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  THE EXORCISM OF NICOLA AUBREY By Father Michael Muller, C.SS.R.
Posted by: ThyWillBeDone - 04-25-2024, 05:39 AM - Forum: Church Doctrine & Teaching - No Replies

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THE EXORCISM OF NICOLA AUBREY

By Father Michael Muller, C.SS.R.



It is indeed a remarkable fact that, as the devil made use of Luther, an apostate monk, to abolish the Mass and deny the Real Presence; in like manner, God made use of His arch-enemy, the devil, to prove the Real Presence. He repeatedly forced him publicly to profess his firm belief in it, to confound the heretics for their disbelief, and acknowledge himself vanquished by Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. 

For this purpose, God allowed a certain Mme. Nicola Aubrey, an innocent person, to become possessed by Beelzebub and twenty-nine other evil spirits. The possession took place on the eighth of November, 1565, and lasted until the eighth of February, 1566.

Her parents took her to Father de Motta, a pious priest of Vervins, in order that he might expel the demon by exorcisms of the Church.

Father de Motta tried several times to expel the evil spirit by applying the sacred relics of the holy cross, but he could not succeed; Satan would not depart. At last, inspired by the Holy Ghost, he resolved to expel the devil by means of the sacrament of Our Lord's Body and Blood. Whilst Nicola was lying in a state of unnatural lethargy, Father de Motta placed the Blessed Sacrament upon her lips, and instantly the infernal spell was broken;



Nicola was restored to consciousness, and received Holy Communion with every mark of devotion. As soon as Nicola had received the sacred Body of Our Lord, her face became bright and beautiful as the face of an angel, and all who saw her were filled with joy and wonder, and they blessed God from their inmost hearts. With the permission of God, Satan returned and again took possession of Nicola.


As the strange circumstances of Nicola's possession became known everywhere, several Calvinist preachers came with their followers, to "expose this popish cheat," as they said. On their entrance, the devil saluted them mockingly, called them by name, and told them that they had come in obedience to him. 

One of the preachers took his Protestant prayer book, and began to read it with a very solemn face. The devil laughed at him, and putting on a most comical look, he said: "Ho! Ho! My good friend; do you intend to expel me with your prayers and hymns? Do you think that they will cause me any pain? Don't you know that they are mine? I helped to compose them!"

"I will expel thee in the name of God," said the preacher, solemnly.



"You!" said the devil mockingly. "You will not expel me either in the name of God, or in the name of the devil. Did you ever hear of one devil driving out another?"

"I am not a devil," said the preacher, angrily, "I am a servant of Christ."


"A servant of Christ, indeed!" said Satan, with a sneer. "What! I tell you, you are worse than I am. I believe, and you do not want to believe.



Do you suppose that you can expel me from the body of this miserable wretch? Ha! Go first and expel all the devils that are in your own heart!"



The preacher took his leave, somewhat discomfited. On going away, he said, turning up the whites of his eyes, "O Lord, I pray thee, assist this poor creature!"

"And I pray Lucifer," cried the evil spirit, "that he may never leave you, but may always keep you firmly in his power, as he does now. Go about your business, now. You are all mine, and I am your master."


On the arrival of the priest, several of the Protestants went away � they had seen and heard more than they wanted. Others, however, remained; and great was their terror when they saw how the devil writhed and howled in agony, as soon as the Blessed Sacrament was brought near him. At last the evil spirit departed, leaving Nicola in a state of unnatural trance. While she was in this state, several of the preachers tried to open her eyes, but they found it impossible to do so. The priest then placed the Blessed Sacrament on Nicola's lips, and instantly she was restored to consciousness.



Rev. Father de Motta then turned to the astonished preachers, and said: "Go now, ye preachers of the new Gospel; go and relate everywhere what you have seen and heard. Do not deny any longer that Our Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. Go now, and let not human respect hinder you from confessing the truth."




During the exorcisms of the following days, the devil was forced to confess that he was not to be expelled at Vervins, and that he had with him twenty-nine devils, among whom were three powerful demons: Cerberus, Astaroth, and Legio. On the third of January, 1566, the bishop arrived at Vervins, and began the exorcism in the church, in the presence of an immense multitude. null



"I command thee, in the name and by power of the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, to depart instantly," said the bishop to Satan in a solemn voice.

Satan was, at last, expelled the second time by means of the Blessed Sacrament. On leaving, he paralyzed the left arm and right foot of Nicola, and also made her left arm longer than her right; and no power on earth could cure this strange infirmity, until some weeks after, when the devil was at last completely and irrevocably expelled. Nicola was now taken to the celebrated pilgrimage of Our Lady at Liesse, especially since the devil seemed to fear that place so much.

Next day Father de Motta began the exorcism in the church of Our Lady at Liesse, in the presence of an immense multitude. He took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and, showing it to the demon, he said: "I command thee, in the name of the living God, the great Emmanuel Whom thou seest here present, and in Whom thou believest."



"Ah, yes!" shrieked the demon, "I believe in Him." And the devil howled again as he made this confession, for it was wrung from him by the power of Almighty God.


"I command thee, then, in His Name," said the priest, "to quit this body instantly."

At these words, and especially at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, the devil suffered the most frightful torture. At one moment the body of Nicola was rolled up like a ball; then again she became fearfully swollen. At one time her face was unnaturally lengthened, then excessively widened, and sometimes it was as red as scarlet. Her eyes, at times, protruded horribly, and then again sunk deeply into her skull. Her tongue hung down to her chin; it was sometimes black, sometimes red, and sometimes spotted like a toad. The priest still continued to urge and torture Satan. "Accursed spirit!" he cried, "I command thee, in the Name and by the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ here in the Blessed Sacrament, to depart instantly from the body of this poor creature.

"Ah, yes!" cried Satan, howling wildly, "twenty-six of my companions shall leave this instant, for they are forced to do so."



The people in the church now began to pray with great fervor. Suddenly Nicola's limbs began to crack, as if every bone in her body were breaking; a pestilential vapor came forth from her mouth, and twenty-six devils departed from her, never more to return. Nicola then fell into an unnatural swoon, from which she was aroused only by the Blessed Sacrament. On recovering her senses, and receiving holy communion, Nicola's face shone like the face of an angel. The priest still continued to urge the demon, and used every means to expel him.


"I will not leave, unless commanded by the bishop of Leon," answered the demon, angrily.

Nicola was now taken to Pierrepont, where one of the demons, name Legio, was expelled by means of the Blessed Sacrament. Next morning Nicola was brought to the church. Scarcely had she quitted the house, when the devil again took possession of her. 

The bishop who was requested to exorcise Nicola, prepared himself for this terrible task by prayer and fasting, and other works of penance. On arrival of Nicola in the Church, the exorcism began. "How many are you in this body?" asked the bishop.


"There are three of us," answered the evil spirit.

"What are your names?"



"Beelzebub, Cerberus, and Astaroth."

"What has become of the others?" asked the bishop.

"They have been expelled," answered Satan.

"Who expelled them?"



"Ha!" cried the devil, gnashing his teeth, "it was He whom you hold in your hand, there on the paten." The devil meant our dear Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.


The bishop then held the Blessed Sacrament near the face of Nicola. The demon writhed and howled in agony. "Ah, yes! I will go, I will go!" he shrieked, "but I shall return."

Suddenly Nicola became stiff and motionless as marble. The bishop then touched her lips with the Blessed Sacrament, and in an instant she was fully restored to consciousness. She received holy communion, and her countenance now shone with a wondrous, supernatural beauty. Next day Nicola was brought again to the Church, and the exorcism began as usual.



