The three secrets of Our Lady of Fatima are a series of apocalyptic visions and prophecies reportedly given to three young shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. The three secrets remained a mystery until the 1940s when Sister Lucia published her memoirs and revealed the first two secrets. The three secrets of Fatima are:
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Vision of Hell: The first secret is a vision of hell. Our Lady showed the children a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. Our Lady then spoke to them and explained that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was a means to save souls from going to Hell.
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World War I & II: The second secret is a prediction of the end of the Great War and the beginning of another.
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Penance & Papal Assassination Attempt: The third secret contains much apocalyptic imagery, including a vision of a pope who is shot. Pope John Paul II believed this vision had much to do with his survival of an assassination attempt in 1981. The third secret was a vision of the persecution of Christians and, in particular, the attack on ‘a Bishop dressed in white’ .
