It has been the contention of a number of well regarded prophecy scholars that the coming New Age would be led in by the worship of Mary. Of course, this would not be the Mary of Scripture, but rather a figure that is cobbled together from legends of the faiths. We have seen how over the course of time, as the Catholic Encyclopedia phrased it, a “cultus of Mary”, along with the trappings of idol worship took hold; – both in Rome and in the Eastern Orthodox churches. That hold is increasing even today. Now it is beginning to cut across not only denominational but religious lines. The notion of Mary as a near-godlike figure is beginning to serve as the uniting force between Catholic & Protestant & Hindu & New Age Goddess worshipers & even Muslims. All of this is fed by the ‘Apparitions Phenomena’ that are increasing in frequency and scope. Where will it lead?
“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24) “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (2Corinthians 11:14)
Archbishop Sheen, Catholic spokesman and TV personality nonpareil of the 1950’ & 60’s offered a very interesting insight on the conjunction of reported Marian apparitions and the Catholic Church’s drive to unite the religions of the world. “Our Lady has been chosen to be known by the name of FATIMA, which was the name of the daughter of Mohammed, because She has come not only for the conversion of Russia but also for the millions of Mohammedans…without whom there could never be true world peace.” [i] Fatima, Portugal, you may know, is the site of the most famous Marian apparitions that occurred beginning in May of 1917. Author, filmmaker and researcher LA Marzulli sees those events as setting the stage for the Great Deception of the last days. Here’s a bit of the story.
According to Catholic sources, Mary, the mother of Jesus began appearing to three children at Fatima, named Lúcia dos Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto, her cousins. Before first encountering the woman that is taken to be Mary, the children had been visited by a figure claiming to be the “Angel of Peace,” beginning in 1916. The first apparition Marian apparition took place on May 13, 1917. As described by the Catholic News Agency, the children saw a woman “brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal goblet filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun…. Lucia asked her where she came from and she responded, ‘I come from Heaven.’”[ii] But though the Catholic Church has ruled this to be a legitimate apparition, there is much evidence against it.
To start with, the appearance had been predicted by two unconnected spiritualist sources. New Dawn Magazine documented that “prior to their occurrence, the Fatima apparitions were predicted on the pages of at least four of Portugal’s most prominent daily newspapers.” The predictions were the result of the occult activity of automatic writing. One of the spiritualist ‘prophets,’ Madame Keech, described it this way. “I felt a heat throughout my arm, up to my shoulder… I had the impression that they were trying to get my attention. Without knowing why, I picked up a nearby pencil and piece of paper. My hand began to write in a script that was not my own…. She wrote the words of the message that she dictated from right to left and inverted, so that they could only be read by placing the note in front of a mirror.” It read in part, “The day of May 13th will be one of great happiness for the good souls of the world.” It was signed, – (in a different handwriting, by the way) – Stella Matutina, which means morning star.[iii] That is a term that is both applied to Jesus in Revelation 22:16 and Satan or Lucifer, in Isaiah 14:12
So here’s how this think works as described by LA Marzulli. So the three kids see this lady and she speaks with them telepathically. But only Lucia and Jacinta see and hear her. Now this recurs every month on the 13th. Their parish priest thinks the apparitions are demonic in nature. The lady says she is ‘from the sky’ and she ‘never identifies herself as Mary.’ Now, the Catholic authorities wanted a sign, so the children asked her for one. So the apparition told them that there would be a sign at noon on October 13th. Now the word had spread of the events at Fatima, so the next month over 70,000 people from all walks of life came to see what would happen. Marzulli writes: “The appointed time for the ‘sign’ to manifest, which was noon, came and went, and nothing happened. The crowd grew restless. An hour passed and one of the ‘seers’ called out, ‘It’s the Lady.’ The crowd could not see her, but the children apparently did, and everyone waited to see what would happen next. The dark sky suddenly parted to reveal what many onlookers described as “the sun.” It spun around throwing off an array of colors and then, to the terror of everyone, began to fall in a pendulum like motion to earth. What followed was mass hysteria, as people thought the end of world was upon them. Some dropped to their knees, while others ran about screaming hysterically. (This event is now called, ‘the Miracle of the Sun.’) The ‘sun’ then began to ascend to its rightful place in the heavens, and when it had departed, the crowd realized that their clothes, which had been soaked by the constant rain, were dry. Most everyone in the crowd that day had his or her worldview altered for all time—many choosing to believe in the apparition that called herself the Lady from Heaven.”[iv]
It’s interesting though that it was later reported that when the Sun was supposedly falling, a “disk-like object” was seen spinning” and flying by. Three ‘entities’ within the craft were seen to be waving.[v] Further research by Marzulli revealed deeper insights into the phenomenon. “When the entity appeared to the children people heard a buzzing noise like that of a beehive. This sound has been reported in UFO encounters. What created the buzzing sound and why is the same sound heard when people have contact with UFOs? The entity, that appeared to the children communicated with them but only Lucia, the eldest girl and Jacinta, could see and hear her! Francisco could see her but could not hear what the entity was saying. What most people don’t know is this entity gave the children “something” to eat and drink. Lucia and Jacinta ate and drank but Francisco only ate! Is this the reason he could not hear what the entity was saying?”
And then there is one more thing. There was a fourth witness. She was not discovered until decades later, in Fatima. Her name is Carolina Carrera and she was 12 at the time. “Carolina was tending the sheep and suddenly saw a blond-haired figure by the same tree that the entity would later appear over. This blond-haired figure called to Carolina requesting her to come. Carolina could not tell if it was a boy or a girl as the entity’s hair came down to its shoulders. There’s another important fact to consider and it is this; there are no blond-haired children in Portugal. Carolina turned to look at the sheep and when she looked back to see the blond-haired figure it was gone. She searched for it and then to her amazement it was standing above the tree in mid-air, which of course is impossible.” LA Marzulli concluded from this that there was “something supernatural” going on at Fatima. But it wasn’t from God.[vi] There was this “androgynous entity with long blonde hair….sheep were paralyzed,” the being is floating over a tree – and oh yeah, when the fly-by occurred, cars exploded and fires were started. These are things that have been reported at UFO events.[vii]
There are a couple of scriptures here that come to mind as applying to the entire apparition’s phenomena. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.” (2Thessalonians 2:9) (KJV) “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (2Corinthians 11:14”
And so, this constructed Marian personality has captured the imaginations of Catholics and Orthodox and even some Christians of other denominations. Now it has spread across theologies to Muslims, and Hindu, – and others. One writer described her as “the one entity that can unite all of mankind under one religious umbrella.”[viii] Take for instance the reported apparitions of Mary at Fatima, Portugal in 1917. A figure claiming to be Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary to be exact, was seen there by 3 children in multiple apparitions and tens of thousands were witnesses to some form of the event. Many of those witnesses reported seeing the sun zig-zag and plunge toward the earth before resuming its normal place in the sky. Mary is said to have revealed three secrets there to the children, and we’ll discuss those later. For now, let it be said that what happened at Fatima were signal events in modern Catholic belief.[ix] That said, it is what has happened since that is amazing. In 2004 Portuguese media covered what was described as an “uncommon ecumenical experience” when about
60 Hindus arrived at the Fatima Shrine and conducted a religious ritual. The Hindus see Mary here as a manifestation or one of their gods.[x] In 1992 over 500,000 Muslims turned out to venerate a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, in Bombay, India.[xi]
Then there is Egypt. The late 1960’s saw multiple apparitions by Mary at a Coptic Church on the outskirts of Cairo. Muslims and Christians alike flocked to see the apparitions.[xii] One woman was quoted as saying, “There were Muslims and Christians, and everyone was as one, one religion together”. The events were broadcast by Egyptian TV, professionally photographed and “personally witnessed” by Egyptian President Nasser.[xiii] Viewing the photos, I saw a floating, praying woman, bathed in light with halos and doves; – very much reminiscent of a holograph. Yet that was not the end of Mary in Egypt. In 2000 and 2001 there were appearances in Assuit, in Upper Egypt.[xiv] In the case of the events in Zeitoun, outside Cairo, it was reported that Muslims collapsed, prayed and wept, before the appearance of the “lady composed of light,”[xv] And so the words of Bishop Sheen seem prophetic indeed: As do those of the late Pope John Paul who believed that Mary would be the key to joining the Catholic and Muslim faiths.[xvi]
You must understand that the Archbishop and the Pope knew of what they spoke. There is an interesting connection between the Catholic and Islamic views of Mary. She is mentioned over 30 times in the Koran. That is more than in the Bible. She is said to be the #1 woman in heaven. Interestingly, the woman who is to rank #2 is Mohammed’s own daughter named Fatima.[xvii] It is through her and her husband Ali that the Shiite branch of Islam is descended and from which the Mahdi is to come.
