Padre Pio bilocated to help Cardinal Mindszenty celebrate Mass in prison.

"As is well known, Cardinal Mindszenty was arrested, put in jail and watched around the clock. Over time, his desire to celebrate holy Mass strongly increased.  

"One morning, Padre Pio presented himself before him with everything he needed. The Cardinal celebrated his Mass and Padre Pio served [as acolyte]; then they spoke, and finally, Padre Pio disappeared with everything he had brought with him.  - More here.

I love this ... Chief Rabbi Abraham Bloch.

A story from Rorate Caeli:

At the end of the first month of the Great War:

August 29, 1914: in Taintrux (Vosges, Lorraine), an agonizing French Catholic soldier, in an infirmary bombarded by the Germans in the war front, asks a military chaplain, whom he believes to be a priest in a cassock, for a Crucifix. The chaplain was Chief Rabbi Abraham Bloch, who brings and presents to him the image of the Crucified Lord: moments later, both would be killed by an exploding shell.

The main eyewitness of the incident was Father Jamin, S.J., in whose arms Bloch finally expired. 

(Cf. Maurice Barrès, Les diverses familles spirituelles de la France - published in English as The Faith of France.)

[First posted by us in 2011. The famous image is by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, born in a prominent French and Algerian Jewish family. ] - Thanks to Rorat Caeli

Such a beautiful story - the art especially edifying.

  

Locutions, again...

I'm not always 'against them'.

I was reading Garrigou-Lagrange again and thought I should add this for clarity on the subject of locutions:

WHAT SHOULD BE THOUGHT OF PRIVATE REVELATIONS 

Those who receive divine revelations, recognized as such, should
most certainly, after prudent and authoritative judgment, incline
respectfully before this supernatural manifestation.(2) St. Margaret Mary followed this rule in regard to devotion to the Sacred Heart; so also did St. Bernadette in respect to the revelations she received at Lourdes, after favorable examination by diocesan authority.

According to certain theologians, a person who receives a private divine revelation with the certitude of its divine origin, like St. Joan of Arc, should believe in it with divine theological faith, for, in their opinion, the revelation contains the formal motive of infused faith, the authority of God revealing.(3) 

According to other theologians, and their opinion seems more exact, anyone who receives a certain private revelation should adhere to it immediately, not through divine faith but by prophetic light. This supernatural certitude may last or, on the contrary, give way to a moral certitude when the prophetic illumination disappears; but this illumination may return in order to restore the first certitude. (4) 

When the Church approves private revelations made to the saints, she simply declares that they contain nothing contrary to Scripture and to Catholic teaching and that they may be proposed as probable to the pious belief of the faithful.(5) Private revelations may not be published without the approbation of ecclesiastical authority.(6) 

Even in revelations approved as probable by the Church, some
error may slip in; for the saints themselves may attribute to the Holy Ghost what proceeds from themselves, or may falsely interpret the meaning of a divine revelation, or interpret it in too materialistic a manner, as, for example, the disciples interpreted Christ's remark about St. John to mean that the latter would not die.(7) 

The explanation of this possibility of error lies in the fact that there are many degrees in prophetic light, from the simple, supernatural instinct to perfect revelation. When there is only prophetic instinct, the meaning of things revealed and even the divine origin of the revelation may remain unknown.(8) Thus it was that Caiphas prophesied, without being aware of it, when he said, "that it was expedient that one man should die for the people." (9) - Source

Thus we understand how and why St. Bernadette and Sr. Lucia of Fatima possessed such 'moral certitude' in their particular mission to promote the messages of the Blessed Virgin, freeing them to testify to the veracity of their content, as well as affirm that the requests of heaven had been fulfilled accordingly.

The current free for all.

Although "private revelations may not be published without the approbation of ecclesiastical authority" - in our Internet age, they are.  Although I'm not sure permission of a spiritual director is the same thing as ecclesiastical authority.

Though Monsignor Esseff's name seems to be no longer connected to Locutions to the World site, apparently the locutions continue to be published.  Nothing contrary to the doctrine of faith is related, yet the locutions appear to contradict official statements the Church has made regarding Fatima.  Especially as it concerns the consecration of Russia.  According to the anonymous locutionist at Locutions to the World, the consecration has not been made.  This contradicts what Sr. Lucia herself said.

