"Christ has only one universal Vicar", Pope John Paul II confirmed yesterday in the course of the last general audience before leaving for a brief period of repose in Val D'Aosta. Also, yesterday the Pontiff had to see to a new problem as well: a long and articulate Open Letter in which he is asked to reveal the third and last secret of Fatima. ...

In fact, in a daily Roman newspaper appeared a long Open Letter addressed to the Pope and signed by Most Reverend Benedict To Varpin, Catholic Archbishop of Madang in Papua New Guinea, and also signed by Nigerian Bishop Anthony Sanusi, and by 3 North American Priests and by 9 thousand lay persons from everywhere. The objective is to ask the Holy Father to reveal the Third and last Secret of Fatima and to inform him of the intention to convoke a Conference of all the Bishops of the world. The various associations signing the Open Letter wish to promote the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary "according to all the details established by Our Blessed Mother in Her Message of Fatima as an indispensable premise for a lasting peace in the world."

According to the authors of the letter who have paid about 250 million lira (about $150,000 U.S.) in order to acquire yesterday's two pages, would be in addition to the 5 million persons who from all over have signed petitions for the revelation of the "Mystery" (Third Secret).

And for this reason, perhaps they hint at its uncovering.

We read in fact in the letter:

"Lest we be accused of planning in secret or not seeking proper authorization, we here and now — in this public forum — announce that we shall yet for a 3RD time invite every bishop in the world (whether friend or foe of Fatima) to join together in Rome for a Conference on Peace and the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

And to Wojtyla, who for the moment ignores the position taken, they pray that he participates in the conference and "bestow his blessing."

But the signers go further. In the document there are in fact harsh words of condemnation towards the "Vatican bureaucrats" who with letters and telephone calls to bishops and nuncios have attempted to discourage and even prohibit their participation in this conference.

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