The Roman sanctuary of Tre Fontane, a place of prayer and conversion, today stands as a symbol of hope in a world devastated by wars and suffering.
François Vayne, who currently serves as the Director of Communications for the Grand Magisterium of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem has recently published a book, The Virgin of Revelation: The Message of Tre Fontane, exploring the history and significance of this sanctuary hidden in the southern part of the Eternal City, amidst a lush green setting surrounding a grotto where the Virgin appeared in 1947.
“I’d like to begin by going back to the past, to the origins of the event,” Benjamin Crockett of the EWTN Vatican Bureau sat down with Francois Vayne to discuss his new book, asking, “Where did the desire to explore and recount this story of Tre Fontane come from?”
“Let’s say, I first encountered Tre Fontane when I was 13 years old, in 1975,” Francois Vayne explained. “It was the Holy Year, and at that time, I was living in Algeria. With the Diocese of Algiers we had come to Rome for the grand event of the Holy Year.”
The Story of Bruno Cornacchiola and His Encounter with Mary
Vayne continued, “When I better understood who Bruno Cornacchiola was—a married man and father who wanted to kill Pope Pius XII because he was very sectarian and fanatical—I tried to learn more. When he returned from Spain, where he had fought in the civil war and killed many people, including priests, he brought back the knife with which he intended to kill Pope Pius XII, whom he considered a tyrant.”
Explaining Cornacchiola’s hostility to the faith, Vayne explained, “He waged war against all Marian dogmas, particularly the Immaculate Conception, aiming to show that the Catholic Church was the synagogue of Satan. When he decided to go to Tre Fontane, a place he knew from childhood, he went with his three children to prepare his lecture against Marian dogmas, which he was to deliver the next day in a Roman square.”
However, “The children saw Mary first. He thought they were playing a prank on him. Then he saw her too. Mary spoke to him; the children saw her but didn’t hear the message. After that, he went home, knelt before his wife to ask for forgiveness. She believed him because, usually, she was the one kneeling, asking him to stop beating her. Now, seeing him kneel before her, she believed something had truly happened.”
The Modern Relevance of Tre Fontane’s Message
Noting that the Roman apparition is less well-known than Lourdes or Fatima, Crockett asked, “How can it enrich and deepen our faith today, in these modern times?”
“I see two main points to respond to your question,” Vayne highlighted. “First, the apparition has not been officially recognized by the Church in the same way as Lourdes or Fatima, for example. This lack of official recognition has made the site less known. However, at the same time, it has been recognized in a de facto sense. For instance, John Paul II was very attached to the apparition at Tre Fontane. He authorized public worship there and gave the sanctuary its official name: the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Revelation. So, there is a kind of implicit recognition that allows people to visit Tre Fontane, pray there, and engage with its message.
“Secondly, while the apparition hasn’t received the same formal recognition as Lourdes or Fatima, it holds significant value. Pope Pius XII was deeply moved by what Bruno Cornacchiola conveyed to him. Cornacchiola shared the details of the apparition, particularly its message, which supported the Pope’s intuition to proclaim the dogma of the Assumption. Pope Pius XII saw Tre Fontane as a confirmation of this intuition, and three years later, on November 1, 1950, he proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption on All Saints’ Day.”
Further, Vayne explained, “In 1947, amidst the Cold War’s beginnings following World War II, the Virgin at Tre Fontane warned of a third world war—a conflict that would be worse than the second. This warning came as the Cold War, with its two opposing blocs, began to unfold, much like what we are experiencing today. Pope Pius XII saw the urgency of turning to the Woman clothed with the sun—the Virgin of the Apocalypse.
Tre Fontane: A Place of Hope and Faith for Modern Pilgrims
“The Virgin of Revelation at Tre Fontane is the Virgin of the Apocalypse, and she calls us to turn to her because she alone can save us from the dragon and planetary destruction.
“John Paul II said that Tre Fontane continues the message of Fatima, reminding us that at the end of time, her Immaculate Heart will prevail.”
Adapted by Jacob Stein
