
"The first time, I shall strike your lands and the inhabitants thereof.
"The second time, I shall bring the massacre and the slaughter even to your very walls. And will you not yet open your eyes?
"I shall come a third time and I shall beat down to the ground your defenses and the defenders, and at the command of the Father, the reign of terror, of dreadful fear, and of desolation shall enter into your city.
'But My wise men have now fled and My law is even now trampled underfoot. Therefore I will make a fourth visit. Woe to you if My law shall still be considered as empty words. There will be deceit and falsehood among both the learned and the ignorant. Your blood and that of your children will wash away your stains upon God's law. War, pestilence and famine are the rods to scourge men's pride and wickedness. O wealthy men, where is your glory now, your estates, your palaces? They are the rubble on the highways and byways.
"And your priests, why have you not run to "cry between the vestibule and the Altar," begging God to end these scourges? Why have you not, with the shield of faith, gone upon the housetops, into the homes, along the highways and byways, into every accessible corner to carry the seed of My word? Know you that this is the terrible two-edged sword that cuts down My enemies and breaks the Anger of God and of men?
"These things must come one after another. They are inexorable.
"Things are happening too slowly.
"But the August Queen of Heaven is present.
"The power of the Lord is in His hands. He scatters His enemies as a cloud.
"The Venerable Old Man attires himself in all his ancient raiment.
"There will come a violent hurricane.
"Iniquity is consummated. Sin will have its end. And before two full moons of the month of flowers will have run their course, the rainbow of peace will rise above the earth.
"The Great Minister will see the bride of his King arrayed in festive fashion.
"Throughout the world the sun will appear so luminous that the likes of which never has been seen since the tongues of fire descended on the Cenacle until this day, nor will such a sun ever be seen again until the very last of days.
"It was a dark night. Men could no longer tell which way to take in order to return to their homes. Suddenly there appeared in the heavens a very bright light that illuminated the steps of the travelers as though it was midday. At that moment there was seen a host of men and women, of young and old, of nuns, monks and priests with the Holy Father at the head. They were going out from the Vatican and were arranging themselves in line for a procession.
"And then there came a furious storm which clouded that light somewhat and made it appear that light and darkness were engaged in battle. In the meantime they arrived at a little square covered with dead and wounded, some of whom cried aloud and asked for help.
Very many were dropping out of the line of procession. After having walked for a time that would correspond to two hundred risings of the sun they realized that they were no longer in Rome. Struck with fear they all ran to the Holy Father to defend him personally and to attend to his wants. Instantly two angels were seen carrying a banner; they presented it to the Holy Father and said:
"Receive the banner of He Who fights and scatters the strongest armies of the world. Your enemies are dispersed. Your children with tears and sighs beg you to return."
Looking at the banner one could see written on one side, "Queen conceived without sin," and on the other side, "Help of Christians."
The Holy Father joyfully took the banner, but looking closely at the small number of those who remained with him, he became very sad. The two angels add:
"Go quickly and console your children. Write your brothers dispersed throughout the world that there must be a reform in the morals of men. That cannot be obtained except by distributing to the people the bread of the Divine Word. Catechize the children, preach the detaching of the heart from the things that are of the earth. The time has come," concluded the two angels, "when the poor shall evangelize the people. Vocations will come from among those working with the spade, the ax, the hammer to the end that they fulfill the words of David: God has raised up the poor from the land in order to place them on the thrones of the princes of His people."
Having heard that, the Holy Father began the march. The farther he went the greater did the procession behind increase. When finally he set foot in the Holy City, he wept bitter tears for the distress in which he found the people and the large number now missing. As he entered St. Peter's he intoned the "Te Deum" to which a choir of angels replied singing:
"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will."
With the end of the hymn there came an end to the thick darkness and the sun shone with a brightness all its own. The cities, the towns, and villages were thinly populated. The land had been leveled down as if by a hurricane, by a tempest, and a hailstorm. People went from one to another saying in tones of great emotion:
"There is a God in Israel."
"From the beginning of the exile until the singing of the 'Te Deum', the sun rose in the East two hundred times. The time that passed for the fulfilling of these things corresponds to four hundred risings of the sun."
The following prophecy (excerpted from a longer version) was given to St. Bosco by the Queen of Heaven:
"In the midst of this endless sea, two solid columns, a short distance apart, soar high into the sky. One is surmounted by a statue of the Immaculate Virgin, at whose feet a large inscription reads Auxilium Christianorum (Help of Christians). The other, far loftier and sturdier, supports a Host of proportionate size, and bears beneath is the inscription Salus credentium (Salvation of believers).
"The flagship commander -- the Roman Pontiff -- standing at the helm, strains every muscle to steer his ship between the two columns, from whose summits hang many anchors and strong hooks linked to chains. The entire enemy fleet closes in to intercept and sink the flagship at all costs. They bombard it with everything they have: books and pamphlets, incendiary bombs, firearms, cannons. The battle rages ever more furious. Beaked prows ram the flagship again and again, but to no avail, as unscathed and undaunted, it keeps on its course. At times, a formidable ram splinters a gaping hole in its hull, but immediately, a breeze from the two columns instantly seals the gash.
"Meanwhile, enemy cannons blow up; firearms and beaks fall to pieces; ships crack up and sink to the bottom. In blind fury, the enemy takes to hand-to-hand combat, cursing and blaspheming. Suddenly the Pope falls, seriously wounded. He is instantly helped up, but struck a second time, dies. A shout of victory rises from the enemy, and wild rejoicing sweeps their ships. But no sooner is the Pope dead than another takes his place. The captains of the auxiliary ships elected him so quickly that the news of the Pope's death coincides with that of his successor’s election. The enemy's self-assurance wanes.
"Breaking through all resistance, the new Pope steers his ship safely between the two columns; first, to the one surmounted by the Host, and then the other, topped by the statue of the Virgin. At this point, something unexpected happens. The enemy ships panic and disperse, colliding with and scuttling each other.
"Some auxiliary ships, which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship, are the first to tie up at the two columns. Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand still, cautiously waiting until; the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the waves. Then they too head for the two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks and ride safe and tranquil beside their flagship. A great calm now covers the sea."
St. John Bosco reiterated his prediction in 1862:
"There will be an Ecumenical Council in the next century, after which there will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the Pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter between the twin pillars of Eucharistic Devotion and Devotion to Our Lady. This will come about one year before the end of the century."
Not...
