Before the Passion: The Judas Factor

“In the world you shall have distress, but have confidence; I have overcome the world.”
~John 16:33


Before the Passion...

The Great Council of the Sanhedrin had decided to arrest Jesus. In regard to the time, it was probably on Wednesday that the council assembled. It may have been “at the hour when Our Lord assured His disciples that He would be crucified, on the Feast of the Pasch: ‘You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to be crucified.’ ”

“The meeting place of the Council was not, it would appear, the assembly room in the Temple, but the palace of Caiphas the High Priest, because the decision was kept secret, and all care was taken to avoid attracting attention.”

“Nevertheless, the Sanhedrin seemed to have been represented in every essential point, for the three classes – chief priests, ancients, and scribes – of which it was composed, are mentioned. It was, therefore, an official session. The subject of the deliberations was no longer whether or not to put Jesus to death – that had been decided upon long ago, but the manner in which is was to be accomplished - whether openly by force, or secretly by crafty surprise. The occurrences of the last few days, the complete defeats by which Our Lord has put His enemies to shame, His increasing influence – all of this urged them to sudden action.”

“As we know, their decision was that the arrest was to be secretly, by craft.” Their plan was to surprise and take Our Lord, but when and how they could best do it was their dilemma.

They had decided that Jesus’ execution was not to take place on the feast day, but after the Pasch was over. “This was because they feared the people. At the Paschal season, there were multitudes of people in Jerusalem, and the crowds were much inclined to disturbances and tumult. Our Lord had many adherents among them, especially among the excitable Galileans.”

So the Sanhedrin feared only resistance and risk, especially if the Romans would be forced to interfere. “For this reason, the arrest must be made whenever it could be done best, but secretly, and the sentence was not to be passed until after the feast days, when the people had dispersed. Such was the decision of the Council – and such their dispositions for the great feast. They feared – not God, but the people.”

And then, suddenly, a boon - Judas, apostle of Jesus Christ - went to Our Lord’s enemies.

“What will you give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?” What a terrible question Judas asked of the Sanhedrin! “To put Jesus into competition with Self! Judas had entertained the thought of the betrayal of Our Lord for a long time. No one suddenly falls away from faithfulness to Jesus – “it is neglect in little things which gradually leads to a serious fall.”

How did Judas come to such a resolution? What were the causes? As Meditation on the Passion explains it:

1. “The fundamental cause was probably the shallowness, untrustworthiness, and superficiality of his character. He seems to have been a man of no depth or moral stamina.”

2. “The second cause was his worldliness, ambition, and avarice. One can scarcely conceive of his ever having had any idea of the Kingdom of the Messiah other than that which the majority of Jews entertained – a temporal king, a temporal kingdom. Judas allowed himself to be wholly influenced by a worldly spirit – the same spirit which is directly opposed to the spirit of Jesus Christ.”

“The world is Our Lord’s enemy and therefore the enemy of the Catholic Church and all Her members. The world is composed of those who center their happiness in earthly things, who detest and shun poverty, suffering and humiliation while they worship wealth, pleasure, and personal dignity, esteeming these as the only treasures worthy of man’s ambition, and deliberately sacrificing their souls in order to attain them.”

“Our Lord Himself formally excluded the world from His last solemn prayer for His disciples on the night of His Passion. He predicted, too, that as the world had hated and persecuted Him, so would it persecute and hate His followers. If we really desire a place near Our Lord, we must, like Him, engage in an unceasing conflict with His mortal foe. Jesus Christ is light, and the world is darkness; and as light and darkness cannot exist together – because one casts out the other – so neither can Our Lord and the world be one. When the spirit of the world gets entrance into the human heart, Our Lord is cast out and rejected. And in proportion as the Holy Spirit of Our Lord gains ground in the soul, the spirit of the world is cast out and rejected.”

“ ‘If any man love this world, the charity of the Father is not in him’ ” (John I: 2:15). Judas’ downfall is a sad confirmation of this great principle – i.e., that Jesus Christ and the world are mortal enemies. By generous, persevering efforts to rid ourselves of everything savoring of the worldly spirit, we shall make solid, genuine advance in sanctity. To triumph over the world is not the work of a moment, but of a lifetime. Therefore, we must follow faithfully in the footsteps of God’s servants, the Saints, by generous fidelity in lesser trials, by which we merit Divine Help in greater ones.”