Even though I speak as clearly as possible, it is only when all the events culminate, that the world will see what I have been trying to describe. Present in the world today is the great evil planted in the soul of Russia in 1917 with the Communist Revolution. This evil has gone out to the whole world, resulting in the horrible deaths of millions. That evil continues, in a new but unabated form. Russia fuels the revolutions and the unrests. It arms many of the terrorists and does everything possible to destabilize the world. 

In October 1917, at the little cove in Fatima, I planted the great seed of peace which was to come forth as the antidote to the Russian poison. There was to be a great victory and an exultation of the Catholic Church which would provide such a great power. None of this has happened because my request for the Consecration of Russia has not been fulfilled. - August 16

I also came across an error on the website concerning the fact that the consecration would take place but it would be late.  The locutionist attributed the following prophecy to Our Lady when in fact it was revealed by Our Lord in a separate apparition to Sr. Lucia:

“They did not wish to heed My request! ... Like the King of France, they will repent of it, and they will do it, but it will be late. Russia will already have spread its errors in the world ...” - The apparition at Pontevedra/Rianjo 1931

 A small detail perhaps - but an error nonetheless.  Russia had already spread her errors and the errors continue their course - that Pandora's box was opened before St. John Paul II made the consecration - which indeed was 'late'.  The errors of Russia, promoted by the Soviet Union destabilized political systems, nations, institutions, and culture well in advance of the papacy of St. John Paul II.

The Middle East

Likewise, I find the specificity of the locutions regarding Iraq and Syria and terrorists, as well as the Obama administration a bit too political.  Supposedly "Mary" said:

I can only use the word “magnitude” because the terrorists will bring about the collapse of an existing government. World leaders do not grasp the hearts of the people who have been told so many things which they no longer believe. - June 13

What did the United States do when invading Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein?  That particular war has been called unjust.  I'm by no means defending terrorists, but that particular statement doesn't make sense.

Another difficulty within this particular series of locutions are messages promoting the papacy and the Pope as a world leader ...

I speak now of a third moment, a future moment close at hand, when political leaders will be completely helpless in the face of the events. In this moment of great darkness every political leader will be powerless. 

At that moment, I will raise the papacy to its greatest height. - June 12 

The Holy Father heads the Church but the papacy should not just be a teaching office. - June 15

 I may be reading it wrong, but that seems to me to go against the Holy Father's vision of what the papacy should be in the modern world.  I may be wrong.

Why is this a problem?

I know a few of my readers eat this stuff up.  Online Catholic news portals do as well.  (Fr. Amorth seems to do so as well.)  We live in terrible times, confusing times and we all seek some sort of stabilizing message to assuage our fears and remove our doubts.  New media is the perfect tool to foment doubt and division, and we'll latch on to anything that seems to reassures  us, even to the point of confirming our worst fears.  That's a problem.

We place private revelation over what the Church has said.

To be clear, I'm certainly no authority and I have no expertise here, but I'd be careful about forming your world view and spiritual life based on dubious messages which contradict what the Magisterium pronounces - especially as it concerns Fatima.

What?

Icons come to life in the age of martyrs...

Martyrs of Sebaste

ISIS slaughter of 250 Syrian soldiers.

Head of John the Baptist.

And in our day in Iraq... (Caution: graphic images.)

Hollywood Nuns ...

- other than Audrey Hepburn and Delores Hart.

Joan Collins

Greer Garson

Mary Tyler Moore

Rosalind Russell

Kathleen Freeman

Debbie Reynolds

Maggie Smith, Whoopi Goldberg

Deborah Kerr

Claudette Colbert

Celeste Holme, Loretta Young

Anne Bancroft

Terrorists From Minneapolis

source

We have the largest Somali community in the United States.  Recently we've been reminded of that fact after two ISIS jihadists from Minneapolis were killed in Syria.

The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis is sometimes called "Little Mogadishu." It's center of the nation's largest concentration of Somalis, and fertile ground for Islamic terrorist groups recruiting new fighters. - CBS

Somali parents and leaders of the local Somali community are just as unhappy with these developments as the rest of us.

I wonder how many terrorists are embedded in the United States right now?

The Islamic State’s proclaimed Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi told American guards, 

“I’ll see you guys in New York,” when he was released in 2009.

Catholic Identity Conference - where is the hierarchy?

