As the old saying goes, “Nothing from Heaven happens by accident” – or something like that. So, it certainly was no “accident” that Our Lady chose to appear at Fatima, Portugal. But what, then, was/is the significance of her appearing at that obscure little village back in 1917? The answer, of course, is a matter of speculation; but it would seem that there is an aspect of the Fatima message that we have yet to fully realize. And current events indicate that such an aspect has to do with the scourge of militant Islam in the world.
For decades, faithful Catholics have been debating – sometimes fiercely -about the message of Fatima as it pertains to the consecration of Russia. It is as though when Russia would be consecrated to Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, we could just breathe a collective sigh of relief and say, “It's over,” and then go home. Heaven on earth would be upon us. A misguided interpretation, indeed. So just what is the connection between Our Lady of Fatima and Islam?Francis Johnston, in his book, Fatima: The Great Sign, gives a cogent explanation: “The Muslims, who have a certain devotion to Our Lady and
recognize her Virgin Birth and Immaculate Conception, were intrigued by the fact that Mary had appeared at Fatima, which was the name of Mohammed's favorite daughter and regarded by the prophet as the highest woman in Heaven after our Lady. In Zanzibar, the Muslim sultan placed a wreath of flowers at the [Fatima]statue's feet, while the Muslim chief of the Ismaeli tribe in Mozambique placed a golden necklace about the statue's neck saying: 'Thank you, Our Lady of Fatima for the work of love you are accomplishing in Africa' ” (p. 126).
What faithful Catholic could doubt that Our Lady will play a central role in the conversion of Muslims to the one, true faith: the Catholic faith. It almost certainly will not happen overnight, and, sadly, it may even require much bloodshed. (Consider the Battle of Lepanto.) But it will take place, for we know that in the end, Our Lady's Immaculate Heart will triumph – once and for all.
Matt C. Abbott is the former executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee and the former director of public affairs for the Chicago-based Pro-life Action League, respectively. He is also a contributor to “The Wanderer” Catholic newspaper
This article originally appeared in The Wanderer, and is reprinted electronically with the permission of the author.
