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of reparation to her Immaculate Heart, and to pray the Rosary every day. These requests were so simple that very young uneducated shepherd children, no older than seven, nine and ten, were able to fulfil them to a heroic degree, as Pope St John Paul II stated at their beatification on 13th May 2000. Thereby Francisco and Jacinta were raised up to become saints, and in due course were canonised by Pope Francis on 13th May 2017. With the exception of a few countries – and some significant examples in the past century of how compliance with her requests, especially the recitation of the Rosary when taken up by large numbers, has delivered the Church from grave evils and restored its position in society – it would appear that, despite the unprecedented approval for Our Lady’s message, in the teaching and acts of five popes, these requests from Mary most holy, Mother of God and of the Church, have for no apparent reason been disregarded by the great majority of bishops, as well as priests and the laity, particularly in Western Europe. While it is true that Fatima is a private revelation and voluntary devotion which one is not obliged to accept, nevertheless, since Our Lady’s message has received such unanimous papal approval, it is difficult to understand
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