Defending Catholic Identity in the reign of Pope Francis?  By the most exciting Catholic activists in the country?  I do not see one priest or bishop in the line up of speakers.  Although Rorate has this:

This will be the third annual Catholic Identity Conference. New this year are more priests involved with the daily traditional Latin Mass and talks, including from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, Institute of Christ the King and Diocese of Pittsburgh. One new speaker on Saturday and two new speakers on Sunday have been confirmed, including this writer. - Rorate

Catholic in Brooklyn has a very good post suggesting factions within the 'Traditionalist' movement may be heading towards schism.  From all that I've read, I think they may be just a few essays/speaking engagements away from sedevacantism - which is pretty much the same thing.  CIB wrote this concerning a recent post from Verrecchio:

Verrecchio then goes on to tell us, with no proof whatsoever, that Cardinal Bergoglio was preselected "well before the doors [to the conclave] were even locked." This implies, of course, that Pope Francis's papacy is illegitimate and invalid and that Benedict XVI remains our true pope. - Traditionalists and Schism

Preselected.  That's a dangerous assertion.  If it doesn't veer towards sedevacantism/schism, it certainly foments doubt concerning papal authority.  This critical spirit is not at all new.  Save for the pontificate of Benedict XVI - which was not immune to traditionalist criticism - all the popes since Pius XII have been pretty much resisted by traditionalists.  It strikes me as presumptuous to assert oneself part of the remnant of true believers while rejecting the authority of the reigning pontiff.  

Malachi Martin's first title choice was "Windswept Hair"

But he changed his mind.

Oh! Now I get it. They read "Windswept House"...

and fantasies about the Third Secret.

I came across the following comment while reading a post at Catholic Herald.co.uk by Mary O'Reagan: If our Catholic blogosphere is going to survive then our bloggers have to become more Catholic.    A reader asks, why not blog about this?

Windswept House - Fr. Malachi Martin

"Suddenly it became unarguable that now during this papacy (of JPII), the Roman Catholic Church carried a permanent presence of clerics who worshipped Satan and liked it; of bishops and priests who sodomized boys and each other; of nuns who performed the “Black Rites” of Wicca, and who lived in lesbian relationships . . . every day, including Sundays and Holy Days, acts of heresy and blasphemy and outrage and indifference were committed and permitted at holy Altars by men who had been called to be priests. Sacrilegious actions and rites were not only performed on Christ’s Altars, but had the connivance or at least the tacit permission of certain Cardinals, archbishops, and bishops. . . In total number they were a minority—anything from one to ten percent of Church personnel. But of that minority, many occupied astoundingly high positions or rank.... The facts that brought the Pope to a new level of suffering were mainly two: The systematic organizational links—the network, in other words that had been established between certain clerical homosexual groups and Satanist covens. And the inordinate power and influence of that network." (pp. 492-3)

I've not read Malachi Martin's faction, but apparently most Catholics online have.  Especially those who think the Third Secret of Fatima has not been fully revealed, and Benedict XVI was forced to abdicate.

This explains so much.

Say no more poodle...

Was Pope Benedict XVI forced out of office?

The first attempt.

This is the most outrageous thing I have read to date: Benedict XVI was forced from office.

All indications are that those who orchestrated what looks more and more like a hostile takeover of the papacy couldn’t even muster the patience to put on a good show at the conclave in order to hide the appearance of having preselected Jorge Bergoglio well before the doors were even locked. 

No… Pope Benedict didn’t depart for reasons of physical and mental health, and there’s not a Catholic this side of brain dead who is still buying that lie.

Second attempt.

I know!  Here's an even better comment from that post:

I’ve read blogs wherein individuals claiming to be Argentines say that Bergoglio had a network of spies working at Rome since c. 2000 and that their main duty was to gather information that could be used to coerce or blackmail Cardinals into voting for him in the conclave. 

Also, a report which said that once made AB of B.A. he moved 70 million euros from B.A. to the Vatican Bank. Since the Vatican Bank provides for the livelihood of most of the residential Cadinals, I suspect this was a bribe to buy the papacy. 

I am also concerned about the reports that in the 30 days after the abdication, various high level clerics close to Obama offered Cardinals in the third world the promise of US Aide funding in return for their votes for Bergoglio. 

All this needs to be investigated by the general public.

Names have been withheld to protect the guilty.

I knew it!

Something Eve Tushnet said...

St. Elizabeth of Hungary: Great Act of Renunciation.

