The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima

3

[MUSIC ORCHESTRAL]

[CROWD CHEERING]

Citizens of Portugal!

[CHEERING QUIETS]

Soldiers and sailors

of the revolution,

all that is left

of the king's garrison

has either surrendered

or been killed.

[ALL CHEERING]

Manuel has abdicated

and is on his way to England.

[ALL CHEERING]

We proclaim the birth

of the People's

Socialist Republic!

NARRATOR:

In the Portugal of 1910,

there was

a swift and sudden uprising.

Planned and executed

by a Socialist minority,

its purpose was to overthrow

the government

and establish a police state.

Here was an early pattern

of what was to happen

time and again

in many countries of Europe.

As we have destroyed the power

of the monarchy in Portugal,

so we will destroy

the power of the Church!

[ALL CHEERING]

And march on

to the liberation of the masses

and rule of the proletariat!

NARRATOR:

How often have we heard

those same words since then?

And so began

a savage persecution

of all religious orders.

Priests who opposed

the government

were thrown into prison.

Others caught in a dragnet

by the military police

were photographed and numbered

like common criminals.

But the Portuguese

clung to their faith.

And after seven years

of political upheaval,

churches in remote districts

were permitted to reopen.

So it was in

the mountain village of Ftima,

where a simple people

paid tribute

to the God of their fathers.

Here is Ftima

on Sunday, May 15, 1917.

[ORGAN PLAYING

SOFT, SOLEMN MELODY]

Some wine, Frederico.

Antnio.

Hmm.

Drink.

I'm in bad trouble, Hugo.

You're a tired man, Antnio.

You work very hard

on your land and...

nothing grows.

[SLURRING]

It's enough to drive

a man to drink.

My wife doesn't know

what I suffer.

Aw.

But I do, Antnio.

I can't sleep

for thinking about it.

I say to myself,

"Hugo, you must help

your friend.

"He's trapped

like an animal."

Like an animal.

So I tell you this:

Sell that evil land.

Yes. Yes, yes.

Sell the land?

Sure.

And with the money,

you and I will become partners

in a wonderful enterprise.

We'll buy a boat.

A boat?

Yes.

In the mountains?

Ah, we'll leave

these barren hills behind.

We go away to the sea,

become fishermen.

Fish need no watering,

no planting, nothing.

That's the life, I tell you.

Well?

I'm thinking.

You'll do it, huh?

[ORGAN RESUMES PLAYING

IN DISTANCE]

No.

You refuse?

Mass is over.

My wife is there.

But the land.

The money, the fish, huh?

[ORGAN CONTINUES PLAYING

SOLEMN MELODY]

Now we've got to find

your father.

Not only does he stay out

all night,

but he also misses Mass.

Perhaps he had

an accident, Mama.

Every Saturday night

he has an accident.

A collision

with the wine bottle.

He's probably in jail.

Don't upset yourself, Mama.

Papa will come home.

He always does.

Maybe I'll find him

at the tavern.

Don't wait for me.

Lcia, you take the sheep

to the cova.

Yes, Mama.

[WHISTLING]

Good morning,

Senhora dos Santos.

Where's Antnio?

Antnio?

Bless you, senhora,

I have not seen him in a week.

Lcia! Papa and Mama have gone

to the market at Batalha.

To buy a pig, and Papa told us

to take the sheep

and go with you to the cova.

Mama fixed bread and cheese

for us.

And Hugo

provides the dessert.

ALL:

Oh! Hugo!

Here.

Gently, Francisco, gently.

Ladies first.

Here, my beautiful

little one. Here.

I brought them all the way

from Ourm.

Good, huh? They should be.

They nearly cost me my life.

ALL:

Your life?

I saw them in an orchard

by the roadside.

You stole them.

Stealing? Me?

Aw, Jacinta, how can you

think that about Hugo?

Tsk, tsk.

Oh, no, no.

The orchard belongs

to a friend of mine.

And he had told me

to help myself.

But his men didn't know that.

So they set the dogs on me.

Seven big mastiffs

leaping at my throat

with blood in their eyes.

And there I was, all alone.

And with my bare hands...

I fought them.

Poor dogs.

They'll never leap again.

You killed them?

Mm-hm.

All except the biggest one.

He laid on his back

and cried like a baby--

[ALL GIGGLE]

--so I spared him.

You tell such lovely stories,

Hugo,

but I know they're not true.

You'd better ask Father Ferreira

to forgive you.

Oh, no.

No priest for Hugo.

Why not?

Oh, it's all right

to go to church

and meditate on your sins

and beg forgiveness

and swear that you'll

never commit them again.

That's fine for little girls,

but not for

a big fellow like me.

Don't you believe in God?

Let's say, uh,

that God doesn't believe in me.

Now, go on home.

Goodbye. Bye.

Bye, Hugo.

Bye.

Bye.

[WHISTLING]

Good morning, Father.

Oh, hello, Hugo.

Oh, Father? I, um...

I have a little business

that takes me to Ourm today.

And I thought perhaps

if you would want me

to get some good wine

for the altar,

I know where I can get it

very cheap.

No, thank you.

Sorry, Father.

Oh, uh...

Just a moment.

You're

an educated man, Hugo.

You come of a good family

in Lisbon, a pious family.

Why don't you come back

to the Church?

I've thought about it,

Father, and I, uh...

I may.

If you'll let me

take up the collections.

[SMACKS LIPS]

[SCOFFS]

[PLAYING LIGHT MELODY]

[BRAYING]

Francisco!

Give me back my apron!

Don't take that

and get it dirty.

FRANCISCO:

Yeah, come on.

Stop him.

Charge me, touro. Try it.

I'll have you--

My apron!

Like Hugo when he fought

the seven bulls.

Come back with it,

do you hear me?

Come back!

[BRAYS]

[LAUGHTER]

[SOBBING]

There, you see

what you've done?

Now, what will Mama say

when I come home without it?

Don't cry, Jacinta.

I'll take all the blame.

Let's eat our lunch.

[SOBBING]

We must say

the rosary first.

All right.

You start, Lcia.

In the name of the Father,

the Son

and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I believe in God,

the Father Almighty--

No, no. Let's do it

the short way.

And wait for the echoes.

All right.

All together now.

ALL:

Hail Mary!

[ECHOES]

Hail Mary!

Hail Mary!

[THUNDER CRASHES]

What was that?

There must be

a storm coming.

How could it be

with the sky so bright?

I don't know.

But we'd better

head for home.

Hey! Hey! Ya!

Hey! Ya! Ya!

[BRAYING]

[THUNDER CRASHES]

The sun is still out.

Was that lightning?

It must be.

Come on.

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Come on there, hurry up!

FRANCISCO:

Hey, come on. Hurry up.

What are you

looking at?

[BOTH GASP]

What's the matter?

What was it?

What did you see?

Look.

Over there.

FRANCISCO:

I don't see anything.

WOMAN:

Don't be afraid.

I won't hurt you.

Come here to me,

won't you?

Come closer.

There, that's better.

You are not frightened now,

are you?

No.

Where does Your Excellency

come from?

I am from heaven.

Who are you

talking to, Lcia?

A lady.

I don't see her.

Where is she?

Here, on the little tree.

Don't you hear her?

No.

Tell him to say the rosary.

Then he will see me.

She says to say the rosary,

Francisco.

What is it you want of me?

I come to ask you to come here

for six months in succession.

On the 13th day,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes