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Apologetics

How to Answer Protestants Forum: Mary @ Fatima

by Catherine Frakas 27 Aug 2002

Mary @ Fatima QUESTION from David August 20, 2001 A friend recently sent me a web site dealing with Mary's appearance at Fatima. This site has quotations allegedly said by Mary that seem quite odd.
O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. ( http://www.fatima.org/weapons2.html ) (From a list of Fatima prayers. This would seem to be in contradiction with the fundamental precept that sin is committed against God and against God alone.)
The first is the vision of hell and the designation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as the supreme remedy offered by God to humanity for the salvation of souls. 'In order to save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart.' ( http://www.fatima.org/third02.html ) (From the alleged third secret of Fatima. This contradicts numerous Biblical assertions that the rememdy for our sins is the blood of Jesus .... not the heart of Mary.)
My question about these two quotes: (1) are they accurate representations of what was allegedly said at Fatima, (2) does the Catholic Church believe these two quotes to be authentic, (3) does the Catholic Church consider these two quotes to accurately represent Catholic theology?

ANSWER by Mr. Troy Martz on August 27, 2001 David:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address some important issues that are often misunderstood by non-Catholics (and many Catholics) and as such are used by anti-Catholics to confuse their victims.
First, I went to the website you mention. It appears to be outdated since the third secret of Fatima has already been revealed and this site's prediction was wrong. Here is a detailed OFFICIAL account of the third secret from the Vatican. This brings up a very important point: Just because a site claims to be faithfully Catholic does not mean that it is indeed faithful. Like everything else on the internet, Marian Websites need to be tested against the official teaching of the Church and against actual history. [By the way, this is why I am involved with www.saint-mike.org -- because I have tested this site against the teachings of the Church and found a treasure of faithfullness.]
Second, you make a false assumption: namely that sins are committed ONLY against God. This is flatly un-Scriptural (remember Peter asking how many times he should forgive his brother). Our sins are offensive to God, but they are damaging to each other. This is a natural (really, supernatural) extension of the Doctrine of Communion of Saints -- that is that we are all part of the Body of Christ. Our sins do not occur in a vacuum devoid of effect on others, in fact, they are most harmful to the most innocent of us. Mary, preserved from the stain of original sin by the singular grace given by Christ, is the only truly innocent being that is solely human (since Christ is both human and Divine). Our sins are particularly sorrowing to her [imagine the sorrow a loving mother feels when she sees her wayward children choosing to do wrong].
In the link above, you will find a quotation addressing the proper interpretation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as the supreme remedy offered by God part. I defer to the explanation given by Pope John Paul II -- his theological insight and genius leaves me profoundly moved and shows me how much I have to learn.
By the way, the Church has approved the apparitions at Fatima as authentic. This means {among other things) that the messages given are not contradictory to the Teaching of the Church. It does not, however, mean that these messages are official teachings of the Church or in anyway binding to us. They fall under the realm of private revelation which is only binding to those who receive the revelation directly from God. Public revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle and the writing of the last Book of the Bible -- thus closing the source of Sacred Tradition, both oral and written.
Pax Christi, Troy Martz

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