CHAPTER I

THE CHURCH’S GREAT HOPE
(1958 - 1959)

On October 28, 1958, Cardinal Roncalli, Archbishop of Venice and former Nuncio to Paris, was elected to the See of Peter and took the name John XXIII. On November 17, he chose Msgr. Tardini as his Secretary of State.

What would the new Pope’s attitude towards Fatima be? Two declarations from the opening months of his pontificate seemed to allow great hopes...
 

THE POPE URGES THE FAITHFUL TO HEED THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN’S WARNINGS

On February 18, 1959, in a radio message for the closing of the Marian Year – decreed by Pius XII on the occasion of the centennial of the Lourdes apparitions – John XXIII explicitly evoked the important role of certain “private revelations” in the Church’s life:

«Like our Predecessor, we ardently desire that Christendom be renewed in a unanimous élan of Marian piety, for, when it is understood according to the Church’s doctrine, it cannot but lead souls more surely and more quickly to Jesus Christ, our one and divine Saviour. Following those Pontiffs who for a century recommended that Catholics pay attention to the message of Lourdes, we urge you to listen, with simplicity of heart and an upright mind, to hear the salutary warnings of the Mother of God – warnings still relevant today.

«Moreover, let nobody be surprised to hear the Roman Pontiffs insist on this great spiritual lesson passed on by the child of Massabielle. If they have been constituted guardians and interpreters of Divine Revelation, contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, they also have a duty to recommend to the attention of the faithful – when after mature examination they judge it opportune for the general good – the supernatural lights which it pleases God to freely dispense to certain privileged souls, not to propose new doctrines but to guide our conduct: “Non ad novam doctrinam fidei depromendam, sed ad humanorum actuum directiones.” (Saint Thomas, IIa-IIae, q. CLXXIV, a. 6, ad tertium.) Such is indeed the case with the apparitions of Lourdes...»¹

Commenting on this beautiful text, Dom Roy underlines its importance:

«For the first time concerning Lourdes (and perhaps for the first time in the Church’s history), a pontifical document states that the Popes must, in certain cases, “for the general good”, “recommend to the attention of the faithful... the lights which it pleases God to dispense to certain privileged souls”... The Pope gives a precious indication for the theology of private revelations, applying to them the teaching of Saint Thomas regarding the gift of prophecy.»²

Hearing these liberating words, the devoted servants of Our Lady of Fatima must have quivered with hope. Two months later, on April 28, 1959, in a radio message where he asked for prayers on the occasion of the month of Mary, the Pope declared again:

«In our time, – as Christians have often had, and still have the opportunity to experience, – the august Mother of God makes Her presence felt in human events in a special way. The more charity grows colder, the more urgently this Mother exhorts Her children to piety, to virtue, to penance for sin; and when from every side the menace of fearsome scourges increases, we feel that in Her clemency She intercedes for us, that She implores for us mercy, warding off the chastisements merited by our faults. Thus we have a powerful patroness with the Divine Majesty, we have a Mother who with a heart full of pity has compassion on Her children’s sufferings. Hence, one would be placing his own salvation in jeopardy if, when he is assailed by the tempests of our world, he refused to accept Her helping hand.»³

What truth in these words, which coincide with Sister Lucy’s statements to Father Fuentes!⁴ No doubt it was also in the opening months of the pontificate that Msgr. Cento, Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal from 1953 to 1958 and recently named a Cardinal, had spoken favourably to the Pope about Fatima and Sister Lucy.⁵

The Pope was personally familiar with Fatima, having gone there at Bishop da Silva’s invitation on May 13, 1956, to preside over the ceremonies of the national pilgrimage. Were there not grounds for hoping he would pay attention to its message and strive to implement it? «In the night which was growing darker», to repeat another of John XXIII’s expressions,⁶ the Immaculate Virgin appeared then more than ever as the last recourse, and Her final message, the Secret of secrets, as the great hope of a divine message, a motherly warning specially intended to help the Church pass safely through formidable perils.
 

IN THE USA: FATIMA ON TELEVISION

At this period in the United States, the Blue Army launched a great promotional campaign in favour of Fatima, centred on the expected revelation of the third Secret. As John Haffert recalls:

«First, we “played up” the 1960 Secret. We had a television program in New York every Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. in which we discussed the Message of Fatima. We called the program “Zero, 1960” and later, “Crisis”.

