|
FATIMA
A Reserved Note of
L.F. Capovilla
17
May 1967 |
Thursday the 27th of June 1963,
I was on duty in the Anticamera in the Vatican [the outer office
where the Pope meets various persons]. Paul VI in the early
morning received among others, Cardinal Fernando Cento (who had
been Papal Nuncio to Portugal) and shortly afterwards the Bishop
of Leiria Monsignor Joao [John] Pereira Venancio. Upon leaving,
the Bishop asked for “a special blessing for Sister Lucy”.
It is evident that during the audience,
they spoke about Fatima. In fact in the afternoon the Sostituto
[the Substitute Secretary of State] Monsignor Angelo Dell’Acqua
telephoned me on Via Casilina (I was a temporary guest of the Sisters
of the “Poverelle”):
“I am looking for the package [plico] of Fatima. Do you know
where it is kept?”
“It was in the drawer on the right hand side of the desk,
named ‘Barbarigo’1, in the [Papal] bedroom.”
One hour later Dell’Acqua called
me back: “Everything is okay. The envelope [plico] has been
found.”
Friday morning (28 June) between one meeting
and another Paul VI asked me:
“How come on the envelope there is your (Capovilla’s)
name?”
“John XXIII asked me to write a note regarding how the envelope
arrived in his hands with the names of all those to whom he felt
he should make it known.”
“Did he make any comment?”
“No, nothing except what I wrote on the outer file [involucro]: ‘I
leave it to others to comment or decide.’”2
“Did he later ever return to the subject?”
“No, never. However the devotion of Fatima remained alive
in him.”
1. It is called thus because it belonged to St. Gregory Barbarigo.
The Pope received it as a gift from Co. Gius. Dalla Torre
(1960).
2. See the attatched note of agenda of John XXIII, 10 November
1959.
From the Agenda of 1959
of John XXIII, 10 November, Feast of St. Andrew Avellino
[handwritten note of John XXIII]
1. Consistory 14-17 December with the creation of eight
Cardinals.
2. Joao Pereira Venancio, born 1904, titular Bishop of
Eurea di Epireo 1954 | Bishop of Leiria 1958.
[The text below is a translation of Capovilla’s typewritten copy
of John XXIII’s handwritten original document shown above.]
Interesting conversations with C.S.S.
(Cardinal Secretary of State) in preparation for the consistory
and with young Bishop of Leiria – the Bishop of Fatima – Monsignor
J. Pereira Venancio. We have spoken at length of the seer
of Fatima, who is now a good religious at Coimbra. The Holy
Office will take care of everything to a good end.
Return to
Table
of Contents
|