The following was written by Servant of God Fulton J Sheen some 57 years ago.
The Catholic Church throughout Northern Africa was virtually destroyed by Moslem power and at the present time (circa 1950), the Moslems are beginning to rise again. If Moslemism is a heresy, as Hilaire Belloc believes it to be, it is the only heresy that has never declined, either in numbers, or in the devotion of its followers.
The missionary effort of the Church toward this group has been, at least on the surface, a failure, for the Moslems are so far almost unconvertible. The reason is that for a follower of Mohammed to become a Christian is much like a Christian becoming a Jew. The Moslems believe that they have the final and definitive revelation of God to the world and that Christ was only a prophet announcing Mohammed, the last of God’s real prophets.
Today (1950), the hatred of the Moslem countries against the West isbecoming hatred against Christianity itself. Although the statesmen have not yet taken it into account, there is still grave danger that the temporal power of Islam may return and, with it, the menace that it may shake off a West which has ceased to be Christian, and affirm itself as a great anti-Christian world Power.
It is our firm belief that the fears some entertain concerning the Moslems are not to be realized, but that Moslemism, instead, will eventually be converted to Christianity, and in a way that even some of our missionaries never suspect.
It is our belief that this will happen not through the direct teaching of Christianity, but through a summoning of the Moslems to a veneration of the Mother of God.
This is the line of argument:
The Koran, which is the bible of the Moslems, has many passages concerning the Blessed Virgin. First, the Koran believes in her Immaculate Conception and in her Virgin Birth. The third chapter of the Koran places the history of Mary’s family in a genealogy that goes back through Abraham, Noah, and Adam. When one compares the Koran’s description of the birth of Mary with the apocryphal Gospel of the birth of Mary, one is tempted to believe that Mohammed very much depended upon the latter.
Both books describe the old age and the definite sterility of Anne, the mother of Mary. When, however, Anne conceives, the mother of Mary is made to say in the Koran: “O Lord, I vow and I consecrate to you what is already within me. Accept it from me.” When Mary is born, her mother, Anne, says: “And I consecrate her with all of her posterity under thy protection, O Lord, against Satan!”
The Koran has also verses on the Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Angels are pictured as accompanying the Blessed Mother and saying, “O Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and elected you above all the women of the earth.”
In the nineteenth chapter of the Koran, there are forty-one verses on Jesus and Mary. There is such a strong defense of the virginity of Mary here that the Koran, in the fourth book, attributes the condemnation of the Jews to their monstrous calumny against the Virgin Mary.
Mary, then, is for the Moslems the true Sayyida, or Lady. The only possible serious rival to her in their creed would be Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed himself. However, after the death of Fatima, Mohammed wrote: “Thou shalt be the most blessed of all the women in Paradise, after Mary.” In a variant of the text, Fatima is made to say, “I surpass all the women, except Mary.”
This brings us to our second point, namely, why the Blessed Mother, in this twentieth century (1950), should have revealed herself in the insignificant little village of Fatima, so that to all future generations she would be known as “Our Lady of Fatima.”
Nothing ever happens out of Heaven except with a finesse of all details.
I believe that the Blessed Virgin chose to be known as “Our Lady 
of Fatima” as a pledge and a sign of hope to the Moslem people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her Divine Son, too.
Evidence to support these views is found in the historical fact that the Moslems occupied Portugal for centuries. At the time when they were finally driven out, the last Moslem chief had a beautiful daughter by the name of Fatima. A Catholic boy fell in love with her, and for him she not only stayed behind when the Moslems left, but even embraced the Catholic faith. The young husband was so much in love with her that he changed the name of the town where he lived to Fatima. Thus, the very place where Our Lady appeared in 1917 bears a historical connection to Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed.
The final evidence of the relationship of Fatima to the Moslems is theenthusiastic reception that the Moslems in Africa and India and elsewhere gave to the Pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Moslems attended the Catholic services in honor of Our Lady; they allowed religious processions and even prayers before their mosques; and in Mozambique the Moslems, who were unconverted, began to be Christian as soon as the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was erected.
Missionaries in the future will increasingly see that their apostolate among the Moslems will be successful in the measure that they preach Our Lady of Fatima. Because the Moslems have a devotion to Mary, our missionaries should be satisfied merely to expand and to develop that devotion with the full realization that Our Blessed Lady will carry the Moslems the rest of the way to her Divine Son.