«We were not implying that there would be some kind of catastrophe at that time. We implied, rather, that the Message of Fatima was not something that happened in 1917 and was finished, but which began in 1917 and would not be consummated until Russia was converted. Even after that, it would continue to be fulfilled in the “triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and “an era of peace for mankind”.

«We had some of the most celebrated figures of our time on the program, including President Kennedy, Senator Humphrey, and many others! The program was picked up by over 100 stations throughout the country and for over a year had a “star” rating in The New York Times.

«And the Pilgrim Virgin statue was travelling from diocese to diocese, with the message delivered to tens of thousands on a “person to person” basis.»⁷

This American-style promotional campaign was inspired by a correct instinct: publication of the great Secret in 1960 could be an incomparable grace for the Church; what was necessary was to draw the greatest possible fruit from it by preparing the faithful to receive it. One could be certain it would also be a powerful apologetical argument to move hesitant souls to conversion.

In Europe also, the wait for 1960 aroused a revival of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, although in a completely different manner. This was true first of all in Portugal, where preparations were underway for the solemn blessing of the national monument in honour of Christ the King.
 

MAY 17, 1959: PORTUGAL RENEWS ITS CONSECRATION TO THE MOST HOLY HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY⁸

We have already described how on April 20, 1940, the Portuguese bishops, in retreat at the sanctuary of Fatima, meeting at the foot of the Blessed Sacrament exposed, addressed two petitions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: they asked for Portugal the grace of a concordat «which recognizes for the Church her liberty and her rights», and the favour «of being spared the horrors of the war» which was then causing bloodshed all over Europe. To obtain these graces, they made a vow to build «a monument in honour of the royalty of the Divine Heart of Jesus, in the capital of the Portuguese nation». They presented this vow and this petition to the Sacred Heart of Jesus «through the mediation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary»,⁹ to whom they had already officially consecrated Portugal on May 13, 1931.¹⁰

Their prayer being answered on both counts, the bishops set about executing their design. On June 28, 1956, in a radio message to Portuguese people of the entire world, Cardinal Cerejeira – who had the initiative for this project – explained its significance: this great construction, which would rise above the summit of the hill of Almada, on the left bank of the Tagus River,¹¹ would be «the monument of national homage and gratitude to Christ the King» who, «through the Intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, had spared Portugal the slaughter of the war. For it cannot be doubted (the Patriarch stated) that Providence preserved Portugal from the war thanks to the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady of Fatima.» So the national monument was to commemorate «the miracle of Portuguese peace», it would be «the monument of Portuguese peace». «This monument will rise up in the capital of the Portuguese world, and the image of Christ the King will extend the arms to embrace it all and bless it, as He miraculously showed Himself at Fatima in the celebrated apparitions of October 13, 1917.» The monument to Christ the King would be raised up «as the complement of the sanctuary of the Cova da Iria».¹²

On January 16, 1959, in a collective pastoral letter, the Portuguese bishops announced that on the occasion of the blessing of the monument, the following May 17, they would renew the consecration of the nation to the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary. And to enable the unanimous Christian people to prepare for «this supreme act of adoration and reparation», they invited individuals, families, associations, parishes and dioceses to renew their own consecration. Thus all Portugal would make reparation for the blasphemies of impious atheism by proclaiming the sovereignty of God.¹³ A great «crusade of prayers» was organized across the entire country.¹⁴

The solemnities began with the national pilgrimage of May 13 to the Cova da Iria. Here is the description of Canon Barthas:

«We must say a word about the reparatory triduum celebrated at the Basilica of Fatima and the fervour of the 800,000 pilgrims who came to the national sanctuary to pray for the Holy Father’s intentions, and for the nations shackled by communism...

«On the evening of May 13, a procession left on foot for Lisbon, with the Virgin of the Capelinha, who had to be present at the feast of the Almada. Along the way the doves came to join the procession, at their favourite place.»¹⁵

The statue was received at Lisbon during the night, at the church of Our Lady of Fatima, where a huge crowd was waiting. For three days the faithful of the capital pressed inside to come and venerate the holy Image, while in the city spectacular ceremonies followed, one after the other.¹⁶ On the evening of May 16, during a fervent evening procession, Our Lady of Fatima went through the avenues of the capital.¹⁷

On the morning of May 17, Pentecost Sunday, a Pontifical Mass was celebrated at the palace of Jeronimos, while the statue of Our Lady was carried in procession to the foot of the monument of Christ the King.