3. The third cause of Judas’ fall was unbelief. Gradually, he lost the faith he first had. Loss of faith is the usual result of worldliness.

4.The fourth cause was weariness and discomfort of the life led by Our Lord and the Apostles. Judas loved his own ease and comfort. He grew tired of the life He led with Jesus – one of poverty and constant labors and journeys. He was especially tired of Jesus’ personal disinterest as He labored for others.

Judas was absolutely selfish, and so “he had acquired the habit of thieving from the purse that Our Lord entrusted to him. He tried to make use of his position for worldly gain. The enthusiastic love and devotion of the other Apostles, much less His followers, must have annoyed Judas. How exaggerated and extravagant they must have seemed to him, until at least he took a positive dislike to the presence and Person of Jesus. This dislike to the Person of Jesus showed itself plainly when Magdalen anointed Our Lord’s Sacred Feet at Bethany. The unbelief, irreverence, and callousness of Judas on this occasion almost stun us.”

5. “A last cause - which, however, was also at work in all the other influences – was the influence and seduction of the devil, which grew more powerful the more Judas gave way to unbelief and passion. And thus it was that his diabolical resolution to abandon Jesus became matured. Under these circumstances, Judas wished to see Jesus’ plans thwarted and the company of the Apostles dissolved, that he might be freed from all the inconveniences – and he thought he might as well gain a little something by it, too.”

“How mean, cowardly and disgraceful was this act of Judas – he, an Apostle, a friend of Jesus, a member of His family! Judas’ conduct meant no small slight shame, and no small pain to the tender, loving Heart of Our Lord. And Judas took this step quite of his own accord. He hastened to the priests himself, and he asked, in the most shameless and unblushing manner, what they would give him for his treachery. Judas knew well the men he had to deal with, and yet he promised to deliver Our Lord Jesus - his Master, his Benefactor, his God and greatest Good – for the price of killing a slave.”

“And to whom does Judas sell Our Lord? To His worst and most bitter enemies who lie in wait to devour Him. Judas delivered Our Lord to all the tortures of His Passion and Death. Self-interest, avarice, ingratitude, cowardice, faithlessness, hard-heartedness, and cruelty are all included in Judas’ act. And oh, what pain, what deep humiliation, it brought to our dear Lord and Savior!”

“What a terrible thing for a Christian to be the slave of worldly principles, of a selfish spirit, of human respect! Our Lord declared expressly and positively that He would die on the feast, and by a violent death. The Son of God knows the counsels of God and the hearts of men. No on can work against God, not even in secret. His Providence guards His own. He watches over His faithful servants – not a hair of their heads can be touched without His permission. Nothing can happen without the permission of God.”

Jesus had his Judas. And since the servant is no better than his Master, as Our Lord taught, it stands to reason that Christ’s Bride, the Catholic Church, will always have Judases in Her midst, and that we, members of the Church Militant, children of the Bride, and members of the Mystical Body, will also suffer from “the Judas Factor” in our own lives.

Here we have serious matter for reflection – God wills that we know, love and serve Him, but if we wish to rightly and justly serve, we must get to know ourselves. “Self-knowledge is a most necessary step to the knowledge and love of Jesus – no one is safe until well grounded in self-knowledge. If Judas had known his own evil nature, he might have been saved. He would have distrusted and dreaded himself and clung to Jesus, Who would have saved him, for He loved Judas and called him to be His disciple with the sole view of saving him.”

But Judas used his free will to thwart the tender, merciful designs of Jesus – and no one can be saved against his will. “What a terrible lesson is here given! Like Judas, we also have our evil dispositions – our weaknesses, which, unless known and fought against, will lead us to very serious consequences.”

What have we to say to our Divine Lord? What graces do we ask of Him? What thanksgiving do we make? What reparation, sympathy, and love do we have to offer the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus?

Sweet Jesus, Savior of my soul, deign in Thy Goodness to hear my petitions, strengthen my will to give Thee my best, and give it fearlessly and with all the love of my heart.

Mother of God, my mother, help me to remember that a ‘valiant lover standeth his ground in temptation and yieldeth not to the crafty persuasions of the enemy.’

