Russian People Hear More About John Paul II's Connection to Fatima.

A new book clearly laying out Pope John Paul II's deep connection with Fatima was presented in Moscow last week, causing some observers in Russia to suggest that a papal visit to Russia is now one step nearer.

On October 16, the 23rd anniversary of John Paul II's pontificate, Aura Miguel, the most prominent Portuguese journalist in the Vatican press corps, presented in Moscow her book "The Secret that Leads the Pope."

"Events like this one (the presentation of the book) make the visit of the Pope to Russia even more likely," proclaimed Russian journalist Alexej Bugalov, correspondent for the Tass news agency at the Vatican.

Opening the ceremony, Bugalov spoke with great emotion of the Pope's recent visit to Kazakhstan, recalling fondly one of the banners at the papal Mass which proclaimed: "Holiness, we are waiting for you in Russia."

"Even if these words have not yet been pronounced by the Russian Orthodox Church," Bugalov continued, "they are pronounced by the simple faithful."

The thesis of Miguel's book is simple but intriguing: that the papacy of John Paul II is mysteriously sustained - "led" (as the title says) - by the Secret of Fatima.

Many, particularly in the Catholic world, know the story of the apparitions of Mary in Cova da Iria, Fatima, Portugal which began on May 13, 1917 and continued for six months, always on the 13th of the month (except in August, when the three children were imprisoned by the town's mayor). Scores of books in many languages have been written on Fatima, but few have traced out the connections between the Fatima apparitions and the papacy of Karol Wojtyla.

By presenting her book in Russia, Miguel has revealed a link between the life and work of Pope John Paul II and the Secret of Fatima that, until now, most Russian people had never heard of.

The book begins with the Pope's reawakening in the hospital after the assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square in May, 1981. One of those close to the Holy Father reminded him that the date of the assassination attempt was precisely the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.

John Paul II, despite his precarious condition, immediately requested that all of the documents regarding the mystery of Fatima be brought to him.

The author speaks of the "clamorous" experience of the Pope, of his "entering into the mystery" by means of a bullet, of his attempts to follow the instructions given by Mary in her later apparitions of 1925, 1926 and 1929; of his correspondence with Sister Lucia, the only seer still living, who only after the consecration carried out in 1984 confirmed the fulfillment, in her view, of the Virgin's requests.

The author did not know the contents of the third secret when she published the first edition of the book and did not wait for the Holy Father to make it public. The subsequent revelation of the secret, however, only confirmed the thesis of the book, which was then re-issued, with the new information and explanatory notes.

Aura Miguel, during her presentation, made reference to Vittorio Messori's interview with the Holy Father in 1994, in which the renowned Italian journalist wanted to attribute to Pope John Paul II a decisive role in world history of the last 10 years. But the Pope demurred, saying he did nothing but proclaim the Gospel: "Proclaiming the Gospel brings, on it own, the affirmation of human values and of respect for the human person, and his freedom."

When Messori insisted, in a subsequent interview, on the Holy Father's role in the fall of communism, John Paul II, somewhat mysteriously, spoke of the message of Fatima, stressing that three young girls could not have understood or interpreted what they had heard. They were ignorant, did not know geography, history or the social changes that were occuring at that time, he said. "Perhaps this is also why the Pope was called from a far-away country," the Holy Father said, "and perhaps this is also why there had to be the assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square on the very day of May 13, 1981... so that all would become more transparent and understandable, so that the voice of God which speaks in the history of men through "the signs of the times," could be more easily heard and understood."

Aura Miguel added, "If the Pope believes that the assassination attempt was useful, this usefulness benefits all Christians, in the East and the West. It is also, then, thanks to the protective hand of the Virgin - which deflected the bullet - that we have had a pontificate in which the constant desire has been a unified Europe, which, even in its diversity, breathes with two lungs, Rome and Byzantium."

Though it cannot be known in this world whether it is really through this inexplicable connection between Fatima and the papacy of John Paul II that Communism fell and that Russia has opened itself to a more democratic and free regime, with the beginnings of religious liberty, it is clear that, through these events, the formerly perscuted Christians in the East have benefited.

A brief address by Viktor Popkov, the director of the book's Russian publishing house, confirmed this benefit, saying many Russian Christians look with hope to the mystery of Fatima, which speaks of a Russia which must "free herself from her errors."