In the late afternoon, before all the bishops of Portugal and its overseas colonies, in the presence of all the members of the government and a crowd of between 800,000 to 1,000,000 people, the ceremony began with the solemn blessing of the monument, followed by a vibrant allocution by Cardinal Cerejeira. The Cardinal Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro addressed the faithful in his turn, and then the loudspeakers broadcast a very brief radio message of His Holiness John XXIII.

Then Cardinal Cerejeira, before the Blessed Sacrament exposed, pronounced the solemn act of consecration of Portugal to the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary.¹⁸ After that, Admiral Americo Tomaz, the head of state, associated himself with this act in the name of the government and the entire people.¹⁹ After the singing of the Te Deum, the ceremony ended with benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

At the moment when the choir sang the final verse of the Tantum Ergo, in honour of the Holy Spirit – Procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio – a dove suddenly left the pavilion of Our Lady, and after flying around over the authorities, came and placed itself on the podium which was supporting them, right before the kneeler of President Tomaz. As Barthas recalls,

«... All eyes turned towards the dove, which never ceased looking at the altar and the monstrance, as if to show everybody present where the true direction of their thoughts should lie.

«When the ceremony was over, the Cardinals present as well as the bishops approached the bird, which was completely unafraid. In his turn, the head of state went towards it; then it flew away to rejoin the Virgin. The dove left Her only at the moment of embarcation over the Tagus river, for the return.

«All the journals of Lisbon published this account, with the photograph of the dove.»²⁰

By this discreet but very moving sign, the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary were surely showing Their satisfaction at this solemn, public consecration renewed by the religious and political authorities, who were together recognizing Their divine royalty.

Perhaps there was even another and more striking sign of the Divine pleasure: many witnesses worthy of faith stated that during the singing of the Te Deum, they had contemplated extraordinary solar phenomena similar to those of October 13, 1917. We will return to this point in an appendix to this chapter.
 

APRIL 24 - SEPTEMBER 13, 1959: ITALY UNDER THE SIGN OF FATIMA

In December 1958, the Italian bishops had decided to consecrate their country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. To prepare the faithful for it, they decided to resume for a few months the “Pilgrimage of Mary”, which ten years earlier had stirred up such a great wave of fervour all across the Peninsula.²¹ Desiring that this Marian Tour be placed entirely under the sign of Fatima, they asked Bishop Venancio, the new Bishop of Fatima, for the statue of the “World Tour”.

Arriving at Naples on April 24, 1959, the white Image went all across Italy, leaving behind innumerable and fervent crowds everywhere. All the regions of the Peninsula, all the important cities welcomed Her with unexpected enthusiasm and fervour. One has to read the chronicle of this journey published the following year to retrace its principal episodes.²²

Beginning on May 17, at Pisa, the miracle of the doves was constantly renewed. At Genoa, at Turin, at Padua, at Milan, at Brescia, at Syracuse... everywhere the white doves were found at Our Lady’s feet. «In all, there were 128 days that they faithfully followed Our Lady in 91 cities, from May 17 to September 21.»²³

The most spectacular solemnity took place at Catama on September 13, where almost all the Italian bishops, in the presence of several members of the government, consecrated Italy to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Nor were the doves missing: one could count as many as twenty at a time. Then the statue returned to Fatima after a stop at Rome and Trieste.

According to Father Simonin, a French Dominican of the convent at Fatima, wonderful atmospheric phenomena also took place during this “Pilgrimage of Mary” in Italy. He writes:

«We know from a good source that the solar prodigy (of October 13, 1917) was repeated three times during Our Lady of Fatima’s triumphant journey across the principal cities of Italy in 1959, and during the same year once again on May 17 at Portugal, at the end of the ceremony blessing the monument of Christ the King on the hill of Almada, near Lisbon...», etc.²⁴

To the extent that these proved to be real supernatural prodigies, we would see here the mark of a very special insistence from Heaven on the eve of the decisive year. At the approach of 1960, God wanted perhaps, in Portugal and even in Italy, to draw the attention of the Holy Father and his entourage once more to the extraordinary importance and incomparable supernatural fruitfulness of the Fatima revelations...
 

