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May 13, 1917 -

On May 13, 1917, in Cova de Iria, Fátima, Portugal, three shepherd children saw a woman dressed in white, standing above a bush. They were in the presence of the Virgin Mary.

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Who were these children? - The three shepherd children were siblings Jacinta and Francisco Marto (left and center) and cousin Lúcia dos Santos (right).

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Apparitions -

For the next six months, the Virgin Mary would appear to the children on the 13th of each month and eventually reveal three secrets to them.

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Sacrifices -

The children were instructed by the Virgin Mary to undergo sacrifices so they could save sinners. These included not drinking water on hot days and wearing tight cords around their wrists.

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Message -

News of the apparitions spread throughout the village, and at one point Lucia told the local people that the Virgin Mary asked them to pray the Rosary every day and ask for world peace.

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Doubts -

Some of the villagers believed the children, while others not so much. But the Virgin Mary told the children that one event would make everyone believe them. For now, let’s go through each of the five apparitions, which then culminates in the "Miracle of the Sun."

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First apparition on May 13th, 1917 -

This is when the Virgin Mary reveals herself to the children, asks them to make sacrifices, and pray. She also tells them she’ll be back on the 13th over the next six months.

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Second apparition on June 13th, 1917 - On the second apparition, the Virgin Mary asks the children to add the Fátima prayer to the end of the Rosary.

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Second apparition on June 13th, 1917 -

The children then asked for Mary to take them to heaven with her, but she said it was too soon. The Virgin Mary did, however, say that she would first take Jacinta and Francisco, but that Lucia would have to stay for longer.

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Second apparition on June 13th, 1917 -

Jacinta and Francisco died in 1920 and 1919, respectively. Though their cousin Lúcia dos Santos lived until she was 97.

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Third apparition on July 13th, 1917 -

This is when the Virgin Mary reveals the three secrets of Fátima. But we'll have more on these apocalyptic visions and prophecies later.

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Fourth apparition on August 19th, 1917 -

The children were held by the police on August 13th, so the apparition didn’t quite happen as planned. The authorities wanted them to confess it was all a hoax, but they didn’t. The Virgin Mary appeared six days later and told the shepherd children to pray for sinners.

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Fifth apparition on September 13th, 1917 -

On this date, people wanted to witness the apparition, so they gathered at the spot. It is said that white rose petals fell from the sky but disappeared as people tried to touch them.

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Fifth apparition on September 13th, 1917 - Lúcia asked the Virgin Mary to cure the sick, and she responded that only some could be cured, as God could not cure those who were not healed.

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Sixth (and final) apparition of October 13th, 1917 - This is when the Miracle of the Sun occurred. The children told everyone to come and witness the event. Reportedly, over 70,000 people attended.

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Miracle of the Sun -

Witnesses reported that the dark sky cleared up, the wet ground dried up, and the sun began “dancing around” and “zig-zagging” in the sky.

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Miracle of the Sun -

Multicolored rays of light across the sky were also reported. The miracle is said to have lasted around 10 minutes.

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Catholic Church response to the miracle -

Given the magnitude of the miracle, the Church started an investigation. In 1930, Bishop José Alves Correia da Silva declared the miracle “worthy of belief.”

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Pope’s response to the miracle -

Pope Pius XII then also approved the miracle in 1940. In fact, he too said that he witnessed the same miracle, though instead of Fátima, he was near the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Vatican gardens.

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Pope’s response to the miracle -

In 2017, Pope Francis officially recognized the miracle and canonized Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

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The Three Secrets -

The miracle of Fátima is not just about the sun dancing in the sky. As mentioned, the Virgin Mary is said to have told three secrets to the children.

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The first secret -

The first secret was a vision of tortured souls in hell. Acts of prayer and sacrifice were the only way to prevent people from going to this horrific place.

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The second secret -

The second secret was actually a prophecy. It was about the end of the First World War. Though the Virgin Mary told the children that if sinning was to continue, the Second World War would give way.

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The second secret -

The second secret also contained a request to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Without it, peace would not occur.

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The second secret -

It is also said that the second secret predicted the rise and fall of communism.

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The third secret -

The third secret was the cause of much speculation. Many people thought it would be about a third world war. Lúcia was ill in 1943, and wrote the secret down and put it in an envelope. She gave it to the local bishop and told him that it could only be opened in 1960.

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The third secret -

When 1960 came, the Vatican said that the envelope would remain sealed forever. But then, in 2000, Pope John Paul II finally revealed the secret.

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The third secret -

The third secret was about the persecution of Christians, leading to the assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II in 1981.

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The third secret -

Mehmet Ali Ağca, the man responsible for the assassination attempt, was eventually pardoned in 2000 at the Pope’s request.

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The Sanctuary of Fátima -

Every year, millions of pilgrims gather at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima to mark the anniversaries of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917.

Sources: (Portugal.com) (Oregon Catholic Press)

See also: Things you didn't know about Pope Francis

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