What is the secret of Fatima? Sister Lucia replies
What is the secret?
I think I can say it, because now the sky has given me permission. The representatives of God on earth have authorized me to do it, several times and with various letters, one of which (which is, it seems to me, in the hands of VE) of the rev. P. José Bernardo Goncalves, in which he orders me to write to the Holy Father. One of the points he suggests to me is the revelation of the secret. I have already said something. But in order not to stretch too much the writing, which must have been short, I limited myself to the indispensable, leaving God the opportunity for a more favorable moment.
I have already explained in the second essay the doubt that tormented me from June 13 to July 13 and that vanished in this last apparition.
Well, the secret consists of three distinct parts, of which I will reveal two.
The first was therefore the vision of hell.
Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire, which seemed to be under the earth. Immersed in this fire, demons and souls as if they were transparent and black or bronze colored embers, with a human shape, floating in the fire, carried by the flames, which came out of themselves, together with swarms of smoke and fell from all the parts, similar to the sparks that fall in the great fires, without weight or balance, between cries and moans of pain and despair that made the creep and tremble with fear. The demons were distinguished by the horrible and lousy forms of frightening and unknown, but transparent and black animals.
This vision lasted an instant. And may they be given thanks to our good heavenly Mother, who had previously reassured us with the promise to take us to heaven during the first apparition! If it weren't so, I think we would have died of fear and terror.
Shortly afterwards we raised our eyes to Our Lady, who said with kindness and sadness: «You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wants to establish devotion to my immaculate Heart in the world. If they do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war will soon end. But if they do not stop offending God, under the reign of Pius XI, another worse one will begin. When you see - a night illuminated by an unknown light, know that it is the great sign that God gives you, that is going to punish the world for his crimes, through war, hunger and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father . To prevent it, I will come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my immaculate Heart and communion on the first Saturdays. If they listen to my requests, Russia will convert and there will be peace; if not, it will spread its errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions against the Church. The good will be martyred and the Holy Father will have much to suffer, several nations will be annihilated. Eventually my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, which will be converted and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world ».
Ecc.mo and rev.mo Signor Bishop, I have already said to the EV, in the notes I have
sent after reading the book on Jacinta, that she was very impressed by some things revealed in secret. It was just like that. The vision of hell had caused her so much horror that all penances and mortifications seemed to her nothing, to be able to free some souls from there.
Well. Now I will immediately answer the second question that has been posed to me by several people: how is it possible that Jacinta, so small, allowed herself to be penetrated and understood a similar push of mortification and penance?
In my opinion, it was this: first of all, a special grace that God, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, wanted to grant her; secondly, the sight of hell and the thought of the unhappiness of the souls who fall into it.
Some people, even devout ones, do not want to tell children about hell so as not to frighten them; but God did not hesitate to show it to three, one of whom was only six years old, and He knew that she would be terrified to such an extent - I would almost dare to say - to die of fear. He frequently sat on the ground or on some boulder and thoughtfully began to say: "Hell!" The hell! How sorry are the souls who go to hell! And people live there to burn like wood in the fire .. ». And, a little trembling, he knelt with folded hands, saying the prayer that Our Lady had taught us: «O my Jesus! Forgive us, free us from the fire of hell, bring all souls to heaven, especially those who need it most ».
(Now VE will understand why I have the impression that the last words of this prayer referred to the souls who are in greater or more imminent danger of damnation). And he remained on his knees for a long time, repeating the same prayer. Every now and then he called me or his brother, as if waking up from sleep: «Francesco! Francis! Aren't you praying with me? We need to pray a lot to free souls from hell. Many go down there, many! ». At other times he asked: "But why doesn't Our Lady show sinners hell? If they saw it, they would no longer sin not to go there. Tell that lady to show hell to all those people (she was referring to those who were in Cova da Iria at the time of the apparition. You will see how they convert