"Beneath the arms of the cross angels gather up the blood of the martyrs, and with it they give life to the souls making their way to God. Here, the blood of Christ and the blood of the martyrs are considered as one: the blood of the martyrs runs down from the arms of the cross. The martyrs die in communion with the Passion of Christ, and their death becomes one with his. For the sake of the body of Christ, they complete what is still lacking in his afflictions (cf. Colossians 1:24). Their life has itself become a Eucharist, part of the mystery of the grain of wheat which in dying yields abundant fruit. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians, said Tertullian. As from Christ's death, from his wounded side, the Church was born, so the death of the witnesses is fruitful for the future life of the Church. Therefore, the vision of the third part of the "secret", so distressing at first, concludes with an image of hope: no suffering is in vain, and it is a suffering Church, a Church of martyrs, which becomes a sign-post for man in his search for God. The loving arms of God welcome not only those who suffer like Lazarus, who found great solace there and mysteriously represents Christ, who wished to become for us the poor Lazarus. There is something more: from the suffering of the witnesses there comes a purifying and renewing power, because their suffering is the actualisation of the suffering of Christ himself and a communication in the here and now of its saving effect."
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, 2000.
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Too bad he didn't say anything about the words the Virgin spoke to the children. I am certain they were very illuminating and would be very helpful to us now but our shepherds did not feel the need to tell us.
Here is what Lucia wrote down concerning what the Holy Virgin said about the third part of the Secret in 1941, decades before the year 2000:
"I Portugal the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved etc... Do not tell this to anybody. Francisco, yes you may tell him."
What was it they were only permitted to tell Francisco Cardinal Ratzinger? There was obviously much more going on there than just a simple vision that all three of them could see. Our Lady used words as well. What were they? I presume you have a clearer perspective on this thing from where you are now.
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