Now beginning in 1981 in Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Hercegovina, there seems to have been an explosion of Marian apparitions. This phenomenon is being reported in not only Catholic nations but Hindu and Islamic ones as well. Egypt, Syria, Israel, Australia, Africa, Japan and Iraq are included.[xviii] At Medjugore she appeared as the Queen of Peace. Since that time her message has been consistent: Peace, Unity, Tolerance. Muslims and Orthodox are all “equal before my Son…You are all my children”.[xix] These apparitions are accompanied by miraculous events. There are healings and the sun dances and spins in the sky. That ‘miracle of the sun’, first seen at Fatima, has been reportedly repeated at “dozens of locations” and seen by “literally millions”. About 100,000 saw it in Puerto Rico in 1993, – about 120,000 in Ecuador two years later. These are but confirmations to those faithful in her redeeming / healing powers. She is calling for the unity of the entire planet. So a movement has begun, naming her the Lady of All Nations. But this Mary has told her followers that unity will only come when she is recognized as equal with Jesus in the work of Redemption; – When she is named Co-Redemptrix. It follows then that her followers have petitioned the Pope to do just that.[xx] [xxi]
The practical outworking of all of this can be seen in almost all of the Muslim nations of the Middle East. Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Muslim are all united in a growing veneration of Mary. The presence of Catholic schools and even the prayers of priests are accepted and held in high esteem by the Islamic population.[xxii] Mainline Protestant churches too are jumping on the bandwagon. A Methodist church on the south side of Chicago is one example. Individually, many Protestants are adapting personal Marian devotions.[xxiii] Millions from all denominations flock to the sites where Mary is said to have appeared. They are seeking physical healing, and spiritual comfort, denomination and theology are no barriers. Mary is fast becoming the ‘Great Uniter’.
The Proof Is In The Message
The testimony of countless witnesses numbering in the millions is quite impressive. But what is it that they are seeing? Let us test the spirits to see. There is that Medjugore message. All are equal before the Son. All are her children. Another message given by the apparition at Medjugore, – which according to the official website is but an extension of the apparitions at Fatima, – proclaimed that “all religions are good before God.” She also said; “division by the religions is caused by man, not God.”[xxiv] The late Pope John Paul II totally committed himself to fulfilling the unity called for by the visions of Our Lady of Fatima. The Pope in fact dedicated his life completely to Mary, (interestingly not to Jesus). John Paul was driven by that call for ecumenism demanded by the Marian apparitions. In Manila in 1981 he spoke of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of those outside of the Christian Faith. After the World Day of Prayer for Peace held in Assisi in 1986, John Paul confirmed the “universal presence of the Holy Spirit” claiming that the Holy Spirit is “mysteriously present in the heart of every person, Christian or otherwise.”[xxv] That however, is not what the Bible teaches.
It was at Assisi that the claimed head of all of Christendom prayed with members of 120 various religions, – each praying to their god or gods. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews, and the Dalai Lama – who calls himself a god, were all there. They were joined by Christian leaders from dozens of denominations as well as “fire worshiping Zoroastrians”, African animists worshiping spirits and nature, American Indians and Japanese Shinto.[xxvi] It was a great display of ecumenical tolerance. There was just one problem: To whom were they all praying. The whole notion, – just as the notion of ‘Mary’s’ calls for unity outside of Christ; – are terribly unbiblical. Scripture is clear on this. God’s people are to be called out from the world. Paul so aptly asked the Corinthians, “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.” (2Corinthians 6:14-16)
Despite “Mary’s” claims at Medjugore, the Bible tells us that the right to become children of God is reserved for those that believe in His Son. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12) Jesus expanded on this while talking to the Pharisees later in His ministry. Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42) Then Jesus drew a clear line of distinction between those that accept Him and those that do not. “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” (John 8:44) The message that ‘All ways to God are the same’, – may be a message of the New Age and of the Marian apparitions, – but it was never a message of Jesus. As Christ told Nicodemus: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This message of ‘Mary’ does not stand the test of the Bible.
All of these supposed Marian apparitions have created a problem even in some Catholic circles that recognize the variance that some messages have with Biblical revelation. One Catholic writer warns that “private apparitions can detract from our path to knowing God, by placing too much emphasis on someone other than Christ.”[xxvii] The fact is, there is not a single instance of a Marian apparition to be found in the Bible. I make this point again: Even the Catholic Encyclopedia admits that this “cultus of Mary” was not present in the early Church. The Mary that has been put forward by Rome is not the Mary of the Bible.