“Have pity on me, Lord Jesus, have pity on me according to the mercy of Thy loving Heart. The thought that I am yet be made holy, that I can yet become a true and loyal disciple of Thy Heart, encourages me. Help me, O Jesus Most Merciful, and give me courage. Behold, dear Lord, now I begin!”

“O Mother, I have need of Thee!”

Pope of Surprises: The Rosary and His First Homily

The Pope who prays the 15 decades of the Rosary
(properly called the Psalter) said in his first papal homily to the
 College of Cardinalsand others attending the Mass:
 "When we walk without the Cross, when we build
without the Cross, and when we confess Christ
without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord:
we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes,
but not disciples of the Lord."

 

Pope Francis once said that he prays “the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary every day” and began the practice around 1985, following the late Pope John Paul II's lead. As Cardinal Bergoglio, he prayed with John Paul II, later stating: “That testimony did not get forgotten in an instant. From that time on I recite the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary every day.”

 

That is a very pleasant and edifying surprise. A few more surprises were in store when, during his first Mass celebrated with the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on March 14, 2013 at 5 p.m., Pope Francis gave a spontaneous seven-minute homily.  Although he had no prepared text, the theme of his homily (which follows the Gospel) was three-fold: camminare, edificare, confessare (to walk, to build, to confess  - as in “confess the glory of Jesus Christ and His Cross”).

How remarkable are the ways of God when one considers the two following readings and the Gospel of “Missa pro Ecclesia” (“Mass for the Church”) are excerpts from the Book of Isaiah (2:2-5), from the First Letter of Peter (2:4-9), and from the Gospel according to Matthew (16:13-19). These three selections speak of the last days, “the mountain of the house of the Lord” and the “top of mountains” (in Scriptural symbolism, a mountain is a kingdom; either earthly or spiritual, and Jerusalem – like Israel – are figure types for the Catholic Church), the judgment of God, the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and Christ’s establishment of the papacy. They are included below and come from the Douay-Rheims translation of the Holy Bible.

Isaiah 2:2-5: And in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go, and say: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall come forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Peter 2: 4-9: For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment: And spared not the original world, but preserved Noe, the eighth person, the preacher of justice, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. And reducing the cities of the Sodomites, and of the Gomorrhites, into ashes, condemned them to be overthrown, making them an example to those that should after act wickedly. And delivered just Lot, oppressed by the injustice and lewd conversation of the wicked. For in sight and hearing he was just: dwelling among them, who from day to day vexed the just soul with unjust works. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly from temptation, but to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be tormented.

Matthew 16:13-19: And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

Francis’ First Papal Homily: Spontaneous

In these three readings, I see that there is something in common: it is movement.

In the first reading, movement in walking; in the second reading, movement in the building up of the Church; in the third, in the Gospel, movement in confession.

To walk, to build up, to confess.

To walk. “House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

This is the first thing that God said to Abraham: Walk in my presence and be without reproach. To walk: our life is a journey and when we stop it is no good. To walk always, in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live with that irreproachability which God asked of Abraham, in his promise.

To build up. To build up the Church. Stones are spoken of: the stones have substance; but living stones, stones anointed by the Holy Spirit. To build up the Church, the bride of Christ, on that cornerstone which is the Lord himself. This is another movement of our lives: to build up.

Third, to confess. We can walk as much as we wish, we can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, it is no good. We will become a humanitarian NGO, but not the Church, bride of the Lord.

When one does not walk, one halts. When one does not build on stone what happens? That happens which happens to children on the beach when they make sand castles, it all comes down, it is without substance. When one does not confess Jesus Christ, I am reminded of the expression of Léon Bloy: "He who does not pray to the Lord prays to the devil.” When one does not confess Jesus Christ, one confesses the worldliness of the devil, the worldliness of the demon.

To walk, to build/construct, to confess. But the matter is not so easy, because in walking, in building, in confessing, at times there are shocks, there are movements that are not properly movements of the journey: they are movements that set us back.

This Gospel continues with a special situation. The same Peter who has confessed Jesus Christ says to him: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I will follow you, but let us not speak of the Cross. This has nothing to do with it. I will follow you with other possibilities, without the Cross."

When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we confess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord: we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord.