FATIMA, HOPE OF THE CHURCH AT AN «APOCALYPTIC HOUR»

On April 24, 1959, on the occasion of the opening of Our Lady of Fatima’s itinerant mission across Italy, Cardinal Cerejeira had spoken a brief message of striking farsightedness to the bishops of the Peninsula, declaring:

«It is an apocalyptic hour for the world. These are frightening winds from hell which are blowing, and the elect themselves are allowing themselves to be carried away.

«Our Lady of Fatima came to the Cova da Iria to remind men of the way of salvation: prayer and penance. It is the echo of what Jesus told His Apostles in the Garden of Olives: “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.”

«To bring Her message everywhere, Our Lady of Fatima became a pilgrim. Now behold Her on the road to Italy. It is the Woman “full of grace” who is passing through. With Her is always found Her Divine Son, in Whom alone is salvation. And He brings with Him the Holy Spirit. This pilgrimage is like a Pentecost; it will be a shower of blessings.»²⁵

These words were so clear on the gravity of the hour, but at the same time full of hope. They were fulfilled to the letter in Italy. The passage of Our Lady of Fatima really was accompanied by a wonderful shower of graces over the good people, who ran to Her feet everywhere. We can say that if there was hope of a “new Pentecost” for the Church, it was here, in devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and in the accomplishment of all Her requests... But the Pastors of the Church still had to have enough faith and docility to Heaven’s designs to be the instruments of this effusion of graces, which God wanted to pour out over the world through the mediation of His Immaculate Mother.

Now during this year 1959 – while the year fixed for the publication of the third Secret was approaching – Rome on several occasions had shown a disturbing coolness and mistrust for Fatima. It was in painful contrast with the enthusiastic hope of the faithful.

APPENDIX I

ACT OF CONSECRATION OF PORTUGAL TO THE MOST HOLY HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY¹

I. PORTUGAL RENEWS ITS CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

«O Jesus Christ, immortal King to Whom was given all power in Heaven and on earth, Redeemer and Saviour of men, Our Lord and Our God, behold we are present before Your invisible but Real Presence in the consecrated Host, at the monument built to Your Divine Royalty by the gratitude and piety of Portuguese people dispersed throughout the world; before You Portugal is on its knees to ratify and solemnly renew its consecration to Your adorable Heart.»
 

THANKSGIVING

FOR THE CONCORDAT AND FOR THE CATHOLIC RENAISSANCE. «Portugal believes that You have accepted the national consecration which the Pastors chosen by You, accompanied by their flocks (who are the entire Portuguese people), made to You on October 28, 1928. With a humble but joyful heart we give You thanks for the liberty granted Holy Church, Your Spouse and Our Mother, for the work of restoration and development of the Christian life and its institutions, and finally because Your most Holy Name – in which alone there is salvation – is recognized and taught publicly.»

FOR THE GIFT OF PEACE. «This Monument will proclaim perpetually, by a solemn vow, the miracle of peace which You mercifully granted to the Portuguese nation, thanks to the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, Patroness of Portugal.»
 

«WE WILL NOT HAVE CHRIST REIGN OVER US!»

THE ANTI-CHRIST HATRED OF “DIABOLICAL MEN”. «But Christian Portugal senses today that the Powers of Darkness, stronger than ever, have been unchained to destroy Your Kingdom in the world. Russia (why not cite its name, since Your Mother, who came down from Heaven, did so at Fatima?), Russia continues to spread its deicidal errors everywhere. In like manner of old, many standing before Pilate, inspired by the Spirit of evil, cried out that they did not want You to reign over us. They preferred Barabbas to You, Lord, Barabbas the author of sedition, Barabbas the murderer.»

THE PRACTICAL APOSTASY OF SO MANY CHRISTIANS. «See, Lord – or rather, 0 Lord of Mercy, do not look! – at how many, even those who bear the name of Christians, Your Name, how many deny You in their life, despising Your most holy Law. They do not call themselves atheists, but they act as if they were in their private, family, economic and social life. A youth without purity, families without love, without children, without fidelity; riches without justice or charity; poverty without resignation and without hope...»
 

«CHRIST CONQUERS, CHRIST REIGNS, CHRIST COMMANDS!»