On May 13, 1917, in a field called Cova da Iria near the Portuguese village of Fatima, "a beautiful lady from Heaven", shining like the sun and standing on a cloud over a beech tree, appeared to three children: Lucia Dos Santos (age 10) and her two cousins, Francisco (9) and Jacinta Marti (7). Lucia saw and heard the Madonna and spoke with her. Jacinta also saw and heard her, but did not speak, and Francisco only saw the Virgin. The radiant being spoke with the children for several minutes, and asked them to meet her again at the same place on the 13th of each month until October. Then, she promised, she would identify herself.
The Madonna reappeared six times in all, and the reports of the events drew increasing crowds of spectators. About 50 persons attended on June 13, and nearly 70,000 were present on October 13. Many witnesses saw a bright cloud over the beech tree, but only the three children could see and hear the woman.
At the behest of a group of political activists and doubters who wished to "put an end to the nonsense," the civil prefect of Outrem seized, interrogated and threatened the children for two days in the hope of forcing a confession of fraud from them. Though the children had been prevented from meeting the Madonna on August 13, she appeared to them on August 19 at Valinhos, near the site of her first appearance. The Madonna then told them that she would appear a final time on October 13, and then produce a miracle.
On that day the Madonna transmitted the prophecy known as the Secret of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was a rainy day, but newspaper journalists who were eyewitnesses reported that the rain stopped suddenly and the sun reappeared. In the words of A. Garret, a professor at Coimbra University, the sun looked like "a burnished wheel cut out of mother of pearl. This disc spun dizzily around... It whirled upon itself with mad rapidity, then advanced, blood red, towards the Earth, threatening to crush us with its weight." Terrified spectators fell to their knees in prayer. The sun returned to normal, then twice again repeated the prodigy. In addition, the rain-soaked clothes of the audience dried out during the brief time of the solar phenomenon.
The Solar Miracle at FatimaThe Secret of Our Lady of the Rosary is a three-part prophecy that she ordered to be kept secret for 25 years or until the death of Lucia, whichever came first. Francisco and Jacinta died in the influenza pandemic that ravaged Europe in 1918 and 1919. Lucia became a Dorothe Sister, and in 1948 she became a Barefoot Carmelite in a closed convent at Coimbra. Lucia learned to write, and recorded the text of the secret prophecy. This was kept in the Bishopric of Leiria until 1943, when Pope Pius XII revealed the first two parts through the agency of Cardinal Schuster. The final, secret part of the prophecy was opened by Pope John XXIII and several cardinals in 1960, according to the Madonna's directions, but it was not revealed to the public. The first section is a vision of Hell. The second part predicts World War II. The following segment was published with Papal approval:
"If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and we shall have peace. The war is coming to an end; but it does not cease to offend the Lord, and another, more terrible one will break out. When you see a night lit up by an unknown light, you will know that it the great sign that God gives you of the next punishment of the sins of the world with war, famine, and persecution against the Church and against the Holy Father.
"In order to prevent this, I have some to intercede for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the communion of the first Sabbaths.
"If you carry out my demands, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. Otherwise the errors will be spread around the world, provoking war and persecution against the Church; many good people will become martyrs, the Holy Father will suffer much; many nations will be suppressed...
"But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia for me, which will be converted and the world will be granted a period of peace..."
The "great sign", "a night lit up by an unknown light," occurred on January 25, 1938. It has been explained as an unusual aurora borealis. World War II began soon afterward.
The secret section of the prophecy of Our Lady of the Rosary was leaked by Pope John XXIII to certain Roman Catholic officials and world leaders of the USA, USSR, and Britain. On October 15, 1963, the German journal News Europe published the alleged text of the secret portion of the Fatima Prophecy. The text cannot be verified, but it is widely accepted as being genuine:
"Have no fear, little one. I am the Mother of God who speaks to you and asks you to publish the message I am going to give you to the whole world. You will find strong resistance while you do so. Listen well and pay attention to what I tell you.
"Men must be set on the right road once more. With suppliant humility, men must seek forgiveness for sins committed already and for sins which will be committed. You wish me to give you a sign, so that everyone will accept My Words, which I am saying through you, to the human race. I have seen the Prodigy of the Sun and all believers, unbelievers, peasants, countrymen, wise men, journalists, laics and priests, all have seen it. And now I proclaim in my name: A great punishment shall fall on the entire human race, not today and not tomorrow, but in the second half of the 20th century! I have already revealed to the children Melanie and Maximime at La Salette, and today I repeat it to you for the human race has sinned and has trampled down the Gift which I have made. In no part of the world is life in order, Satan rules in the highest position, laying down how things should be done. He will effectually succeed in bringing his influence right up to the top of the Church; succeed in seducing the spirits of the great scientists who invent the arms. And if humanity opposes me I shall be obliged to free the arm of My Son. Now I see that God will punish man with a severity that has not been used since the Flood.
"The time of times will come and everything will come to an end if humanity is not converted, and if things remain as they are now or get worse, the great and powerful men will perish just as will the small and weak.
"For the Church, too, the time of its greatest trial will come. Cardinals will oppose cardinals and bishops against bishops. Satan will march in their midst and there will be great changes at Rome. What is rotten will fall, never to rise again. The Church will be darkened and the world will shake with terror. The time will come when no king, emperor, cardinal or bishop will await Him who will, however, come, but in order to punish according to the designs of my Father.
"A great war will break out in the second half of the 20th century [not...]. Fire and smoke will fall from heaven, and waters of the oceans will become vapors, the scum will arise in a confused manner, and everything will sink down. Millions and millions of men will perish while this is going on and those who survive will envy the dead. The unexpected will follow in every part of the world, anxiety, pain and misery in every country. Have I seen it? The time is getting ever nearer and the abyss is getting wider without hope. The good will perish with the bad, the great with the small, the Heads of the Church with their faithful, and the rulers with their people. There will be death everywhere as a result of the mistakes of the unfeeling and the partisans of Satan, but when those who survive all these happenings are still alive, they will proclaim God once again and His Glory, and will serve Him as in the time when the world was not so perverted.
"Go, my little one and proclaim it. For that purpose I shall always be at your side to help you."
The following version of the third prophecy of Fatima has been in circulation since about 1985, and published in various newspapers and magazines:"A great plague will befall mankind in the year 2000. Nowhere in the world will there be order, and Satan will rule the highest places, determining the way of things. Satan will even succeed in asserting himself at the top of the Church.
"He will succeed in seducing the spirits of the great scientists who invent arms, with which it will be possible to destroy a large part of mankind in a few minutes. Satan will have in his power the leaders who command the people and who will incite them to produce enormous quantities of arms.
"God will punish man more thoroughly than with the Flood. There will come the time of all times and the end of all ends. The great and the powerful will perish together with the small and weak.
