The Third Secret of Fatima refers to a portion of the reported messages given by the Virgin Mary during the 1917 apparitions in Fátima. It was written down by one of the child visionaries, Sister Lúcia, and kept confidential for decades under the authority of the Catholic Church. The secrecy fueled speculation that it contained a dramatic prophecy about global catastrophe, persecution, or the fate of the Church. In 2000, the Vatican released the text, interpreting it as a symbolic vision of suffering and the 20th-century persecution of Christians, including the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II. Despite the official explanation, some believers still argue that the full message has not been entirely revealed or understood.