(www.RemnantNewspaper.com) In the portion of the Third Secret revealed by the Vatican in the year 2000, there is a vision of the Holy Father passing “through a big city half in ruins”, who is then “killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions”.  Earlier in the same vision, Sister Lucy also reports seeing one she identified as “a Bishop dressed in white”.  Interestingly, she did not refer to the Bishop in white as the Holy Father, but only said “we had the impression that he was the Holy Father”.

Contrary to what was reported by the Vatican in 2000, the vision of the pope being killed quite obviously did not refer to the failed assassination attempt of John Paul II, who was not “killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him”, but instead survived being shot by a lone gunman.  Neither did the failed assassination attempted on John Paul II see “other Bishops, Priests, men and some Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions”, being killed by the same “group of soldiers”.  Clearly, the vision was referring to another event. 

But the question that has puzzled many is why Sister Lucy used the term “Bishop dressed in white” in the first part of the vision, rather than the name “Holy Father”, who she later identified as being killed?  Does this vision refer to two different men: one who is the Pope and another who is only dressed like a pope?  Prophecies are usually unclear until they unfold, but recent events may shed a new light on this curious phrase used by Sister Lucy.

On February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world by announcing that he would abdicate his office as Pope effective on February 28, 2013.  Due to this shocking news, the media was abuzz, not only with the reaction of Catholics, but also with many questions that the unexpected announcement raised.  For example, an article from Reuters, dated February 13, reported that “Church officials are still so stunned by the move that the Vatican experts have yet to decide what his title will be and whether he will continue to wear the white of a pope, the red of a cardinal or the black of an ordinary priest”.

On February 20, one of these questions was answered by Fr. Georg Ratzinger, the brother of Pope Benedict XVI, who reported that the Pontiff will continue to wear white after his abdication takes effect.  Two days later, on February 22, the Vatican answered the other question when it reported that Benedict XVI will retain his papal name: following his resignation, the former Pope will be referred to as His Holiness Benedict XVI, Bishop Emeritus of Rome.

On March 1^st, not only will Benedict XVI be a former pope who has retained his papal name, but he will also be “a Bishop dressed in white”.  Is the future “His Holiness Benedict XVI, Bishop Emeritus of Rome”, the bishop dressed in white that Sister Lucy was referring to?  If so, is it he who is killed by the group of soldiers, as shown in the Vision?  Or is the Vision perhaps referring to a future pope – the one Sister Lucy calls “the Holy Father” – who is reigning while Benedict XVI is still alive? 

It is interesting to note that Pope St. Pius X had two visions that were similar to the Fatima Vision of Sister Lucy.  In 1909, during an audience with members of the Franciscan Order, St. Pius X had a vision of a future pope fleeing Rome.  He said:

"What I have seen is terrifying!  Will I be the one, or will it be a successor? What is certain is that the Pope will leave Rome and, in leaving the Vatican, he will have to pass over the dead bodies of his priests!" 

Just before he died Pope St. Pius X had another similar vision, in which he saw a future pope of the same name fleeing over the bodies of his brethren, before being killed himself.       

"I have seen one of my successors, of the same name who was fleeing over the bodies of his brethren. He will take refuge in some hiding place; but after a brief respite, he will die a cruel death”.

In light of this vision, it will be very interesting if the next pope takes the name Pius XIII - “the same name” as Pius X.  Time will tell how the events play out, but what appears certain is that we are progressing rapidly to the events foretold at Fatima.  May we renew our courage and zeal for the Faith, always remembering the words of Our Lady of Fatima: In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.