THE "APPARITIONS OF THE VIRGIN" AT FÁTIMA CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO THE UFO PHENOMENON

This document, authored by Joaquim Fernandes, editor of the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias, presents a detailed analysis of the 1917 Fátima apparitions through the lens of modern Ufology. Fernandes and his colleague, Dr. Fina d'Armada, argue that the events at Cova da Iria, traditionally interpreted within a religious framework, exhibit physical and physiological characteristics consistent with UFO contact cases. The authors highlight the testimony of a 'fourth percipient,' Carolina Carreira, who described telepathic communication with a small entity. The document details physical evidence observed by thousands, including the 'Miracle of the Sun,' which the authors correlate with a 'solar object' descending in a parabolic trajectory. They propose that the phenomenon involved a 'tronco-conic beam of light' and microwave radiation, citing research by physicists such as Jean-Pierre Petit and James McCampbell to explain the reported 'humming of bees' sound, the drying of wet clothing and soil, and physiological cures. The authors suggest that the 'Lady' seen by the children was an entity transported within a light beam, and that the 'messages' received were the result of microwave-induced interference with the human brain, specifically the Locus Coeruleus. The document also includes a brief report by Antonio Chiumiento regarding a 1978 encounter in Italy with 'rat-faced' creatures, serving as a comparative case study for modern contact reports. The authors maintain that their research provides a rigorous, scientifically grounded basis for re-evaluating the Fátima events as a manifestation of the UFO phenomenon.