Leafing through the parish monthly magazine Flimkien, the Fatima prayer caught my eye. This strange, disturbing prayer has always evoked recollections of the Pharisee/publican parable (Lk 18:11): it sounds mildly pharisaical. In the parable, the Pharisee is assuming the moral high ground and is comparing himself to the despised publican. The Fatima prayer implores the Lord to “lead all souls to heaven, especially those with most need of thy mercy”.

The two words “especially” and “most” to my mind constitute a clear discordance and are difficult to reconcile with what Paul writes in Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The two words imply a comparison whereas in Romans no comparison is contemplated. On the contrary, Paul alludes to a universal all-embracing shortcoming.

The question of degree and, hence, comparison does not arise.

The letter of James teaches that “...whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in the one point, he is guilty of all” (Jas 2:10).

Furthermore, to me the prayer smacks of some vague Pelagian fallacy, in that salvation can be achieved rather than received.

It takes some daring on my part to confess to God that I, a sinner – as compared to my equally-sinful neighbour – only need just a tiny whiff of His mercy for my salvation whereas my neighbour needs a much higher dose.

It all sounds so outrageous that, when I recite the Rosary, I just pray that, “God may lead all souls to heaven”, period, deleting altogether the comparative ending “especially those with most need of thy mercy”. Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.”

Who am I to assess the quantum?