The bishop took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, held it near the face of Nicola, and said:

"I command thee in the name of the living God, and by the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ here in the sacrament of the altar, to depart instantly from the body of this creature of God, and never more to return."

"No! No!" shrieked the devil, "I will not go. My hour is not yet come."

"I command thee to depart. Go forth, impure, accursed spirit! Go forth!" and the bishop held the Blessed Sacrament close to Nicola's face.



"Stop! stop!", shrieked Satan; "let me go! I will depart � but I shall return." And instantly Nicola fell into the most frightful convulsions. A black smoke was seen issuing from her mouth, and she fell again into a swoon.


During her stay in Leon, Nicola was carefully examined by Catholic and Protestant physicians. Her left arm, which had been paralyzed by the devil, was found entirely without feeling. The doctors cut into the arm with a sharp knife; they burnt it with fire; they drove pins and needles under the nails of the fingers; but Nicola felt not pain; her arm was utterly insensible. Once, while Nicola was lying in a state of unnatural lethargy, the doctors gave her some bread soaked in wine (it was what the Protestants call their communion, or Lord's Supper); they rubbed her limbs briskly; they threw water in her face; they pierced her tongue until the blood flowed; they tried every possible means to arouse her, but in vain! Nicola remained cold and motionless as marble. At last, the priest touched the lips of Nicola with the Blessed Sacrament, and instantly she was restored to consciousness, and began to praise God.



The miracle was so clear, so palpable, that one of the doctors, who was a bigoted Calvinist, immediately renounced his errors, and became a Catholic. Several times, also, the Protestants touched Nicola's face with a host which was not consecrated, and which, consequently, was only bread, but Satan was not the least tormented by this. He only ridiculed their efforts.



On the twenty-seventh of January, the bishop, after having walked in solemn procession with the clergy and the faithful, began the exorcism in church, in the presence of a vast multitude of Protestants and Catholics. The bishop now held the Blessed Sacrament close to the face of Nicola. Suddenly a wild, unearthly yell rings through the air -- a black, heavy smoke issues from the mouth of Nicola. The demon Astaroth is expelled forever. During the exorcism which took place on the first of February, the bishop said:

"O accursed spirit! Since neither prayer, nor the holy gospels, neither the exorcisms of the Church, nor the holy relics, can compel thee to depart, I will now show thee thy Lord and Master, and by His power I command thee."

During the exorcism, which took place after Mass, the bishop held the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and said: "O accursed spirit, arch-enemy of the ever-blessed God! I command thee, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ here present, to depart from this poor woman!



Depart accursed, into the everlasting flames of hell!"

At these words, and especially at the sight of the Blessed Sacrament, the demon was so fearfully tormented, and the appearance of Nicola was so hideous and revolting, that the people turned away their eyes in horror. At last a heavy sigh was heard, and a cloud of black smoke issued from the mouth of Nicola. Cerberus was expelled. Again Nicola fell into a death-like swoon, and again she was brought to consciousness only by means of the Blessed Sacrament. During the exorcism which took place on the seventh day of February, the bishop said to Satan:


"Tell me. Why hast thou taken possession of this honest and virtuous Catholic woman?"

"I have done so by permission of God. I have taken possession of her on account of the sins of the people. I have done it to show my Calvinists that there are devils who can take possession of man whenever God permits it. I know they do not want to believe this, but I will show them that I am the devil. I have taken possession of this creature in order to convert them, or to harden them in their sins; and, by the Sacred Blood, I will perform my task."



This answer filled all who heard it with horror. "Yes," answered the bishop, solemnly, "God desires to unite all men in the only holy faith. As there is but one God, so there can be but one true religion. A religion like that which the Protestants have invented, is but a hollow mockery. It must fall. The religion established by Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only true one; it alone shall last forever. It is destined to unite all men within its sacred embrace, so that there shall be but one sheepfold and one shepherd. This divine Shepherd is Our Lord Jesus Christ, the invisible head of the holy Roman Catholic Church, whose visible head is our holy Father the Pope, successor of St. Peter."



The devil was silent � he was put to shame before the entire multitude. He was expelled once more by means of the Blessed Sacrament. In the afternoon of the same day the devil began to cry: "Ah! Ha! You think that you can expel me in this way. You have not the proper attendance of a bishop. Where are the dean and the archdean? Where are the royal judges? Where is the chief magistrate, who was frightened out of his wits that night, in the prison? Where is the procurator of the king? Where are his attorneys and counselors? Where is the clerk of the court?" (The devil mentioned each of these by name.) "I will not depart until all are assembled. Were I to depart now, what proof could you give to the king of all that has happened? Do you think that people will believe you so easily? No! No! There are many who would make objections. The testimony of these common country-people here will have but little weight. It is a torment to me that I must tell you what you have to do. I am forced to do it. Ha! Cursed be the hour in which I first took possession of this vile wretch.


"I find little pleasure in thy prating," answered the bishop. "There are witnesses enough here. Those whom you have mentioned are not necessary. Depart! then; give glory to God. Depart � go to the flames of hell!"

"Yes, I shall depart, but not today. I know full well that I must depart. My sentence is passed; I am compelled to leave."



"I care not for thy jabbering," said the bishop, "I shall expel thee by the power of God: by the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ."



"Yes, I must yield to you," shrieked the demon wildly. "It tortures me that I must give you this honor."


The bishop now took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and held it close to the face of the possessed woman. At last, Satan was compelled to flee once more. The next morning, after the procession was ended, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered up as usual. During the consecration, the possessed woman was twice raised over six feet into the air, and then fell back heavily upon the platform. As the bishop, just before the Pater Noster, took the Sacred Host once more in his hand, and raised it with the chalice, the possessed woman was again whisked into the air, carrying with her the keepers, fifteen in number, at least six feet above the platform; and, after a while, she fell heavily back on the ground.


At this sight, all present were filled with amazement and terror. A German Protestant named Voske fell on his knees; he burst into tears; he was converted. "Ah!" cried he, "I now believe firmly that the devil really possesses this poor creature. I believe that it is really the body and blood of Jesus Christ which expels him. I believe firmly. I will no longer remain a Protestant." After Mass, the exorcism began as usual.


"Now, at last," said the bishop, "thou must depart. Away with thee, evil spirit!"

"Yes," said Satan, "it is true that I must depart, but not yet. I will not go before the hour is come in which I first took possession of this wretched creature."

At last the bishop took the Sacred Host in his hand, and said: "In the name of the adorable Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost � in the name of the sacred body of Jesus Christ here present � I command thee, wicked spirit, to depart."



"Yes, yes, it is true!" shrieked the demon wildly; "It is true. It is the body of God. I must confess it, for I am forced to do so. Ha! It tortures me that I must confess this, but I must. I speak the truth only when I am forced to do it. The truth is not from me. It comes from my Lord and Master. I have entered this body by the permission of God."



The bishop now held the Blessed Sacrament close to the face of the possessed woman. The demon writhed in fearful agony. He tried in every way to escape from the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. At length a black smoke was seen issuing from the mouth of Nicola. She fell into a swoon, and was restored to consciousness only by means of the Blessed Sacrament. The eighth of February, the day appointed by God on which Satan was to leave Nicola forever, arrived at last. After the solemn procession, the bishop began the last exorcism.


"I shall not ask thee any longer," said the bishop to Satan, "when thou intendest to leave, I will expel thee instantly by the power of the living God, and by the precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, here present in the Sacrament of the Altar."


