Our times are characterized by a spirit of confusion, dissatisfaction, insecurity and indifference. The multiplying effect of humanity’s sins, the contempt for the issues concerning God and the order established by the Creator, and the violence present in human relations, have a devastating effect over the collective spirit of our societies which become sick, weakened, old and agonising. Many people are conscious of this conduction but feel there is nothing they can do to remedy it.

The Most Holy Virgin of Fatima, echoing the Gospel of her Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, prophesied this state of affairs if humanity was not going to change its way of life and if it did not convert and do penance for the horrendous sins committed by so many unfortunate people.

The prophesy has been fulfilled. Human beings who live separated from God generate and cause grave harm to the quality of life of all by sowing dissension, enmity, hate, resentment, envy, violence and, in all, lack of love. Human happiness vanishes, peace fades away, tranquillity in the order of things disappears.

What to do when confronted by such a state of affairs? We must put into practice the spiritual measures prescribed by Our Lady of Fatima. These measures can and must change the course of history as we human beings put them into practice in our personal lives and in our relations with others. The World Apostolate of Fatima is a public association of the faithful who have undertaken the mission to spread and make live the message of Our Lady of Fatima as a very powerful tool in the New Evangelization proposed by the Holy Father, John Paul II, as a task to be performed by the Universal Church.

At the commencement of this third millennium of Christendom we must face the crisis of our times with the spiritual weapons prescribed by the Most Holy Virgin of Fatima: PRAYER, PENANCE, CONVERSION, CONSECRATION TO HER IMMACULATE HEART, ADORATION AND EUCHARIST REPARATION. These spiritual means represent the best of our CATHOLIC FAITH and it is these, and only these, that can change the course of history.

These means can transform the world to open it to the paths of grace, forgiveness, peace, justice… These spiritual means open the possibility of building the Kingdom of God on Earth among all men and women of goodwill. If we feel troubled and hurt because of the world’s current religious, moral and spiritual situation, why not rid ourselves of this paralyzing stagnation and awake to a positive and promising beginning? With Mary to Jesus, and with Jesus, all is possible. Even with the most difficult and improbable transformation, this becomes easy and certain, given the power of Jesus, the Lord of History.



THE MIRACLE OF THE CENTURY
The big qualitative changes that have occurred in Eastern Europe and Russia represent a wonderful miracle of grace – a divine intervention in favour of the human beings as were heading towards a Third World War. It is therefore important to rethink things over while there is still time and to find the road towards peace and justice. The Most Holy Virgin announced the conversion of Russia in Fatima in 1917 and that the world would be granted a period of peace. It still appears that many people do not capture the wonderful sense of this promise and its profound meaning.

What has happened in Russia from the time the Holy Father John Paul II made a collegiate consecration of Russia and the world on 25 March, 1984, as per the requests of the Virgin of Fatima, is an indication of greater graces being bestowed upon humanity waiting to be asked. This is because many of the graces that are available are not granted because no one requests them. Instead of criticizing the difficult and complex events occurring today, observers of the Russian and international arenas should use their eyes of faith to see the hand of the Lord of History in this process of transformation. The present crisis is just a unique opportunity to build a true civilization of love based on Christian principles for society (see the encyclical Centesimus Annus of HH John Paul II). Instead of becoming confused by our inability to understand the roads of God, and being dominated by the uneasiness felt by witnessing the laborious task of the conversion of the peoples of Russia, rather than pretending superstitiously that the effect of the collegiate consecration was going to be materialized immediately, by magic, like a fairy tale, we should concentrate all our energy and resources to evangelize our own society and our cultural environment. This should be done while assisting, fraternally, the efforts of the Universal Church, to help our brothers and sisters in the countries of Eastern Europe and the peoples of Russia to reconcile themselves with faith, to become acquainted with the Gospel of Christ and to return to their Christian roots.