"Even for the Church, it will be the time of its greatest trial. Cardinals will oppose cardinals, bishops will oppose bishops. Satan will walk in their midst and in Rome there will be great changes. The Church will be darkened and the world will be shaking with terror.
"A huge war will erupt: fire and smoke will fall from the sky. The waters of the ocean will become mist, and the foam will rise to tremendous heights and everyone will drown.
"Millions and millions of men will die from hour to hour. Whoever remains alive will envy the dead. Everywhere one turns one's glance there will be anguish and misery, ruins in every country.
"The time draws nearer, the abyss widens without hope. The good will perish with the bad, the great with the small, the princes of the church with the faithful, the rulers with their people.
"There will be death everywhere because of the errors committed by the crazed and the followers of Satan, who will then and only then rule the world.
"At the last, those who survive will at every chance newly proclaim God and His glory and they will serve Him as when the world was not so perverted."
On her death-bed (February 1920), Jacinta told Mother Godinho:
"There is a secret of Heaven and one of earth, and the latter is terrifying. It will seem as though it were already the end of the world. And in this cataclysm everything will be separated from the sky, which will turn white as snow."
In 1981 while visiting in Fulda, Germany, Pope John Paul II was asked about the secret message of Fatima. He answered:"Due to the seriousness of the contents of the Fatima secret, my predecessors in the Throne of Peter have preferred to postpone the publication. Furthermore, it may be enough to the christian people to know that, if there is a message saying that the oceans will flood whole parts of the globe, and millions of people will die, from a minute to another, it is not really the case to will the publication of this secret message."
In an interview with Sr. Lucia with Cardinal Ricardo Vidal in 1993, Sr. Lucia commented on the secret prophecy:
"The triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary also refers to (her victory over) the errors that were being spread by Russia... Our Lady's Immaculate Heart triumphed over the errors that were being spread by Communist Russia. The Consecration of 1984 prevented an atomic war that would have occurred in 1985... The `era of peace' does not refer to a civil peace but rather to a peace that we are now living with the end of the spread of the errors of Communist Russia."
Fr. Joseph de Ste. Marie, who served as Fatima expert to Pope John Paul II, said:
"Let there be no hysteria concerning dates or concerning expectation of chastisements. The dates are unknown, the chastisement certain."
Pope John Paul II was nearly assassinated on May 13, 1981 (the anniversary of Mary’s first apparitional appearance at Fatima). The gun was aimed at the Pope’s head, but Agca had to aim for his abdomen instead when the pontiff turned to a young girl who was wearing a picture of Our Lady of Fatima. While he was in the hospital, Pope John Paul reviewed the Church’s documentation of Fatima, and he read the secret Third Secret of Fatima. In 1984 the Pope consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Communism collapsed soon afterward.
The Vatican released its official document, "The Message of Fatima", in June 2000. It includes the first and second parts of the "secret" of Fatima as written by Sr. Lucia on August 31, 1941, and a photostatic copy of the original manuscript of the third part of the secret, and comments by Sr. Lucia from conversation with Archbishops Bertone and Ferreira in April 2000 in the Carmel Monastery of St. Teresa of Coimbra in Portugal. Bertone noted:
"As is well known, Pope John Paul II immediately thought of consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and he himself composed a prayer for what he called an 'Act of Entrustment' which was to be celebrated in the Basilica of St. Mary Major on June 7, 1981."
Sodano said that the secret contained a prophetic vision similar to those found in the Bible, but the events to which the third part of the Secret of Fatima refers now seem part of the past:
"That text contains a prophetic vision similar to those found in Sacred Scripture, which do not describe with photographic clarity the details of future events, but rather synthesize and condense against a unified background events spread out over time in a succession and a duration which are not specified. As a result, the text must be interpreted in a symbolic key.
"The vision of Fatima concerns above all the war waged by atheist systems against the Church and Christians, and it describes the immense suffering endured by the witnesses to the faith in the last century of the second millennium. It is an interminable Way of the Cross led by the Popes of the twentieth century.
"According to the interpretation of the 'little shepherds,' which was also recently confirmed by Sister Lucia, the 'bishop clothed in white' who prays for all the faithful is the Pope. As he makes his way with great effort towards the Cross amid the corpses of those who were martyred (bishops, priests, men and women religious and many lay persons), he too falls to the ground, apparently dead, under a burst of gunfire.
"After the assassination attempt of May 13 1981, it appeared evident to His Holiness that it was 'a motherly hand which guided the bullet's path,' enabling the 'dying Pope' to halt 'at the threshold of death.' On the occasion of a visit to Rome by the then bishop of Leiria-Fatima, the Pope decided to give him the bullet which had remained in the jeep after the assassination attempt, so that it might be kept in the Shrine. At the behest of the bishop, the bullet was later set in the crown of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
"The successive events of 1989 led, both in the Soviet Union and in a number of countries of Eastern Europe, to the fall of the Communist regime which promoted atheism. For this too His Holiness offers heartfelt thanks to the Most Holy Virgin. In other parts of the world, however, attacks against the Church and against Christians, together with the burden of suffering which they involve, tragically continue. Even if the events to which the third part of the Secret of Fatima refers now seem part of the past, Our Lady's call to conversion and penance, issued at the beginning of the twentieth century, remains timely and urgent today. 'The Lady of the message seems to read the signs of the times - the signs of our time - with special insight... The insistent invitation of Mary Most Holy to penance is nothing but the manifestation of her maternal concern for the fate of the human family, in need of conversion and forgiveness.'
"In order that the faithful may better receive the message of Our Lady of Fatima, the Pope has charged the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with making public the third part of the secret, after the preparation of an appropriate commentary."
The following official Vatican version is alleged to be the complete translation of the original Portuguese text of the third part of the secret of Fatima that was revealed to the three pastorinhos children on July 13, 1917 at Cova da Iria-Fatima, as written by Sr. Lucia on January 3, 1944:
"I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.
"After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!' And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God."