"Ha, yes!" shrieked the demon. "I confess that the Son of God is here really and truly present. He is my Lord and Master. It tortures me to confess it, but I am forced to do so." Then he repeated several times, with a wild, unearthly howl: "Yes, it is true. I must confess it. I am forced to leave, by the power of God's body here present. I must � I must depart. It torments me that I must go so soon, and that I must confess this truth. But this truth is not from me; it comes from my Lord and Master, who has sent me hither, and who commands and compels me to confess the truth publicly."



The bishop then took the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, and, holding it on high, he said, with a solemn voice: "O thou wicked, unclean spirit, Beelzebub! Thou arch-enemy of the eternal God! Behold, here present, the precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Lord and Master! I adjure thee, in the name and by the power of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who is here present; I command thee to depart instantly and forever from this creature of God. Depart to the deepest depth of hell, there to be tormented forever. Go forth, unclean spirit, go forth � behold here thy Lord and Master!"

At these solemn words, and at the sight of our sacramental Lord, the poor possessed woman writhed fearfully. Her limbs cracked as if every bone in her body were breaking. The fifteen strong men who held her, could scarcely keep her back. They staggered from side to side; they were covered with perspiration. Satan tried to escape from the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The mouth of Nicola was wide open, her tongue hung down below her chin, her face was shockingly swollen and distorted. Her color changed from yellow to green, and became even gray and blue, so that she no longer looked like a human being; it was rather the face of a hideous, incarnate demon. All present trembled with terror, especially when they heard the wild cry of the demon, which sounded like the loud roar of a wild bull. They fell on their knees, and with tears in their eyes, began to cry out: "Jesus, have mercy!"



The bishop continued to urge Satan. At last the evil spirit departed, and Nicola fell back senseless into the arms of her keepers. She still, however, remained shockingly distorted. In this state she was shown to the judges, and to all the people present; she was rolled up like a ball. The bishop now fell on his knees, in order to give her the Blessed Sacrament as usual. But see! Suddenly the demon returns, wild with rage, endeavors to seize the hand of the bishop, and even tries to grasp the Blessed Sacrament itself. The bishop starts back; Nicola is carried into the air and the bishop rises from his knees, trembling with terror and pale as death.


The good bishop takes courage again; he pursues the demon, holding the Blessed Sacrament in his hand, till at length the demon, overcome by the power of Our Lord's sacred body, goes forth amidst smoke, and lightning, and thunder. Thus was the demon at length expelled forever, on Friday afternoon, at three o'clock, the same day and hour on which Our Lord triumphed over hell by His ever-blessed death.


Nicola was now completely cured; she could move her left arm with the greatest ease. She fell on her knees and thanked God, as well as the good bishop, for all he had done for her. The people wept for joy, and sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving in honor of our dear Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. On all sides were heard the exclamations:



"Oh, what a great miracle! Oh, thank God that I witnessed it! Who is there now that can doubt of the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar!" Many a Protestant also said: "I believe now in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament; I have seen with my eyes! I will remain a Calvinist no longer. Accursed be those who have hitherto kept me in error! Oh, now I can understand what a good thing is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!"



A solemn Te Deum was intoned; the organ pealed forth and the bells rung forth a merry chime. The whole city was filled with joy.



This great triumph of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament over Satan occurred in the presence of more than 150,000 people, in the presence of the ecclesiastical and civil authorities of the city, of Protestants and Catholics alike. I have published a lengthy account of this extraordinary affair in a little volume entitled "Triumph of the Blessed Sacrament." These facts are well authenticated by the accounts published in various languages � French, Italian, Spanish, and German, as I have shown on pages 13, 14, and 15 of the above-mentioned little volume.

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The above was taken from Chapter 5 of the book The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Fr. Michael Muller, C.Ss.R. (Imprimatur: Archbishop McClosky, New York - 1874); published by TAN Books.

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  St. Alphonsus de Liguori: On the Lord’s Prayer
Posted by: Stone - 04-24-2024, 04:57 AM - Forum: Doctors of the Church - No Replies

St. Alphonsus de Liguori: On the Lord’s Prayer
Taken from here - slightly adapted

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The Church militant regards herself as entirely composed of sinners; she thinks herself unworthy to call God her Father, and to address to him the seven petitions, which in the name of the faithful she is going to address to him by reciting the Pater noster, (“The Our Father”). Hence she protests that she only dares to address to God this prayer because God himself has commanded her to do so. She then teaches us that we may venture to present to God the seven petitions which contain the whole economy of our salvation, because it is pleasing to him and he himself gives us the command.

We are so miserable, and our mind is so limited, that we do not even know what graces we should ask of God in behalf of our own salvation. Regarding our poverty and our insufficiency, Jesus Christ himself deigned to compose our prayer or to indicate the subjects on which we should address Almighty God. He instructs us to say:

Pater noster, qui es in coelis (“Our Father, who art in heaven). The Apostle St. John says: Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called, and should be the sons of God. It is assuredly only by the effect of extreme love that we worms of the earth have been enabled to become the children of God, not by nature, but by adoption; and such is the immense grace that the Son of God has obtained for us by becoming man; for St. Paul says: You have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba (Father). Can a subject wish for greater happiness than to be adopted by his king? Or a creature to be adopted by its Creator? This is what God has done for us; and he wishes that we should address to him with filial confidence the following prayer:

1. Sanctificetur nomem tuum (“Hallowed be Thy name”). God cannot possess a greater sanctity than that which he possesses from all eternity, because he is infinite; hence what we ask in this prayer is merely that God may make known in every place his holy name, and that he may make himself loved by all men: by unbelievers, who know him not; by heretics, who do not know him in the right manner; and by sinners, who know him but do not love him.

2. Adveniat regnum tuum (“Thy kingdom come’’)· Two kinds of dominion God exercises over our souls—the dominion of grace and the dominion of glory. By these words we ask for both, namely, that the grace of God may reign among us in this life, that it may direct and govern us, so that one day we may be judged worthy of glory, and may have the happiness to possess God and be possessed by him for all eternity.

3. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo, et in terra (“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”). The whole perfection of a soul consists in the perfect accomplishment of the will of God, as is done by the blessed in heaven. Hence Jesus Christ wishes us to ask the grace to accomplish the will of God upon earth, as the angels and saints accomplish it in heaven.

4. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie (“Give us this day our daily bread”). Such is the text as we find it in St. Luke [Luke 11:3]. By this prayer we ask God for the temporal goods of which we stand in need to sustain our present life. The words “Our daily bread’’ teach us that we should ask for this kind of goods with moderation, after the example of Solomon, who asked only what was necessary: (Give me only the necessaries of life).

It is to be remarked that in the Gospel of St. Matthew [Matt. 6:11], instead of the daily bread, we read, Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. By this supersubstantial bread we must understand, according to the explanation given by the Roman catechism, Jesus Christ himself in the Sacrament of the Altar, that is, in Holy Communion. We ask this heavenly bread every day, Give us this day, because every good Christian should communicate every day, if not really at least spiritually, as we are exhorted by the Council of Trent.

5. Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris (“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us”). To eat worthily of this heavenly bread, we must be free from mortal sin, or at least be washed of it by the blood of the Lamb in the sacrament of penance. We say, free from mortal sin; but it must be observed that if anyone should communicate with an actual affection for some venial sin, he could not be said to communicate without offering some indignity to our Lord—at least if he communicates often.

6. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem (“And lead us not into temptation”). How are these words to be understood? Does God sometimes tempt us—does he lead us into temptation? No; for St. James says: God is not a tempter of evils, and He tempteth no man. This text we must understand as we do that of Isaias: Blind the heart of this people . . . lest they see. God never blinds any sinner, but he often refuses to grant to some, in punishment for their ingratitude, the light that he would have given them had they remained faithful and grateful.

