What did the Most Holy Virgin come to announce to sinful humanity? What did she come to implore? Who would have the courage to reject an urgent request from the Mother of God?
God precedes His great interventions in history with numerous and varied signs. He often uses men of remarkable virtue to transmit His warnings to the people or predict future events. This is how the Eternal Father acted regarding the coming of the Messiah, His Only Begotten Son. The magnitude of such an event, around which the history of mankind revolves, demanded a long and careful preparation.
Thus, it was foretold for many centuries by the Prophets of the Old Testament in such a way that, on the occasion of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, everything was ripe for His coming into the world. Even among the pagans, many were expecting some event that would provide a way out of the moral crisis in which the people of that time were immersed.
It could almost be confidently affirmed that the more significant the predicted event, the greater the magnitude of the signs that precede it, the authority of the prophets who announce it, and the waiting time.
It could be said that, in His infinite wisdom, God, in His dealings with mankind, follows certain rules for which He very rarely makes exceptions.
In light of this rule of history, it is easy to evaluate the importance of the prophecies of Fatima, for the one announcing them to us is not an Angel, nor a great saint or prophet, but the Mother of God herself. Indeed, ‘the Western Roman Empire closed with a catastrophe illuminated and analyzed by the genius of a great Doctor, St. Augustine. The decline of the Middle Ages was foreseen by a great prophet, St. Vincent Ferrer.
The French Revolution, which marks the end of the Modern Times, was foreseen by another great prophet, who was also a great doctor: St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. The Contemporary Times, which seem to be on the verge of closing with a new crisis, have a greater privilege. Our Lady came to speak to men.'[1]
In Fatima, Our Lady undeniably predicts the advent of great punishments for humanity (some of which have already been fulfilled) if they do not cease to offend God. However, more important, in a certain sense, than the announcement of divine punishments, are the means of salvation indicated by the Mother of God: the prayer of the Rosary, the practice of the Five First Saturdays, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Its most immediate purpose is to give men the possibility to escape the treacherous paths of sin. If there were no other reason, this would be sufficient for an intervention as extraordinary as the Apparitions in Fatima.