Sr. Lucia & Pope John Paul II
In June of 1961, The Virgin Mary appeared to four girls (Conchita Gonzales, Mari Loli Mazon, Jacinta Gonzalez, and Mari Cruz Gonzalez, ages 11-12) near the village of San Sebastian de Garabandal in the Cantabrian Mountains of northwest Spain. The girls were praying together when they heard a thunderous sound and saw a beautiful angel. It said nothing, then disappeared. The girls ran to the village church and told everyone about the occurence. The angel appeared to them several more times before it announced that the Blessed Virgin would appear to them. Later that day she appeared in the company of two angels with an all-seeing eye above her. She visited the girls more than 2,000 times in the next four years. The apparition repeatedly urged repentance, and said that a miraculous sign will appear some day. Conchita wrote this about it in her Diary:
"I am the only one to whom the Blessed Virgin spoke of the miracle. She forbade me to say what it will consist of. I can't announce the date either until eight days before it is due to occur. What I can reveal is that it will coincide with an event in the Church and with the feast of a saint, martyr of the Eucharist; that it will take place at 8:30 on a Thursday evening; that it will be visible to all those who are in the village and surrounding the mountains; that the sick who are present will be cured, and the incredulous will believe. It will be the greatest miracle that Jesus will have performed for the world. There won't be the slightest doubt that it comes from God and that it is for the good of mankind. A sign of the Miracle, which it will be possible to film or televise, will remain forever.
"The Warning, like the Chastisement, is a fearful thing for the good as well as the wicked. It will draw the good closer to God and warn the wicked that the end of times are coming... The Warning is something that is seen in the air, everywhere in the world and is immediately transmitted into the interior of our souls. It will last a very little time, but it will seem a very long time because of its effect within us. It would be like fire. It will not burn our flesh, but we will feel it bodily and interiorly... [It will be] like two stars that crash and make a lot of noise, and a lot of light but they don't fall. It's not going to hurt us but we're going to see it and, in that moment, we're going to see our consciences."
The event will occur between March 8-May16 on a Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (Garabandal time), within a year of the Warning foretold by Our Lady of Fatima. Conchita will be warned of the event 8 days beforehand. It will occur on the feast day of a Eucharist martyr, and it will coincide with a "great event" in the Church.
The following message from Mary is excerpted from Conchita’s notes:
"The Virgin told me about this on January 1st, 1965, up in the pine grove. I cannot say what it will consist of, because she did not command me to do so. And, as for when it is going to be, she did not tell me, so I do not know. What I do know is that it will be visible to everybody; it will be a direct work of God and will take place before the miracle. I do not know whether people will die because of it. They could only die from the shock of seeing it...
"The Virgin told only me about the miracle. She forbade me to say what it will consist of. I cannot reveal the date either until eight days beforehand. What I am allowed to say is that it will coincide with an event in the Church, and with the feast of a Saint who is a martyr of the Holy Eucharist; it will be at half-past eight on a Thursday evening; it will be visible to everybody in the village and on the surrounding mountainsides; the sick who are present will be cured and the incredulous will believe. It will be the greatest miracle that Jesus has worked for the world. There will not remain the slightest doubt that it comes from God and is for the good of mankind. In the pine grove, a sign of the miracle will be left forever. It will be possible to film and televise it...
"The punishment is conditioned to whether or not mankind heeds the Blessed Virgin's messages and the miracle. If it does take place, then I know what it will consist of, because the Virgin told me, but I am not allowed to say. What is more, I have seen the punishment. What I can assure you is that, if it comes, it is far worse than if we were enveloped in fire; worse than if we had fire above us, and fire beneath. I do not know how long a time will elapse after the miracle, before God sends it."
In 1962, the Blessed Virgin told Conchita a prophecy of the popes; according to her, Pope John Paul II will be the last pope:
"There would be two more popes after Pope Paul VI and that one of the popes would have a very short reign. After that would come the end times but not the end of the world."
Conchita made this announcement on September 14, 1965:
"The sign that will remain forever at the pines is something we will be able to photograph, televise, and see, but not touch. It will be evident that it is not a thing of this world but from God."
Manifestation of the Eucharist on Conchita's Tongue:
The stigmata of the Capuchin priest Padre Pio da Pietrelcina (1887-1968) bled about a cup of blood daily for 50 years. He also transmitted the following Marian prophecies, excerpted from a letter to the Commission of Heroldsbach, appointed by the Vatican to investigate his case:
"My son, My son, I have been longing for this hour in which I again shall reveal to you the great love of My heart... Pray and make reparation to Me. Admonish others to do the same because the time is near at hand in which I shall visit My unfaithful people because they have not heeded the time of My grace. Persevere in prayer, so that your adversary shall have no dominion over you. Tell My people to be prepared at all times, for My judgment shall come upon them suddenly and when least expected -- and not one shall escape My hands, I shall find them all! I shall protect the just. Watch the sun and moon and the stars of the Heavens. When they appear to be unduly disturbed and restless, know that the day is not far away. Stay united in prayer and watching until the angel of destruction has passed your doors. Pray that these days will be shortened." (1949)
"Pray! Make reparation! Be fervent and practice mortifications. Great things are at stake! Pray! Men are running toward the abyss of Hell in great rejoicing and merry-making, as though they were going to a masquerade ball or the wedding feast of the devil himself! Assist Me in the salvation of souls. The measure of sin is filled! The day of revenge, with its terrifying happenings is near -- nearer then you can imagine! And the world is seeping in false security! The Divine Judgment shall strike them like a thunderbolt! These Godless and wicked people shall be destroyed without mercy, as were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorra of old. Yes, I tell you their wickedness was not as great as that of our human race today! (Jan.23, 1950)
"Keep your windows well-covered. Do not look out. Light a blessed candle, which will suffice for many days. Pray the Rosary. Read spiritual books. Make acts of Spiritual Communion, also acts of love, which are so pleasing to Us. Pray with outstretched arms, or prostrate on the ground, in order that many souls may be saved. Do not go outside the house. Provide yourself with sufficient food. The powers of nature shall be moved and a rain of fire shall make people tremble with fear. Have courage! I am in the midst of you." (Jan. 28, 1950)
"Take care of the animals during these days. I am the creator and preserver of animals as well as man. I shall give you a few signs beforehand, at which time you should place more food before them. I will preserve the property of the elect, including the animals, for they shall be in need of sustenance afterwards as well. Let no one go across the yard, even to feed the animals-he who steps outside will perish! Cover your windows carefully. My elect shall not see My wrath. Have confidence in Me, and I will be your protection.
"Hurricanes of fire will pour forth from the clouds and spread over the entire earth! Storms, bad weather, thunderbolts and earthquakes will cover the earth for two days. An uninterrupted rain of fire will take place! It will begin on during a very cold night. All this is to prove that God is the Master of Creation. Those who hope in Me, and believe in My words, have nothing to fear because I will not forsake them, nor those who spread My message. No harm will come to those who are in the state of grace and who seek My Mother's protection.
"That you may be prepared for these visitations, I will give you the following signs and instructions: The night will be very cold. The wind will roar. After a time thunderbolt will be heard. Lock all the doors and windows. Talk to no one outside the house. Kneel down before a crucifix, be sorry for your sins, and beg My Mothers protection. Do not look during the earthquake, because the anger of God is holy! Jesus does not want us to behold the anger of God, because God's anger must be contemplated with fear and trembling.