THE EFFORT OF THE CENTURY
 God, Our Lord, has done His part, with the assistance of Our Lady of Fatima. This has changed the direction of history and has opened a wonderful range of possibilities. It is now our turn, as disciples of Christ, to carry out our work, our commitment. The historical responsibility rests on our shoulders. It is our turn to carry out the effort of the century through the spiritual means offered by Our Lady in Fatima to transform the societies of the present world by means that facilitate the salvation of souls, so that they stop being what they are, true instruments of running souls. The task is big, but possible with the help of God, that can do all. Let us put into practice the PLAN FROM HEAVEN:

1. The meditative prayer of the daily Holy Rosary, preferably carried out with the family, at the most convenient time. This will dispel the confusion and the inaction we at present experience. It will bring PEACE to our surroundings and will open the channels of grace to receive large blessings from heavens, which will cause a true qualitative change to our lives and to our social environment.

2. The revitalizing penance will crush the evil in our soul; it will forgive our faults, thus improving the spiritual health of the Mystic Body of Christ, the Church, “which today suffers and bleeds for so many afflicted parts”. Therefore, let us contribute to the “economy of grace” whereby the situation of the People of God improves when one of His sons returns to the sheepfold, as is taught to us by the doctrine of “the communion of saints”.

3. The true conversion or return to God by the repentant heart does wonders, because “in heavens there is more joy for a sinner who repents than for ninety-nine righteous men who remain righteous”. The conversion of numerous sinners will bring the PEACE OF CHRIST to their environment, because God will be there and “where there is God, nothing is needed”.

4. The consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary will be the antidote against the threats of evil. By giving ourselves to Mary as her possession (“TOTUS TUUS”), she will defend us against all attack and danger that threatens our spiritual life, and despite not being exempt from falls and hard tests, we will always return to God in the knowledge that by her intercession, we will reflect and grow in the life of sanctity and presence of the Lord.

5. Eucharistic adoration and reparation will be the principal means through which our faith will attain the greatest victories, because “this is the sign that has been given to us”. In the context of the message in Fatima, the Eucharistic devotion of the Communion of Reparation of the Five First Saturdays is linked to obtaining the grace of unity among all Christians and the internal strength of the Universal Church. This means that through this practice or reparation, the Most Holy Virgin promises the real reduction of dissension and lack of unity within the Church, as well as the wonderful gift of unity with the separated brothers and sisters in the day set by the Divine Providence. This is the grace that makes us reflect on the conversion of the peoples of Russia, and to see with the eyes of faith, a grace and a mystery, the return of the Russian Orthodox Church to the full communion with the Catholic Church. Hence the recognition by the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Father, the Pope, the rock on which Christ founded his Church on earth. This will be the definite meaning of the culmination of the conversion of Russia as announced in Fatima. But, in order for this to take place, it is necessary first to spread the true message of Our Lady in a much greater manner as it is now, and to achieve through our apostolic effort the conversion of many sinners and that many souls put into practice the PLAN FROM HEAVEN announced in Fatima. Once numerous Christians return to the adoration and reparation of the Eucharist (“Hidden Jesus” as quoted from Francisco Marto), then will the great obstacles of this world crumble with the formidable strength of the power of God.

This is the reason why our Marian movement – the World Apostolate of Fatima – is today, more than ever, an apostolate of greater relevance, urgency and work in the life of the Church. Together with the diocesan bishops, and following the wonderful example of the Holy Father, John Paul II, the World Apostolate of Fatima is today, more than ever, the answer to the pleas of the Lady from Heaven.

©Prof. Américo López Ortiz, International President of the World Apostolate of Fatima

The Primacy of God in the Message of Fatima
Pope John XIII said: “ Fatima is the centre for all Christian hopes”. When we consider our human frailties, and when all hope seems to vanish, THE MESSAGE FROM FATIMA SHINES THROUGH LIKE THE LIGHT OF A LIGHTHOUSE IN THE DENSEST FOG. This is so because, as Pope Paul VI said, the message from Fatima brings up to date the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for all to know.

