Our Lady of Fatima Feast Day Plenary Indulgences
Our Lady of Fatima: Heaven’s Warning, Earth’s Hope
What is a Plenary Indulgence? (Simple Explanation)
A plenary indulgence is a special grace from God, given through the Church, that removes all punishment due to sin.
When we sin—even after we're forgiven in confession—there can still be spiritual consequences (like a wound on the soul). A plenary indulgence is like a total healing of that wound. It’s a way of clearing the “debt” sin leaves behind, so we don’t have to suffer it in purgatory.
How to Gain a Plenary Indulgence on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13):
1. Perform One of the Following Acts:
Visit a statue of Our Lady of Fatima that is solemnly displayed for public veneration in a church or chapel on May 13.
- While there, devoutly participate in prayer in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary (e.g., praying the Rosary, Marian hymns, or other devotions).
OR
For those who are sick, elderly, or otherwise unable to attend in person, you may gain the indulgence by:
- Spiritually uniting yourself to the celebrations in Fatima (or any public celebration of her feast),
- Praying before a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, and
- Offering your sufferings to God and resolving to fulfill the conditions for a plenary indulgence as soon as possible.
2. Fulfill the Usual Conditions for a Plenary Indulgence:
These must be done within a few days before or after the feast day (typically within 8 days):
- Sacramental Confession
- Reception of Holy Communion
- Prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father (e.g., an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be)
- Complete detachment from all sin, even venial
Note: If full detachment from sin is lacking, the indulgence becomes partial rather than plenary.
Optional but Recommended:
- Pray the Rosary, especially in a group or in a family, as Our Lady of Fatima specifically asked this in all her apparitions.
History of Fatima Marian Apparitions
In 1917, amid the ravages of World War I and the rising tides of atheism, Heaven broke into history in a small town in Portugal. A radiant Lady, clothed in light more brilliant than the sun, came with a message—one of warning, repentance, and extraordinary hope.
This was Our Lady of Fatima, one of the most powerful and Church-approved Marian apparitions of our time. Her message was not only for that generation but for every generation that would come after—especially ours.
Who Did Mary Appear To?
Our Lady appeared to three poor shepherd children in the village of Fatima:
- Lucia dos Santos (age 10)
- Francisco Marto (age 9)
- Jacinta Marto (age 7)
From May 13 to October 13, 1917, Mary visited them six times on the 13th day of each month. She spoke with them, showed them heavenly visions, and entrusted them with a message that would echo across the world.
What Was Her Message?
The message of Fatima can be summed up in three core calls:
A. Pray the Rosary Daily
Mary repeatedly asked:
"Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war."
The Rosary is a spiritual weapon. Through it, we meditate on the life of Christ and beg Heaven’s intercession for a world in chaos.
B. Penance, Reparation, and Conversion
Our Lady showed the children the reality of hell and urged them—and us—to offer sacrifices for sinners and to live a life of conversion.
“Many souls go to hell because there is no one to pray and make sacrifices for them.”
She called for penance not from guilt, but out of love—for the salvation of souls.
C. Devotion to Her Immaculate Heart
Mary asked for the Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart and the practice of the First Saturday Devotion—which includes confession, Communion, the Rosary, and 15 minutes of meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, done in a spirit of reparation.
“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
This is Heaven’s promise: no matter how dark the world becomes, the victory has already been assured.
The Vision of Hell at Fatima
On July 13, 1917, during the third apparition at Fatima, Our Lady showed the three shepherd children a terrifying vision of hell—one of the most sobering moments in the history of Marian apparitions.
As Sister Lucia later described:
“She opened Her hands once more, and the rays of light seemed to penetrate the earth. We saw a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers—blackened or burnished bronze—floating about in the flames, now raised into the air by fire and smoke, now falling back like sparks in a great blaze, without balance or control, shrieking and groaning with despair that horrified us.”
“The demons looked like terrifying and repulsive animals—unknown yet grotesque, black and transparent. This vision lasted only a moment, but it was so dreadful we would have died of fear if Our Lady had not already promised to take us to Heaven.”
— Sister Lucia, Fourth Memoir
The children saw souls falling like sparks into a vast sea of fire, tormented by horrific demons and the eternal consequences of sin. It was not a metaphor. It was a glimpse into the eternal reality of hell.
But this vision was not meant to scare us into despair. It was a merciful warning meant to awaken our hearts to the seriousness of sin, the value of souls, and the urgency of prayer.
Hell is real. Eternity matters. And our sacrifices and prayers can help save souls.
This moment profoundly changed the children—especially Jacinta and Francisco, who offered constant sacrifices for sinners. Their childlike hearts were filled with compassion for those far from God.
