Fatima 2000
The Third Fatima Congress
Rome November 18-24, 1996
RESOLUTIONS
WHEREAS, the members of this Congress - priests, bishops and
laity-are endowed with the natural right, and the right inherent
in their status as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, to form
associations for pious works, to express their views on matters
affecting the common good of the Church, and to have recourse by
petition to the Supreme Pontiff; and
WHEREAS, these rights of clergy and laity are recognized by the
1983 Code of Canon Law, the decrees of the Second Vatican Council
on the life of clergy and the apostolate of the laity, as well
as its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium[Canons
208-223, 278 and 299] and the decrees of the First Vatican Council
and the Second Council of Lyons defining the right of the faithful
to have recourse to the Pope and
WHEREAS, the members of this Congress wish to express in the
form of resolutions their concerns on matters pertaining to the
Message of Fatima, the status of the Marian apostolate which sponsored
this conference and its President, Father Nicholas Gruner, and
further wish hereby to make petition to His Holiness John Paul
II for certain relief in regard to these matters,
NOW, THEREFORE, does the Third Fatima Congress hereby
adopt the following resolutions:
I. FOR DISCLOSURE OF THE THIRD SECRET OF FATIMA
WHEREAS, it is the sense of this Congress that the Church is
currently undergoing a crisis of faith and discipline in many quarters;
and
WHEREAS, the members of this Congress share the conviction of
many of the faithful that the Third Secret of Fatima contains a
warning about the current crisis in the Church which identifies
the cause of the crisis and points to its resolution; and
WHEREAS, the members of this Congress sincerely believe that
the Third Secret was meant to be disclosed to the Church as a whole
and indeed the entire world, as in the case of the first two Secrets
and the admonitions contained in prior authenticated apparitions
of Our Lady at La Salette, France, Akita, Japan and elsewhere;
BE IT THEREFORE,
RESOLVED, that in view of the current crisis of faith
and discipline in many quarters of the Church today, this Congress
petition the Holy See for disclosure of the Third Secret Fatima
to the faithful for the light it may shed on the current state
of the Church.
II. FOR THE COLLEGIAL CONSECRATION OF RUSSIA
WHEREAS, this Congress shares the conviction of many of the faithful
that the collegial Consecration of Russia, and specifically Russia,
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the Pope together with all the
bishops of the world on the same day and at the same hour, as requested
by Our Lady of Fatima, is God's appointed means to bring peace
to the Church and to a warring world; and
WHEREAS, this Congress likewise shares the conviction of many
of the faithful that the Consecration of Russia in the manner requested
by Our Lady has yet to be done, and that as a consequence Russia
has not converted and continues to spread her errors throughout
the world;
BE IT THEREFORE,
RESOLVED, that this Congress petition the Holy See
for the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary by all the Catholic bishops of the world together with
the Holy Father on the same day and at the same hour, and that
the Holy See set a date certain for the consecration.
III. FOR STUDY OF THE APPROVED MARIAN APPARITIONS
WHEREAS, the Church has authenticated apparitions of the Virgin
Mary at La Salette, Fatima, Akita and elsewhere which contain grave
warnings for the faithful and the world, and spiritual instructions
of great profit to the faithful; and
WHEREAS, by authenticating said apparitions the Church has deemed
them worthy of belief as messages from Heaven which ought to be
studied and heeded by the faithful;
BE IT THEREFORE
RESOLVED, that this Congress petition the Holy See
for an instruction to bishops, priests and laity on the need for
greater attention to and study of the messages contained in the
authenticated apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the past two centuries,
and most especially the Message of Fatima.
IV. FOR DEFINITIVE APPROVAL OF THE FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS
WHEREAS, Our Lady of Fatima revealed to the three seers the First
Saturday devotions by the faithful observance of which the faithful
may avoid Hell; and
WHEREAS, the First Saturday devotions are contained in the Roman
Missals used by the faithful prior to promulgation of the new order
of Mass and the new Roman missal by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and 1970;
and
WHEREAS, confusion exists in the minds of many of the faithful
concerning the status of the First Saturday devotions in the life
of the Church;
BE IT THEREFORE
RESOLVED, that this Congress petition the Holy Father
to promote the First Saturday devotions in connection with the
collegial consecration of Russia, thereby securing their place
in the life of the Church.