"Those who disregard this advice will be killed instantly. The wind will carry with it poisonous gases which will be diffused over the entire earth. Those who suffer and die innocently will be martyrs and they will be with Me in My Kingdom. Satan will triumph! But in three nights, the earthquake and fire will cease. On the following day the sun will shine again, angels will descend from Heaven and will spread the spirit of peace over the earth. A feeling of immeasurable gratitude will take possession of those who survive this most terrible ordeal, the impending punishment, with which God will visit the earth since creation.
"I have chosen souls in other countries too, such as Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, who have received these revelations so that other countries also may be prepared. Pray Rosary, but pray it well, so that your prayers may reach Heaven. Soon a more terrible catastrophe shall come upon the entire world, such as never before has been witnessed, a terrible chastisement never before experienced!
"How unconcerned men are regarding these things! Which shall so soon come upon them, contrary to all expectations. How indifferent they are in preparing themselves for these unheard of events, through which they will have to pass so shortly! The weight of divine balance has reached the earth! The wrath of My Father shall be poured out over the entire world! I am again warning the world through your instrumentality, as I have so often done heretofore.
"This catastrophe shall come upon the earth like a flash of lightning! At which moment the light of the morning sun shall be replaced by black darkness! No one shall leave the house or look out a window from that moment on. I Myself shall come amidst thunder and lightning. The wicked shall behold My Divine Heart. There shall be great confusion because of this utter darkness in which the entire earth shall be enveloped, and many, many shall die from fear and despair.
"On that day, as soon as complete darkness has set in, no one shall leave the house or look from out of the window. The darkness shall last a day and a night followed by another day and night, and another day-but on the night following, the stars will shine again, and on the next morning the sun shall rise again, and it will be SPRINGTIME!! In the days of darkness, My elect shall not sleep, as did the disciples in the garden. They shall pray incessantly, and they shall not be disappointed in Me. I shall gather My elect. Hell will believe itself to be in possession of the entire earth, but I shall reclaim it.
"Again and again I have warned men, and often have I given them special opportunities to return to the right path; but now, wickedness has reached its climax, and the punishment can no longer be delayed. Tell all that the time has come in which these things shall be fulfilled." (Feb. 7, 1950)
Another Marian apparition that has been approved by the Catholic Church occurred in 1969 in Japan. An angelic being appeared to Sister Agnes Sasagawa, who was a postulant in the Order of the handmaids of the Eucharist. The angel gave her a prayer to add to her Rosary:
"O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fire of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need."
This prayer was one of those given by the Blessed Virgin to the children at Fatima! On June 12, 1973, Sister Agnes, who was deaf, heard a voice urging her to go pray in the chapel:
"Do not fear. Pray with fervor not only because of your sins, but in reparation for those of all men. The world today wounds the most Sacred Heart of Our Lord by its ingratitudes and injuries. The wounds of Mary are much deeper and more sorrowful than yours. Let us go pray together in the chapel."
When she went there, she saw brilliant beams of light emanating from the tabernacle. The light appeared during the next two days. On June 28, stigmata (the wounds of Christ) began to appear on her hands in the form of a bleeding cross. On July 6, while praying in the chapel, Sr. Agnes heard a the statue of the Virgin Mary speak to her, and other sisters saw blood dripping from the statue’s right hand later the same day. The phenomena repeated itself four times, ending on September 29. On that day, sisters witnessed "sweat" exuding from the statue’s forehead and neck. Then the statue began to "weep", and continued to do so until 1982. A Japanese TV crew was able to film the weeping phenomenon.
Sister Agnes continued to receive messages from the angel (speaking for Mary) for 9 more years. The following prophecies are excerpted from the transmissions:
"If men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead."
"Is the infirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will be healed. Does the wound of your hand cause you to suffer? Pray in reparation for the sins of men. [The apparition gave the text of a prayer.] Pray very much for the pope, bishops, and priests. Tell your superior all that passed today..." (July 6, 1973)
"If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to say to you. It is very important; you will convey it to your superior. Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console him to soften the anger of the heavenly father. I wish, with my son, for souls who will repair by their suffering and their poverty for the sinners and ingrates.
"In order that the world might know his anger, the heavenly father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering him the sufferings of the son on the cross, his precious blood, and beloved souls who console him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the father's anger... Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered together. Without attaching too much attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the master." (August 3, 1973)
"My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior. As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead... The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres... churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises, and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them. Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living voice. From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior." (Oct. 13, 1973)
The Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ appeared to Veronica Lueken over a period of 25 years during her Rosary vigils in Flushing Meadows Park, NY.
The Blessed Virgin warned that unless we return to traditional morals, World War III and a great comet will kill billions of people "within this century, if not sooner."
Since the event did not come to pass in the 20th century, then perhaps we have rehabilitated sufficiently for Divine purposes, and catastrophe has been averted, but more likely it has merely been postponed. Our Lady has been appointed by God to warn humanity that there will be a cleansing by fire unless we repent and correct our ways. The chastisement will be preceded by a worldwide Warning, and that will be followed by a great Miracle. If mankind still refuses to change, then God will punish us.
On April 21, 1973, Veronica Leuken received a Warning while in she was in ecstasy:"It's as though everything has exploded in the sky. There is a great flash! Then it's very hot - very warm - and it feels like you're burning. There is a huge explosion, and the sky becomes very white. . .and then there are colors - blues, purples. . . It 's like a huge explosion. Now this voice -- the voice ...! And the voice, Our Lady says, is a voice within you: "Your warning before the Chastisement! Flash, fire, and the voice within you! The final Warning before Chastisement."Man will feel that the very powers of the elements have shaken the very foundations of his being. So great will be the impact of this Warning from the Father that none will doubt that it had come from the Father. . .It will be a major awakening to many. The rumbling and the shaking of the elements will set fright into many hearts. . .Hearts will shudder with fear and men will drop from fright... Many signs of an angry God will appear before you. . ."On June 12, 1976, the Blessed Virgin Mary told Mrs. Lueken that the Warning was close at hand:"My child, you must pray more: do much penance. For the Warning is coming upon mankind. There will be a tremendous explosion and the sky shall roll back like a scroll, this force shall go within the very core of the human. He will understand his offenses to his God. However, this Warning will be of short duration. and many shall continue upon their road to perdition, so hard are the hearts hardened now, My child.""The Eternal Father will send a Warning to mankind, a great Warning of such magnitude that very few will doubt that it comes from the Eternal Father and is not man-made." (July 25, 1978)"There is to come upon you a great Warning, of such magnitude that every man, woman and child will feel the burning fires within." (September 28, 1974)
"All who remain in the light of grace will have no fear. They will pass through this great Warning without suffering." (April 5, 1975)
"As the day follows night, so shall this Warning follow soon. Beware of the sunrise! Do not look up to the sky, the flash!!! Beware of the sunrise! Do not look up to the sky, the flash!!! Close your windows! Draw your shades! Remain inside: do not venture outside your door, or you will not return! Pray! Prostrate yourselves upon your floor! Pray with arms outstretched and beg for mercy of your God, the Father. Do not seek or receive your animals into your homes, for the animals of those who have remained of well spirit will be taken care of."