Hence when it is said that God makes any one blind, it is meant that he withholds the light of his grace. This, therefore is the sense of the prayer, and lead us not into temptation; we ask God not to permit us to have the misfortune of being in those occasions of sin in which we might fall. Hence we should always watch and pray as the Lord exhorts us to do, in order not to fall into temptation: Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. To enter into temptation means the same as to find one’s self in the danger of falling into sin; we should therefore often say to God, Lord, lead us not into temptation.

7. Sed libera nos a malo (“But deliver us from evil”). There are three kinds of evils from which we should ask the Lord to deliver us—the temporal evils of the body, the spiritual evils of the soul, and the eternal evils of the next life. As for the temporal evils of this life, we ought always to be disposed to receive with resignation those that God sends us for the good of our souls, such as poverty, sickness, and desolation; and when we ask God to deliver us from temporal evils we should always do so on condition that they are not necessary nor useful for our salvation.

But the true evils from which we should absolutely pray to be delivered are spiritual evils, sins, which are the cause of eternal evils. Moreover, let us be convinced of this infallible truth, that in the present state of corrupt nature we cannot be saved unless we pass through the many tribulations with which this life is filled: Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.

The priest finishes the Lord’s prayer with the word Amen, which he pronounces in a low voice, because he represents the person of Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of all the divine promises. This word is a summary of all the petitions that have been made—petitions the repetition of which pleases the Lord, for the more we pray to God the more he will hear our prayers. The great people of this world are not pleased when they are importuned by petitions; but this importunity is pleasing to God, says St. Jerome. Cornelius a Lapide even assures us that God wishes that we should persevere in this importunity in our prayers.

- St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The Holy Mass – the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Alpha Editions, 2020, pp. 58-62.

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  "How to post a billboard in honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus"
Posted by: Stone - 04-20-2024, 08:17 AM - Forum: General Commentary - No Replies

I was forwarded an email from America Needs Fatima, with the subject line "How to post a billboard in honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus." They have started upon a wonderful way of honoring the Sacred Heart during the month of June!


Quote:Dear [...],

If you are fed up with how the homosexual movement has hijacked the month of June, here’s an effective way to win it back for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Join Catholics in posting Sacred Heart billboards all across the country.

Post a billboard(s) in your area by following these simple steps:
  • Choose the location of your billboard.
  • Call the billboard company and reserve it for the month of June. A static billboard is better than a digital one. (Get a discount when you call Brian Fenn at 321-368-6071 at Clear Channel Outdoor. Mention America Needs Fatima.)
  • Fundraise among family and church friends. Send a circular email to everyone you know. Ask people to send you a check, and/or start a GoFund me page, or GiveSendGo.
  • Download and send this artwork to the billboard company.
  • Expand the number of billboards as God blesses your fundraising efforts with extra funds.
  • Report back to your donors with billboard results.
  • Call 888-317-5571 if you need help.
This June, our goal is to have 1,000 billboards posted all across America to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If you prefer to donate instead of posting your own billboard, please go online www.anf.org/fatima or send a check to America Needs Fatima at Attn: Raymond Drake, PO Box 251, Spring Grove, PA 17362.

Your donation will help America Needs Fatima post more billboards and win back the month of June for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Thank you.

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  Bp. Williamson promoting new Novus Ordo "messages" in TX
Posted by: Stone - 04-20-2024, 07:15 AM - Forum: True vs. False Resistance - Replies (4)

In the Eleison Comments published today [April 20, 2024] entitled Remarkable Messages I, Bp. Williamson continues to elicit astonishment and confusion. 

Here we go again.

After promoting Garabandal (to this day never approved by even the Conciliar Church) and insisting on the belief in various Conciliar Eucharistic 'miracles' we are [shouldn't be?] surprised to find His Excellency promoting another Novus Ordo group, the Mission of Divine Mercy, whose self-proclaimed charism "is the role of prophecy."

And there is no mistaking this group as traditional. On their FAQ page, they answer the question: "DO YOU OFFER THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS? No.  We offer the Novus Ordo  Mass.

Another sign of their firm Novus Ordo adherence is in their description of the Cross on their emblem which they describe as "The Cross of Light:  This signifies the Light of the New Evangelization."

So here we have a group of Novus Ordo religious and laity, named after a condemned devotion (Divine Mercy via Sr. Faustina), functioning as a solely Novus Ordo group - not even a whisper of an indult-esque or traditional orientation, with a self-proclaimed 'charism' of faith via prophecy.

And 'messages' from this group, dear friends, is who a 'traditional' bishop is promoting. Something isn't right here...

And even when reading the 'messages' one is reminded of the usual Novus Ordo style of language. 

But without further ado, Bp. Williamson's Remarkable Messages I:

Quote:ELEISON  COMMENTS  DCCCLXXV  (April 20, 2024) : REMARKABLE  MESSAGES  –  I

When it comes to apparitions and messages supposedly coming from Heaven, to be prudent is certainly wise, because God knows, the Devil has so infiltrated the minds of churchmen with the betrayal of the true Catholic Faith by the devilries of Vatican II that these churchmen can hardly any longer be relied on to make a proper Catholic discernment for us between what is and what is not truly from Heaven, as St Paul calls upon us to do in Scripture – I Thess.V, 19-21. But one can be excessively prudent, especially when the normal Church Authority is itself in confusion. One thing is certain: just as there would be no counterfeit bank-notes if there were no genuine notes in circulation, so there would be no counterfeit Messages from Heaven if there were no genuine ones to imitate.  It is up to ourselves to do our best to discern. Let us give to a series of recent Messages coming from backwoods Texas, USA, a hearing.

The series began with an introductory Message supposedly from Our Lady – let the “supposedly” be taken for granted and not repeated in everything quoted henceforth in these “Eleison Comments” from these Messages. The “Comments” have no authority to guarantee the Texas Messages’ authenticity, but they do take them seriously enough to consider them well worth quoting. Let readers judge on their own. Here for instance are a few extracts from the first Message (last time – supposedly) of Our Lady –

February 8 : Children, the battle looms and you are asleep. I come to awake you; as a good mother who, being vigilant and keeping watch over her children, and seeing the increasing danger, shakes her children so that they may not perish without fighting. Children, these are the times announced from of old, in which the thrice accursed serpent will poison many, and interfere in what is Ours, and will rise to confuse the nations with his puppets, his servants, to destroy all that is of God, and to rule in His place. The Devil’s longing to be adored and his hatred of God have driven him to prepare, over centuries, what is now being unveiled before your eyes…

I have come to you, children, time and time again, year after year, to warn you… but how few of you have understood me, and placed yourselves at my disposal for Me to form My army of light… Children, there is no time left. The battle, Our counter-attack, begins with these Words, which We give to you as Light, Protection, Guidance and Consolation. Do not ignore them… they will give you the guidance that you need, now that My Church is without a shepherd to tend to My sheep, to My children… They want to destroy you, children… receive my Words of love and consolation.

You are wounded, my little children, some more, some less, but all of you carry wounds – from your own decisions, from the hatred of Satan – and all of you need Our healing, all of you need Our help. My children, I give my Jesus to you again, I give Him to you with all my personal Love… as your King… your Saviour and Redeemer… only Him, children. Only He saves. Only He purifies. Only He heals… Do not be confused. Many voices try, and will try, to pass as His. Many say, and will say that they do everything in His name. But look at their works. Look at the fruits, children. DO NOT IGNORE THEM.