V. FOR INSTRUCTION IN THE ROSARY FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND CONVERTS
WHEREAS, the Holy Rosary has constantly been recommended by the
Church as an efficacious means of remaining steadfast in the Faith
and combating evil by the grace of God; and
WHEREAS, Our Lady of Fatima requested the faithful to pray the
daily Rosary to convert souls and to stay the hand of God from
rendering that chastisement which the sins of mankind deserve;
and
WHEREAS, it appears that in many quarters of the Church the Holy
Rosary is no longer being taught to Catholic schoolchildren or
converts, or prayed in Catholic schools;
BE IT THEREFORE
RESOLVED, that this Congress petition the Holy See
to issue an instruction directing all Catholic elementary schools
and Catholic catechetical programs to teach children and converts
how to pray the Rosary, and further directing Catholic school authorities
to provide for the daily Rosary in Catholic schools.
VI. FOR AN END TO THE PERSECUTION OF FATHER NICHOLAS GRUNER
AND HIS APOSTOLATE
WHEREAS, for many years Father Nicholas Gruner has engaged in
a Marian apostolate devoted to the Message of Fatima with the consent
of three successive bishops of Avellino; and
WHEREAS, the apostolate has been instrumental in keeping alive
among the faithful, and extending awareness of, the Message of
Our Lady of Fatima; and
WHEREAS, the apostolate is fully in accord with the natural rights
of the faithful to form private associations for pious works and
to express their concerns to the sacred pastors and to each other
about matters affecting the common good of the Church; and
WHEREAS, Father Gruner has in recent years been subjected to
interventions by certain Vatican officials who wish to silence
him and the apostolate by denying him incardination by several
benevolent bishops who wish to foster his work, and thereby forcing
him to return to the Diocese of Avellino after an approved absence
of more than 16 years; and
WHEREAS, it is the sense of this Congress that Father Gruner
and his apostolate have been subjected by said Vatican officials
to persecution on account of their legitimate activities and their
legitimate convictions about the urgent need for the collegial
Consecration of Russia and disclosure of the Third Secret;
BE IT THEREFORE
RESOLVED, that this Congress petition the Holy Father
for an end to the persecution of Father Nicholas Gruner by said
Vatican officials, and for a declaration by His Holiness that Father
Gruner always has been, and remains, a priest in good standing
who may continue to pursue his apostolate under the auspices of
any of those bishops who have wished to foster it, and that neither
the apostolate nor its members need any permission of ecclesiastical
authority for their activities in promoting devotion to Our Lady
of Fatima and adherence to the Message of Fatima;
And further,
BE IT THEREFORE
RESOLVED, that this Congress petition the Holy Father
to grant Father Gruner a private audience to discuss his situation
and to present the Holy Father with his legitimate concerns regarding
the Message of Fatima.
VII. FOR A DECLARATION ON THE RIGHT TO CELEBRATE THE TRADITIONAL
LATIN MASS
WHEREAS, it is the conviction of many of the faithful who are
devoted to Our Lady of Fatima that the traditional liturgy of the
Roman Rite, commonly referred to as the "Tridentine Mass", ought
to be available in any parish where the faithful desire it, and
WHEREAS it does not appear that any law of the Church actually
forbids celebration of the Tridentine Mass but that, on the contrary,
our Holy Father decreed in his 1988 apostolic letter Ecclesia
Dei that it should be made widely and generously available
to the faithful who request it;
BE IT THEREFORE,
RESOLVED, that this Congress petition the Holy Father
to decree, by a further apostolic letter if necessary, that any
parish priest in the Roman Rite who wishes to do so has the right
to celebrate the Tridentine Mass.
ADOPTED THIS 23TH DAY OF NOVEMBER
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1996
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