XIX-XX Century AD; Rome, Kingdom of Italy/Rome, Italy - Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani ~~~ We have been watching for years an intensification of the popular hankering for the 'wonderful' even in the matter of religion...
Ottaviani
Fatima and Akita were Approved by the Church. We should get more instruction from the Clergy on the Words of Our Blessed Mother!
Fatima is an optional belief for Catholics as it is private revelation which no Catholic is obliged to believe. I believe in the Biblical and Catholic Blessed Virgin Mary but I do not believe Fatima.
I know the catechism definition of "private revelation" ... BUT with many apparitions having been elevated by being added to the liturgical calendar, the old maxim: lex orandi, lex credendi seems to apply here - the way we pray, leads to belief. IMO one would be hard pressed to ignore these events that the Church herself finds so worthy of belief that they're celebrated within the Mass & Divine Office. A story: in seminary the liberal progressives hated 'private revelation" as much as they despised "private devotions". In other words, they wanted them jettisoned because they were a major stumbling block to ecumenical dialogue with Protestants.
@Orthocat... Pope Pius XII, in Mediator Dei, clarified that while liturgy reflects belief, it does not independently determine doctrine. lex orandi, lex credendi is optional, not binding on anyone.
Fatima has so many weaknesses it is unreasonable to believe it. Most Catholics believe it simply because they want it to be true when it is not.