«In this sublime act of consecration, through the voice of those who legitimately represent it, Portugal comes to tell You:

ACT OF FAITH. «That it recognizes You as the “King of all things”, to Whom everything is submitted, as the Divine Teacher of truth, supreme legislator of good, inexhaustible fountain of charity and love, triumphant Prince of Peace, glorious conqueror of sin and death. It recognizes You as the Saviour of men, full of mercy, the Firstborn of the new humanity regenerated by water and the Holy Spirit, the Way, the Truth and the Life of every man who comes into this world.»

ACT OF SUBMISSION.«It promises to submit always to Your Kingship, a kingship of love in which all those who become subjects become free. Your kingdom is a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.

«Conscious of its providential mission as soldier of the Cross and missionary, Portugal wants to continue to be so in the mother country and beyond the sea. You Yourself have chosen it in history; it wants to be faithful to its vocation: and especially to this choice You have made of it to be the herald of devotion to Your adorable Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your most holy Mother.»

ACT OF CONSECRATION. «Portugal delivers itself over to You in a fervent act of faith and love for the realization of the unfathomable designs of wisdom and mercy enclosed in Your Heart. And through this Divine Heart, may You call all men to realize that God is love, and His law is liberty and peace.»
 

IN THE FACE OF A HOSTILE WORLD, ALL OUR CONFIDENCE IS IN YOU AND IN YOUR MOST HOLY MOTHER

«We have against us the entire world which stands in opposition to Your Kingdom, the deceitful kingdom of Satan. The three concupiscences spoken of by the Apostle who rested his head upon Your breast, that is, sensuality, pride and covetousness are the sources of every evil which oppresses men; they corrupt hearts and minds which no longer distinguish between good and evil. Lord, they no longer pay attention to these words You spoke to Satan with authority on the mount of the Temptation: “Man does not live by bread alone”, “God only shall you worship”.»

WE ARE WEAK; YOU ARE OUR STRENGTH. «And we are afraid, Lord, for we are weak; we too are sinners. Tell us as You told the Apostles: “Be not afraid, it is I!” Our trust, Lord, is in You Who have overcome the world. Our weakness finds its support in Your mercy and in Your omnipotence. Yes, Lord, if You are our strength, we are not afraid to affirm already, like the Apostle Saint Paul, that we can do everything in You.»

THROUGH THE MEDIATION OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. «With trust we place this act of consecration in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Patroness of Portugal, whose vassals we are, that She may present it to You. Through Her, we ask You, Lord, to accept this consecration so that Your Kingdom may arrive among us, and that all the Portuguese people may be gathered into it.»
 

II. PORTUGAL RENEWS ITS CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

THE MONUMENT TO CHRIST THE KING, COMPLEMENT OF THE FATIMA SANCTUARY

«Holy Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother, Queen of Heaven and earth, most high Patroness of Portugal, this Monument will be tomorrow – we hope – the national sanctuary of adoration and reparation to the Divine Heart of Jesus, which has so loved men, and receives from them outrages, sacrileges and indifferences at every moment.

«This Monument stands as a complement to Your sanctuary at the Cova da Iria. At Fatima, You manifested to three candid and innocent children Your Immaculate Heart as a gift for the whole world, with wonderful promises.»
 

THE ROAD LEADING FROM THE HEART OF MARY TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

«But Your Heart is like a transparent Eucharist; he who contemplates It sees Jesus, his Saviour. You appeared at Fatima, O Mother of God, to lead men to the Heart of Your Son, in Whom resides the whole fullness of Divinity. And by a symbolic journey, You wanted Your statue from the Capelinha of the apparitions to come triumphantly all the way here, as if to signify that through You men come to Jesus, that You have been chosen, created, preserved, that You are full of grace to give Him to us, for to Him alone is due all adoration, all praise and all glory. This road which goes from Fatima to the sanctuary of Almada is, finally, the symbol of the road leading from the Heart of Mary to the Heart of Jesus.»
 

THE CONSECRATION OF 1931

«Portugal comes to consecrate itself to the Heart of Your Divine Son. It does not forget, however, that it has been Your Kingdom from its beginning, that it is the “Land of Holy Mary”; it has officially proclaimed You its Queen and its Patroness; You Yourself, in calamitous days that already seem far off in the past, wanted to come among us to establish Your throne and Your altar; and on May 13, 1931, the representatives of Your Son solemnly consecrated us to Your Immaculate Heart so that, according to their words, “taking the Portuguese nation from our feeble hands into Your own, You might defend it and watch over it as Your own property and possession, and make Jesus reign, conquer and command there.” And You have defended it, and guarded it miraculously, O powerful Virgin, in the midst of an almost universal hurricane of fire and blood.»
 