Through the words of Our Lady of Fatima the “Good News” of her beloved Son comes to life. The Virgin Mary came to Fatima to warn us of the dangers that threaten humanity. The atheism of the totalitarian Marxist governments, as well as the materialism of the masses are denounced as serious impediments to the establishment of the Kingdom of God. In simple words which could easily be understood by the children. Our Lady points to the way of MEDITATIVE PRAYER, PENITENTIAL REPARATION, AND SANCTIFYING CONSECRATION.

The goals Our Lady strives for are clear: world peace, the repentance of sinners, and the establishment of the “Reign of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary”, with everything that it implies.
The goals of Our Lady should become the guiding goals of our own lives. Our collective national and international projects should be based an the prophetic vision of Our Lady of Fatima, striving for a NEW ERA FOR HUMANITY, which will be the product of the TRIUMPH OF HER IMMACULATE HEART over the enemies of Christ.

As we know, in the decisive battle between the forces of Woman and the Ancient Serpent, we – the children of Woman – will be the protagonists in the DRAMA OF THE CENTURY because through our joint effort, our ample creative force, and our push to spread the Good News we will modify the corrupt structures that serve as barriers to the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Our Lord will use us as small, fragile and apparently useless tools in the transformation of the world to fit His image. That is why the Virgin Mary is putting together a ARMY OF SOULS CONSECRATED TO HER as apostles for our times. When everything seems to be lost, when the forces of evil claim their victory, when the shadows seem to overwhelm the face of the earth, then THE VIRGIN, THE WINNER OF ALL THE BATTLES OF GOD, will bring forth her ARMY OF CONSACRATED SOULS to intervene in a decisive way recognizable to all and claim victory THROUGH JEUSU CHRIST, WITH CHRIST, AND IN CHRIST. This will be the triumph of HIS MOTHER’S HEART, AND THE BEGINNING OF HER REIGN OVER HUMANITY. Then “all generations will call her blessed because the Almighty has done great things through Her”. All lips will sing the glories of Mary.
The signs of the announced TRIUMPH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY can be found in the context of the Message from Our Lady: World Peace, the Conversion of Russia, the weakening of the influence of evil over humanity, the unity of all Christians, and the strengthening of the Universal Church. In Fatima Our Lady prophesies these great qualitative changes in the life of man, not as unreachable ideals but as real and practical goals to be obtained through her and through our own enthusiastic and decisive intervention.

Even if what has to be done strikes us as formidable, it is important to point out the practical character of Our Mother’s prophesy in Fatima. The message from Fatima is an EXISTENCIAL CALL TO HUMANITY for a change in lifestyles, a rejection of sin, and a reparation for the crimes committed. Our Lady offers a SAFE AND REALISTIC METHOD that can change the course of Human History. The requests from Our Lady are the following:

1. Meditative Prayer – through daily recitation of the Holy Rosary (at least five of the mysteries, a tertiary) as an effective method for the development of souls in harmony with Our Lord capable of applying to their lives “the spiritual direction” which meditation on the events of the lives of Christ and Mary has to offer. The Rosary, like a version of the Gospel summarized through the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous Mysteries will teach us how to live as Christ and Mary would have lived in our particular circumstances. We will not have to wait long for the results: abundant fruits of peace as a consequence of the dispersal of the shadows of the contemporary world. With that, the great tragedy of modern man alienated by his unhealthy egocentricity will be overcome until the collective neurosis that seems to infect interpersonal relationships and poison international relations inciting wars and conflicts which only serve to increase human misery will be eradicated.

