Section I
The Context and Importance of the Fatima Message
The nature of the Fatima events where Our Lady of Fatima appeared from May 13, 1917 to June 13, 1929, and the gravity of Our Lady's message, set Fatima apart from other apparitions and from those phenomena which the Church refers to as "private revelations".
God authenticated the prophetic message by working one of the most stupendous miracles ever to have taken place. He would not have done this if it were a "private revelation". This message, as even Pope John Paul II has stated, is addressed to every human being, and therefore is not "private". The message itself is of great gravity: world peace or the destruction of entire nations depend on whether or not there is obedience to Our Lady's requests.
The articles that follow in this section serve the purpose of clarifying the essence of the Fatima message, putting into perspective the weighty responsibility that it places into the hands of the faithful, and especially the pastors of the Church.