No Catholic is required to believe the messages from the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the three children of Fatima, but the reactions to the messages from high-ranking churchmen reveal several vital aspects of the current crisis in the Church. The conclusions we can draw from these reactions do not depend on the Fatima messages being legitimate — all that matters in this analysis is that the churchmen under consideration purported to believe them. And yet, if we honestly assess the way in which Church’s leaders have acted in light of the messages of Fatima, we can see…