As those who lose devotion to Mary lose belief in the Divinity of Christ, so those who intensify devotion to her gradually acquire that belief.
Brothers and sisters, are you praying the Rosary and wearing your scapular? Ask Our Lady of Fatima to reveal her Son. She will. She wants to. She always has. Ask her for the conversion of your heart and theirs. She will do it.
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad Toney
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
August 26, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Interesting speculation. It is funny, because so far, aside from a few anomaly’s Catholics have been - to this day - largely ineffective - in converting Muslims.
However in recent times, on the other hand, Protestants have not had such ill-success. I read many, many stories, especially over the past 3 years of Protestants evangelizing Muslims with success in Africe, and in many cases in Muslim home-countries.
Mary is not bringing souls to Jesus, the antithesis of Mary are bringing souls to Jesus: Protestants.
Here is why Catholic fail and Protestants do not. It is quite simple, and only in 2 parts.
1) Protestants take the mission of evangelization seriously and individually. Catholics by and large do not. Protestants send and fund missions all over the world. The laity are in charge of this and do not blanche at the responsibility in doing so. They consider it their duty and honor. Catholics have always relied on religious orders to do so, and now that the religious orders have all but entirely collapsed, there is essentially no effective evangelization. No Catholic laity in any significant numbers are ’sneaking bibles’ into Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Muslim tribes in Africa. No effective means to combat Protestant proselityzing in South America is in force at this point, so we are even losing Catholics to Protestant evangelization efforts.
2) We rely on the intercessino of Mary and prayer cards to convert the Muslims. As a Catholic, I think this is sad.
It will take the bodies, minds and travelling of Catholics, and nothing short of that. Under the traditional rubric of Catholicism, this is not likely.
August 26, 2007 at 1:18 pm
That last comment was posted by Dude.
August 26, 2007 at 5:05 pm
While it is true that, generally speaking, Moslems have a high regard for Our Lady, I must largely agree with “anonymous” (”Dude”) and his post.
From what I can tell (from Catholic newsletters I get and from missionary sources), most Catholic “evangelism” consists of basic charity work (fine in itself) but very little presentation of the Gospel and the Person of Jesus Christ. In many cases, in fact, Catholic “missionaries” carefully avoid proselytizing. Protestants ARE doing a much, much better job of evangelizing; that is why the Catholic Church is losing ground in Latin America and parts of Africa.
Yes, I believe that the Holy Virgin does pray for the conversion of non-Christians, but NOWHERE in Scripture are we instructed to spread devotion to Mary; we are COMMANDED to spread the Gospel and Name of Jesus Christ. It’s time we get our priorities straight…Or call it quits altogether.
August 26, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Consider if you will, on balance, the difference between Protestant notions of conversion and Catholic.
There is a little more to Catholic conversion that translating scripture & the sinner’s prayer into the local language.
Frankly, I don’t feel comfortable sending a young married couple - with or without children - to the middle east. I have known Evangelical dads who go on mission trips - with or without family in tow - and I have my reservations about the provider and head of household putting himself in that sort of harms way.
Has the bigger failure been not going? Or not praying.
Did you remember to pray for conversions at Mass today? In your Rosary?
August 26, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Sinner:
You can’t lump all Protestants together. Lutherans, for one, have a far deeper understanding of conversion than the so-called “sinner’s prayer”. And, quite frankly, I have met former non-Christians who were converted to Christ by Lutheran, Anglican, and other missionaries and their conversions were real and profound.
The point I was trying to make was that in the past 30 years or so, the Catholic overseas missions have often been more involved in what I would call charity than in proclaiming a clear message of the Gospel and the profound change (metanoia) required to come to Christ.
I think part of the problem is that there is a kind of “universalism” rampant in the Church for the past few years. I have heard many, many Catholics (clergy as well as laity) bending over backwards to find reasons why non Christians can still be saved…we have lost the urgency of our Message. God may well save many non Christians, but His command still is, “Proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
By the way, I did find Bishop Sheen’s comments on Our Lady, Fatima, and Islam fascinating, there was a lot of truth there. However, again, Mary does not save…Jesus Christ does and HE must be the content of our message to non Christians.
August 27, 2007 at 1:10 am
Islam does not believes in original sin - thus according to Islam everybody, not only Virgin Mary, was born immaculate. They do recognize sinless-ness of Mary based on Hadith (saying and deeds of their prophet).