"O My children, how many will try to go back and restore their homes when it is too late. Keep blessed candles, water, blankets, food within your homes. The candles of those who have remained in the state of grace shall not be extinguished, but the candles in the homes of those who have given themselves to Satan shall not burn! Amen. I say to you, as night follows day a great darkness shall descend upon mankind."
"When the Warning is sent upon man, there will be no doubt in the minds of man that it descends from the heavens. However, those who have already committed themselves to Satan will see and yet not believe." (September 28, 1973)
"The Father chooses to send upon you first a great manifestation, a Warning. And should you not listen to the voice within you, He will have no recourse but to go forth with the plan for full cleansing. My Son has given you His words; you have received one of the final warning given to man." (May 10, 1973)
On June 8, 1974, Jacinta also channeled a message through Veronica:
"It is true that I gave a final message [to Mother Godinho], but I, too, could not give the date --- only to warn the world that a great Warning would come to mankind. It would be a great cataclysm Warning, and then there would be a great Miracle. And after that, if nothing changes and man continues to offend the Father, He would have to start this terrible, terrible trial. For there will be a great War and there will be a great, terrible chastisement."
Bishop John Mugavero of Brooklyn, however, issued a "Declaration Concerning the Bayside Movement" (November 4, 1986), in which he declared:
"No credibility can be given to the so-called "apparitions" reported by Veronica Lueken and her followers.
"The "messages" and other related propaganda contain statements which, among other things, are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, undermine the legitimate authority of bishops and councils and instill doubts in the minds of the faithful, for example, by claiming that, for years, an "imposter (sic) Pope" governed the Catholic Church in place of Paul VI.
"Those who persistently maintain that "no ecclesiastical permission is required for the publication or dissemination" of information concerning "revelations, visions or miracles," are erroneously interpreting the directives of the Holy See when they attempt to justify the publication of the propaganda literature on the "Bayside Messages."
This warning was issued in 1988, but since then it has become just another failed prophecy:
"I, as your Mother, I am terribly depressed in knowing what is fast coming upon mankind. I see beyond me a ball, a large ball. Were it placed next to the sun, this ball would be like two suns in the sky. But it is a ball of destruction, and I tell you, My children, We have been attempting to hold this back with all manners of graces, and fasting, and suffering. But the Eternal Father says, 'Look up, My child'; He said to look far up into the sky. Your human eyes cannot perceive yet what is up there, but there is a ball, to mankind known as 'unknown origin.' But it is not unknown: it is the Ball of Redemption.
"Do not be affrighted, My child, you must see this, for it is important. Within this century this Ball will be sent upon mankind.
"My child, I took you from your bed of pain and illness to bring you here to tell the world to prepare now. It is almost too late. We have asked also, urgently, and have had great cooperation from the earth's masses of people-- to Rome to tell them, Look up, and see what lies beyond your windows: a Ball that is fast hurtling towards earth! It will be here within this century, if not sooner. For even the scientists have failed to recognize the speed of this Ball."
Veronica: "I see a terrible globe, it looks like a globe of fire. It's frightening! It's now bouncing around, like it has no control; as though it's not in a general place to be. It has bounced off another, what looks like a comet, and has actually destroyed the comet to the left."
VM: "This one will not be destroyed; for mankind has listened, but has not followed a schedule, as We would say, placed upon mankind by Heaven., a schedule for prayers and repentance. This has not been done to the satisfaction of the Eternal Father. All must get down on their knees and beg for repentance of mankind. It is mankind's balance."
Veronica: "And I see now, over on the right side, there's Michael; and he is holding a balance in his hands. He has on one of the balances, there seems to be gold and silver; but on the other, it seems to be heaped with rocks! And Our Lady is now touching Her lips again, like this, with Her crucifix and then Her finger, like this:
VM: "My child, I also have to tell you: look up and see, and repeat what you see."
Veronica: "I see a large crowd of people in Rome. No, it's not Rome, because I can't see the...I know the city. Looks like it may be in Russia. I am not familiar, Blessed Mother, with Russia or the buildings."
VM: "You will understand, My child, because at this very moment there is a dissident under the number five of communism that is planning to kill the Pope. His words, We hear are, 'This time we will not fail to destroy him!'
"Please, My children, pray for your Holy Father, the Pope. You must not lose him, for the one who comes after him will destroy if he can--he will attempt to destroy, I should say, My child and My children; he will attempt to destroy Pope John Paul II.
"I know, My child, how this has both affrightened you, and also made you feel weak from terror. I did not want to bring you here at first, My child, as I know how weak and ill you have become; but you see, you must help Our children upon earth.
"Also, they are so lacking in interest in many places. Children are disappearing by the thousands, and where do they go? They go straight to the pits of hell, as they become pawns in the hands of the satanists.
"Yes, My child and My children -- and My child, Veronica -- you must be very careful. I have warned you not to go out alone, not even to your roadway; for you heard the music, My child. They were gathered beneath your windowsill.
"I know, My child, I kept this from you at our last meeting, but it is urgent that you must know this. They are also going to try to murder you on your stoop. Do not be afraid, My child; your destiny is with Jesus and the Father.
"Now, My child, I want you to look up, and look far into the sky. What do you see?"
Veronica: "I see a group of people, talking outside a building. The building looks like it may be in Russia. That's the only place I saw spires like they have there. Now coming out of this building are two sinister-looking men. They're looking at shotguns. And they 're also whispering. I can't hear what they're saying, but they are mentioning the Pope. They keep repeating, 'the Pope.' Now both of them are laughing, like they have accomplished something bad; but they are laughing because they are demons!"
VM: "My child, when We talk of demons, I also mentioned to you that you must be very careful and warn all that Satan was trying, and accomplished his mission, to go into the workrooms of the White Berets and the Blue Berets.