St. Elizabeth is Eve Tushnet's patron saint.

The America interview.

Eve Tushnet discusses her book, Gay and Catholic: Accepting my Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith.  The book is due out October 20.  In the interview with Sean Salai, S.J., Eve discusses in detail the content.  It's a very good interview, and if you ever had misgivings about Eve Tushnet and her POV on gay and Catholic, the interview helps you understand where she is coming from.

Not to worry.

I told that to a friend I ran into recently - I didn't tell him not to worry, but I told him I'm not so concerned about gay and Catholic issues any longer.  I explained that it seems things are coming together - it's 'out'  in the open now.  It's part of our reality.  In fact, gay seems to me to be more of a problem for straight people than it is for gay, ssa, the homosexually inclined or any category of LGBTQ.

As a Catholic, I favor Courage Apostolate and the way of life/sanctity promoted by the organization.  Courage has done a great job updating its website and offers real life narratives from members on how the organization has helped them live chaste and celibate lives in accord with Catholic teaching.  If someone is not near a group, or maybe not willing to be part of one - the site offers help and support, as well as resources to integrate one's spirituality.

A different perspective.

Courage may not appeal to everyone however, so there are other groups/movements out there.  It appears Eve Tushnet discusses these alternatives in her book.  I've written about some of them, questioning some of the literature, and so on.  I'm not as critical as I once was, but neither am I as interested as I once was.  It's not an important issue in my life.  Am I 'over it'?  I don't know.  It's just not an issue for me at this point in my life.  I can't worry about the 'terms' either.  "You say potato I say vodka" as Karen Walker would say.  But truly, some say gay, some say queer, others say ssa.  Fine.  Truth be told the term I think that has been hijacked is 'spiritual friendship'.  It's a religious term used by gay Catholics to denote chaste, loving friendship - but it is now misinterpreted by nuvo neo-Catholic apologists with websites to equate spiritual friendship with 'gay' or 'new homophiles'.   Thus every discussion in com-boxes tend to become inquisitions regarding orthodoxy and fidelity to Catholic teaching.  It gets to be a waste of time.

Ms. Tushnet said something that more or less jives with my POV and experience, and what I was kind of saying to the friend I ran into at the grocery store:

"One of the things that I find really heartening is just how many people there are who are coming out and accepting themselves, but also staying within the Catholic Church or other churches that hold to a traditional understanding of sexuality. That’s so different from when I became Catholic. Everything is so different and so much more open, in the sense of a camaraderie that was not there at all when I became Catholic, and it’s really great." - Eve Tushnet, America

Read the entire interview, and if interested, get the book when it comes out.  I think many people will be helped.  Eve Tushnet impresses me as faithful and Catholic.

Over the years a lot of people have left the Church.  Many still do, but as the parable of the wedding banquet tells us - the Lord wants his Church full.  To be in the Church is the right place - if one is improperly dressed (formed) that can be corrected.  It is God who calls.

Something to think about.

Humility

I was reading something from Garrigou-Lagrange on contemplatives and the life of reparation, and came across this on St. Benedict Joseph Labre:

THE LIFE OF REPARATION IN ALL THOSE WHO HAVE A HEAVY CROSS TO CARRY

If the priest ought to be another Christ, the simple Christian should also "take up his cross daily" and offer his sufferings in union with the sacrifice of Jesus perpetuated on the altar. He ought to offer them for himself and for the souls for whose salvation he should work. 

St. Benedict Joseph Labre was not a priest. He did not share, in the real sense of the word, in the priesthood of Christ, but he shared largely in His state as a victim. - Source

I can only hope in his prayers.

My special patron is St. Benedict Joseph.  I just read elsewhere (Wikipedia) that he was a member of the Franciscan Third Order.  He was not.  He was a Cord Bearer, like St. Bernadette, and St. Dominic.  He simply received the Cord of St. Francis at Assisi.

Benedict Joseph wasn't a monk or a religious.  He was a layman.  No initials after his name.  No honors.  Nothing.  He did not even know he was a victim.  He was called to follow the 'way of St. Alexis' - a homeless pilgrim - but it was simply a state in life.  He was a layman.  As such, after death he was enrolled among the saints as a 'Confessor'.  He confessed Christ with his life.  Like Christ, "he had no where to lay his head."  He was a man without status.