August 27, 2007 at 2:31 am
Sinner,
Although our religion is a bit (understatement) more involved intellectually than the mainstream Protestant variety, in this particular situation, it does not really matter. I don’t profess to know what is in their heart, and that is primarily (without getting into specifics about Baptism etc) what saves (Romans 2:14). What is better? Multiple nations with no Catholicism, or a Catholicism that is largely innefective? Or Protestantism teaching a faitful, quasi-orthodox verion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? - To the tune of tens to hundreds of millions. Catholicism has been in Iraq since the beginning. Up until the Iraq war, only about 500,000 Chaldeans were in Iraq. That was about the best we could do. The numbers never increased, but slowly diminished. There was no renewal. Same thing with China. Yes, about 10,000,000 Chinese Catholics…after about 1,000 years. However, about 100,000,000 Chinese Protestants after about 1 generation.
The problem is the ‘wisdom’ of the Catholic Church. Laity has no great commissioning. This is due to a fundamental de-personilisation within the rubric of Catholicism. Rare is the Catholic that thinks the great commission had anything to do with them.
The message is almost unheard of withinany Catholic circles.
I think it is a legitimate Catholic weakness that needs to be addressed, not by the religious orders - they’re largely done, but by the laity itself, with immediate approval from the heirarchy.
Regarding the Protty missionaries with the families; it is stricly because of their effectiveness the gospel is now preached worldwide: Because they had/have the guts in the face of adversity…or even death.
This sounds a lot more like the old days of martyrs and evangelists to me than Mary and prayer cards and taking no action.
However intellectually, historically and theologically deficient Protestantism is, in short, the Catholic system of evangelzation sucks.
August 27, 2007 at 2:32 am
Sorry, that last one was again posted again by Dude. And I meant Evangelization.
August 27, 2007 at 2:40 am
Nicene,
While I agree with your point regarding the “universalism” rampant within the Church today. More than once, protestant missionary friends tell me that in some of the most horrible places of suffering and death that the only other people helping are Catholics. Offering charity is living Christ to those who suffer. How often do you hear of Muslim charity extended to non muslims?
August 27, 2007 at 2:47 am
How then does the deficiency of protestantism overcome the truth of the RC Church? If protestants are successful they are “saving” people by tying a millstone around their necks. I would agree that Catholic evangelism leaves something to be desired but what would your solution be and why would fervant prayer be less effective. Noting the feast of St. Monica tomorrow fervant prayer whould be the cornerstone of any evangelism effort.
August 27, 2007 at 5:10 am
Point blank?: We don’t know how Mary has acted in intercession for Mercy in bringing souls to Christ. We don’t know who dies how.
What do I mean? The Catholic Church teaches that those who die with perfect contrition, acceding to the graces offered them in the final SECOND die as anonymous Catholics.
In 2001 I buried a close friend who in despair overdosed on sleeping pills chased with vodka. When the paramedics found him, his body, cold and lifeless, was found with hands folded in prayer kneeling against the side of the bed.
It is my hope against hope, my fervant prayer, my dearest consolation that in the last moment graces as prayed for by countless anonymous souls accross the world took effect and “final option” was offered and accepted.
Dude, wether you realized it or not before this moment, you ARE a missionary. The Rosary you pray on the way to the grocery store could reign down the graces needed at just that second for the dying soul.
If my wretched soul can make it to the beatific vission, it is my hope that I will meet the scores and scores of souls who recieved the graces freely offered by Christ in their last moment to come to Him.
For this reason, I pray daily a decade for “the soul that needs it most”.
Pray the Rosary.
August 29, 2007 at 3:54 am
Sinner, point taken. However, I do not pray the Rosary. Fine if others do, but I am a Catholic Marian minimalist.
However I do pray as a Catholic.
August 29, 2007 at 6:01 am
And you are allowed that.
But you may want to reconsider. What’s good for the saints!
-Simple
December 3, 2007 at 12:15 am
Who ever wrote this article is either an idiot or demon that knows the truth and rufuse to teach truth. I read the Quran many times and I never seen those verses. It says through out the Quran that Allah had no son Allah is self created. Also a good muslim is a good christian a good christian is a good jew and a good jew is a good muslim. You people broke Allah (God) into 3 and then tell people to worship a statue you white people are wierd……