"What is he going to do? He will bring discord and dissatisfaction. And what are you going to do, My child? You are going to pray more, and make a decision; for We are not allowing you to be alone. But you must gain wisdom by making a decision.
"I leave that up to you, My child, as you will follow the rules of charity, holiness, and, also, faith. The greatest is faith: faith in your fellow man, not only accepting the sorrows of earth...
"But do not search, My children, for wealth. Within two years or less, there will be a great crash of the market. The whole world's monetary systems will be paralyzed. That, My child, is why you had to come this evening to the grounds." [not...]
A "Miraculous Photo" from Flushing Meadows:
The Virgin Surrounded by Rosaries (December 31, 1999)
A "Miraculous Photo" from Flushing Meadows:
The Grim Reaper
The Venezuelan stigmatist Maria Esperanza Bianchini, whose wounds appear on Good Friday, has been the reciprient of many mystical experiences since 1976. She has reported many conversations with the Virgin Mary, she has levitated during Mass, and has been seen to bilocate (appear in two places at once). She and several other persons have witnessed apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in the village of Cua in the Finca Betania region of Venezuela. In 1984, Mary explained the reason for her appearances:
"I come to reconcile them, to seek them out, to give them faith, which has disappeared in the noise and din of an atomic awakening which is at the point of bursting out. My message is of faith, love and hope. More than anything, it brings reconciliation between people and nations. It is the only thing that can save this century from war and eternal death...If a change does not come and a conversion of life, one will perish under the fire, war and death...
"Forgive one another. Love one another. Serve one another. Pray for the Church. Pray for priests. Return to the Sacraments, dear little children. Confess your sins while the sun shines. Sacrifice yourselves for the conversion of sinners and for peace in the world. All of you are children of God. All are loved."
Mary also told Maria that mankind would be facing its hour of decision in the mid-1990's, when there would be grave danger of war involving Asia and Russia. Apparently humanity has passed that crisis for the time being. Mary also gave this warning:
"There is coming the great moment of a great day of light. The consciences of this beloved people must be violently shaken so that they may 'put their house in order' and offer to Jesus the just reparation for the daily infidelities that are committed on the part of sinners..."
The Grotto at Cua
Visitors to the grotto have reported visions of the Blessed Virgin, falls of rose petals out of the air, angelic choirs, and healings.
After more than 10 years of investigation by the Church, Bishop Pio Bello Ricardo stated:
"After having studied repeatedly the apparitions of the Most Holy Virgin in Betania, and having begged the Lord earnestly for spiritual discernment, I declare that in my judgement said apparitions are authentic and have a supernatural character. I therefore approve, officially, that the site where the apparitions have occurred be considered as sacred..."
Soon afterwards, a Eucharistic miracle occurred during the vigil of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1991. Father Otty Ossa (Maria’s spiritual advisor) was saying Mass when the Host began to bleed as he held it. Father Ossa said:
"I broke the Host into four parts. When I looked down at the plate I could not believe my eyes. I saw a red stain forming on the Host and from it a red substance was beginning to emanate similar to the way blood spurts out in a puncture. After the Mass, I took the Host and protected it in the Sanctuary. The next day at six in the morning, I observed the Host and I found that the Blood was fluid and then began to dry, however to this day it still looks fresh. Amazingly, the Blood is only on one side, not bleeding through the exceedingly thin Host."
The phenomenon was videotaped, and analysis of a sample of the blood showed it to be human.
11. Our Lady of Medjugorje ~In June, 1981, six youths from the village of Medjugorje in central Yugoslavia met Mother Mary on Mount Podbrdo. The apparitions have continued since then, albeit with decreasing frequency. Mary sends a message of faith, conversions, and fasting to brig peace to Earth. She has come to bring humanity back to her son Jesus Christ, and she warns that Satan is extremely active now; it is necessary to pray often and fervently to defend against his assaults. Medjugorje has subsequently become a major pilgrimage site for more than 10 million devout Christians. The Serbo-Croatian conflict erupted on the 10th anniversary of the apparition.
Mary has entrusted each of the six visionaries with ten secrets concerning the fateful events that will occur if humanity fails to rehabilitate itself in due time. When the apparitions end at Medjugorje, all other Marian apparitions will stop. Then the secret prophetic events will transpire, and many humans will expire.
A report sent from the Bishop of Mostar to the Pope stated:
"According to Mirjana, during the apparition on December 25, 1982, the Madonna confided the tenth and last secret to her, and she revealed the dates on which the various secrets will come to pass. The Blessed Virgin revealed many aspects of the future to Mirjana, many more up to now than to the other seers. For that reason, I relate now what Mirjana told me in a conversation on November 5, 1983 I shall summarize the essential things she said, without any literal quotations. Before the visible sign is given to humanity, there will be three warnings to the world. The warnings will be warnings on the earth. Mirjana will witness them. Three days before one of these warnings, she will advise a priest of her choice. Mirjana's testimony will be a confirmation of the apparitions and an incentive for the conversion of the world. After these warnings, the visible sign will be given for all humanity at the place of the apparitions in Medjugorje. The sign will be given as the testimony of the apparitions and a call back to faith...
"The ninth and tenth secrets are grave matters. They are a chastisement for the sins of the world. The punishment is inevitable because we cannot expect the conversion of the entire world. The chastisement can be mitigated by prayers and penance. It cannot be suppressed. After the first warning, the others will follow within a rather brief period of time. So it is that people will have time for conversion. This time is a period of grace and conversion. After the visible sign, those who are still alive will have little time for conversion. For that reason, the Blessed Virgin calls for urgent conversion and reconciliation. The invitation to prayer and penance is destined to ward off evil and war and above all to save souls. We are close to the events predicted by the Blessed Virgin. Convert yourselves as quickly as possible. Open your hearts to God. This is a message to all mankind."
Father Tomislav has offered an explanation of another prophecy made by the Virgin in 1983:
"They say that, with the realization of the secrets entrusted to them by Our Lady, life in the world will change. Afterwards, men will believe like in ancient times. What will change and how it will change, we don't know, given that the seers don't want to say anything about the secrets."
In an interview conducted by Janice Connell 1990, Marijana clarified some of the earlier statements:
"The first two secrets will be warnings to the world -- events that will occur before a visible sign is given to humanity. These will happen in my lifetime. Ten days before the first secret and the second secret, I will notify Father Petar Ljubicic. He will pray and fast for seven days, and then he will announce these to the world.
"This sign will be given for the atheists. You faithful already have signs, and you have become the sign for the atheists. You faithful must not wait for the sign before you convert; convert soon. This time is a time of grace for you. You can never thank God enough for His grace. The time is for deepening your faith and for your conversion. When the sign comes, it will be too late for many."
