The Rev. John Brock says he understands why four popes chose to keep one of Catholicism’s most closely-guarded secrets.

Vatican officials said last month that secret — known as the the third mystery of Fatima — predicted the 1981 attempted assassination of Pope John Paul.

Its revelation — 83 years after three children claimed the Virgin Mary appeared in the Portuguese town of Fatima and talked to them — ends speculation about the third prophecy issued to the children and, in Brock’s mind, explains the popes’ reluctance to reveal the final secret.

&uot;The first secret predicted the end of World War I,&uot; which was taking place at the time of the appearances in 1917, Brock said.

The second secret predicted the beginning of World War II and the rise and fall of Soviet communism. Both secrets have long been known.

On June 26, the Vatican released the third secret:&160;the description of a pope &uot;on his hands and knees at the foot of a big cross&uot; who &uot;was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him.&uot;

&uot;Do you know how many people would’ve lined up to assassinate (the pope) if they’d published that?&uot; said Brock, pastor of B.V.M. Assumption Catholic Church in Natchez.

&uot;Each pope (serving since 1917) knew of that prediction,&uot; Brock said, &uot;but they didn’t know which pope it would be … Each one is thinking, ‘Is it going to be me?’&uot;

Pope John Paul was shot on May 13, 1981, in St. Peter’s Square. While recovering, the pope asked to read the sealed, handwritten account of the May 13, 1917, visitation because, according to Vatican, he was struck by the coincidence of the dates.

And, even though he survived the assassination attempt, the pope believes it fulfilled the third prophecy, Vatican officials said.

Although the premise of the Fatima messages may be uniquely Catholic, the interest in those messages was not limited to Catholics.

&uot;Curiosity is a very human thing; it’s not limited to Catholics,&uot; Brock said.

And, because the first two secrets dealt with global issues — the end of one war, the beginning of a second — curiosity about the third secret grew during the 40 years of secrecy, Brock said. &uot;Because (the release of the third secret) was so long into the future from that time … it’s natural that conspiracy theories&uot; and doomsday speculations would arise.