What Was The Third Secret Of Fatima?

The third secret of Fatima was written down by Lucia Santos and given in trust to the Vatican with instructions that it not be opened until 1960. When the secret was opened and read in 1960, the Vatican chose not to divulge it to the world. Conspiracy theories about its contents then began to flourish. In 2000, however, Pope John Paul II paid a visit to Fatima, and the Vatican made public what it claimed was the exact text of the prophecy. It spoke of the pope being "killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him."

The Vatican claimed that the prophecy related to the attempted assassination of the pope in 1981 and that the power of faith and prayer had somehow been able to prevent the pope's death, as prophesied.

Sceptics remained, however. Some claimed that the text did not clearly relate to the earlier assassination attempt and others felt that the text released by the Vatican may have been inauthentic, or toned down in some way; and that the true prophecy was much darker and more significant.