I would like that everyone, after these days of grace, should have the courage, truly the courage, to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Cross of the Lord; to build up the Church upon the Blood of the Lord that was shed upon the Cross; and to confess the only glory: Christ crucified. And in this way the Church will move forward.

I hope for all of us that the Holy Spirit, through the prayer of the Virgin Mary, our Mother, may grant us this grace: to walk, to build up, to confess Jesus Christ crucified. So may it be.

Although the Pope's homily was brief, a great part of it serves as a reminder of these words by St. Peter: “Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (First Epistle of Peter 2:5) and the inspiring Apostolic Exhortation to the Clergy in Pope St. Pius X’s Haerent Animo (1908).

Pope Francis did, however, make one reference to the extremely controversial Leon Bloy, who was a French poet, essayist, convert, a man who refused to work, and an eccentric with a passion for prostitutes (co-habiting with two prostitutes in succession - after his supposed conversion to the Faith, Bloy planned to marry both - not simultaneously, of course - but never did. Yes, Leon Bloy was capable of writing a few truthful things -  but even a broken clock is right twice a day.)

Surprising? Yes. Perplexing? Definitely. This is only conjecture on my part, but perhaps that is why Pope Francis made a brief yet direct reference to Bloy, a man who could at times write eloquently of the Faith but during his lifetime refused to accept the Cross. Be that as it may, there is no doubt whatsoever that the new Pope gently yet firmly admonished the entire hierarchy when he said:

“When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we confess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord: we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord.”

May we pray much for the Holy Father.

 

Queen Esther and the Star of Our Lady of Fatima: A Priest's Homily

Imagine my reaction when today I discovered that a priest recently used, as the basis for one of his 2013 Lenten homilies,  my 2008 detailed article, Hidden Revelations:  The Star of Esther and the Secrets of Fatima, which is now an extended chapter in my book, Fatima: The Signs and Secrets.

Fr. Peter West, who in that same homily advocates devotion and reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, “joined Human Life International as the Vice President for Missions in the Fall of 2011. Also in 2011, Father Peter West celebrated both his 20th anniversary as a priest, and 25 years of defending the right to life of the most vulnerable members of society. Fr. West came to HLI after 13 years with Priests for Life, with whom he served most recently as Associate Director.”

To my initial consternation (followed by joy), Fr. West implemented into his homily various parts of my article (even to a footnote wherein I explained figure-types!) to explain the Star of Esther on Our Lady’s robe. This afternoon, I attempted at least five times to write Father on his blog and thank him (on so many levels), but technical difficulties kept popping up. Although I will make another attempt, I do hope he sees this post and knows of at least one person’s appreciation as he urges people to live a sacramental life, prayer, penance, the daily Rosary, and the Five First Saturday devotions. Incidentally, Fr. West ended his homily, “Queen Esther and Our Lady of Fatima,” as follows (with all emphasis mine):

“Like Esther, Mary came at Fatima to spare her children from destruction. She asked people to repent of sin, pray the rosary, go to confession, and receive the Eucharist worthily. On July 13, 1917, Our Lady said to the child Lucia: ‘…I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be annihilated. ... In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and an era of peace will be granted to the world.’”

Fr. West continued: “Had her requests been heeded the world would have been spared the horrors of World War II in which over 50 million people died and countless other wars and persecutions provoked by Communists throughout the world. In 1920, Russia was also the first country to legalize abortion. In 1913, Communist leader Vladimir Lenin demanded ‘the unconditional annulment of all laws against abortions or against the distribution of medical literature on contraceptive measures.’ ”

“Great evils threaten our world. Sin increases. So many hearts are hardened. We need to call on Our Lady in prayer. Heed her requests at Fatima and Lourdes. Do penance, do the Five First Saturday devotion by going to confession, receiving the Eucharist, praying the rosary and meditating 15 minutes on the mysteries for five first Saturdays of the month in a row.”

“Queen Esther asked her people to do pray and do penance with her. We must listen to the Blessed Mother today and ask her to intercede with her Son that he might spare us, our nation and our world.”

Thank you, Fr. West. Yes, had Our Lady's requests been heeded (especially the still necessary collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the papal promulgation of the Five First Saturdays), we would now be living in the promised era of peace.

Francis I: The New Pope and Prophecy

The new pope Francis I, elected today (03-13-13), soberly
emerged for the first time on the balcony of St. Peter's Basicila.

“It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am.”

---Francis I, the newly-elected pope

 

Today, the new pope expressed a few words that immediately brought to mind a prophecy that refers to a time “about twelve years” into “the millennium.” Coincidentally enough, the pope has chosen the name "Francis I" and the prophecy comes from a Franciscan tertiary who is now a “beati” of the Church.

 

Incidentally, a “beati” is one whose cause for canonization is opened, and has passed the titles of Servant of God and Venerable. “Blessed” is the final stage before canonization to the sainthood. His name? Blessed Tomasuccio de Foligno, who died in 1377 A.D.

 

In commenting on his prophecy, he allegedly spoke of a pope to whom he referred as “degno pastori.” The word “degno” is defined as “worthy, deserving, eligible, suitable, admirable, respectable.” The word “pastori,” of course, means Pastor (the Shepherd), and therefore refers to a Pope. As for his prophecy, the blessed said:

“One from beyond the mountains shall become the Vicar of God. Religious and clerics shall take part in this change. Outside the true path, there will be only disreputable men; I shrug my shoulders when the Barque of Peter is in danger and there is no one to lend it help... The schismatic shall fall into the scorn of the Italian faithful... By about twelve years shall the millennium have passed when the resplendent mantle of legitimate power shall emerge from the shadows where it was being kept by the schism. And beyond harm from the one who is blocking the door of salvation, for his deceitful schism shall have come to an end. And the Mass of the faithful shall attach itself to the worthy Shepherd, who shall extricate each one from error and restore to the Church its beauty. He shall renew it.” – Blessed Tomasuccio de Foligno (1319-1377 A.D.)

The new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (pronounced Ber-GOAL-ee-oh), comes from “beyond the mountains” (which usually indicates Rome). In fact, he comes from a city on the sea. Born of Italian parents, Francis I was raised in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina in South America. (At the age of 76, he shall be 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.) Thus, Francis I is of European heritage but he will be the first-ever Latino Pope. Technically, he is the first non-European Pope of the Church in more than 1,000 years.

Earlier today, the newly-elected Pope somberly emerged from the white balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. After expressing his thanks, he asked the crowd to pray with him and for him.

"As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am.”

"I would like to thank you for your embrace, also to ... the bishops, thank you very much.”

"First and foremost, I would like to pray for our emeritus pope, Benedict XVI. Let us pray all of us together … so that he is blessed by the Lord and guarded." (Please note: I've not checked for the translation's veracity.)

Francis I also lead the cardinals and the crowd in praying the Our Father and the Hail Mary and offered his blessing "to you, the city, and to the whole world." (“Urbi et Orbi” which literally means “city and world.”)

Meanwhile, let's pray very much. When he emerged from the balcony today, all may have noted Francis’ somewhat reserved manner and his quiet dignity. Formerly the head of the Jesuits, it is said that he is a very capable and yet humble man, leading a somewhat austere life as an an archbishop. Unlike many other prelates, he has not attracted much attention to himself…and this indeed may be a good sign. On the other hand, the papal election was much faster than anticipated, and it might be that the liberal element had its way. If that is the case, let us pray that Francis will be like Pope Pius IX, whom the liberals considered as one of their own...until he began reinforcing and defending tradition.

Either way, it is our Catholic duty to pray for the new pope's intentions, which is to say that the Church Militant always asks God to assist a pope in leading the Church according to His holy will. Pray also that Pope Francis is the pope will finally consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commanding the world's bishops to join him.

"Pray much for the Holy Father! He will do it, but it will be late." - Our Lord to Sr. Lucia on the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

Benedict XVI or Sodano, Third Secret or World Order?

Yes, during his homily yesterday, Cardinal Angelo Sodano did say “world order” (“ordine mondiale”). To be just, Sodano did not say “new world order.”  Even more astonishing is the news that Benedict XVI said that the Third Secret is spoken.

Did that get your attention? Multo bene, because it’s true. The former pope did say that the Third Secret is spoken.  Does Sodano’s choice of the phrase “world order” remotely approach the magnitude of Benedict XVI revelation that the Third Secret is spoken? Similar to what happened today with Sodano, a glitch occurred after Benedict XVI uttered a few very important words that were either mistranslated or overlooked. In Sodano’s case, he did say “world order” but those same words do not appear in the official text released to the media.

The opposite happened with Benedict XVI. Speaking in Italian during an in-flight interview, he willingly chose to answer certain questions about the Third Secret of Fatima. His response survived “as is” and his words were published in Italy’s daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera, on May 11, 2010. With the media, one or two choice words can be mistakenly (or conveniently) changed, mis-translated (if they are not deleted), and/or appear (or not) in an official text. And sometimes, the whole story is published.

A similar thing occurred on March 25, 1984 when Pope John Paul II consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and then spontaneously abandoned his prepared text and suddenly prayed aloud, “Enlighten especially the peoples of which You Yourself are awaiting our consecration and confiding.” That was Pope John Paul II’s indirect way of publicly acknowledging he had not specifically consecrated Russia, per the Fatima Virgin’s request. The next day (March 26, 1984) L’Osservatore Romano published the pope’s surprising addition. So did Avvenire, the Italian bishops’ newspaper, only it translated the pope’s additional words as “those peoples for whom You Yourself are awaiting our act of consecration and entrusting.” As for the rest of the media, the mainstream either ignored the Pope’s addition or didn’t comment on it.

To return to the Third Secret and what Benedict XVI actually said (in Italian) on May 10, 2010:  The English translations I read did not “quite” match each other. So I searched for the original Italian article, referring to an Italian-English dictionary when I couldn’t believe what I was reading. After I translated, I wanted to be certain, so I contacted a few people who can fluently read and speak Tuscano. They verified both what I had detected and my translation, especially the phrase “si parla, si vede.”

Still, I wondered, “How did no one else catch this?” Perhaps it is because the media zoomed in and then latched onto other things the Pope said about the sin within the Church. So I scoured the net, and what I found were repeats of the same mis-translations!  

 

After waiting another week, I decided to publish my findings on this blog, Pope Benedict on the Third Secret: “It is Spoken.” (The latter article also includes my observations on the pattern of the Great Secret). While emailing a news release to certain media outlets (which ultimately was ignored), I spoke of my discovery with Mr. John Vennari at Catholic Family News. The end result was that I revised and expanded my original article for my July 2010 "Secrets of the Catholic City" column in Catholic Family News, slightly altering the title to:  Pope Benedict XVI Reveals: The Third Secret of Fatima is Spoken.

However, it is almost three years since Benedict said those three little words which change the history of the Third Secret debate. Yes, even a few words are important and the former Pope did say the Third Secret is spoken. As of this date, the entire world knows that the cardinals are gathered in conclave to elect a new pope,  but imagine the media reaction if, by every means possible, the following words were disseminated throughout Rome:  “Benedict XVI says Third Secret is Spoken.” For the sake of the Church and of the world, those three words remain the most important news of this century, and they are not getting the attention they deserve.  

 

Papal Election - It is a Dangerous Time

"It is a dangerous time. Pray for us." So said an un-named cardinal on the eve of the papal conclave’s opening to Mr. Robert Moynihan, editor of Inside the Vatican.

Today, on the first day of the conclave, the media in Rome are keeping an eye on the smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel while simultaneously writing editorials or commentaries. Last night, Mr. Moynihan wrote of a Sunday evening encounter wherein he spoke to “a friend, an Italian woman,” who holds the personal opinion that Cardinal Schoenborn “is cultured, refined, eloquent, noble, handsome — especially handsome!” While such things sound impressive, are these the qualities actually needed to be a good and holy pope? No.  (Incidentally, after reading of Mr. Moynihan’s encounter, it seems that he is not as deeply impressed by Cardinal Schoenborn as is his friend.)

Unfortunately, the lady is basing everything on what in Cardinal Schoenborn appeals to her – his appearance, his education, the way he responded to her disabled son– in a word, she views everything via the telescope of “feelings.” It’s very good that a cardinal left a good impression; that is how it should be. However, Our Faith is not a matter of our emotions or other subjectivities; it is based on objective Truth.

A few moments of polite inter-action proves nothing on the spiritual measuring scale. In a word, the lady’s reactions are sanguine - cheerful, open, giving, and optimistic. Unfortunately, a sanguine reaction can also be one that is not inclined to seek “cause and effect” and thus it is extremely susceptible to that which appeals to the five senses, otherwise known as sensuality (“of the five senses”).

Then there is Cardinal Dolan, who (according to Fox News) “is quick with a quip and, more often than not, he is the target of his own sense of humor -- a trait that will continue to serve him well if he is to become the first American pope.”  Yes, Dolan is such a comedienne that in 2002 he thought nothing of wearing a “cheese head” mitre on the Feast of Our Lady’s Nativity. Why?  It was the opening day for the NFL (football) season and the brand new archbishop of Milwaukee, Wisconsin wanted to show his support of the Green Bay packers. (Wisconsin is known for its milk and cheese. Get it?)

An edifying act of supernatural prudence it was not. The cheese head mitre disgraced the office of priest and bishop, just to offer a moment of comic buffoonery to those with no sense of dignity and proper decorum.  Despite Fox News’s sanguine view that Dolan's sense of humor will serve him well if he becomes the first “American” pope (incidentally, that's an example of careless writing…If elected, Dolan would become the first American to become the Pope), the news service at least told the truth when their report stated that “Dolan is not immune to the stain of sex abuse scandals that plagued the church in past decades.” No kidding.

These things are disgraceful, and we cannot explain them away or ignore them. We must pray and *sacrifice* that the cardinals allow the Holy Ghost to inspire them to elect a pope who will lead the Church according to God’s Will – not theirs and not ours.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Doctor of the Church, provides such wise counsel, imperative for the Church at all times but especially when “it is a dangerous time,” as the anonymous cardinal phrased it when speaking to Mr. Moynihan. As. St. Alphonsus wrote:
 

“As regards the bishops, very few of them possess genuine zeal for souls. Almost all religious communities — and one could omit the “almost” — are relaxed. As a result of the present state of general confusion, observance has collapsed and obedience is a thing of the past. The state of the secular clergy is still worse: so, in a word, there is a need for a general reform of all clerics and ecclesiastics if there is to be any improvement in the present great corruption of morals among the laity.”

“So we have to pray to Jesus Christ that He would give as Head of the Church one possessed of more spirit and zeal for the glory of God than of learning and of human prudence. He should be free of all party attachments and devoid of human respect. If, by chance, for our great misfortune, we should get a Pope that does not have the glory of God as his sole purpose, the Lord will not help him greatly and things from their present condition will go from bad to worse. However, prayer, which can provide a remedy for so many present ills, will move the Lord to put His hand to the problem and remedy the situation.” (Excerpt from the saint’s letter to a bishop, dated 24 October, 1774 from Selected Writings — The Classics of Western Spirituality)

Let's take the counsel of a saint who is also a Doctor of the Church. Cast your "vote" for a holy Pope by praying earnestly and making more sacrifices to God for this intention!

 

 

The Great Comet: Will a Pope Flee in December?

Nostradamus warned that the next-to-last pope would "flee Rome in December when the great comet is seen in the daytime." That's the latest news spreading over the net, and it seems it may have started with NBC's World News. If that prophecy (not to mention others about which I've been writing) is accurate, the next-to-last pope is either Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, or the one who will be elected in the conclave, which officially opens tomorrow, March 12.
 
Readers of this blog know that the topics of my most recent articles have included "a bishop dressed in white" who is described in the Third Secret of Fatima (a Vision),  the lightening that struck St. Peter's dome hours after Benedict XVI announced his resignation, the earthquake near Rome three days after the official abdication, and prophesies like the alleged St. Malachy "Petrus Romanus" prophecies. My latest article, Comets and Coincidences, made the connection between the upcoming November 2013 Comet ISON and another Nostradamus prophecy.  
 
While the most recent prophecy excerpt about a pope fleeing in December (while a great comet lights the daytime sky) is certainly intriguing, I'm not certain if the news writers got this one right. In the World News article, no further information on this particular Nostradamus prophecy is offered -  not the quatrain number, not even the entire prophecy. All we have is an excerpt.  (Meanwhile, I've already conducted a search. So far, every website or blog simply repeats the exact excerpt of a sentence (to wit, "flee Rome in December when the great comet is seen in the daytime"), and nothing more. I f I may, I would like to invite my readers to look it up. If anyone has any success finding the entire prophecy, I would appreciate a heads-up, accompanied by a link. Thanks so much!)
 
Here's the thing: If Nostradamus did indeed prophesy with those words, he indicated that December is the month of the "great comet." The NBC World News article makes a brief reference to the calendar difference of Nostradamus' time to ours, but the article again offers no specifics. The facts are that Nostradamus died in 1566 A.D. and the Gregorian calendar was instituted on October 4, 1582 - advancing the calendar by 10 days (but during a leap year, 11 days). Now that's a bit uncanny if Nostradamus did prophecy about a December comet, and here's why:

1.) Comet ISON will enter the sun's orbit on November 28, 2013 A.D.  If it survives, astronomers are predicting it could become so bright that it will be seen in the daylight hours - and, indeed, that would be a "great comet."  
 
2.) As I noted in Comets and Coincidences, Nostradamus did predict that "the great star will burn for seven days" and a cloud will cause two suns to appear. He concludes the prophecy: "The [Great] Mastiff will howl all night, and the Pontiff will flee to another country." In his book, Catholic Prophecy, Yves Dupont mused that the "Great Mastiff" could be "Arab powers."

3) If we can take Nostradamus literally, and if Comet ISON is the "great comet," it will begin to burn brightly on or around November 28th, and continue to burn through Wednesday, December 4th or Thursday, December 5th. If such is the case, Nostradamus was right about a "great comet," down to the very month.

Speaking of comet prophecies, here is another one from St. Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179 A.D.):

"Before the Comet comes, many nations, the good excepted, will be scoured with want and famine. The great nation in the ocean that is inhabited by people of different tribes and descent by an earthquake, storm and tidal waves will be devastated. It will be divided, and in great part submerged. That nation will also have many misfortunes at sea, and lose its colonies in the east through a Tiger and a Lion."

"The Comet by its tremendous pressure, will force much out of the ocean and flood many countries, causing much want and many plagues. All sea coast cities will be fearful and many of them will be destroyed by tidal waves, and most living creatures will be killed and even those who escape will die from a horrible disease. For in none of these cities does a person live according to the laws of God."
 

It is very amazing when these "coincidences" of lightning strikes, minor earthquakes, comets, and papal prophecies are getting the attention of secular news sources. Meanwhile, many Catholics who are making inquiries to their priests about these signs are usually being told to calm down, relax, and simply live a life of sanctifying grace.

Frankly speaking, if more people were living a life of sanctifying grace, we wouldn't be receiving these warning signs from God. I've said this before but will say it again, quoting Fr. Bernard Kramer, who was an biblical exegete, especially on the Apocalypse: "In the Septuagint, the word [sign] is used for celestial phenomena." (The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.)

In the Old Testament, God said, "Let there be lights made in the firmament of Heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years." (Gen. 1:14-16, Douay-Rheims Bible) In Hebrew, the word 'season' is 'moed' and and signifies an appointed or fixed time (which means it does not indicate the seasons of spring, summer, fall, or winter.) 

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, said: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves; Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved." (Lk. 21: 25-26) That is an infallible prophesy. It will happen. What's more, this infallible prophecy seems to have a connection to St. Hildegard's, mentioned above. Moreover, the word "heavens" could mean the skies above, but it could also mean "the Church" since in biblical prophecy, the word "heaven" or "heavens" usually indicates the Church.  Again, if that is the case, Our Lord could have meant "For the powers of the Church shall be moved" - indicating a Pope and perhaps also the hierarchy.
 
For these reasons, let's pay very respectful attention to the signs so far given. Is it really a coincidence that lightning struck the dome of St. Peter's, just before 6 p.m., on the same day Benedict XVI announced his resignation? How about the "light" earthquake that struck near Rome, three days after the pope's official resignation? Perhaps they were small but remarkable "coincidences" (the news about both certainly received attention), but let's also consider that in the Bible, God uses lighting and earthquakes as signs.

Finally, let's also look at this year's comets and the timing of their appearances. The comet that blazed through Russia did so on the first Friday in Lent, Comet Pan-STARRS is appearing at its brightest during Lent, and Comet ISON (if it successfully passes through the sun) will burn brightly during the first week of Advent 2013. Both Lent and Advent are penitential "seasons" of the Church.  The common sense of a faithful Catholic would say it is highly likely these comets are signs from God.  Pay attention and respond as we should.  Pray and do penance for our own sins and for the conversion of sinners.

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