And I, your Mother, will prepare you to receive the supreme Gift of luminous Faith in the centre of your soul to be able to face the present and coming times, in which everything that seemed to be stable will crumble down… Blessed is he who receives these Words and allows them to bear their fruit…


The complete text is rather longer, and the selected extracts quoted above do not convey Our Lady’s sense of urgency, as though we are on the very brink of the great battle due to break out. The little Catholic centre in Texas receiving these Messages has its own website – look up “Mission of Divine Mercy”.

Truly,    Kyrie eleison.

The horror coming threatens massive pain,

And that is why She warns, again and again.

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  Fr. Ruiz on the funeral of Bp. Huonder
Posted by: Stone - 04-20-2024, 06:24 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX - No Replies




From an email of Fr. Ruiz's dated April 19, 2024:

Original Spanish:

Cuanta hipocresía. Lo entierran con todos los honores, como si fuera un héroe de la Fe, cuando en realidad se trata de un obispo conciliar y modernista que nunca se ha retractado públicamente de su modernismo. Y todo esto en la casa que edificó Monseñor Lefebvre, el verdadero héroe de la Fe. ¡Cuántas injusticias en una sola acción!

En su sermón Mons. Fellay se queda sólo en generalidades. Primero dice que Mons. Hounder fue muy afable y bueno durante su estancia en la FSSPX y que no fue crítico ni conflictivo. Al comienzo del pontificado del Papa Francisco, el Papa pidió a cuatro obispos que entraran en contacto con la FSSPX. Uno de ellos, el obispo Huonder, pidió más tarde que se le permitiera vivir en la FSSPX. Monseñor Fellay también dijo que el Papa Francisco consideraba a la FSSPX católica, mientras que el Papa Benedicto XVI dijo que la FSSPX tenía una gran importancia en la Iglesia.Según él, la FSSPX conserva hoy toda la Tradición (y no es verdad porque esconden buena parte de la doctrina). Y que Mons. Huonder aceptó la Tradición por el mero hecho de aceptar vivir en la FSSPX y por el hecho de pedir ser enterrado en Ecône (concluir esto de un hecho puramente físico es una exageración).

En realidad el Obispo Huonder era el representante del Papa Francisco dentro de la FSSPX. Y para el Mons. Fellay la Tradición consiste más bien en una cuestión de liturgia, Misa y sacramentos que de un contenido doctrinal. Se trata del nuevo error de la "liturgia vacía de doctrina" que promueven la neo-FSSPX. ¡El combate de los errores no aparece en su visión de la Tradición!


Computer translation into English:

How much hypocrisy. They bury him with all the honors, as if he were a hero of the Faith, when in reality he is a conciliar bishop and modernist who has never publicly recanted his modernism. And all this in the house that Monsignor Lefebvre, the true hero of the Faith, built. So many injustices in a single action! In his sermon, Bishop Fellay remains only in generalities. He first says that Bishop Hounder was very affable and good during his stay in the SSPX and that he was not critical or confrontational.

At the beginning of Pope Francis' pontificate, the Pope asked four bishops to come into contact with the SSPX. One of them, Bishop Huonder, later asked to be allowed to live in the SSPX. Monsignor Fellay also said that Pope Francis considered the SSPX Catholic, while Pope Benedict XVI said that the SSPX had great importance in the Church. According to him, the SSPX preserves all Tradition today (and it is not true because they hide a good part of the doctrine). And that Bishop Huonder accepted the Tradition by the mere fact of accepting to live in the SSPX and by the fact of asking to be buried in Ecône (concluding this from a purely physical fact is an exaggeration).

In reality Bishop Huonder was Pope Francis' representative within the SSPX. And for Bishop Fellay, Tradition consists more of a question of liturgy, Mass and sacraments than of doctrinal content. This is the new error of the "liturgy empty of doctrine" promoted by the neo-SSPX. The combat of errors does not appear in Tradition's vision of him!

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  Holy Mass in Pennsylvania [Philadelphia area] - April 28, 2024
Posted by: Stone - 04-19-2024, 07:17 PM - Forum: April 2024 - No Replies

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - Fourth Sunday after Easter

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...ipo=images]


Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024


Time: Confessions - 5:00 PM
              Holy Mass - 5:30 PM


Location: Clarion Hotel
                     76 Industrial Highway
                     Essington, PA 19029


Contact: rosamystica29@comcast.net

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  Holy Mass in Pennsylvania [Tannersville area] - April 28, 2024
Posted by: Stone - 04-19-2024, 07:14 PM - Forum: April 2024 - No Replies

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - Fourth Sunday after Easter

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...ipo=images]


Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024


Time: Confessions - 8:30 AM
              Holy Mass - 9:00 AM


Location: 128 Gravatts Way
                    Tannersville, PA 18372


Contact: holyfamilymissionnj@gmail.com

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  Honor: A Lost Wor[l]d
Posted by: Stone - 04-19-2024, 06:00 AM - Forum: General Commentary - No Replies

Honor: A Lost Wor[l]d


19 Jun 2019 by The Medieval Professor

There is a word which seems to find little use today. And though it covers the pages of the English Bible and permeates the entire history of Christendom, it seems to have nearly fallen off the proverbial map of common parlance. That word is honor.

And with its disappearance there has also withdrawn from us an entire world: A world where honor is honorable and thus capable of being honored. For although we know the word well enough, and its meaning is far from ambiguous, it is precisely that we find so little use for the word that should be so alarming. It brings home the adage, “No honor amongst thieves.” Well, ours must indeed be a world of thieves; or at least where thieves have broken-in and stollen our honor from; or a world too thick for honor to find a fitting resting place. (Note also the root similarity between “honor” and “honesty”)

And yet honor still beckons from a lost world where glory, renown, and fame were prized and where dignity and distinction found respect. This was a world where nobleness was met with reverence; where Moses taught, “Children, honor your father and your mother that your days may be long” (Ex 20:12); where Paul could say, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim 5:17);  or again, “let each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (1 Thes. 4:4); or “Let everyone outdo each-other in showing honor” (Rom 12:10).

And this was the world of Christendom, where clerics, monarchs, and especially Christian knights, saw their calling particularly in terms of honor. Indeed, the spirit of chivalry makes no sense apart from honor.

Robert Kane (S.J.) put it this way in his wonderful forward to Kenelm Digby’s Maxims of Christian Chivalry (aka the Broadstone of Honour):

Quote:There is an ideal for which true men live, and for which, if need were, they would die. Not to its profit do they look or to any material gain that it can give. Its power over them comes not from pleasure, nor is ambition the secret mainspring of its strength. Without it, wealth has no worth, pleasure no charm, fame no fascination, success no crown. Without it, prosperity crumbles to the value of the dust, and all the finer flowers of human life wither beneath the breath of bitter but just contempt. With it, misfortune may become noble, suffering worshipful, disaster magnificent. It can give to trifles a preciousness greater than gold can buy; it can transform hardship into happiness; and round the worst failure it can throw the glory of a true triumph. For, ideal though it be, it has a strange practical power. It is the one test which inexorably unmasks the liar, the knave, or the animal, amongst men, and which faithfully reveals the true, the good, and the noble. It is honour… It is more than a dutiful obedience to truth and right. Honour is a chivalrous allegiance, an enthusiastic loyalty, a death-daring devotedness, to what in truth is most delicate and to what in right is most refined. A man of honour is a hero of the highest type and of the most sterling worth.

Needless to say, such a thing has become more than rare in our time. But notice he mentions honor’s “practical power.” It was because of honor that good men chose good over evil. It was due to honor that warriors fought bravely for their faith and fatherland. And it was in terms of honor that people feared the “righteous judgment of God,” as Paul states in Romans.