More than ever I need to recite this prayer from my heart:

Holy Spirit, inspire me.
Love of God, consume me.
Along the true road, lead me.
Mary my Mother, look upon me.
With Jesus, bless me.
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me. 

"From all illusion, preserve me"

The Prayer is from Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified, the Little Arab, whose feast we celebrate today.  She is another patron of mine.

Extreme Humility

Quick Takes? Isn't that what women bloggers do? My stats are down and so instead of bitching about Kat's hits - I thought I'd do this. What?

7 Quick Takes.


15 reasons why you will never regret sleeping in a bed...

• -I did not read the original articles linked to here, and I suppose I should have written an alternative to fit my editing, but I didn't.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke prophetically about Kat...

• -Kat wrote a post about Islam and got 154 comments - and a reputation.  I think I'm going to apply at Patheos.

The 26 best quotes from C.S. Lewis’ masterpiece "On Golden Pond"...

• -My personal favorite: "Chelsea, you have a great big chip on your shoulder, which is very unattractive."

Don't be a sourpuss. Laughter is a sign of enthusiasm for religion, "The fool lifts up his head in laughter"...

• -Well, it's from The Rule of St. Benedict.  

Can a man have sex after having a vasectomy?

• -What?

 Scandalizing the holier than thou's at coffee and donuts...

• -"So anyway, Corky was shopping for his wife Bonnie. He buys most of her clothes - and Mrs Pearl was in the same shop!"

An airplane legal puzzler: If you're conceived in the sky, does that make you a member of the mile high club?...

• -Now that makes more sense.

*H/T New Advent for never linking to me.

**No Bloggers were harmed by this post.  A link in a link.

Kudos!

This is indefensible.

"The Mass is ended, let's hit the showers!"

Story here.

Sr. Lucia of Fatima, The Secrets, The Apocalypse ... and the need to know.

The sign.

"Let him who has ears heed the Spirit's word to the churches!"

In times of upheaval and turmoil, especially in times of war and revolution, we all search for meaning and understanding.  We look to Heaven, to God.  "An evil generation looks for a sign."  Our Lord said that in the Gospel, establishing for his hearers, and us, what that sign is:  The cross and resurrection.

 An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away. - Matthew 16:4

I think of that passage whenever I read articles trying to correlate  the signs of the times with Scripture and or private revelation and apparitions.  I do it myself.  Just the other day I searched to see what connections I could find between Islam and Our Lady - especially as it concerns Fatima.  Many of us already know Archbishop Sheen's hope for the conversion of Muslims through the influence of Our Lady of Fatima.  Likewise we know Fatima is the name of Mohammed's daughter and the village of Fatima was named after a Muslim convert by the same name.  That legend seems to be interchangeable with another one, which I won't take the time to spell out here.

Did Our Lady say anything about Islam?

As for the Blessed Virgin addressing Islam by name, the only instance I can find is based on a message from Medjugorje.  Although it is believed a Sufi mystic Hasan Shushud predicted the events at Medjugorje one year before the apparitions began.  Likewise Our Lady reportedly revealed:

Responding to the confusion of a Catholic priest over the cure of an Othodox child, Our Lady said: “Tell this priest, tell everyone, that it is you who are divided on earth. The Muslims and the Orthodox, for the same reason as Catholics, are equal before my Son and me. You are all my children. Certainly, all religions are not equal, but all men are equal before God, as St Paul says. It does not suffice to belong to the Catholic Church to be saved, but it is necessary to respect the commandments of God in following one’s conscience. 

“Those who are not Catholics, are no less creatures made in the image of God, and destined to rejoin someday, the House of the Father. Salvation is available to everyone, without exception. Only those who refuse God deliberately are condemned. To him who has been given little, little will be asked for. To whoever has been given much, very much will be required. It is God alone, in His infinite justice who determines the degree of responsibility and pronounces judgement.”(1984) Words from Heaven (Messages of Our Lady from Medjugorje)

This quote pretty much corresponds to things Pope Francis has been saying as well.  Note the clarification: "Certainly, all religions are not equal, but all men are equal before God."

That said, aside from the fact Our Lady has appeared in Muslim countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and so on, nothing supernatural seems to have been revealed warning of Muslim persecution against Christians.  Or at least I can find nothing specific.

The need to know.

We know what is happening throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Indonesia.  Radical Islam is persecuting Christians and other non-Muslims, putting them to death or in some cases actually enslaving captors, seeking ransoms, and so on - much like they did in Medieval times.  Hence, we do not need Heaven to tell us this is occurring in our midst.  If indeed this was 'predicted' or contained in any 'secrets' still awaiting revelation through a dubious locutionist or seer, it's a bit late.

Before Garabandal:  Ramona Olazábal 

Which brings me to my point.  In my searches, I came across a long history of dubious apparitions throughout the 20th century.  A few have characteristics quite similar to Garabandal and Medjugorje (neither of which have been confirmed as supernatural).  An alleged series of apparitions in 1931 took place not far from San Sebastian, a city near Garabandal.  The visionary was Ramona Olazábal and her visions began on the feast of Mt. Carmel, July 16, 1931 at Ezkioga, Spain.  The visions became popular and attracted crowds, but it was said they became corrupted by opportunistic Freemasons and were subsequently politicized.  The apparitions were later condemned.  You can read about them here.

In the 1930's and ever since, a rash of alleged apparitions have been reported in Europe and around the world.  To get a glimpse of the chronology of the many unapproved apparitions, go here.  It is an extraordinary record.  What it demonstrates for me is how ardently human nature seeks what is spiritual in and through supernatural signs and wonders.  It also points out how unreliable mystical phenomena can be, how it is subject to misinterpretation and interference from outside human influences, such as political agendas and monetary interests, in addition to diabolic manipulation.

We still search apocryphal literature and Scripture seeking a sign.  The Book of Revelation, part of the canonical apocrypha is often subject to multiple interpretations in order to discern 'where we are at' in our time as concerns war and chastisement and natural disasters.  In the Book of Revelation it is the spectacular signs and wonders which grab our attention and inspire our fantasies, getting our adrenaline pumping.  Unfortunately we can miss the essential call, or intended message, because we are too absorbed looking for signs of the chastisement instead.

Apparition site, Ezkioga, Spain 1931

"The part necessary for the people to know was already known since 1917."

This has never been more obvious than when it comes to the Fatima message.  The mysterious third secret has preoccupied many since 1960.  What horror did it foretell? What disaster?  What schism?  What terror?  Has the chastisement begun?  Hence every 'new' writing to emerge adds to the drama, the speculation of apocalypse now.  It attracts and stimulates the curiosity of many of us, even non-Catholics, neo-pagans, as well as occultists.  It is the spectacular which attracts us - we want a sign.

Like the message of Fatima, the essential part of the Book of Revelation is a call to faithfulness, a call to repentance - as well as a sign of hope, a promise of triumph.  The visions contained in the two first chapters spell out for us the need to repent and believe.  In the first two chapters, Our Lord calls the churches to repentance, ending each rebuke with the caution:

"Let him who has ears heed the Spirit's word to the churches!"

Yet so many of us focus upon the hidden secrets - the apocalyptic events - the action-scenes and drama.  Just as we do with apparitions and private revelation.  Just like we do with Fatima.

Yet Sr. Lucia, the one seer deputed by Heaven to spread the message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, explained in her writings and before she died, it was not for me to interpret the meaning of the secret, but to relate the contents.  The Vatican archives affirms that.  Yet it seems this is not enough for the curious.

An anecdote from the writings of Sr. Lucia says it well:

Sr. Lucia explained that Our Lady told her in 1917 that part of the secret was not to be revealed until 1927; the threat of punishment was included in this part  When asked about the fact that this had not been published, she replied: "After all, this was not for the Bishop to publish since the communication had been made to the Pope.  The part necessary for the people to know was already known since 1917."

The authentic, approved messages from Heaven echo the Gospel:

"Repent and believe."

In other words, the part necessary for people to know was already known since the beginning of Christ's proclamation and Peter's confession of faith.

In the Gospels the word penance means a conversion of one's life, a turning away from sin, and a turning back to God. As Our Lady insisted at Fatima: "Men must amend their lives, and ask pardon for their sins. . . . They must no longer offend Our Lord, Who is already so much offended." The Fatima message is a call for men to give up sinful practices which grieve God and draw down His chastisements on the world, and to make reparation for them. Commenting on Our Lady's request for penance, Sr. Lucia wrote: "The part of the last apparition which has remained most deeply imprinted on my heart is the prayer of our heavenly Mother begging us not to offend any more Almighty God, Who is already so much offended." - Source

That is what we need to know.