It’s been 100 years since the apparitions at Fatima, which have caused a stir throughout all of humanity. Fatima is not a “Catholic” subject. It influences international relations, Russia, Venezuela, and Islam. Here is a conversation with Andrés Garrigó, the director of a new film on this event: Fatima—the ultimate mystery, by Goya Productions.
What influence did Fatima have on the Communist Revolution?
The “effects” of Fatima are incredible. The most spectacular one has been the downfall of the Soviet Empire. There is an entire chain of coincidences connecting the petitions and predictions of the Virgin to the terrible historical events of the 20th century, and to this first part of the 21st.
She foretold the Communist Revolution, as well as the spreading of “Russia’s errors,” which we are still suffering today—just look at North Korea or Venezuela. She foretold the Second World War, as well as the assassination attempt against John Paul II; a Third World War—which could have been nuclear—was also foreseen, but it was avoided because the Pope made the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary…
And what relation is there between Fatima and Islam?
Fatima, as Pope Benedict XVI said, is not a “closed case.” In 1917, the Virgin predicted the entire future, including the great problems of today. Our movie reveals, for example, a relation between Fatima and Islam that few people are aware of. Why did the Mother of Heaven choose to appear at the only place in Portugal bearing the name of Mohammed’s daughter?
The explanation that one of our experts gave us is very interesting: the Muslims had conquered Spain and Portugal, and the Portuguese fought to recover their land from the Moors. A woman named Fatima was taken captive during the battle. She was young, and one of the warriors, a Portuguese prince, fell in love with her, and they got married. She became Catholic. The place where she was buried was renamed after her: Fatima.
So, Fatima is an Arabic name, and the adherents of Islam have great respect for Our Lady of Fatima, not just because she uses the name of Mohammed’s daughter, but also because in the Koran itself, the Virgin Mary is venerated as the mother of Jesus, the prophet. They do not accept Jesus as the Son of God, but they do recognize that Mary is a Virgin.
Venerable Fulton Sheen, in his book The World’s First Love, dedicates a chapter to Our Lady and Islam. He states that the Virgin of Fatima is an opportunity for the evangelization of Muslims. And one of our experts adds, “The Virgin will bring them to Jesus. If they go to Her first, She will lead them to Christ.”
Why did you feel the need to make a movie about this Marian apparition?
Because Goya Productions came into existence to help make the Truth attractive, and to bring people closer to the mystery of the supernatural. The Centenary of Fatima was a unique occasion to look at the past and future through the eyes of eternity. The movie reveals to us that God is the Lord of History, and acts in history through his Mother.
What do you find most interesting about Pope Francis’ journey to Fatima?
For me, what is most important is that the pope went to Fatima to canonize two of the three children that the Virgin chose to be her witnesses. Francisco and Jacinta obeyed the Virgin to the extreme of preferring a cruel death rather than betray her.
The movie Fatima, the Ultimate Mystery premiered at the Abat Oliba CEU University of Barcelona (www.uao.es), and is a Goya Productions film. The documentary investigates the relation between the Marian events of Fatima and the great historical events of the 20th century, through the testimonies of 30 experts, including the spokesman for John Paul II, Joaquín Navarro-Valls; Benedict XVI’s secretary, Georg Gänswein; and the postulator of the cause of the little shepherds, Angela Coelho.
The full-length film includes a fictional plot, directed by Pablo Moreno and starring Eva Higueras, about a young widow—disillusioned with God because of the loss of her husband—who discovers Fatima and its mysteries for work-related reasons. This protagonist, who works as an editor, examines the documentary, which seeks to illuminate the influence that the mystery of Fatima might have had on historical events such as the Communist Revolution, the World Wars, John Paul II’s survival after being shot, and the evolution of Islam.
Here is the official trailer:
