Reflecting on the horrors of hell
can help us to avoid ending
up there
can help us to avoid ending
up there
What are we to make of the vision of hell which was seen
by the Fatima children on July 13, 1917?
by the Fatima children on July 13, 1917?
The vision was revealed in Sister Lucia’s Third Memoir
– which was written in the summer of 1941 – when she
stated that she was going to reveal the first two parts
of the Fatima secret, and that the first part of this
secret was the vision of hell.
– which was written in the summer of 1941 – when she
stated that she was going to reveal the first two parts
of the Fatima secret, and that the first part of this
secret was the vision of hell.
This is how she describes it:
“Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed
to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons
and souls in human form, like transparent burning
embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating
about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by
the flames that issued from within themselves together
with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every
side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or
equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and
despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with
fear. The demons could be distinguished by their
terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and
unknown animals, all black and transparent.”
to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons
and souls in human form, like transparent burning
embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating
about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by
the flames that issued from within themselves together
with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every
side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or
equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and
despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with
fear. The demons could be distinguished by their
terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and
unknown animals, all black and transparent.”
After this horrifying vision, Sister Lucia went on to say:
“This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever
be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who
had already prepared us by promising, in the first
Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think
we would have died of fear and terror.”
be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who
had already prepared us by promising, in the first
Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think
we would have died of fear and terror.”
Clearly, this vision was very brief, but very powerful
and indeed terrifying. Sr Lucia then says:
and indeed terrifying. Sr Lucia then says:
“We then looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so kindly
and so sadly: ‘You have seen hell where the souls of
poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish
in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what
I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there
will be peace.’ ”
and so sadly: ‘You have seen hell where the souls of
poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish
in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what
I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there
will be peace.’ ”
Our Lady then went on to outline what needed to be done
if souls would indeed be saved and peace given to the
world – that is the second part of the secret.
if souls would indeed be saved and peace given to the
world – that is the second part of the secret.
The first point to make about this vision is that it strongly
affirms the existence of hell, a fact which has been
downplayed by some Catholics in recent years; the vision
seen by the children, though, and the whole of Catholic
tradition are opposed to that type of thinking. And in
addition, Jesus mentions hell a number of times in
the New Testament, and in quite graphic terms.
affirms the existence of hell, a fact which has been
downplayed by some Catholics in recent years; the vision
seen by the children, though, and the whole of Catholic
tradition are opposed to that type of thinking. And in
addition, Jesus mentions hell a number of times in
the New Testament, and in quite graphic terms.
For example, in St Mark’s Gospel, after describing
various sins that would make a person worthy of going
to hell, such as corrupting little children, or using
parts of the body for sinful purposes, he says: “And if
your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for
you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than
with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:42-48)
various sins that would make a person worthy of going
to hell, such as corrupting little children, or using
parts of the body for sinful purposes, he says: “And if
your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for
you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than
with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:42-48)
In St Matthew’s Gospel, in the parable of the sower, Jesus
uses the weeds and the wheat of the parable as symbolic of
the lost and the saved, saying: “Gather the weeds first and
bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the
wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:30).
uses the weeds and the wheat of the parable as symbolic of
the lost and the saved, saying: “Gather the weeds first and
bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the
wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:30).
There is a reference to the traditional concept of hell
here in the fact that the weeds are burned.
here in the fact that the weeds are burned.
Later on, Jesus explained the meaning of this parable to
his disciples, saying:
his disciples, saying:
“Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire,
so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will
send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom
all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into
the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their
teeth.” (Matt 13:40-42)
so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will
send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom
all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into
the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their
teeth.” (Matt 13:40-42)
So from these and other scriptural passages we get a
general picture of hell as a place of eternal punishment,
a punishment involving fire, a never-ending fire, and
also as a place of remorse and despair.
general picture of hell as a place of eternal punishment,
a punishment involving fire, a never-ending fire, and
also as a place of remorse and despair.
Thus the thought of hell is meant to be a sobering one
for us, and one we should take seriously. The vision of
hell certainly made a very strong impression on the
Fatima seers, and particularly on Jacinta, as Sister
Lucia further relates:
for us, and one we should take seriously. The vision of
hell certainly made a very strong impression on the
Fatima seers, and particularly on Jacinta, as Sister
Lucia further relates:
“The vision of hell filled her with horror to such a degree,
that every penance and mortification was as nothing
in her eyes, if it could only prevent souls from going there.”
that every penance and mortification was as nothing
in her eyes, if it could only prevent souls from going there.”
In fact, hell became a preoccupation of young Jacinta.
One time she exclaimed:
One time she exclaimed:
“Oh, hell! hell! How sorry I am for the souls who go to
hell! And the people down there, burning alive, like
wood in the fire!”
hell! And the people down there, burning alive, like
wood in the fire!”
Lucia tells us that, she would then kneel down with
her hands joined, and recite the prayer that Our
Lady had taught them: “O my Jesus! Forgive
us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls
to heaven, especially those who are most in need.”
her hands joined, and recite the prayer that Our
Lady had taught them: “O my Jesus! Forgive
us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls
to heaven, especially those who are most in need.”
At other times, she asked her cousin: “Why
doesn’t Our Lady show hell to sinners? If they
saw it, they would not sin, so as to avoid going
there! You must tell Our Lady to show hell to
all the people. You’ll see how they will be
converted.”
doesn’t Our Lady show hell to sinners? If they
saw it, they would not sin, so as to avoid going
there! You must tell Our Lady to show hell to
all the people. You’ll see how they will be
converted.”
Before she died, Jacinta spent some time at an orphanage
in Lisbon. The Sister in charge, who was known as
Mother Godinho, was able to talk to Jacinta. In
some cases, it seems that the things Jacinta spoke
of came from Our Lady, but in others they resulted from
the infused wisdom with which the little girl was g
ifted. In fact, Mother Godinho asked Jacinta about
this, saying, ‘Who taught you these things?’ to which
she responded, ‘Our Lady, but some of them
I thought myself. I love to think.’
in Lisbon. The Sister in charge, who was known as
Mother Godinho, was able to talk to Jacinta. In
some cases, it seems that the things Jacinta spoke
of came from Our Lady, but in others they resulted from
the infused wisdom with which the little girl was g
ifted. In fact, Mother Godinho asked Jacinta about
this, saying, ‘Who taught you these things?’ to which
she responded, ‘Our Lady, but some of them
I thought myself. I love to think.’
Jacinta reportedly told Mother Godinho that many
people went to hell because of “sins of the flesh”.
She also apparently said that certain fashions
would be introduced which would be very offensive
to Our Lord.
people went to hell because of “sins of the flesh”.
She also apparently said that certain fashions
would be introduced which would be very offensive
to Our Lord.
Clearly we are living in a time when sexual immorality
and immodest fashions are widespread, so these
points very much apply to our age.
and immodest fashions are widespread, so these
points very much apply to our age.
We are not likely to see either heaven or hell in this
life, but in the first part of the Fatima secret
we have been given a clear reiteration of hell’s
existence and horror. Like Jacinta, we need
to mediate on hell – in our case so as to ensure
that we don’t end up going there.
life, but in the first part of the Fatima secret
we have been given a clear reiteration of hell’s
existence and horror. Like Jacinta, we need
to mediate on hell – in our case so as to ensure
that we don’t end up going there.
Donal Anthony Foley is the author of a number of books on Marian Apparitions, and maintains a related web site at www.theotokos.org.uk. He has also a written a time-travel/adventure book for young people
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