236    The Bible and the Future of the World 

to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop 

dressed in White `we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other 

Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at 

the top of which there was a big Cross of rough hewn trunks as of a cork tree 

with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big 

city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and 

sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having 

reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he 

was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in 

the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men 

and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and 

positions. Beneath  the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each 

with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood 

of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to 

God.  

                                 Tuy 3 1 1944 . 

49

    The third secret of Fatima is about the martyrdom of bishops, priests, 

religious, and laypersons. Cardinals Soldano and Ratzinger have stated 

publicly that they believe this refers to past events in the Church. Certainly 

part of the meaning does refer to the many, many holy persons who, in the 

past, have suffered much and died because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  

    3.  But I say more. The third part of the secret of Fatima follows the 

second part, and so the events of the third part occur after the events of the 

second part. At the end of the second part of the secret, the Virgin Mary 

says:  The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be 

converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. 

50

 Thus the 

martyrdoms described by the third secret will occur after the consecration of 

Russia and a period of relative peace in the world. 

    According to Sister Lucia (the visionary of Fatima) and Cardinal 

Ratzinger, this act of consecration occurred on March 25, 1984. Not  long 

afterwards, the U.S.S.R. was disbanded, and Russia became a democratic 

country with much greater freedom of religion than in previous decades. 

Russia has been consecrated. And since that time there has been no major 

persecution of Christians resulting in the large number of martyrdoms 

described by the third part of the secret of Fatima. Therefore, the third part 

of the secret refers mainly to the future, not the past. The third part of the 

secret of Fatima describes a Great Martyrdom, which will include the 

martyrdom of the Pope as well as of many other Bishops, priests, religious, 

and laypersons. This Great Martyrdom is yet to occur.