Quote:For [God] will render to every man according to his works:  to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life (2:6-7).

The ancient world understood this. Old-world pagans practiced this. Christendom perfected this. And now we stand on the cusp of loosing it forever.

Indeed, the world makes no sense without honor. For though there still remains power, pleasure, and wealth, there is no meaning to such things without honor.  Instead, everything ends in nihilism.

I think one might safely say it is largely because we have lost all honor that our modern world no longer makes any sense. And for this reason we no longer know what to do, let alone have the will to do it.

The question is: will we waken before it is too late?

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  Baltimore archbishop says Latin Mass will be suppressed at all parishes, FSSP Mass will continue
Posted by: Stone - 04-17-2024, 10:20 AM - Forum: Vatican II and the Fruits of Modernism - No Replies

As per their usual, LSN gives an indult-esque commentary but regardless, it is very sad to see more and more Latin Masses being taken away...



Baltimore archbishop says Latin Mass will be suppressed at all parishes, FSSP Mass will continue
Archbishop William Lori announced that a Vatican indult allowing parish Latin Masses will expire in August and that the traditional Mass in his archdiocese will soon be relegated to a single shrine in Baltimore.

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Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore
Archdiocese of Baltimore/YouTube

Apr 16, 2024
BALTIMORE (LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore has announced that a Vatican indult allowing a diocesan Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in his archdiocese will expire in August and that the sole Latin Mass there will be offered by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP).

Catholic commentator Fred Simon posted to X on Monday evening a copy of Archbishop Lori’s letter to his parishioners, dated March 13, explaining that after Pope Francis issued the Latin Mass-suppressing motu proprio Traditionis Custodes in July 2021, the Archdiocese of Baltimore was granted an indult by the Vatican to allow a TLM to “temporarily continue” at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in the northwestern part of the archdiocese, the oldest in the U.S.

“The purpose of the indult was to allow those who had become accustomed to Mass according to the Missal of 1962 to receive catechesis and formation so they would come to welcome and embrace the Novus Ordo,” the archbishop wrote.

“After much careful and prayerful consideration, I have discerned that for the pastoral good of all the faithful of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the celebration of the liturgical rites and pastoral care according to the Missal of 1962 within the Archdiocese of Baltimore on or after Aug 1, 2024 will be entrusted solely to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) at the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Baltimore,” he announced.

The shrine is located in the city of Baltimore, about a 90-minute drive from St. Mary’s in Hagerstown, Maryland, where Archbishop Lori explained that the Latin Mass would cease after July 28. Latin Masses have been continuously offered there since 2012 after Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which clarified that the Latin Mass was never abolished and that no priest needs his bishop’s permission to offer it. [...]

Pope Francis’ Traditionis Custodes attempted to undo this 2007 motu proprio, declaring that the Latin Mass is not to be offered in “parochial” churches, that priests ordained after Traditionis Custodes have to apply for permission to offer the Latin Mass, and that bishops may restrict the TLM.

Liturgical scholar Dr. Peter Kwasniewski called Traditionis Custodes “the exact antithesis of Summorum Pontificum,” declaring at the time, “In the whole history of the Church, there has never been so dramatic a rejection of a Pope’s predecessor.” Kwasniewski has written that priests must resist Traditionis Custodes and its accompanying Responsa ad dubia “regardless of threats or penalties,” since obedience to these documents would undermine the very mission of the holy Catholic Church.

‘The traditional Mass belongs to the most intimate part of the common good in the Church. Restricting it, pushing it into ghettos, and ultimately planning its demise can have no legitimacy. This law is not a law of the Church because, as St. Thomas [Aquinas] says, a law against the common good is no valid law,’” he said in a speech during the 2021 Catholic Identity Conference.

The suppression of the Latin Mass at St. Mary’s in Hagerstown is a particularly heavy blow to Latin Mass attendees in Maryland because it is the only TLM that has been offered in the northwestern part of the state, now leaving a large swath of the region deprived of the Latin Mass. One parishioner at St. Mary’s shared on X that the nearest TLM will now be an hour’s drive away.

Its suppression will also hit hard for young Catholics attending the Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum, an authentically Catholic college near St. Mary’s. The college highlights the availability of a nearby TLM as an important asset to the formation of its students.

The continuing Latin Masses offered nearest to St. Mary’s are in Charles Town, West Virginia, at the Priory of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in Fairfield, Pennsylvania, at the Carmel of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

LifeSiteNews contacted Archbishop Lori for comment but has not received a response as of the time of publication.

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  The Three Lillies of St. Joseph
Posted by: Stone - 04-17-2024, 07:03 AM - Forum: Resources Online - No Replies

The Catholic Storyteller: The Three Lillies of St. Joseph


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  Young Adults Gathering - 2024
Posted by: Stone - 04-17-2024, 05:37 AM - Forum: Event Schedule - Replies (1)

This year's Young Adult Gathering will be from July 18th - 22nd, 2024 at the Oratory of the Sorrowful Heart in Wentworth, New Hampshire!
For Catholic Singles aged 18 - 35
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To register for this year's Young Adult Gathering, email: olgs.twincities@outlook.com

Please include the following info:

Full Name, Age, Address, Phone Number, Email, and if you’ll need transportation from Boston MA airport
(and flight info if applicable)

Transportation to and from the Boston MA [Logan] airport is available if needed.

Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of food, lodging, etc.
PayPal: @FrHewko Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Inc.



The brochure for the Young Adults Gathering can be downloaded here.


[Image: Screenshot-2024-05-02-135436.png]

[Image: Screenshot-2024-05-02-135606.png]

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  Olympic flame is lit in choreographed event high in [pagan] symbolism
Posted by: Stone - 04-16-2024, 11:19 AM - Forum: Global News - No Replies

Flame is lit for Paris 2024 in choreographed event in the birthplace of the ancient Olympics

CNN [adapted] | April 16, 2024


The flame for the 2024 Paris Olympics has been lit in Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics. The flame will now begin its journey in a relay to light the cauldron that will mark the opening for the Summer Games in July.

Dignitaries and members of the public gathered in the stadium, where the earliest recorded Games were held in 776 BC, to witness the lighting of the flame.

In a choreographed event high in symbolism inspired by the traditions and values of ancient Greece, actresses dressed as ancient priestesses entered the stadium to gracefully accompany the head priestess to the Temple of Hera, where religious ceremonies are thought to have taken place in ancient Greece and where the lighting ceremony is held.

Asking for the help of the god of light, Apollo, the head priestess lit the flame with the help of the rays of the sun, holding a fuel-filled torch to a parabolic mirror.

In Ancient Olympia, home of the ancient Olympics for more than 1,000 years, a flame was thought to burn perpetually on a shrine, symbolizing the eternal spirit of the Games: the enduring pursuit of excellence and human unity.

The first runner of the Olympic torch relay is Greek Olympic gold medalist rower Stefanos Ntouskos.

Speaking to CNN ahead of the ceremony, Ntouskos described being the first torchbearer as “a great honor.”

“As a Greek, I have been raised with images of the relay and it is incredible to be here in ancient Olympia today and to be receiving a flame that will travel all the way to the Paris Olympics,” he added.

Ntouskos said he was a little bit anxious ahead of competing at Paris 2024 but also very excited.

“I have done many races and I know how difficult it is, but I believe I will have some great moments there,” he said.

A 3D rendering of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Torch, created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, has been revealed. Arcelor Mittal will manufacture the 2,000 torches.

