Our Lady of Fatima showed them hell. Why pro-lifers should care 100 years later
One hundred years ago, three shepherd children in Portugal
saw a vision of hell that so terrified them they thought they would die.
Christians have always understood the sins of the flesh to be those actions which are a misuse and abuse of God’s gift of sexuality.
God created sexual relations to be between a man and woman united to one another in the faithful, exclusive, permanent, and life-giving relationship of marriage. Sins against the gift of sexuality include contracepted sex, adultery, fornication, prostitution, pornography, immodest dress, masturbation, homosexuality. Some sins of the flesh often give rise to other serious sins such as abortion, and can lead to unfaithfulness, marital breakdown, and divorce.
And worse yet, sins of the flesh can destroy one’s relationship with God, since the sinner in choosing them rejects God’s plan for sexuality, and in doing so, ultimately rejects God himself.
Perhaps more souls go to hell for sexual sins than any other kind because of how easy it is to fall into them, especially in today’s culture where sex is glorified as the main source of human happiness.
As a father of seven who is concerned about the salvation of my children, I become frightened when I observe the sexual lies with which the culture is trying to poison my children.
From the earliest ages, educational centers want to expose my children to sins of the flesh in sexual education courses, teaching them how to augment sexual pleasure with one’s self (masturbation) or with others (fornication, homosexuality) while removing the baby-making purpose of sexual activity (contracepted sex, abortion).
The entertainment industry wants to initiate my children, especially the older ones, into sins of the flesh by bombarding them with explicit sexual content (pornography, immodest dress). And it keeps adults addicted to sins of the flesh by giving them more of the same.
Governments have even used their political authority to enshrine in law certain sins of the flesh, making it illegal for anyone to speak out against such sins and to warn people of their danger (homosexuality).
As a reporter on the front lines of the pro-life movement who sees what’s happening every day in the battle for life and family, I often have to ask myself who I am really fighting, and what I am fighting for.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking I’m fighting against abortion providers, or the homosexual lobby, or corrupt governments. While these are capable of doing much evil and are responsible for doing much evil, they are not the real enemy. They’re just people, like everyone else, including me, who need to be saved from hell.
I love when St. Paul tells the Ephesians that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
It’s the devil and his legion of fallen angels who ensnare men and women by the sins of the flesh into the fires of hell.
Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the seers who lived much longer after the other two, once wrote a letter to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra in which she spoke about a final battle between God and Satan.
She wrote: “The final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family. Don’t be afraid, because anyone who operates for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be contended and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. However, Our Lady has already crushed its head.”
Those fighting for life, marriage, and the family must remember that on May 13, 2017 — the 100th anniversary of Our Lady appearing in Fatima — the ultimate fight is about saving souls from hell. This means saving those enslaved to sexual sins and those who profit from sexual sins, the abortionist, the pornographer, the brothel owner.
Our Lady of Fatima invited the children to help save souls through prayer and sacrifice.
The youngest seer, Jacinta Marto, was so moved by the vision of hell, and by the fact that she could do something to help people from going there, she began making sacrifices for the salvation of souls. She wouldn’t drink water so she could offer up her thirst. She would give away her afternoon snack so she could offer up her hunger. She would wear a rough knotted rope against her skin so she could offer up her discomfort.
Our Lady’s message about the reality of hell and the children’s example of what to do to help people from going there is something anyone fighting for life and family must take seriously. The prayer taught to the children should be constantly on our lips: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have the most need of your mercy."
