The Last Pope!

Blackberry Under the Spotlight  D THE THIRD SECRET CONTROVERSY

published his thesis in the book Fatima: Do Not Despise Prophecies — the Vatican continues to hide the principal part of the Third Secret, even denying its existence because of its explosive contents. Paolini's arguments were serious and his attitude impartial. Other books appeared less well founded and less respectful. The traditionalists' disputes with the Vatican on the revelation of the Third Secret (of June 26, 2000) have never been analyzed, confronted, and confuted by the ecclesiastical party and are unknown in the lay world — perhaps because their publications circulate almost exclusively in their own environment. To me the choice by the Curia and the Catholic media to ignore and say nothing about them did not seem right, especially after having read the extremely harsh tone of their accusations against the Vatican. For example, in a volume assembled by Father Paul Kramer, which combines the works of different authors, the Vatican is denounced for failing to heed the requests of the Madonna of Fatima, and it is affirmed that "the price of the Vatican's indecision could not be greater, and could be paid by the entire human race." I held that if these suspicions were not dispelled and the accusations confronted, sooner or later the Church would be battered by a tempest analogous to, and perhaps even more forceful, than the one let loose over the "silences of Pius XII" or the theories of Dan Brown. It seemed to me that the "polemical arms" were ready (even if, for the moment, unknown by the media and the public at large): deposited in traditionalist "arsenals" but at the disposition of whoever would want to launch a heavy attack against the Vatican. For example, the vehement "I accuse" of Laurent Morlier under the peremptory title: "The Third Secret of Fatima published by the Vatican is a falsehood." Analyzing this literature — besides that circulating on the Internet — it occurred to me that throughout the Fatima affair there are so many questions without answers as to color it a "detective story." Perhaps the most fascinating and dramatic detective story of our times because it involves not only the Vatican, great powers and their secret services, as well as certain obscure apparatuses of power, but also each one of us, and

the proximate destiny for all humanity and for the Church. To explain the Vatican's position and to confute that journalism I sought out representatives of the Curia such as Cardinal Bertone, today the Vatican Secretary of State, who was at the center of the Secret's revelation in 2000 (certainly a delicate and weighty task that merits understanding). While he had gratified me with his personal attention, having invited me to hold a press conference in his former Diocese of Genoa, the prelate did not think it necessary to respond to my request for an interview — a choice he obviously had every right to make, but which nevertheless feeds the fear that there are embarrassing questions and, above all, something serious to hide. I tried, however, to understand the Vatican's position in order to counter the accusations of the "Fatimists." I investigated the concrete and reliable elements of criticism in the traditionalist literature, unfortunately buried in a mass of theorems, invective, absurdity, and unconfirmed hearsay. I caught certain of their contradictions, dismantled some theses, but in the end I had to surrender — thanks also to the revelations of an authoritative witness who furnished invaluable information. I had not expected the discovery of a colossal enigma, of a mystery that spans the history of the Church of the 20th century, something unutterable, something "chilling" that has literally terrorized different Popes who succeeded each other in mid-century, something that certainly regards the Church, but also the proximate future of us and of our brothers. Here I recount my voyage into the greatest mystery of the 20th century, and I present the result I honestly reached — a result that seriously contradicted my initial convictions, and that surprised and impressed me. (The reader will note this evolution and change of judgment from the first pages to the conclusion.) I trace finally a hypothesis on the "why" of these events that opens, however, to hope, and allows the Church's divine greatness to shine through alongside the misery of Churchmen (with the limits that all of us have), touching us, as if by hand, with the real and living presence of Jesus Christ and of His Mother — here, today, among us. In our aid. No one, obviously, is obliged to believe in supernatural events like those that happened at Fatima, but no one will be able to

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