PORTUGAL RENEWS ITS CONSECRATION

«Oh! Portugal knows Her in whom it trusts.

«Once again it solemnly consecrates itself to Her, ratifying and renewing the consecration made at an hour of grace and predilection, marked by God on the timetable of His Providence, in the year 1931.

«It delivers itself over to the Immaculate Heart by a supreme act of faith and love, knowing well that, by giving up everything, it saves everything. Did Jacinta say (and who taught it to her if not You, O Our Lady of Fatima?) that God had entrusted peace to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? In Your Heart, O Mother of Mercy, all will find pardon, peace, purity, strength, love; and all will find there Jesus, our Saviour and Redeemer.»
 

«THY KINGDOM COME!»

«But Portugal cannot consecrate itself to Your Immaculate Heart without delivering itself and really consecrating itself to the Heart of Your Divine Son. For Jesus is the life that You live. You have received everything through Him and for Him. If You gently draw to Yourself sinful men, opening Your Merciful Heart to them, it is to lead them to Jesus, to Christ the King.

«Through You, O Heavenly Patroness, may His Kingdom come among us: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace. Amen!»
 

APPENDIX II

WAS THE “DANCE OF THE SUN” REPEATED IN 1959?

Even before examining the testimony concerning the prodigies apparently renewed in 1959, we must insist on the absolutely unique character of the cosmic miracle of October 13, 1917, at the Cova da Iria. What seems to us most remarkable in this event, Dom Jean-Nesmy justly notes, «is precisely that it be so utterly unheard of. For who ever heard of a similar phenomenon for as long as the world has been the world? Who ever predicted such a “dance”? It is extraordinary and thus perfectly unexpected. In this manner, nothing could be more demonstrative than such a prodigy: out of proportion with the parish priests’ or the Jesuits’ ability to deceive, however enormous their enemies imagined it to be; but at the same time unimaginable, and consequently not suspected of having been invented by the imagination of thousands of spectators. For even if they were awaiting something, they certainly did not have that in mind! Not to mention those who, being far from the Cova da Iria, underwent no collective influence, and whose testimonies nevertheless agree.»¹

After 1917, and especially after the visions of Pius XII were made public in 1950, one can no longer say as much, and greater prudence and rigour is needed before proclaiming that the “dance of the sun” was repeated again.

That being said, here in extenso is one of the many testimonies preserved at the National Secretariat of the monument of Christ the King. It is a letter written on October 9, 1959, five months after the event, by a Servite of Our Lady of Fatima, «a person worthy of consideration in every respect», as the author of the work makes clear.²

«Alcanena, October 9, 1959

«Your Reverence,

«Being present at the ceremonies which took place last May 17, on the occasion of the blessing and inauguration of the national monument of Christ the King, I heard the voice of a man exclaim in a moderate tone of voice: “Look at the sun!”

«They had begun the Te Deum, which I wanted to follow fervently, but having looked at the sun, simply for the pleasure of seeing it joyfully illumine the afternoon of such a hazy, humid day, I was immediately impressed, seeing repeated before my eyes the same phenomenon I had the happiness of witnessing at Fatima on October 13, 1917, although with less splendour now.

«I could not hold in an emotional exclamation, and I said to my cousins, the Vassala Santos girls, who were near me, that the “miracle of the sun” of Fatima was starting over again this very moment!

«I wanted to follow the Te Deum, but I was not capable of doing so, following it only every few lines because I didn’t know it by heart.

«I stared at the sun without hurting my eyes, and it looked like a great host slightly standing out, with luminous edges, and forming a gyrating circle the colour of the sun. The sun seemed to have gone slightly outside its orbit, but given the hour of the afternoon, it did not have the appearance, as in 1917, of coming too near the earth – indeed as everybody knows, it was noon solar time, and the effect was most terrifying!

«A few minutes later, I saw that the sun was covered by a little blood-red coloured cloud, which later disappeared; I observed again the same movement of the sun and the same absence of a glare on the disc, which became more and more impressive when seen through binoculars.