This young Orthodox, who had first-hand experience of communist concentration camps, conveyed in a few simple words something of what Christians during those dark years experienced, when even carrying a religious book was considered an act against the state, punishable by harsh penalities.

"The 1970s were years of desperation," Popkov said. "All attempts to rebel or to construct something ended badly, so much so that many asked themselves what was the point of doing anything, of living the faith, spreading it, organizing seminars, teaching the catechism..."

The election of a Polish Pope in 1978 was a sign for many: "A slavic Pope, one of us, who knows well what communism is...," Popkov said. "At that moment the light of hope was lit that something big was beginning."

Yuri Karlov closed the evening's presentations with the following address which, for its clearness and incisiveness, we print in its entirety: "Again a thought, without which perhaps my attempt to understand the miracle of Fatima as a message meant for all Christians would be incomplete. We have spoken of the concrete ways in which the prophecies have been fulfilled on a political level; we have spoken of Gorbachev, his contacts, important political documents. But we must also keep in mind something else, which, allow me to repeat again, is that this was a message much more complex, addressed to all of us.

"Not only did Gorbachev visit the Vatican, but also the Metropolitan Yudenarij; not only did communist bureaucrats establish contact with the Vatican, but there was also the great Russian Orthodox Leader, Metropolitan Nikodim, the man who personally converted me to the Orthodox faith. There were complex negotiations with Metropolitan Kirill and finally a thought from Gorbachev himself, which at that time would have been difficult to publicize. Already, then, when speaking of the changes in our (Soviet Union) attitude toward religion, towards Christianity, towards the Church, Gorbachev said: "We stand in front of a triangle: the State, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Vatican. In this triangle, all must be well-defined. It could be that Fatima will truly be of help in this."

(Alessandro Schirru, an Italian Catholic journalist, has lived in Moscow with his wife and nine children since the early 1990s.)

Russia rejected Florence/Ferrar at least as forcefully as did the Empire, even though they were under no Turkish threat. The Emperor at the time, the one who would be swayed most by worldly concerns, backed the False Union, as did most of the bishops (including all the delegates, except St. Mark of Ephesus). The Union foundered because it involved accession to false Latin doctrines, rejected uniformly by the ordinary clergy, monastics and laity (including the Empress).

The Russian delegate, one Archbishop Isadore, was deposed as a heretic and exiled. He was later made a Cardinal by the Pope of Rome.

The Orthodox take on the spiritual basis for the final demise of the Empire, is that the last Emperors become too worldly, seeking aid from the Latin heretics, rather than from God.

There are Catholics in Greece. There are Catholics in the predominantly Orthodox countries which JPII has visited. The same goes for the predominantly Isalmic countries he has visited.

You're telling me he can't visit the Catholics and people of goodwill in these places because folk like the Greek Orthodox hierarchy don't want him there?

In May of 1917 Russia was a Greek Orthodox country which held worship of Mary in high regard. Bolshevistic atheism had not as yet taken hold. Russia was already converted in 1917 as the Czar was the protector of the Greek Orthodox faith for centuries. The promise of Russia's conversion was not revealed until 1941 when Lucia had become a nun and then made public in October of 1942 by Cardinal Schuster, a highly partisan Nazi Catholic prelate by order of Pope Pius XII who did so in order to motivate German troops in their siege of Stalingrad and the commensurate promise of the "catholicization" of Russia.. The original story of the miracle was "added to" by order of Cardinal Schuster, to enhance its propaganda value. Think about it. Why would the Virgin Mary want to convert a Greek Orthodox nation that worships her and prays the rosary to a Roman Catholic faith that worships her and prays the rosary? Furthermore, if the Virgin told her "if my requests are heeded Russia will be converted" and at the same time told her to keep the request secret, how would anyone be able to keep her request? From 1917 until 1942 perhaps no conversion was necessary until von Paulus was trapped in Stalingrad. This myth is nothing but Catholic propaganda.

I agree with earlier posters, we are all Christians and our real enemy is the specter of militant Islam. << Amen. As a Catholic I have nothing but the deepest respect for the Orthodox Church and Evangelicals who believe in the Word of God. All Christians need to unite against the Mohammedan fanatics who would destroy the West, all of our Churches(they won't look at the denomination name before they drop their bombs or fly their planes into it) and our whole way of life. Let's support and pray for each other in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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