2. Reparation – which becomes life-giving penance, whose principal manifestation is the joyous acceptance of God’s will, offering Our Lord through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our prayers good deeds, sufferings, joys and happiness, in other words, all our being and existence, in order for us to become like Christ – a pure sacrifice to God the Father – so that we truly become his disciples, carrying our crosses every day, until we can say along with St. Paul: “I am no longer the one who lives, it is Christ who lives in me”. This is the principal function of Mary in our lives, to mould our souls in the image and likeness of her Divine Son. It is the essence of Mary, her “FIAT” of the joyous acceptance of God’s will, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy Word”. In the submission of Mary; correctly understood as a voluntary, free, and spontaneous giving up of her own liberty, which is transformed into a loving promise with the self-revealing Truth; resides the greatness of Mary. There is no greater honour that that of being the servant to the servant of the Lord, because there we give up our free will which bestows human dignity upon us, for LOVE, which we will surpass all our possibilities in a infinite and ineffable ocean of affection. As a corollary to such an attitude towards life, mortifying acts undertaken for love become possible, to the extent of being willing to give up even permissible pleasures, in order to discipline ourselves spiritually and morally. Sacrifice will root our essence in Christ, which will be the TRUE DIRECTING CENTER OF OUR LIVES. Rooted in Christ, our true essence, we will truly belong to our lord, as effective instruments in the pursuit of his plans of salvation for modern man. The result will not be long in waiting: “Numerous souls will convert, because many are lost for lack of someone to pray and SACRIFICE for them”. And after the conversion of many, other will forsake their indifference for an authentic fervour, while those already blessed with fervour will attain high levels of perfection.

In Fatima, Reparation is offered to us through three paths, which are:

a. Penance – in its dual acceptance of our submission to the will of God, which implies that we carry our daily cross, accepting the suffering that God sends us, as well as the mortification we inflict on ourselves by voluntary privation and sacrifice.

b. Reparatory Prayer – with a profound adoration for the Majesty of god which we offend with our lack of love, and which is superbly contained in the prayer by The Angel from Fatima and addressed to the Holy Trinity with the purpose of “consoling Our Good Lord, who is greatly offended”.

c. Reparatory Holy Communion – through the Holy Sacrament of the altar transformed into a Banquet through the Eucharist, the Virgin offers THE GREAT PROMISE OF HER IMMACULATE HEART, a promise of salvation for those she most especially loves, being Pontevedra, in the unity of Fatima, the nerve centre of such a great opportunity for men hungering for God. Through the reparatory devotion of the first Saturdays of the month Our Lady emphasizes the major importance of the Eucharistic as THE UNBENDING PILLAR OF CHRISTIAN LIFE.

3. Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of mar, SOUL OF THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA, which consists of entrusting of our past, present and future existence to the Lord through Mary. This is the true realization of our baptismal promises, in which we renounced Satan and all his works, the corrupt world, and our own egocentric weaknesses, in order to become the “new man”, the “new being”, raised up to the dignity of an adopted son of God, a true “ALTER CHRISTUS”, with all that that implies. Through our consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary we become true spiritual children of Mary, conceived in her own heart, beating in union with all the Sacred Hearts, in an ineffable harmony of loving. The authentic consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in which we find various levels of perfection, constitutes a real school of sanctity, a marvellous spirituality, that even today is not an exhausted subject, but on the contrary, continues bringing forth new works dedicated to Mary that diffuse throughout the Church and the world “the marvels” contained in the heart of such a unique mother.

For now, we can point to several levels of consecration suggested by the Story of Fatima, which are as follows:

a. A rejection of sin, timidity, and indifference in favour of an imitation of Christ, his virtues and teachings, through a Marian spirit of joyous acceptance of the will of God, with all its repercussions for the human soul.

b. A deepening in the inner life of prayer, through the discovery of a personal God who beats within our hearts, and a desire to please “the Good Lord” even in the smallest details so that “the fire of Our Lord burns our heart”, This fire being of a spiritual nature in two respects, to “console” Our Lord for all the ingratitude and indifference with which we offend him as much as to convey and communicate the wave of burning love which consumes everything in grace and apostolic dedication, “to whomever I may communicate this burning fire within my breast”. In the first respect, we find that Francisco distinguished himself, the prophet enamoured of the spiritual consolation of Our Lord and frequently forgotten and despised by humanity. In the second respect, we find that Jacinta distinguished herself as an untiring apostle in the conversion of sinners.

c. The highest mystical peaks can be reached as the priceless gift of the Heart of such a Holy Mother who gives sublime gifts to her favourite children revealing her most unimaginable treasures. Lucia, APOSTLE OF HER HEART, contemplates in Tuy the ineffable mystery of the Holy Trinity, through the Heart of Mary, receiving illuminations concerning this mystery which she is not allowed to reveal. The total spiritual marriage, the entrusting of total existence in reciprocity with Christ, making the human soul “another beloved disciple of his”, with a love so special that it elevates us to the category of intimate friends with Christ as “flowers placed by Mary to adorn the throne of God”. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO REACH SUCH A STATE OF SPIRITUAL PERFECTION, THAT PERSERVE AND TRIUMPH, FOR THEY TRULY BECOME OTHER MARYS, ADORNING THE CREATION OF THE FATHER WITH THEIR LOVING PRESENCE AND SAINTLY FRAGRANCE. They are the ones, more than anyone else that will make triumph that is imminent in our times, the twnty-first century.

©Prof. Américo Lopéz Ortiz, International President of the World Apostolate of Fatima

The entire world recognizes its unique role as moral and spiritual guide of our time. In the middle of the ruling chaos in the human institutions, a brave and true voice rises powerfully, taking the necessary direction at the opportune moment, shepherding the flock with unusual fervour and apostolic zeal. He is John Paul II, who already begins to be recognized like one of the greatest Popes in the history of the universal Church.

His deep philosophical meditation discovers the mantle of the distressed human heart, offering the balsam that is Christ to all urgent needs. John Paul II knows the superficial mentality of our ambivalent society, sickly, enslaved and offers it the freshness of the Gospel as a redeeming alternative. There is a cure for the evils of our time. Christ is the answer.

As Universal Shepherd, John Paul II celebrated with dignity the 2000 year Jubilee and the arrival of the third millennium of Christianity. His apostolic exhortation "Tertio Millenio Adveniente" was a very accurate Pastoral Plan for the Universal Church. Two thirds of the document is dedicated to the preparation of the Jubilee. The Jubilee was and continues being "a time dedicated particularly to God", because, "in Christianity, time has a crucial importance" and “in Jesus Christ (...) time gets to be a dimension of God that in Him is eternal". For the Church it was "a year of grace”, a year of forgiveness of sins and its pains, a time of conversion and reconciliation. For John Paul II, it was the propitious occasion to implore the grace of unity for all Christians in order to reach full communion.



A new springtime
Using the terminology of San John Bosco in its prophecies about the third millennium of Christianity and echoing also the spiritual testament of John XXIII, the Good Pope, the Great Jubilee has been a new springtime, to which we have been preparing ourselves for a long time, with the celebration of II Vatican Council, the Synods of Bishops, the Holy Years, the Marian year 1987-88, the papal encyclicals, the trips of John Paul II everywhere, the local and regional jubilees like those of the Baptism of the Rux in 1988 and the V Centenary of Evangelization of Americas in 1992 and the International Year of the Family in 1994.

We do not forget the celebrations of the Youth world-wide day and the ecumenical encounters of the Holy Father with the religious leaders of other confessions and religious creeds. The preparation of this moment demanded an examination of conscience unveiling the sins that have damaged "the unit wanted by God for His people". To reject "the methods of intolerance and the use of violence at the service of the truth, (...) the religious indifference, the extended loss of the important sense of the human existence and the deviation in the ethical field, the violation of fundamental human rights on the part of totalitarian regimes". Watching backwards into the Church, we discover, with John Paul II, the disorientation of many in the faith, because of "erroneous theological positions, that are spread because of the disobedience to the Church’s teaching".