The first part of the relay is a 5,000-kilometer (roughly 3,106 miles) journey across Greece over 11 days, with over 600 torchbearers from elite athletes to members of the public are expected to take part.

The finishing line is the Panathenaic Stadium in the heart of Athens – the historic site of the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896 – where, in a handover ceremony on April 26, the flame will be passed to the Paris Olympic organizers.

It will then embark to the French port city of Marseille on the 120-year-old, three-masted Belem, a historic vessel that began life as a cargo ship transporting sugar from the West Indies.

Relays over the years have included many adventurous journeys; the flame has been right around the world, gone into space, traveled underwater and scaled Everest.

[Image: f_webp]

Ntouskos carrying the touch during the start of the relay. 
Over 600 torchbearers will take part in a 5,000km journey across Greece over the next 11 days before the flame is handed over to France.

It is expected to arrive in France on May 8, where the next leg of the relay will begin.

Over the years, the torch has been carried by hundreds of thousands of people. In this journey, it is expected to be passed from hand to hand by some 10,000 torchbearers and reach the Olympic cauldron in Paris on July 26, where it will remain lit until the Closing Ceremony two weeks later.

The flame will also light the Paralympic Games, which take place August 28 to September 8, where 1,000 torchbearers will help relay the torch across 50 French towns and cities.

The French have promised a lavish Games and they are the first to have announced an Opening Ceremony to be held outside of a stadium setting. According to local organizers, the initial plan is for about 10,500 athletes to parade through the heart of the French capital along the river Seine.

France recently announced that attendance capacity at the Opening Ceremony is set to be halved due to security reasons, down to roughly 324,000 people from an original 600,000.

In an interview Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said, due to security concerns, a Plan B is being explored that could see the ceremony moved to a stadium instead. He also spoke about his intentions to promote the ideals of the Olympic Truce.

The ancient Games served not only as a platform for athletic competition but also as a symbol of unity and promoting peace. During the Games, a sacred truce was observed. The purpose of the Olympic Truce was to provide a safe passage for the athletes and spectators traveling to and from Olympia.

There have been many efforts to revive the Olympic Truce which has been invoked as a universal goal by the UN regularly since 1993. So far, there has been only limited success.

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  St. Justin: Diologue with Trypho
Posted by: Deus Vult - 04-15-2024, 12:20 PM - Forum: Fathers of the Church - No Replies

ST. JUSTIN MARTYR
DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO

Chapter 1. Introduction


While I was going about one morning in the walks of the Xystus, a certain man [Trypho], with others in his company, met me.

   Trypho: Hail, O philosopher!

And immediately after saying this, he turned round and walked along with me; his friends likewise followed him.

  Justin: What is there important?

  Trypho: I was instructed by Corinthus the Socratic in Argos, that I ought not to despise or treat with indifference those who array themselves in this dress but to show them all kindness, and to associate with them, as perhaps some advantage would spring from the intercourse either to some such man or to myself. It is good, moreover, for both, if either the one or the other be benefited. On this account, therefore, whenever I see any one in such costume, I gladly approach him, and now, for the same reason, have I willingly accosted you; and these accompany me, in the expectation of hearing for themselves something profitable from you.

  Justin: (In jest.) But who are you, most excellent man?

Then he told me frankly both his name and his family.

  Trypho: Trypho, I am called; and I am a Hebrew of the circumcision, and having escaped from the war lately carried on there I am spending my days in Greece, and chiefly at Corinth.



  Justin: And in what would you be profited by philosophy so much as by your own lawgiver and the prophets?



All 142 Chapters can be found here:  St. Justin dialogue with Trypho

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  Sydney church stabbing: Bishop attacked during livestreamed church service
Posted by: Stone - 04-15-2024, 07:18 AM - Forum: Global News - Replies (1)

Sydney church stabbing: Bishop attacked during livestreamed church service
Warning: This article contains graphic content that may disturb some readers.

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Newshub.com | April 15, 2024

A bishop and multiple worshippers have reportedly been stabbed in another shock attack in Sydney.

The latest violent incident happened during a livestreamed Mass service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley on Monday evening.

As Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching, a man walked up to him, withdrew a weapon, and rained down blows on the elderly victim.

The incident was caught on camera, and showed shocked attendees racing to aid the Bishop.

Horrified screams were heard on the YouTube feed before it was cut off.

There are reports four people were injured, including two who had multiple lacerations.

The bishop was later seen being taken to an ambulance in a stretcher. NSW Ambulance told NCA NewsWire a man aged in his 50s was taken to Liverpool Hospital with multiple stab wounds.

NSW Police have confirmed they responded and one man is now in custody.

"Officers arrested a male and he is assisting police with inquiries," their statement read.

Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone told Sky News Australia he believed the Bishop would be "okay".

"Bishops and priests they're very very important in our community, they only preach love and peace, and to have this happen to one of them is horrific," he said.

"However I understand a lot of members in our community are really distraught but what is important is I believe that the bishop has been taken to hospital and should be okay."

According to Sky News Australia, mass disorder broke out in the aftermath, with Carbone reportedly calling for calm.

"We live in difficult times right now... so I can understand frustration and the anger from the communities but I ask them as the mayor just to please be calm."

The incident comes just 48 hours after Sydney knifeman Joel Cauchi stabbed at least 17 people on Saturday at the Bondi Junction Westfield mall. Six victims were killed - five of whom were women.

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  The Recusant: An Open Letter to Confused Lefebvrists
Posted by: Stone - 04-15-2024, 05:22 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX - No Replies

An Open Letter to Confused Lefebvrists
Taken from The Recusant.com [slightly adapted]


An Open Letter to Confused Catholics reflects the reality in Archbishop Lefebvre’s day and although some decades have passed since it was written, and in spite of some of the references becoming a little dated, the essential wisdom it contains is timeless. And yet there are those who maintain that Archbishop Lefebvre was all very well for then but his wisdom is no longer what is needed today..!

Very well. Let’s take a little look and see how what he says applies to our situation today. The Resistance must follow Archbishop Lefebvre’s footsteps, or it might as well not exist! We maintain that if Archbishop Lefebvre were alive today, he would be fighting along side us.  But let’s see what we can see, and as far as possible, let the words speak for themselves. The quotations on the [about Modernist Rome] are from Open Letter to Confused Catholics and show us Archbishop Lefebvre’s analysis of modernist Rome back then. [Below them] is our analysis of where the modern SSPX finds itself today.


Modernist Rome then:

“On two occasions I have heard emissaries of the Holy See say to me: ‘The social Kingdom of Our Lord is no longer possible in our times and we must ultimately accept the plurality of religions.’ This is exactly what they have said to me.”

The Modern SSPX now:

Many people report having heard from the mouths of SSPX priests such as Fr Nicholas Pfluger that now is not the right time for the Social Reign of Christ the King. Wanting to be accepted by modern Rome “as we are” means in practice acceptance of modern Rome as they are. Recognition of SSPX marriages, permission for SSPX ordinations and jurisdiction for SSPX confessions means in practice the SSPX accepting that they are to become part of a  conciliar plurality of “movements” and “charisms” in the church (along side the Neo-Catechumenal Way, the Focolari, Medjugorje advocates, the ‘Catholic Charismatic Renewal,’ the Anglican Ordinariate, ‘Opus Dei’ and all the other catalogue of horrors in the conciliar church.)



Modern Rome:

“When I was a child, the Church had the same faith everywhere … anyone had told me then that it would be changed, I would not have believed him. … The new liberal and modernist religion has sown division. Christians are divided within the same family because of this confusion which has established itself; they no longer go to the same Mass and they no longer read the same books.”

