The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima Page #5

Oh, I love you.

Even though

I promised her to come...

...I'm never going

to see her anymore.

Never.

I don't want you

to hate me.

There now.

[CROWD CLAMORING]

MAN:

Open the church!

GUARD:

Get out of here!

MAN 2:

Shame on you!

MAN 3:

Give us back our church!

No. In the name

of all we hold sacred,

I forbid you to interfere.

This thing is in God's hands.

He is our refuge

and our strength.

Now, go back to your homes.

[CROWD MURMURING]

Arturo dos Santos,

I assisted at your baptism,

gave you your First Communion

here in Ourm.

Don't blame me for that.

[LAUGHS]

I knew no better then.

But you've known me

all your life,

and you haven't

found me stupid.

Why should I plot a thing

that would bring trouble

to my parish?

Perhaps your bishop

ordered a miracle in Ftima.

Senhor,

in the revolution

of 1910,

the Socialists

kept my bishop

in a prison cell

partly filled with water,

an ordeal from which

he has never fully recovered.

He would endure it again,

but not for an imaginative story

told by three children.

Then your bishop

does not sanction

these reports

of a miracle?

It is you who sanction it.

Can't you see that

by closing our church,

you've made the people believe

that these stories

of the visions must be true?

Why don't you tell them

they're not true?

But I've advised them

not to go to the cova,

not to talk

about miracles.

More than that,

I cannot do.

Hasn't it been reported

that the Virgin

will appear again

next month?

I give you my word

that the priest

of every parish in the diocese

will tell his people not to come

to Ftima on that day.

Then we'll see how well

you can control them.

If there is no crowd there

on the 13th of July,

you will be permitted

to reopen your church.

It is now

in your hands.

Good day.

This is the house

where the youngest one lives.

Let us see

the children!

Jacinta, Francisco,

show yourselves.

Bring out

the children!

Yeah.

CROWD:

Yeah!

[ALL CLAMORING]

Why can't we

see the children?

They've been taken

to Valinhos.

WOMAN:

Will they be

at the cova tomorrow?

Oh, yes,

they'll be there.

MAN:

Why do you hide them?

Are they monsters?

No. Indeed,

they're very handsome.

Very like their father.

[CLAMORING CONTINUES]

Antnio, let us in.

It's Marto and Olmpia.

[DOORKNOB RATTLING]

MAN 2:
Send Lcia to the door.

WOMAN 2:

Let us see Lcia.

No, no, no.

I never thought

we'd get here.

Listen to

the fools.

We have all

our doors locked,

and Francisco and Jacinta

are hiding under their beds.

You should see the crowds

pouring into Ftima.

I know. There'll be thousands

at the cova tomorrow.

Father Ferreira

told us

that every parish priest

warned the people to stay home

so our church

could be opened again,

and still they come.

Has the whole country

gone mad?

Perhaps the Blessed Virgin

wants them here, Maria Rosa.

That, I will never believe.

Neither does Lcia

believe it now.

She won't stir out

of the house tomorrow.

No, Uncle Manuel.

I think you're making

a great mistake.

I also believe

as you do, but--

Father Ferreira has said

the children shouldn't go.

MANUEL:

They saw the lady,

the priest did not.

I believe

what they tell me.

[SOBBING]

[DOOR CLOSES]

Can't you see what you're doing

to the child?

She will keep

her promise to me.

I know.

And what about

the closed church?

Keeping the church closed

won't turn us away from God.

The government

has tried that,

and our faith is stronger

than it ever was.

Do what you want.

My children and I

go to the cova tomorrow.

Oh, my lady, help me.

You know I love you.

And I think I'll die

if I don't see you again.

But I love my mother too.

Won't you please tell me

how I can keep my promise to you

without hurting her?

Oh, please.

Give me one little sign

so I'll know what to do.

Won't you let me hear

your voice?

Show me your face.

Or only the light

that shines around you.

[SOBBING]

Oh, good morning,

Papa.

Good morning.

Is Lcia up yet?

Oh, let her sleep.

The more she sleeps,

the less she'll think

of the cova.

But, Mama,

she is up.

She's not

in her bed,

and her clothes

are gone.

I thought you sent her

out for something.

Then maybe she went

to water the sheep.

Go see.

[CROWD CHATTERING

INDISTINCTLY]

WOMAN:

There's the mother of Lcia.

WOMAN 2:

The little girl

who saw the Virgin.

MAN:

Where is Lcia?

Is she coming out?

WOMAN 3:

Have her bless my child.

MAN 2:

Please let Lcia

come out.

MAN 3:

Come out, Lcia.

WOMAN 4:

Come on, Lcia. Come outside.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

MAN 4:

Lcia...

She's nowhere in sight.

She's not out there.

She's not with her cousins,

either.

I called on Marto, and he said

he hasn't seen her this morning.

If she's out somewhere

in that crowd

and they find out

who she is...

Gloria, Carolina,

you go to the neighbors.

Ask at every house.

Maria dos Santos,

you wait here.

If she comes back,

don't let her leave.

Lock the doors

and keep everybody out.

I'd better go look for her

down at the square, Maria Rosa.

The crowd is thick as--

Yes, I know.

And you'll end up in the tavern.

You keep away from the square.

Go to Marto.

He'll help you look for her.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

This is the right way

to the cova, isn't it?

Yes.

At what time

are the visions seen?

Mostly at noon.

You can put the arch here,

on this side of the little tree.

Two uprights

and a crosspiece, senhora?

Yes, like we had in the church

on last Assumption Day.

Look here, senhora.

MAN:

Who is she?

Who is she?

Has she been hurt?

Poor little soul.

It's Lcia dos Santos.

MEN:

Lcia dos Santos?

Lcia, wake up,

my dear.

Are you all right?

Senhora Carreira.

What happened?

It's Lcia, the child

who sees the Blessed Virgin.

MAN:

Let me touch her.

[CROWD CLAMORING]

WOMAN:

Oh, I want to cure my pain.

Why did you crush my child?

Keep back, you fools. Keep back.

Please, stay back

a minute.

MAN:

Leave her alone.

Oh, my darling.

Oh, my darling,

why did you run away from us?

I didn't, Mama.

I meant to come home,

but I must have cried myself

to sleep.

I'm so sorry.

Forgive me.

It's all right.

It's all right.

Leave her--

Let her go through, please.

Don't touch her anymore.

Let her pass.

Have you seen

the apparitions, Father?

MAN:

Is it true the Holy Mother

appears here?

You believe the children,

don't you, Father?

I'm Alvarez from Lisbon daily,

O Seculo.

How do you explain

these so-called miracles?

I know no more about them

than you do.

Your pastors warned you

not to come here today.

You saw what happened

to the church in Ftima.

I beg of you,

go back to your homes.

But, Father, my family and I

came all the way from Santarm.

We were told we'd see

the Blessed Virgin.

You've been deceived.

You will not find

the Holy Mother here.

You offend her by believing

she would show herself

to a crowd in a field.

Go home and beg her forgiveness.

I warned you, priest.

Now you'll pay

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