Like an untiring soldier who fights by the cause of Christ, like a winner of its enemies, like a loyal guardian of the values of God’s house, John Paul II proposed a detailed program, widely consulted, for the great jubilee, consisting of two periods:

• Phase pre- preparatory of 1994-1996.
• Preparatory phase of 1997-1999.

In the first stage, local Synods in America, Asia and in the Australian Continent were held. The second phase was centred in Christ, "Son of God made man". The same one was a Trinitarian phase, whereby for the first year (1997) the reflection fell on Christ, the nature of Faith and the Sacrament of Baptism; 1998 was dedicated to the Holy Spirit, to the virtue of Hope and to Confirmation; 1999 was centred in God the Father, in the gift of charity and in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Finally, the objective of year 2000 was the glorification of the Holy Trinity and was dedicated to the Eucharist.

The vigil of year 2000 served as an occasion for the inter-faith dialogue, given special emphasis to the dialogue with Muslims and Jews. For this, historical meetings in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Sinai were carried out. At the time of the great Jubilee, was held in Rome the Eucharistic Congress.

The legacy of John Paul II to the Church and to the world is enormous. His contribution to the well-being of the “boat of Peter” is so remarkable that will prevail long after he has gone. The guidance and implantation of the authentic reforms of II Vatican Council, the correction of deviations from pseudo-reformists, the new Code of Canon Law, the new Catechism of the Universal Church, the amount of its written works on various and updating subjects, but mainly, his pure spirit of prayer – a true "man of God" - make him stand out in the middle of all great men of human history. His contribution to the fall of Marxist totalitarian regimes in Eastern Europe and in the former Soviet Union, thanks to his faithful observance to the requests of Our Lady in Fátima (as chapter 20 entitled “Once it was communism” of his book “Crossing the threshold of Hope” clearly testifies) make him appear like one of the great benefactors of the humanity that looks for peace and harmony, rejecting the culture of death, violence and war.

May the Catholic people become more aware of who this Polish Pope is, a favourite son of Our Blessed Virgin Mary, insurmountable devotee of its Immaculate Heart, effective instrument in the fight of the Woman against the old serpent. May our People of God become more aware of the great gifts that Our Lord is bestowing during these times upon His Church, authentic wonders never before experienced that demonstrate the value and courage of this Universal Shepherd of souls: "To defeat evil: this is redemption". “Be not afraid!”.

In the past last years, the Pope’s health has been mined by Parkinson disease and by the consequences and terrible neurological effects that resulted from the attack made against his life, on 13 th of May 1981, in which he was shot in the Vatican’s square. In all this, John Paul II, has been a true example of the suffering Christ, taking the weight of its cross in such a heroic form, not concerned with the amount of pain that it would demanded.

As it was clearly indicated by the Holy Father himself, it was the maternal hand of Our Lady of Fatima that saved his life in a miraculous way, “deviating the killing bullet” allowing John Paul II to continue offering for many more years his service to the Church and to the world. John Paul II describes that he felt spiritually transported to the Sanctuary of Fátima and experienced the maternal hug of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the protection of his sacred mantle. The Pope survived and changed the history of the world...

His tenacity, his strong will, his sense of fulfilling his duty, has shown to the world the value of his testimony and experience. In a hedonist world that pays cult to a materialistic style of life, to the idols of beauty and "glamour"; the example of the Pope reminds us all of the great values of the culture of life: an inner life, prayer, meditation, fulfilment of our duties and sanctification of work and humble acceptance of the sufferings that life gives us. In it lies the meaning of “carrying the daily cross and the following of Christ". Pope John Paul II, either from his bed as patient or from his instructive silence, or from his numerous writings, or his memorable trips everywhere, or from its affective gestures with the children, has bequeathed great treasures to us just as very few people in history have been able to do. "All yours... gift of God to a world in need... everything is fulfilled.”

©Prof. Américo López Ortiz, International President of the World Apostolate of Fatima