Lourdes & Fatima

“But in Lourdes I am theologically disturbed by the fact that Mary, Queen of Heaven, is presented alone, without her Son, distributing grace herself with both hands. So it is here that ‘the Lady’ who finally made herself known as ‘the Immaculate Conception’ is said to have appeared to the ignorant girl Bernadette Soubirous–interestingly enough, precisely four years after the proclamation of the controversial dogma by the ‘Marian pope’ Pius IX in 1854, who also promptly has the first statue in Lourdes crowned by his nuncio. There is always the same stature of Mary at the front of the square, in the center, up on the church, in the church, No room for the ‘solus Christus’ as mediator,” H. Küng, My Struggle for Freedom: Memoirs (Eerdmans 2003), 154-55.

“Doubts increase when I think of the second famous case of appearances of Mary, Fatima. Later in Lucerne Dr Otto Karrer, a specialist in mysticism, and I are given through the mediation of Karl Rahner the possibility of reading a summary of the original protocol of the appearances of Mary to the children of shepherds in Fatima. For a long time these documents were unknown, and now have been rediscovered in Spain. They were composed by the Lisbon professor of theology Nunes Formigão and published in 1927 under the pseudonym Viconde del Montelo (414) pages of them!). It is immediately clear to me that I needn’t go there as well. With my ‘logistical’ help Otto Karrer sends this summary with a warning letter to various cardinals (including Montini) and bishops. For many indications (two different Madonnas at the same time, an appearance to other people as well, foreknowledge of what is revealed) convince that at least Fatima, though likewise confirmed by popes, is a pious and in some respects contradictory projection by the children (more precisely by the oldest of the three). It is all easy to explain: their mother had previously told them of other appearances in La Salette, where the Queen of Heaven had already appeared to shepherds’ children in 1846. Karrer’s critical analysis has completely convinced me. However, the pilgrim trade in Fatima continues as if there were no doubts. Indeed Paul VI (Montini) and John Paul II (Wojtyla) will enhance the place further by personal appearances. Since the nineteenth century, papalism and Marianism have gone hand in hand,” ibid. 155.