At the Third Apparition in July, 1917, Our Lady revealed three secrets, known as the Secrets of Fatima. The Third Secret was revealed only to Lucia. Below are the contents written by Sister Lucy:
Scene One: the threat of punishment that hangs over the world:
At the left and slightly above Our Lady we saw an angel holding in his left hand a fiery sword, flashing, it gave out tongues of flame that seemed to set fire to the world, but they died out when they came into contact with the splendour of the light which radiated from the right hand of Our Lady. The angel pointed to the Earth with his right hand, and cried out in a loud voice: Penance, Penance, Penance!
Scene Two: a terrible catastrophe befalls the world leaving it half-ruined. It engulfs victim from all layers of society, including even the Holy Father:
And we saw in an immense light, that is God - something similar to how you appear in the mirror when you pass in front of it. A Bishop dressed in White - we had the feeling that this was the Holy Father. Many other bishops, priests, monks and nuns climbed a steep mountain, at the top of which was a great cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork tree with the bark. Before reaching there, the Holy Father, passed through a big city half in ruins, and half trembling, tottering, tormented by pain and suffering, he prayed for the souls of corpses whose bodies he met on the way. Having reached the top of the mountain, kneeling at the foot of the great Cross, he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him several times, and in the same way there died bishops, priests, monks and nuns and many lay people, men and women of different ranks and positions.
Scene Three: The Great Return of humanity to God:
Beneath the two arms of the cross were two angels, each holding in their hands a crystal aspersorium, which collected the blood of martyrs, and with which they sprinkled the souls making their way to God.