«It seems to me that this phenomenon lasted until the end of the Te Deum; the sun was covered at the end by an enormous bright-yellow coloured cloud; this colour spread around us, on the multitude and in the atmosphere.

«During these moments I sometimes closed my eyes, I looked at my book, I also looked in other directions to make sure it was not an illusion on my part. Around me, other persons remarked on the same phenomena, the same marvels,³ and we felt that God was manifesting Himself in a way similar to October 13, 1917, in the presence of the statue of the Cova da Iria, as if to show us the link between events taking place since the apparitions right up to this day when we were thanking Our Lady for the protection so miraculously granted Portugal, thanking the Holy Trinity with the hymn of thanksgiving for the infinite mercy They had shown, sending Heaven’s Messenger into the world and working so many prodigies!

«I was rather surprised by the silence of the press on this subject, especially since they published photographs in which innumerable persons could be seen looking up, always towards the same point. I verified this in Stella, published at Fatima, in Seculo Ilustrado, and in other reviews, without any observation, however brief.

«This seems to me to be ingratitude to Christ the King. Finally, I rejoiced when I saw in Novidades and A Voz the transcription of the journal O Munumento, asking everyone who had seen the movements of the sun to go make their declarations. I did not go to the secretariat in Lisbon until last Wednesday. I had the pleasure of speaking on the subject with an employee who told me that I had to write my testimony. This is now done, and I ask you to please excuse all the imperfections.

«With my respectful salutations. May Your Reverence be assured of the best regards of a Servite of Our Lady of Fatima.

Maria Candida Lucas Reis e Silva.»

So the Secretariat of the Monument conducted an inquiry. Here is how the commemorative album accounts for it:

«Because of the rumours provoked among the public by this unexpected event, an event seen by a great number of persons both at the location of the Monument as well as at Lisbon and other distant places, the Secretariat invited spectators to send to it their depositions in writing, or to do so orally at its headquarters.

«Having collected a good number of authentic testimonies from persons both cultured and worthy of faith,⁴ the Secretariat asked a renowned and knowledgeable university professor to handle this case with specialists in astronomy and meteorology. The illustrious professor, who had himself been an eyewitness of the turning of the sun on May 17, 1959, performed his task with solicitude and dedication. He gave us an account of it in several letters. In the last one, he expressed himself in these terms:

«“With my respectful salutations, I send you with this a letter of... whose opinion you had solicited.

«“As Your Reverence sees, once again science, or better, men of science, find no explanation for the phenomena observed: the hiding of the sun by discs animated by rotating movements, etc. They confine themselves to saying that science is behind in the knowledge of the atmospheric phenomena which might be behind these interferences observed on the sun. And nothing more...!

«“We reach the point of asking the question: is it possible for science to progress anymore in this domain of physics? Nobody can give a satisfactory answer, and before the powerlessness of scientific reasoning the believer can suspect a supernatural manifestation, without however taking it for absolutely certain.

«“I do not believe that the question will go any further than that, however much research is done and however many men of science we consult. They do not deny what we saw, but they do not even present any hypothesis by way of explanation!

«“May Your Reverence pardon me for leaving the question such as it was, without having advanced one millimetre beyond this confirmation: the littleness of man before the greatness of God’s work. Be assured always of the very great consideration and very great esteem of your...

Lisbon, May 15, 1962”.»

Let us add also this important fact: «Neither the prelates, nor the clergy, nor the civil authorities, nor invited guests, installed in two pavilions, as well as some thousands of persons situated closest to the altar were able to observe the phenomenon, because the very great bulk of the statue’s pedestal completely prevented them.»

This explains the fact that several witnesses of the ceremony of May 17, whom I was able to question in February 1984 at Fatima, told me that they saw nothing; thus Bishop Venancio, then the Bishop of Fatima, Father Kondor, presently vice-postulator of the causes of beatification for Jacinta and Francisco, and Father Cristino, presently chaplain of the sanctuary. But all three knew that many persons had testified to having seen it.