Our Lady followed the vision with a clear and chilling statement:
“More souls go to hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason.”
What Are “Sins of the Flesh”?
In Catholic teaching, sins of the flesh refer to grave sins involving disordered desires or actions related to sexuality and the misuse of the body. These offenses violate the virtue of chastity, which calls every person—married or single—to live out their sexuality according to God’s design.
Here is an organized list of what the Church traditionally considers grave sins of the flesh, especially when committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent:
Grave Sins of the Flesh (According to Catholic Teaching):
- Lust – Disordered desire for or excessive enjoyment of sexual pleasure, especially outside God’s will.
- Fornication – Sexual activity between unmarried persons.
- Adultery – Sexual relations with someone other than one’s spouse.
- Masturbation – The deliberate stimulation of one’s own sexual organs for pleasure.
- Homosexual acts – Sexual relations between persons of the same sex, which the Church teaches are contrary to natural law.
- Prostitution – Selling or purchasing sexual acts for money or personal gain.
- Pornography – The production, viewing, or distribution of sexually explicit material, which objectifies the human person and distorts the purpose of sexuality.
- Rape – Forcing sexual acts on another through violence or coercion.
- Incest – Sexual activity between close family members.
- Bestiality – Sexual acts involving animals, contrary to human dignity.
- Polygamy – Having multiple spouses, which violates the exclusivity of the sacrament of marriage.
- Impure thoughts and desires – Willfully entertaining or consenting to sinful sexual fantasies.
- Immodesty – Dressing or acting in ways that are deliberately provocative or that incite lust in others.
- Contraception – The use of artificial means to prevent conception, which separates the unitive and procreative purposes of marital love.
These sins are especially grave when done with full knowledge, deliberate consent, and no effort to repent. But the Church, like Our Lady at Fatima, doesn’t condemn—she calls all sinners to mercy.
The Revelation of the Immaculate Heart: June 13, 1917
During her second apparition at Fatima on June 13, 1917, Our Lady revealed one of the most important elements of the Fatima message: Heaven’s desire to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart.
After showing the children a vision of her heart, encircled with thorns—symbolizing the sins and blasphemies committed against her—she gave this profound promise:
“Jesus wishes to make use of you to make Me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To those who embrace it, I promise salvation; and these souls will be loved by God, like flowers placed by Me to adorn His throne.”
This was a Heaven-revealed path of grace, calling for consecration, reparation, prayer, and a life modeled after Mary's virtues—especially purity, humility, and faithful obedience to God.
At the same apparition, Lucia was saddened to hear that Francisco and Jacinta would soon be taken to Heaven while she would remain on earth “for some time longer.” Moved by her sorrow, Our Lady comforted her with a promise that echoes across time to all who love her:
“You must not be sad. I will never leave you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
This tender assurance is at the heart of the Fatima message: Mary is not distant—she is a Mother, ever-present, offering her Heart as a refuge in times of trial and as the surest path to Jesus.
Through this devotion, Mary invites us to:
- Consecrate ourselves and our families to her Immaculate Heart
- Pray the Rosary daily
- Offer sacrifices and acts of reparation
- Live the virtues of purity, charity, and obedience
- Practice the First Saturday Devotion in reparation for sins
Her promise is clear: those who embrace this devotion with sincerity and love will be saved, and will shine before the throne of God like radiant flowers chosen by the Queen of Heaven herself.
“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
This is her invitation—and her promise.
The Secrets of Fatima
Mary entrusted the children with three secrets, revealed by the Vatican in stages:
1st Secret: The Vision of Hell
To awaken the world to the reality of eternal separation from God.
2nd Secret: Prophecies
Including the end of World War I, the coming of World War II, and the spread of atheistic communism from Russia if her requests were not heeded.
3rd Secret: The Suffering Church
A mysterious vision of a "bishop in white" being attacked, which many interpret as pointing to the assassination attempt on St. John Paul II—a Pope deeply devoted to Fatima.
The Miracle of the Sun
On October 13, 1917, Our Lady promised a sign so all would believe. Before 70,000 people, the sun appeared to dance, spin, and plunge toward the earth, drying up rain-soaked ground and silencing skeptics.
Even secular newspapers reported the event.
“The sun... trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws – the sun ‘danced’”
—O Século, Lisbon’s anti-clerical newspaper, October 1917
It was Heaven’s seal on Mary’s message.
The Church's Approval
The apparitions of Fatima were fully approved by the Catholic Church in 1930. Every Pope since Pius XII has affirmed its importance.