The Modern SSPX now:

The SSPX may have kept (for now) the Traditional Mass, but that on its own is no guarantee of orthodoxy as anyone who has ever attended a diocesan indult Mass regularly for any length of time will be able to tell you.

Not so very long ago, the SSPX of “our youth” was the same everywhere. You could ask the same question of any priest and expect the same answer, there were no “liberal” or “conservative” SSPX priests. If someone had told us that in a few years there would be some SSPX priests who were creationists and others who were evolutionists, some who were pro-lockdown and anti- “conspiracy theories” and others of the opposite view, some who went about promoting NFP and warning married couples not to have too many children and others who held firm to the Church’s moral teaching on that score, some SSPX priests who thought the dialogue Mass was a good thing and others who thought it a bad thing… who would have believed it possible? And did not the liberalising of the SSPX also bring family division in its wake? Family members “no longer go to the same Mass,” they even “no longer read the same books,” since the new, liberal, modernist SSPX is now more interested in promoting books such as The Realist Guide than it is in promoting the books of Archbishop Lefebvre or Fr. Denis Fahey. Just try getting hold of those in a repository of the SSPX today.



Modernist Rome then:

“Priests no longer know what to do; either they obey blindly what their superiors impose on them, and lose to some degree the faith of their childhood and youth, renouncing the promises they made when they took the Anti-Modernist Oath at the moment of their ordination; or on the other hand they resist…”

The Modern SSPX now:

The newer SSPX priests are themselves much more liberal and are naturally in favour of all the modernism and liberalism. The older priest who know better must either silently accept what they see happening and shut their eyes in the interests of a ‘quiet life’ and in so doing they lose to some degree the faith of their youth together with its zeal and good fruits; or they resist. But if they show any sign of resisting, or even of resenting the new liberal attitudes at large in the SSPX, they are faced with the prospect of punishment, transfer, silencing or even expulsion, together with being maligned by their own superiors as disobedient, proud, divisive, etc.



Modernist Rome then:

“How many more have been forced to abandon the parishes where for years they had practised their ministry, victims of open persecution by their hierarchy…”

The Modern SSPX now:

How many SSPX priests of twenty or thirty years standing, pillars of zeal and good works, have been forced out of the SSPX parishes and Mass centres where for years they had practiced their ministry, in some cases the very parishes they themselves had founded and built up, victims of open persecution by their hierarchy…



Modernist Rome then:

“In the Diocese of Campos in Brazil, practically all the clergy have been driven out of the churches after the departure of Bishop de Castro-Mayer, because they were not willing to abandon the Mass of all time which they celebrated there until  recently.”

The Modern SSPX now:

The Traditionalist clergy who were driven out of Campos held firm with Archbishop Lefebvre for a little while after his death, but they eventually gave in and signed a compromise with modern Rome, gratefully accepting the approval which the modernists had to offer and in turn recognising their wretched Council and its poisonous teaching. Today they are indistinguishable from any other quasi-“traditional” indult or “Ecclesia Dei” group. At the time of Campos’s surrender to the modernists (2002) the SSPX condemned this compromise with the enemy. And then, barely a decade later, the SSPX itself followed suit and itself surrendered to the same enemy. To re-read what the SSPX said about Campos is to read the old SSPX condemning the SSPX of today.



Modernist Rome then:

“You will be tempted to say: ‘But what can we do about it? It is a bishop who says this or that. Look, this document comes from the Catechetical Commission or some other official commission.’ That way there is nothing left for you but to lose your faith. But you do not have the right to react in that way.”

The Modern SSPX now:

You will be tempted to say: ‘But what can we do about it? It is Bishop Fellay, it is Fr. Pagliarani who says this or that. Look, this is what it says on sspx.org, this is what this official SSPX youtube video says… Look, Fr. Robinson says that the world is billions of years old; look at these articles telling me that it’s fine to have the covid jab, that’s what SSPX is officially saying so it must be OK.’ That way there is nothing left for you but to lose your faith. But you do not have the right to react in that way.



Modernist Rome then:

“The crisis is profound, cleverly organized and directed, and by this token one can truly believe that the master mind is not a man but Satan himself. For it is a master-stroke of Satan to get Catholics to disobey the whole of Tradition in the name of obedience. A typical example is furnished by the “aggiornamento” of the religious societies. By obedience, monks and nuns are made to disobey the laws and constitutions of their founders, which they swore to observe when they made their profession. Obedience in this case should have been a categorical refusal.”

The Modern SSPX now:

Satan’s masterstroke has been to get even Traditional Catholics to loosen their grip on Tradition in the name of obedience. By obedience, SSPX priests and religious have turned their back on Archbishop Lefebvre, their founder, without whom they would never even have been Traditional in the first place. How many priests knew that the SSPX was being subverted in 2012 but ultimately fell in line and obeyed? Obedience in this case should be a categorical refusal.



Modernist Rome then:

“Have you thought that even if we who are of a certain age run a smaller risk, children and younger seminarians brought up in new catechisms, experimental psychology and sociology, without a trace of dogmatic or moral  theology, canon law or Church history, are educated in a faith which is not the true one and take for granted the new Protestant notions with which they are indoctrinated? What will tomorrow’s religion be if we do not resist?”

The Modern SSPX now:

Have you ever thought that even if you, being of a certain age, run a smaller risk because you remember the old SSPX which formed you and which you can still remember, there is a whole generation of young seminarians and children brought up in the new, liberal SSPX who know nothing of the old SSPX which used to condemn the errors of the conciliar church, promote the fight for the Social Kingship of Christ, and which took a firm stand against modern culture and the modern world in general? They take for granted the inoffensive, ‘respectable,’ worldly persona of the new SSPX to which they belong and the liberal, worldly attitudes with which they are indoctrinated. What will tomorrow’s religion be if we do not resist?



Modernist Rome then:

“Cranmer’s Prayer Book was composed by mixing parts of the Greek liturgy with parts of Luther’s liturgy.  How can we not be reminded of Mgr. Bugnini drawing up the so-called Mass of Paul VI, with the collaboration of six Protestant “observers” attached as experts to the Consilium for the reform of the liturgy? The [Anglican] Prayer Book begins with these words, “The Supper and Holy Communion, commonly called Mass...,” which foreshadows the notorious Article 7 of the Institutio Generalis of the New Missal, revived by the Lourdes Eucharistic Congress in 1981: “The Supper of the Lord, otherwise called the Mass.” The destruction of the sacred, to which I have already referred, also formed part of the Anglican reform.”

The Modern SSPX now:

In the 16th Century, the Catholic Church condemned the Anglican Prayer Book with its notion of “the Lord’s Supper.” It was un-Catholic, offensive to God, did not give grace and the faithful were not to attend it. The New Mass is indeed remarkably similar to an Anglican communion service. Thus it is perhaps not so surprising that in the days of Archbishop Lefebvre and for a little while after, the SSPX likewise condemned the New Mass as  being un-Catholic, offensive to God, not grace-giving, and something which the faithful should not attend. Today the Resistance finds itself having to condemn anyone else who tries to rehabilitate the New Mass as being in any way Catholic, approved of by God, grace-giving or something which the faithful might be able to attend. Both Bishop Williamson and the new SSPX are guilty of this; both have deviated away from Tradition and towards the conciliar church.



Modernist Rome then:

“Let us add this, that the greatest service we can render to the Church and to the successor of Peter is to reject the reformed and liberal church.”

The Modern SSPX now:

Let us add this, that the greatest service we can render to the Church, to the SSPX and to the memory of Archbishop Lefebvre is to reject the reformed and liberal SSPX.

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