Cardinal Ratzinger, one of the few people besides the Pope who knows the secret of Fatima, was in Fatima on the anniversary date of 13 October. During his visit he responded to questions by the most popular radio station in Portugal, Radio Renascensa, regarding the third secret of Fatima. He said: "To all the curious people I say that the Virgin does not create sensationalism, or fear, nor does She present apocalyptic visions. Instead, She guides men towards Her Son, and this is the essential."

If after 80 years the secret has still not been published it is because: "the Church wishes to oppose the expectation of unheard-of things so that Marian devotion remains sincere. Our Lady did not appear to the little shepherd children - unknown by the world - to create sensation, but to call the world back to the Sacraments." The decision to reveal the secret "depends on the Pope, but let us not forget that the Pope is guided by the Holy Spirit..."

In the interview the Cardinal said that the fact that the Pope was saved in the attempt on his life on the 13th May 1981 is a miracle. "Alì Agcà was a sharp shooter, and the date itself is very significant!" He added that what worries the Pope most today is the "weariness in people's faith in so many parts of the world, especially of those in Europe. Instead of being happy to know the true God, they see Christianity as a burden or just a habit. And there are many who want to create their own Church as though it were a private club, forgetting that the Church was wanted by Jesus so we could know God and His word and obtain salvation... We hope in the return of a new joy in the faith."

The Cardinal then visited Sr. Lucia the 89 year-old visionary in the Carmelite convent of Coimbra, and confirmed that the third secret "does not regard something which we will have to one day face, but is a help to the faith."

We think the Cardinal's explanations coincide with Fr. Amorth's (see Echo 126, pg. 4). When you put together the above elements: the weariness in people's faith, especially in Europe, others who create their own Church, and Mary who only wants to teach people about faith, it is easy to deduce that the secret regards the fall of faith, the divisions in the Church and that this is Satan's moment. The same interpretation was also given by the bishop of Leiria-Fatima on the 16 August 1924. It was not without reason that Jesus said: "But when the Son of Man comes will he find any faith on the earth?" (Lk 18:8)


                          
(1) In the transcript: Bold and italics as in the original. Underline by The M+G+R Foundation

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