St. John Paul II credited Our Lady of Fatima with saving his life during the 1981 assassination attempt. He later consecrated the world—and Russia—to her Immaculate Heart, fulfilling one of her most urgent requests.
The Final Battle: Marriage and the Family Under Attack
In her later years, Sister Lucia, the last surviving visionary of Fatima, gave a prophetic warning that echoes louder with each passing year.
In a conversation with Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, the founding president of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, Lucia wrote in a letter:
“The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.”
She added:
“Don’t be afraid, because anyone who works for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be fought and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue.”
Marriage is not merely a human institution. In Catholic teaching, it is a sacrament—a holy covenant that reflects the union between Christ and His Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:25-32). To dismantle marriage is to obscure one of the clearest images of divine love on earth.
How the Family Is Under Attack Today
Our Lady’s warning at Fatima is being fulfilled in our time. We are witnessing an unprecedented spiritual war against the family, where even the most basic truths about love, identity, and creation are being questioned or outright rejected.
Here are just a few of the modern threats—deeply relevant to Fatima’s message—that are dividing the family and wounding the domestic church:
1. Divorce and the Breakdown of the Family
Divorce severs the lifelong covenant of marriage, deeply harming children and distorting the witness of unconditional love. While the Church recognizes that separation may be necessary in some situations (e.g., abuse or danger), she upholds the indissolubility of sacramental marriage. The normalization of divorce has left generations spiritually and emotionally scarred, weakening the domestic church.
2. Redefinition of Marriage
Marriage has been redefined in many parts of the world to include unions that are contrary to natural and divine law. The Church teaches that marriage is only valid between one man and one woman, open to life, and oriented toward mutual sanctification. Any attempt to redefine marriage undermines the Creator’s design and attacks the foundation of Christian civilization.
3. Gender Ideology and Confusion
Modern ideology seeks to separate gender from biological sex, leading many—especially children and youth—into confusion about their identity. The Church teaches that we are created male and female in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and our bodies are not accidents—they are gifts. To reject the truth of our created nature is to reject the wisdom and love of the Creator.
4. Contraception and Sterilization
The widespread use of contraception has separated the unitive and procreative purposes of marriage, making fertility seem like a problem to be avoided rather than a gift to be embraced. This mindset has contributed to the erosion of family life, the rise of abortion, and a culture that views children as burdens rather than blessings.
5. Pornography and the Culture of Impurity
Pornography is a plague that attacks the purity of the heart, destroys intimacy in marriage, and objectifies the human person. It contributes to marital infidelity, addiction, and the commodification of sex, making it one of the gravest threats to the sanctity of family life today.
6. The Loss of the Domestic Church
Many Catholic families no longer pray together, attend Mass regularly, or catechize their children. When the home ceases to be the first place of faith, the Church’s foundation weakens. As Pope St. John Paul II said:
“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”
The Urgent Call to Defend Marriage and Family
To fight for the sanctity of marriage is not to stand against the world—but to stand with Christ, with Our Lady, and for souls. As Sister Lucia said, those who defend marriage will be opposed in every way—but this is the decisive battle of our time.
Now more than ever, the faithful are called to:
- Protect the sacrament of marriage
- Honor the dignity of human sexuality
- Defend the innocence of children
- Teach the truth boldly, with charity
- Rebuild the domestic church through prayer, penance, and witness
Our Lady’s Answer: Prayer, Purity, and Penance
Fatima reminds us that this battle will not be won through politics or popularity—but through hearts consecrated to Mary, families rooted in the Gospel, and souls who are willing to offer reparation for the sins of the world.
This is the hour of decision. The battlefield is the family.
And the victory—foretold by Our Lady—is certain:
“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
Why Fatima Still Matters Today
Our Lady warned of moral decay, persecution, war, and confusion within the Church. Much of what she foretold has come to pass.
But her message is one of hope.
- She promised her Immaculate Heart would triumph
- She called us to daily prayer and reparation
- She reminded us that souls are at stake, and we are not powerless
The battle for souls continues—but so does Heaven’s intervention.
How to Respond to Fatima Today
If you want to live out the message of Fatima, start here:
- Pray the Rosary daily
- Wear the Brown Scapular, which Mary also promoted
- Practice the First Saturday Devotion
- Offer sacrifices and penance for sinners
- Consecrate yourself and your family to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Live a life of holiness, detachment from sin, and total trust in God
In the End, Her Heart Will Triumph
The world is weary. Division and darkness seem to multiply. But the message of Fatima reminds us: God wins.
Our Lady doesn’t call us to be afraid—she calls us to act. To pray. To trust. And to fight this spiritual war with the weapons Heaven has already given us.
“Satan may have his hour—but God will have His day.”
And that day is near.
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