Fatima

09 January 1999 11:42

The following extracts from the Pope’s book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope (published in 1994), are copied from another mailing list.

John Paul II speaks about Fatima:

“And thus we come to May 13, 1981, when I was wounded by gunshots fired in St. Peter’s Square. At first, I did not pay attention to the fact that the assassination attempt had occurred on the exact anniversary of the day Mary appeared to the three children at Fatima in Portugal and spoke to them the words that now, at the END OF THIS CENTURY, SEEM TO BE CLOSE TO THEIR FULFILMENT”
(Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Page 221)

“Yes, this desire to stifle the voice of God is rather carefully planned. Many will do just about anything so that His voice cannot be heard, so that only the voice of man will be heard, a voice that has nothing to offer except the things of this world. And sometimes such an offer brings with it destruction of cosmic proportions. Isn’t this the tragic history of our century?…in the fall of communism the action of God has become almost visible in the history of our century…

And what are we to say of the three children from
Fatima who suddenly, on the eve of the outbreak of the October Revolution, heard: “Russia will convert” and “In the end, my Heart will triumph”?… They could not have invented those predictions. They did not know enough about history or geography, much less the social movements and ideological developments. And nevertheless it happened just as they had said.

Perhaps this is also why the Pope was called from “a faraway country,” perhaps this is why it was necessary for the assassination attempt to be made in St. Peter’s Square precisely on May 13, 1981, the anniversary of the first apparition of Fatima – so that all may become more transparent and comprehensible, so that the voice of God which speaks in human history through the “signs of the times” could be more easily heard and understood.”

(Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Page 130-132)

“By the year 2000 we need to be more united, more willing to advance along the path toward the unity for which Christ prayed on the eve of His Passion. This unity is enormously precious. In a certain sense, the future of the world is at stake. The future of the Kingdom of God in the world is at stake.

Human weaknesses and prejudices cannot destroy God’s plan for the world and for humanity. If we appreciate this we can look toward the future with a certain optimism. We can trust that “the One who began this good work in us will bring it to completion (cf. Phil 1:6)” (Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Page 151)