In fact, much Catholic teaching about Mary is not only – not in the Bible; – but it contradicts what the Bible does say. Rome teaches the Immaculate Conception, yet Romans 3:23 tells us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Though the Vatican calls her Co-Redemptrix, Luke 1:47 records that Mary confessed her own need of salvation, saying “my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Yet Catholic teaching has evolved over the centuries, making Mary a near equal figure with God Himself. As the Bible tells us Jesus was sinless, so Rome tells us Mary was too. As 1Timothy 2:5 states there is “one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” Catholics teach that she is a mediatrix. Scripture teaches Jesus ascended and Rome adds that Mary was ‘Assumed’. We know Christ is the King; they claim Mary is the Queen.[xxviii]
The Mary of the Bible is a humble faithful woman, always interested in glorifying her Lord. The Mary of the apparitions often seeks her own glory, demanding the building of shrines and prayers directed to her. Yet in John 16:26-28, Jesus tells us that we have direct access to the Father Himself. The Mary of the apparitions and even the miracles of the apparitions are of a different order than those Christ performed. Christ offered no showy ‘sun dances’ to validate his messages; – but pointedly refused to give in to the Pharisees demands for such demonstrations (see Matthew 12:38-39)[xxix]
While the real Mary, mother of the Messiah is a woman to be respected and honored and imitated, – I respectfully suggest here that the Mary of the apparitions may indeed be a manifestation of the demonic. Her message may indeed be leading people away from the truth of the Gospel and the sufficiency of God’s work on the Cross. We are warned that “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (2Corinthians 11:14) “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.” (2Thessalonians 2:9) “to deceive, if possible even the elect.” (Mark 13:22) But what has been seen by the witnesses to these so-called Marian apparitions? Only power, signs, wonders and a dancing sun et al.
[i] Human Interest Stories From The Life Of The Archbishop, Archbishop Fulton J Sheen, Cause of Canonization of the Servant of God
[ii] Our Lady of Fatima, Catholic News Agency, viewed February 17, 2020
[iii] JOAQUIM FERNANDES & FINA D’ARMADA, The Psychics Who Predicted Fatima, New Dawn, Special Issue 9, September 2009
[iv] LA Marzulli, Fatima: The 91st Anniversary: Mary or a UFO, September 30, 2008
[v] LA Marzulli, True Legends Conference, Branson, MO, September 13-15, 2019
[vi] LA Marzulli, Fatima 2 – We have what may be the Smoking Gun…, April 4, 2018
[vii] LA Marzulli, True Legends Conference, Branson, MO, September 13-15, 2019
[viii] Darrell G Young, Mary: Icon of Religious Unity and Peace, Focus On Jerusalem, 2002
[ix] Our Lady of Fatima, Wikipedia
[x] Michael Prabhu, Metamorphose, India, July 8 & May 9, 2004
[xi] TA McMahon, Mary Who?, The Berean Call, October 1, 2000
[xii] Darrell G Young, Mary: Icon of Religious Unity and Peace, Focus On Jerusalem, 2002
[xiii] Amargi Hillier, Egypt’s 1960’s Remarkable Virgin Mary Sightings, Tour Egypt
[xiv] Mary’s Icon Miraculous Egypt, Theotokia, site monitored April 13, 2007
[xv] TA McMahon, Mary Who?, The Berean Call, October 1, 2000
[xvi] Darrell G Young, Mary: Icon of Religious Unity and Peace, Focus On Jerusalem, 2002
[xvii] Chuck Missler, Who Was Mary?, The Islamic Mary, Koinia House, 1997
[xviii] Jim Tetlow, Roger Oakland, Brad Myers, Queen of All, chapter one: Apparitions
[xix] Richard J Beyer, Medjugorje Day By Day, Ave Maria Press, 1993 & Dr Joe Van Koevering, From a lecture entitled: The Pope, The Prophecy and The Promise, given at the International Prophecy Conference 2007
[xx] Jim Tetlow, Roger Oakland, Brad Myers, Queen of All, chapter one: Apparitions
[xxi] Josef Kunzli editor, The Messages of Our Lady of All Nations, Queenship Publishing, 1996, pg 85
[xxii] Perry Stone, The Pope, The Eagle And The Iron Sickle, Voice of Evangelism, 2006, pgs 77-78
[xxiii] David Van Biema, Hail Mary, Time Magazine, March 21, 2005
[xxiv] Kenneth R Samples, A Protestant Look at a Catholic Phenomenon: Part Two, Christian Research Journal, Spring 1991
[xxv] Donald Ward, Religious Deception in the Post Modern World, World News & Prophecy, Beyond Today Magazine, July 22, 2010
[xxvi] Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Colorado, October 28, 1986, as reported by Way of Life Ministries, 2001
[xxvii] Jennifer Dierker, Marian Apparitions: Truth or Trouble?
[xxviii] Donald Ward, Religious Deception in the Post Modern World, World News & Prophecy
[xxix] Ibid.
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