Fr. Andrew Apostoli, author of "Fatima for Today": "We are in an enormous spiritual battle."

From the May 8-21, 2011, edition of National Catholic Register, an interview with Father Apostoli, author of Fatima For Today: The Urgent Marian Message of Hope (Ignatius Press, 2010; also available as an Electronic Book Download and a Downloadable Audio File):

Father Andrew Apostoli, of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, is a prolific author, preacher, frequent EWTN host and vice postulator for the cause of the canonization for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

In his latest book, Fatima for Today (see book pick, page B5), Father Apostoli takes a definitive look at Our Lady's apparitions and her messages — and their importance for today.

Shortly after its publication, he spoke from his friary office with Register staff writer Joseph Pronechen.

When Ignatius Press asked you to write Fatima for Today, was there anything you especially wanted to focus on?

They told me to "put everything in it," so I concentrated on four things: presenting the historical facts of the apparitions; explaining the spiritual messages of Our Lady of Fatima, particularly the Five First Saturdays devotion; showing the importance of Fatima for our times because of our great spiritual struggle today with secularism, a remnant of communism; and answering objections regarding the consecration of Russia and the revelation of the Third Secret.

Yet many see communism as non-threatening and having little or no connection any longer with Fatima. Why is the Fatima warning still very relevant?

Actually, we are in a dead-heat battle with the basic message of communism, which is now seen as secularism in the Western countries of the world. Secularism aims to remove all signs and influence of religion from public life; to take religious rights away; to undermine the sanctity of human life by promoting abortion and attacking principles of Christian morality, especially marriage and family life. For example, pornography was not allowed in Russia, but the communists did a great job of exporting it to the West.

We are in an enormous spiritual battle. The communists were masters of deceit, and many of our Catholic people have been deceived. Interestingly, we cannot teach about God in our public schools, but the present Russian president is promoting the teaching of Orthodoxy in Russian schools.

You point out that Pope John Paul II insisted, "Fatima is more important now than in 1917," and in Portugal in May 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said it's a mistake to think the prophetic message of Fatima is over. Why is Our Lady's message of such critical importance today?

The world is so divided between the atheistic communist world and the post-Christian Western world that we need this message as our greatest hope to save a Christian culture that has taken 2,000 years to establish. John Paul II said we are in the greatest spiritual battle of the Church's 2,000-year history and that most Catholics are unaware of it. Secularism is threatening to destroy the Christian foundation of culture in the West.

Many have the notion that we don't need God, but we do. The threat of a total war is very real. Our Lady promised an era of peace. That's why we must do what she told us in numbers great enough to bring about the conversion of the hearts of those who hate God. This will lead to the promised triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart. At Fatima Mary was particularly concerned with the salvation of souls. She told the visionaries that many souls are lost from God because there is no one to pray and offer sacrifices for them.

Read the entire interview on the National Catholic Register website. Read an excerpt from Fr. Apostoli's book on Ignatius Insight: