THERE are many recent Marian and other such apparitions that even Catholics are not aware of. And my unswerving conviction that we are in the most urgent of times is partly borne of the fact that all these mystical phenomena are uniform in their appeals for conversion and their warnings of serious chastisements.
One recent event happened in the 1990s in a place called Civitavecchia, a coastal town in Italy, involving an entire family- a married couple and their daughter. And what happened there, starting 1995, was confirmed as authentic by then Pope John Paul II who, for a time, venerated a small weeping statue of the Blessed Mother belonging to the family. The late Vatican exorcist Fr. Gabriel Amorth also believed in the supernatural character of Civitavecchia, although no official verdict has yet been issued by the Church.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò was also one among those who authenticated the phenomena in the small town and said a lot about the significance of the messages from there.
The mystical events involved Fabio Gregori, his wife Anna Maria and their daughter Jessica who was then five years old.
Theirs were mystic experiences that were to last even up to 2018, starting with their weeping statue gifted by their parish priest, advancing to communications not only with the Blessed Mother but also with God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Vigano recalled that “Pope John Paul II wanted to venerate and crown her in the Vatican at his apartment, but in secret, so as not to interfere with the investigation of the Diocesan Commission. He later confirmed in writing that this event happened."
Only July 30, 1995, the Blessed Mother told the Gregori family: “Satan knows that his time is running out because my Son Jesus is about to intervene. I beg you, help me; do not let my Son intervene, because I, your Mother, want to save many souls and bring them to my Son and not leave them to Satan. Pray that God our Father will grant me some more time because this is the last period granted to me by God. My mantle is now open to all of you, full of graces, to place you all close to my Immaculate Heart. It is about to close; then my Son will deliver his divine justice...”
In 2015, Fabio Gregori was asked about what kind of war was prophesied during the apparitions, and he replied: “The threat of a nuclear conflict between the West and the East, the third world war.”
Vigano noted that "the messages strongly call people to return to the sacramental life," explaining that they "speak of the need to be nourished with eucharistic Communion, daily if possible; to go to confession regularly on Sundays...” with a discreet emphasis on the importance of receiving Communion in the state of grace.
He lamented that “the world is becoming more and more a prisoner of Satan's darkness and evil, without sparing numerous servants of the Church.”
In Civitavecchia, the Blessed Mother also issued words of consolation, saying: "Let yourself be guided in your steps with the simplicity with which a child puts his hand in the Hand of his Father. My Immaculate Heart will transform your sufferings into joys which you accept with true love, for these are trials which the Lord Jesus allows."
In an interview with the publication Daily Compass for the 103rd Fatima apparitions, theologian Fr. Flavio Ubodi, tackled the relationship between Fatima and Civitavecchia. This, after Civitavecchia’s young Jessica and Fatima’s elderly Sr. Lucia met and discussed the messages they had received from the Blessed Mother.
Fr. Ubodi said: The Blessed Mother gave the Third Secret to Jessica Gregori. In 1996 she met with Sister Lucia; they spoke together in private and, from what I know from Jessica, they compared the messages of the Blessed Mother and they matched perfectly. There is a very close relationship between Fatima and Civitavecchia. Fatima was at the beginning of the twentieth century, Civitavecchia at the end. Fatima was the announcement of what would happen; Civitavecchia was the moment of entering into the things that were announced at Fatima. At Civitavecchia, the Blessed Mother said that Satan is trying to overshadow the world and also the Church. She warned: ‘Prepare yourselves to live through everything I revealed to my little daughters at Fatima.’
Daily Compass: We have now entered these times. What do the two messages share in common?
Fr. Ubodi: The urgent invitation to conversion and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The messages of both Fatima and at Civitavecchia speak of consecration, not entrustment: there is a profound difference. Entrustment is more superficial, while consecration is much more powerful because it involves the entire person, family, Church, or nation that makes it. It is like saying, ‘I am yours; I hand over to you my entire being, so that you may deliver it to the Father.’ Another point that Fatima and Civitavecchia have in common is the recitation of the Rosary as a weapon to defeat Satan, a weapon that drives away every danger to the soul and other dangers as well.
Daily Compass: Can you give an example of what you mean by danger?
Fr. Ubodi: The message of the Blessed Mother at Civitavecchia revealed that Satan would try to destroy the world by trying to provoke a nuclear war.
Civitavecchia makes clear Satan’s hatred against the Church and the family.
The message of Civitavecchia is characterized above all by the family – that is, the destruction of the family, of the primordial cell of society. When these warnings were made by the Blessed Mother [in 1995] there was not yet a society that aggressively promotes cohabitation outside of marriage, homosexual couples, surrogate childbearing, etc. I see this connection: at Fatima the primary concern is the Church; at Medugorje it is the parish; at Civitavecchia the family...
Daily Compass: What link is there between the vision of Hell at Fatima and the tears of Civitavecchia?
Fr. Ubodi: The tears of Civitavecchia reveal the sorrow of the Blessed Mother, who weeps for the Blood of her Son that was poured out for many people in vain. The vision of Hell at Fatima reminds us that despite the Cross and the Blood of Jesus that is poured out, many are damned. The same thing is said at Civitavecchia but in another way. The blood that the Blessed Mother weeps is the Blood of Christ, because many do not benefit from this Blood. They reject the Mercy of God and so they damn themselves.