Fatima Message to Russia

The International Foundation “Blagovest-Media” proposes a co-production of a documentary that will help to bring the Message of Our Lady of Fatima to the Russian Orthodox believers.

The Pope John Paul II was the one to formulate in the fullest way possible the significance of Russia in the Fatima Apparition: “the only way to save the world from war and atheism is the conversion of Russia according to the message of Fatima”. The destiny of Russia in the XX century is determined by and connected with Fatima.

The proposed documentary is to tell about the facts that are vaguely known not only to the Russian Orthodox people but to the Western Catholics either: about the great Russian icons, saviors of Russia – the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan, that was kept in Fatima for a long time; and the Icon of Our Lady “Derzhavnaya” (State or Sovereign) that came to Russia during the Fatima Apparitions. About the last Russian tsar Nicolas II, canonized recently, who learnt about Fatima already in exile and fully accepted it.

The first Message was fulfilled with all details in the visible image in Solovky islands – tragically world known Stalin concentration camp for all Russian Orthodox and Catholics. “Here the Church of Christ was crucified”. Even during the soviet regime pilgrims went in secret to Fatima from the Soviet Union and samizdat books about Fatima were secretly distributed. In the times of Perestroika there was a pilgrimage of the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima throughout the whole of Russia and the churches along its route were filled. The first Fatima chapels were built in Russia thanks to the donations of Christians from all over the world.

May and October in the Catholic Church calendar are the months dedicated to the Most Holy Virgin. And an Orthodox believer will be stricken that the date of the final apparition, October 13, is the eve of the Mantle (Pokrov) of Our Lady – one of the major Orthodox Church feasts when, one thousand years ago, the Ancient Russia was baptized into Christianity. At the same time that in Portugal the “miracle of dancing sun” took place and was coming to an end, in Russia the liturgical day of Pokrov was commencing. The same feast of Pokrov in 1917 was the last to be celebrated by the Orthodox Church before the atheists seized power and the start of Golgotha (Calvary) in Russia. One year before, bowing down to the ground in the Orthodox manner, the Angel had given Jacinta and Francisco the Body and Blood of Christ.

Maria Stakhovich, the Orthodox author of the book about Fatima that was blessed by the Holy Patriarch Alexy II, finishes it as follows: “Fatima shows us the only true way for the relations among the Christians, it’s the way of prayer for each other, a prayer that is pure and disinterested.

A remarkable sign showing that Russia is prepared to receive the Fatima Message is the words of Alexy II, the Holy Patriarch of Russia in his interview to the Italian magazine 30 Giorni: “We respect the fact that the Catholic Church venerates the Fatima Apparitions, however we cannot express any definite opinion on this point”. Before Russian Orthodox hierarchs avoided mentioning Fatima at all.

The proposed documentary will cover four principal points: 1). Understanding the Apparitions; 2). The Message of Our Lady; 3). Understanding the role of Russia in Her Message; 4). Analyzing the spiritual and historical experience of the passed century.

The hierarchies of both Churches will be invited to express their views alongside the views of theologians, historians, lay people and simple pilgrims. Only sincere dialogue can bring people to see the love of Our Lady as a Mother for all of us and thereby help us to turn away from prejudice, and overcome ignorance. Interviews with those who secretly went to Fatima from the Soviet Union — among whom were some who at present are Orthodox Bishops, could be of special value.