The Miracle of the Sun at Fatima

Because of the importance of this event, let us consider it in more detail. Only three times in the history of the World had God worked a Miracle involving the sun: twice in Old Testament times as a sign to the King of Israel and to aid the Hebrew armies against their enemy; and at the Crucifixion, when the sun was darkened. Christ told His Disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars”. It is prophesied in the Apocalypse: “Now a great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman adorned with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head”. But never in the history of the world has such a miracle been predicted months beforehand, to the day and very hour, with the stated intention “so that the people might believe”.

THE MIRACLE OF THE SUN

.. "In October, I will perform a miracle," Our Lady had declared on July 13. And on October 13, it was at r efficacious gesture that the marvellous "dance of the sun" began: "Then, opening Her hands, She made them reflect on the sun, and as She rose, the reflection of Her own light continued to be projected on the sun itself." Like the turning of hundreds of gallons of water into wine, the feeding of five thousand from five loaves and two fishes, the nets full to breaking of fish, the miracle at Fatima was a response surpassing all expectations and one of such magnitude, of such splendour, that no one would dare to dream it possible.

The witnesses of the event were indeed innumerable, their testimonies agree and we are flooded with the documents they have left us. In the first place, the numerous accounts conveyed appeared at once in the Portuguese press. It is noteworthy that the first to provide testimony were the anticlerical reporters. The three articles of Avelino de Almeida, the one of October 13, immediately before the event, the other of October15, edited at Vila Nova de Ourem on the evening of the 13th, and a third article of October 29,merit a special mention. In spite of the jeering tone and voltarian irony which inspire in part the first article, in spite of the expected anticlerical tones which still appear in the article of the 15th. These texts from a reporter of talent, one who besides, is honest and conscientious, are historical documents of prime importance. But he was not the only one to relate the facts, for other reporters were present at the Cova da Iria.

In 1977, to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the last apparition, it was still possible to assemble in Fatima more than thirty persons who had been present at the solar prodigy and who could reveal their memories.

Thanks to those numerous testimonies, it is possible to reconstruct a precise running commentary, allowing us to relive, hour by hour and minute by minute, this decisive day,assuredly one of the most important in the history of the world.

The column of smoke

Here is the first marvellous fact described by Dr. Almeida Garrett:

"It must have been 1:30 pm when there arose at the exact spot where the children were, a column of smoke, thin, fine and bluish, which extended up to perhaps two meters above their heads, and evaporated at that height. This phenomenon, perfectly visible to the naked eye, lasted for a few seconds. Not having noted how long it had lasted, I cannot say whether it was more or less than a minute. The smoke dissipated abruptly, and after some time, it came back to occur a second time, then a third time...

The Sudden Stoppage Of The Rain.

Whereas "the low and heavy sky had a very dark colour, laden with moisture, released an abundant and long lasting rain," during the time of the apparition, the rain stopped totally. Abruptly the sky cleared: "The sun triumphantly pierced the thick bed of clouds hiding it until then, and shone intensely." (Dr. Almeida Garrett).

..This abrupt change of weather took all the eyewitnesses by surprise: "It was a day of heavy and continuous rain. But a few minutes before the miracle, it stopped raining." (Alfredo da Silva Santos)

The Vision Of The Sun Without Burning The Retina.

"Suddenly I heard the uproar of thousands of voices, and I saw the whole multitude spread out in that vast space at my feet ... turn their backs to that spot where, until then, all their expectations focused, and look at the sun on the other side... I turned around, too, toward the point commanding their gazes, and I could see the sun, like a very clear disc, with its sharp edge,which gleamed without hurting the sight... It could not be confused with the sun seen through a fog (there was no fog at that moment), for it was neither veiled, nor dim. At Fatima, it kept its light and heat, and stood out clearly in the sky, with a sharp edge, like a large gaming table. The most astonishing thing was to be able to stare at the solar disc for a long time, brilliant with light and heat, without hurting the eyes, or damaging the retina." (Dr. Almeida Garrett).

"And then we witnessed a unique spectacle, the reporter of "O Seculo" remarked in similar vein, an incredible spectacle, unbelievable if you did not witness it. From above the road... We see the immense crowd turn towards the sun, which appeared at its zenith, clear of the clouds. It looked like a plate of dull silver, and it was possible to stare at it without the least discomfort. It did not burn the eyes. It did not blind. One might say that an eclipse had occurred." (Article of October15, 1917) "The people could look at the sun as we look at the moon." (Maria do Carmo)

The Dance of the Sun

Suddenly, the heavenly body began to tremble, to shake with abrupt movements, and finally to turn on itself at a dizzying speed while throwing out rays of light, all colours of the rainbow: "The sun turned like a fire wheel, taking on all the colours of the rainbow." (Maria do Carmo) "It appeared like a globe of snow turning on itself." (Father Louren‡o) "The pearl-like disc had a giddy motion. This was not the twinkling of a star in all its brilliance. It turned on itself with impetuous speed." (Dr. Almeida Garrett) "At a certain moment, the sun stopped and then began again to dance, to spin; it stopped again, and began again to dance." (Ti Marto) It is indeed therefore a triple "dance of the sun" which thousands of witnesses affirm, having contemplated it for several minutes.

"The sun took on all the colours of the rainbow. Everything assumed those same colours: our faces,our clothes, the earth itself." (Maria do Carmo) "A light, whose colours changed from one moment to the next, was reflected on the people and on things", notes Dr. Pereira Gens.

The Sun rushes down towards the Earth

"We suddenly heard a clamour, relates Almeida Garrett, like a cry of anguish of that entire crowd. The sun, in fact, keeping its rapid movement of rotation, seemed to free itself from the firmament and blood-red, to plunge towards the earth, threatening to crush us with its fiery mass. Those were some terrifying seconds." "I saw the sun turn and it seemed to descend. It was like a bicycle wheel." (John Carreira) "The sun began to dance and, at a certain moment, it appeared to detach itself from the firmament and to rush forward on us, like a fire wheel." (Alfredo da Silva Cantos)"I saw it perfectly descending as if it came to crash on the earth. It seemed to detach itself from the sky and rush toward us. It maintained itself at a short distance above our heads; but that sort of attack was of very short duration ... It seemed very near the people and it continued to turn in the opposite direction." (Maria do Carmo)

At that terrible and glorious moment, most were assured that it was the end of the World. Many shrieked with terror. Some confessed their sins openly. Others stood up tall and glad. "I said, O God, how great is Thy power!"

"From those thousands of mouths, relates the engineer Mario Godinho, I heard shouts of joy and love to the Most Holy Virgin. And then I believed. I had the certainty of not having been the victim of a suggestion. I had seen the sun as I would never see it again."

Everyone Had Dry Clothes.

A last astonishing fact: all those people, who were for the most part soaked to the bone, verified with joy and amazement that they were dry. The fact is attested to in the canonical process.

The Vision Of The Solar Prodigy At A Distance.

A marvellous thing, the phenomenon could be admired from beyond Fatima. And even, some perfectly credible witnesses, who were very far away from the Cova da Iria, related having seen the unprecedented spectacle of the dance of the sun, exactly like the thousands of pilgrims gathered around the holm-oak.

In the small village of Alburitel, situated eighteen or nineteen kilometres from Fatima, the whole town was able to enjoy the vision of the solar prodigy. The testimony frequently quoted is that of Father Inacio Louren‡o, because it is the most detailed. But what he relates having seen, all the good villagers, questioned by the investigators, confirmed seeing it in exactly the same way.