Vatican released century-old secret in year 2000 that 'made terrifying prediction for world before 2030'

In the year 2000, the Vatican released a nearly century-old secret that ‘made a terrifying prediction for the world’.

And it’s thought that this would come into place before 2030.

All eyes have been on the independent state recently, following the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV yesterday (8 May).

It was Pope John Paul II who decided to publish this ‘third secret’ at the start of the new millennium, which had been written into a sealed envelope in 1944.

But the ‘secret’ had actually been shared all the way back in 1917 when young Sister Lucia Santos and her cousins were visited by the Virgin Mary.

It is said they received apocalyptic visions and prophecies from Our Lady of Fatima.

Pope John Paul II revealed the third secret of Fatima (Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

And while Lucia revealed the first two secrets in 1941, she held back on the third until she was ordered to write it at the start of 1944, and it was sealed into an envelope.

The first two secrets refer to the likes of a vision of hell, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, World War II and damage that Russia would do humanity by abandoning Christianity.

As some Popes chose to read the third secret and then keep it secret, it was officially released in 2000, revealing the rest of this 100-year prediction.

The published text included Lucia explaining they ‘saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire’.

She goes on to describe a vision of what seems to be an attempted assassination or attack of a ‘Bishop dressed in white’. Some have interpreted this as a vision of the attempt to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St Peter’s Square in May 1981.

It also seems to describe a city in ruins and the martyrdom of clergy and laity.

Many believe the secrets of Fatima (Getty Stock Image)

Some interpret that the secret warns of a global catastrophe, not just something limited to the Catholics in the Vatican.

The Secrets of Fatima were said to serve a 100-year warning, which would have taken us to 2017.

However, some use links from other warnings and ‘tests’ to extend this from then to about 2029 – meaning we have just a few years to go.

And while some fear this century-old prophecy, it’s important to note the Catholic Church doesn’t exactly endorse them as these big warnings.

Followers may believe the messages from Fatima are giving apocalyptic predictions for our world’s future but the Church sees them as calls to prayer, repentance and conversion.