It is therefore desirable that the whole collection of accounts of the prodigy, preserved at the Secretariat of the Monument, be one day published. Only a critical examination of this abundant documentation would allow us to form a precise idea on its exact nature.⁵ Meanwhile, following the authors of the historical album of the Monument, published under Cardinal Cerejeira’s auspices, we are already entitled to think that extraordinary phenomena really took place on this May 17, 1959, precisely during the Te Deum of thanksgiving for renewal of the official consecration of Portugal to the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary.⁶ It was a new mark of God’s predilection for the “Land of Holy Mary”. It was above all a new, benevolent manifestation of the Queen of Heaven and all-powerful Mediatrix, recalling the ever pressing relevance of her Fatima message, on the eve of the decisive year when her great Secret finally had to be revealed to the world...
 

Endnotes

(1) Doc. cath., 1959, col. 274-275.
(2) “Le fait de Lourdes devant le magistère”, Maria et Ecclesia, Vol. XII, Rome 1962.
(3) Doc. cath., 1959, col. 589.
(4) Let us note that they also correspond to the thinking of Cardinal Tardini, who as Cardinal Secretary of State supervised the preparation of pontifical documents.
(5) Freire, p. 190-191.
(6) Christmas radio message, December 23, 1958, quoted again on May 17, 1959. Doc. cath., 1959, col. 40, 772.
(7) Dear Bishop! AMI 1981, p. 116.
(8) On this event, which was a new high point of Portuguese religious life, read the admirable, abundantly illustrated work published by the “National Secretariat of the Monument”: Monumento nacional a Cristo Rei, Memoria historica, 1936-1959, (347 pages, Lisbon, 1965).
(9) Cf. the integral text in the album quoted above, p. 195-196.
(10) Cf. our Vol. II, p. 388-393.
(11) The 28 metre statue rests upon a tower 85 metres high, erected at the summit of the hill of the Almada, which itself dominates the 113 metre Tagus River. This shows how spectacular the site is.
(12) Cardinal Cerejeira, ibid., p. 121-123; or in Obras Pastorais, Vol. V, p. 239-243.
(13) Monumento nacional a Cristo Rei, p. 155-158.
(14) Ibid., p. 164-170; 216-221.
(15) Les colombes de la Vierge, p. 118.
(16) Monumento nacional a Cristo Rei, p. 171-186.
(17) Ibid., p. 183-186.
(18) The integral text will be found in an appendix to this chapter.
(19) Monumento nacional a Cristo Rei, p. 203-204.
(20) LCV, p. 118-119.
(21) Cf. supra, p. 76.
(22) Il pellegrinnagio delle meraviglie, Rome, 1960, 443 pages.
(23) CLV, p. 94.
(24) In De Marchi, Témoignages, p. 335.
(25) Il pellegrinaggio delle meraviglie, p. 24.
 

Appendix I

(1) It was composed by Cardinal Cerejeira and read by him on May 17, during the ceremony of blessing of the monument to Christ the King. We shall quote the integral text according to the original Portuguese reprinted in Monumento nacional a Cristo Rei, p. 199-202 (cf. Obras Pastorais, Vol. VI, p. 53-58). The subtitles are added by us.
 

Appendix II

(1) La Vérité de Fatima, p. 186. S.O.S., 1980.
(2) The text of this letter as well as the entirety of our exposition are borrowed from the commemorative album published by the National Secretariat of the monument and prefaced by Cardinal Cerejeira: Monumento nacional a Cristo Rei. Memoria historica, 1936-1959, appendix No. V, “O ropodio do sol”, p 223-237.
(3) The commemorative album also reprints a photograph of the crowd during the Te Deum. In fact, it is plain that a good number of the faithful – perhaps a third – have their heads craned backwards, their eyes lifted up to the sky, and are staring at the same point.
(4) Let us point out that all these authentic depositions are preserved in the archives of the secretariat of the monument.
(5) Did all those who were able to see the sun contemplate the prodigy? It does not seem so. It would be interesting on this subject to consult, along with the written accounts, all photographs of the crowd taken at the moment of the Te Deum.
(6) On the occasion of the first anniversary of the inauguration of the monument, Cardinal Cerejeira was not afraid to evoke these meteorological phenomena «which it is difficult to label other than miraculous, and which proved how pleasing the consecration of Portugal to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary was to God» (cf. Novidades, May 17, 1960, which also cites the testimony of a renowned scientist, Antonio de Vasconcelos). Cardinal Cerejeira also brought up the event of May 17, 1959, in an interview with Father Richard, in May 1960 (L’Homme nouveau, No. 282, June 1960).