In a letter to Pope John Paul II dated December 16, 1983, Father Tomisav Vlasic reported concerning the revelations given by the Blessed Virgin to Mirjana:
"After the apparition of the Blessed Virgin on November 30, 1983, Maria Pavlovic came to me and said. ‘The Madonna says that the Supreme Pontiff and the Bishop must be advised immediately of the urgency and great importance of the message of Medjugorje.
"This letter seeks to fulfill that duty.
"Five young people (Vicka Ivankovic, Maria Pavlovic, Ivanka Ivankovic, Ivan Dragicevic, and Jakob Colo) see an apparition of the Blessed Virgin every day. The experience in which they see her is a fact that can be checked by direct observation. It has been filmed. During the apparitions, the youngsters do not react to light, they do not hear sounds, they do not react if someone touches them, they feel that they are beyond time and space.
"All of the youngsters basically agree that:
"We see the Blessed Virgin just as we see anyone else. We pray with her, we speak to her, and we can touch her... The Blessed Virgin says that world peace is at a critical stage. She repeatedly calls for reconciliation and conversion... She has promised to leave a visible sign for all humanity at the site of the apparitions of Medjugorje... The period preceding this visible sign is a time of grace for conversion and deepening the faith... the Blessed Virgin ha promised to disclose ten secrets to us. So far, Vicka Ivankovic has received eight. Marija Pavlovic received the ninth one on December 8, 1983. Jakov Colo, Ivan Dragicevic and Ivanka Ivankovic have each received nine. Only Maria Dragicevic has received all ten... These apparitions are the last apparitions of the Blessed Virgin on earth. That is why they are lasting so long and occurring so frequently.
"The Blessed Virgin no longer appears to Mirjana Dragicevic. The last time she saw one of the daily apparitions was Christmas 1982. Since then the apparitions have ceased for her, except on her birthday (March 18, 1983). Mirjana knew that this would occur.
"According to Mirjana, the Madonna confided the tenth and last secret to her during the apparition on December 25, 1982. She also disclosed the dates on which the different secrets will come to pass. The Blessed Virgin has revealed to Mirjana many things about the future, more than to any of the other youngsters so far. For that reason I am reporting below what Mirjana told me during our conversation on November 5, 1983. I am summarizing the substance of her account, without word-for-word quotations:
Mirjana said that before the visible sign is given to humanity, there will be three warnings to the world. The warnings will be in the form of events on earth. Mirjana will be a witness to them. Three days before one of the admonitions, Mirjana will notify a priest of her choice. The witness of Mirjana will be a confirmation of the apparitions and a stimulus for the conversion of the world.
"After the admonitions, the visible sign will appear on the site of the apparitions in Medjugorje for all the world to see. The sign will be given as a testimony to the apparitions and in order to call the people back to the faith.
"The ninth and tenth secrets are serious. They concern chastisement for the sins of the world. Punishment is inevitable, for we cannot expect the whole world to be converted. The punishment can be diminished by prayer and penance, but it cannot be eliminated.
"Mirjana says that one of the evils that threatened the world, the one contained in the seventh secret, has been averted, thanks to prayer and fasting. That is why the Blessed Virgin continues to encourage prayer and fasting:
"You have forgotten that through prayer and fasting you can avert war and suspend the laws of nature.""After the first admonition, the others will follow in a rather short time. Thus, people will have some time for conversion.
"That interval will be a period of grace and conversion. After the visible sign appears, those who are still alive will have little time for conversion. For that reason, the Blessed Virgin invites us to urgent conversion and reconciliation.
"The invitation to prayer and penance is meant to avert evil and war, but most of all to save souls.
"According to Mirjana, the events predicted by the Blessed Virgin are near. By virtue of this experience, Mirjana proclaims to the world: "Hurry, be converted; open your hearts to God."
"In addition to this basic message, Mirjana related an apparition she had in 1982, which we believe sheds some light on some aspects of Church history. She spoke of an apparition in which Satan appeared to her disguised as the Blessed Virgin. Satan asked Mirjana to renounce the Madonna and follow him. That way she could be happy in love and in life. He said that following the Virgin, on the contrary, would only lead to suffering. Mirjana rejected him, and immediately the Virgin arrived and Satan disappeared. Then the Blessed Virgin gave her the following message in substance:
"Excuse me for this, but you must realize that Satan exists. One day he appeared before the throne of God and asked permission to submit the Church to a period of trial. God gave him permission to try the Church for one century. This century is under the power of the devil; but when the secrets confided to you come to pass, his power will be destroyed. Even now he is beginning to lose his power and has become aggressive. He is destroying marriages, creating divisions among priests and is responsible for obsessions and murder. You must protect yourselves against these things through fasting and prayer, especially community prayer. Carry blessed objects with you. Put them in your house, and restore the use of holy water...
"Holy Father, I do not want to be responsible for the ruin of anyone. I am doing my best. The world is being called to conversion and reconciliation. In writing to you, Holy Father, I am doing only doing my duty. After drafting this letter, I gave it to the youngsters so that they might ask the Blessed Virgin whether its contents are accurate. Ivan Dragicevic relayed the following answer: "Yes, the contents of the letter are the truth. You must notify first the Supreme Pontiff and then the Bishop."
The Blessed Virgin at Medjugorje has said this concerning prophecy:
"Do not think about wars, punishments, evil, because if you do you are on the road toward them. Your task is to accept divine peace, to live it, and to spread it."
Medjugorje
The primary message of the Blessed Virgin always has been one of Peace, Prayer, and Mercy, rather than of her prophecies, which are contingent upon the power of Prayer. According to Mary, the wrath of God and Jesus can be averted (or at least delayed) by repentance and the Rosary. This approach to world peace actually seems to have worked in the case of the fall of the USSR, which also prevented (or long delayed) the invasion of Europe by Soviet forces.
Amen...
2. Martindale, C.C.: The Meaning of Fatima; 1950, P.J. Kennedy & Sons, NY.
1.Connell, Janice T.: Visions of the Children: The Apparitions at Medjugorje
3. De Marchi, John: Fatima, The Facts; 1950, Mercier Pres, Cork, Ireland; Read & authenticated by Sister Lucia.
4. Santos, Lucia: Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words
5. Zimdars-Swartz, Sandra: Encountering Mary: Visions From La Salette to Medjugorje
6. The Messages of the Lady of All Nations: Queenship Publishing Co., P.O. Box 42028, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-2028 ; 1-800-647-9882
7. The Internet (Keyword Search: Prophecy, Marian Apparitions)
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