Miracle of the Sun

Miracle of the Sun

The Miracle of the Sun is reported to have occurred on 13 October 1917 in Fátima, Portugal. The event was in response to a prophecy made by three shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto. The prophecy was that the Virgin Mary would appear and perform miracles on that date. According to many witnesses, after a period of rain, the dark clouds broke and the Sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc.

About Miracle of the Sun in brief

Summary Miracle of the SunThe Miracle of the Sun is reported to have occurred on 13 October 1917 in Fátima, Portugal. The event was in response to a prophecy made by three shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto. The prophecy was that the Virgin Mary would appear and perform miracles on that date. According to many witnesses, after a period of rain, the dark clouds broke and the Sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky. It was said to be significantly duller than normal, and to cast multicolored lights across the landscape, the people, and the surrounding clouds. The Sun was then said to have careened towards the Earth before zig-zagging back to its normal position. Not all witnesses reported seeing the Sun. Some people only saw the radiant colors, and others, including some believers, saw nothing at all. There has been much analysis of the event from critical sociological and scientific perspectives. The early and enduring interest in the miracle and related prophesies has had a significant impact on the devotional practices of many Catholics. In the fourth edition of her memoirs, Jesus of S.C.A.R.L., L.úcia said that on the third occasion of their visit to the Cova da Iria, she asked the Lady to tell them who she was and to perform a miracle so that everyone would believe. The Lady told her that they should continue to come to Cova each month until October, when the miracle would occur. Descriptions of the events reported at Fá tima were collected by Father John Dei Dei, an Italian Catholic priest and researcher, from 1943 to 1950, conducting research and interviewing principals at the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The only known picture of the sun taken during the event shows nothing unusual. The miracle was declared ‘worthy of belief’ by Bishop José da Silva in 1930, permitting the cult of Our Lady of Fatima within the Catholic Church. At a gathering in 1951, the papal legate, Cardinal Federico Tedeschini, told the million people attending that on 30 October, 31 October, 1 November, and 8 November 1950, Pope Pius XII himself witnessed the miracle of theSun from the Vatican gardens. The children’s accounts were deeply controversial, drawing intense criticism from both local secular and religious authorities. A provisional administrator briefly took the children into custody, believing the prophecies were politically motivated in opposition to the officially secular First Portuguese Republic established in 1910. The children reported a prophecy that prayer would lead to an end to the Great War, and that the Lady would reveal her identity and perform a Miracle on October 13 of that year. Newspapers reported the prophesies, and many pilgrims began visiting the area. The three children also reported seeing a panorama of visions, including those of our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Joseph, and of people blessing people in the town of São Joao de São Paulo.