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  'You have to get off your sofa' - Young French Catholics restore wayside crucifixes
Posted by: Stone - 1 hour ago - Forum: General Commentary - No Replies

As we all know, sometimes the good Lord draws straight with crooked lines....


'You have to get off your sofa' - Young French Catholics restore wayside crucifixes

The Pillar | April 19, 2024


It’s clear by now that something interesting is stirring in France, the country once known as “the eldest daughter of the Church.”

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Members of SOS Calvaires erect a cross. Photo courtesy of SOS Calvaires.

At this year’s Easter Vigil there was a 30% rise in the number of adult baptisms, with more than 7,000 people receiving the sacrament — the highest figure since the French bishops’ conference began tabulating the data more than 20 years ago.

This week, the organizers of the annual Pentecost pilgrimage to Chartres closed registration for its adult “chapters” more than a month before the event, which is expected to set a new attendance record in 2024.

And this December, the world’s eyes will turn to Paris for the reopening for worship of Notre-Dame Cathedral, five years after it was almost destroyed by fire  — a fitting image, perhaps, of a new French Catholic revival.

There are other signs of renewal, too. One is the growth of SOS Calvaires, an organization bringing together volunteers across the country to restore wayside crucifixes (known in France as “calvaires”).

The association’s director general is the youthful, mustachioed, and eloquent Alexandre Caillé. In an email interview with The Pillar, he explained why young people are drawn to SOS Calvaires, what it’s like to restore roadside crosses, and the group’s intriguing projects outside of France.

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Alexandre Caillé, director general of SOS Calvaires, at work. Photo courtesy of SOS Calvaires.

For those who live in Catholic-majority countries, wayside crosses are a part of everyday life. But could you explain what they are for people who are not familiar with the tradition?

A calvary is a cross found on the side of a road, at a crossroads, or near a field. Each cross has a meaning. A cross can be placed to pray, to give thanks for a cure, or for a soldier who has returned alive from war, to ask for protection over a village or a good harvest in the fields...

There is always a reason for the presence of a cross (or a statue or an oratory) in our countryside.

Most of the calvaries we see in France date from the 19th century. But some are much older, even if many were destroyed during the French Revolution.

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Photo courtesy of SOS Calvaires.

What was the inspiration for the creation of SOS Calvaires and how is it funded?

The association was founded in 1987 by a gentleman who wanted to restore a small abandoned chapel with some friends. Once the renovation was complete, they didn’t want to leave it there. Seeing all this Christian heritage falling into ruins, they founded the association to restore the crosses, statues, and oratories that were falling into disrepair.

The restoration work is made possible by donations from private individuals.

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Photo courtesy of SOS Calvaires.

SOS Calvaires now has 300 members in 65 branches across France. How has it achieved this growth when so many organizations are shrinking? And why does it attract so many young members?

I think the association attracts quite a few young members because, first of all, the association office is run by a young, dynamic, and committed team.

We also owe the development of our association to the people who have taken on the role of branch manager and who are a real link for us.

Finally, I think that in today’s society, young people are looking for a sense of meaning, a sense of being rooted and anchored in our territories. In fact, we now have 85 branches throughout France and almost 4,000 volunteers working to restore this unique heritage.


What does it feel like to be part of a team restoring a wayside cross? Is it a spiritual experience, or is it just hard physical work?

Young people today are demanding this kind of effort. It’s what they expect, despite what you might think. They need an ideal, strong values, challenges.

Restoring a calvary is an adventure. First of all, you have to get up from your sofa, go out into the cold and rain to rub stones, pull out brambles, and bring a part of your history back to life. Not everyone does it.

This work can be difficult and physically demanding. For some, it can also be a truly spiritual experience, a discovery or rediscovery of the history of the Cross and the Christian religion associated with this powerful symbol. For others, it’s a prayer. An act of charity, a gift of self for the common good, but above all for God.

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Photo courtesy of SOS Calvaires.

SOS Calvaires has attracted a lot of media attention in France. It’s also received support from perhaps unexpected people, such as the YouTuber Baptiste Marchais. Why do you think it has captured people’s imaginations?

Restoring our heritage is increasingly popular. It’s something unusual, something out of the ordinary, something that requires effort. It’s appealing.

In fact, we were contacted by this YouTuber a few years ago now. We were happy to share this unique experience of straightening a large cross between two roads. We knew that this YouTuber was going to generate publicity and show a lot of people the work of the association.

His video played a big part in the sudden growth of our association, with requests to set up new branches, and so on.

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Photo courtesy of SOS Calvaires.

In 2023, SOS Calvaires teams erected five Celtic crosses at five major Irish Christian sites. Will there be further initiatives outside France?

The installation of five Celtic crosses in Ireland was an exceptional event. A year earlier, we had also erected a khatchkar [cross-stone] in Armenia. These small missions abroad were special occasions.

In the future, we’d like to set up international branches, for example in Luxembourg or Spain. But for the moment, we’re concentrating on France. There will certainly be other special projects abroad.

[Image: https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.ama...00x600.png]

Photo courtesy of SOS Calvaires.

Why is it important that SOS Calvaires is an apolitical association, not linked to any Catholic movement?

The mission of our association is to bring together as many people as possible around the cross, whatever their age, social level, religious beliefs, or political ideas. It’s a heritage that belongs to everyone and is part of our daily lives.

Obviously, heritage is not part of politics per se. It is an inheritance from our ancestors that we must preserve, honor, and pass on to future generations.

It is also important that our association is not attached to any particular Catholic movement, because our aim is to restore and safeguard this unique Christian heritage, with as many people as possible and for as many people as possible, without separating different religious movements.

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  Italian Prime Minister Meloni announces Pope Francis to attend G7 meeting on AI
Posted by: Stone - 1 hour ago - Forum: Pope Francis - No Replies

Italian Prime Minister Meloni announces Pope Francis to attend G7 meeting on AI
Though Pope Francis is reportedly discussing AI, the G7 is committed to ensuring access to abortion internationally.

[Image: meloni-francis.jpg]

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Pope Francis
Screenshot

Apr 26, 2024
ROME (LifeSiteNews) –– Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced Pope Francis will attend the G7 meeting in Italy this June, accepting an invitation from the Italian government in order to discuss artificial intelligence.

In a video published on Friday afternoon, Meloni stated that the 87-year-old pontiff had accepted an official invitation from Italy to attend the event. “I am honored to announce today that Pope Francis will be attending the G7 working session dedicated precisely to artificial intelligence,” she stated in a video posted on X. 


“This technology can create great opportunities, but also brings huge risks,” said Meloni in a video announcement. The G7 “commitment,” she added, “is to ensure that artificial intelligence is both human centered and human controlled.”

The June 13 to 15 meeting of the G7 Leaders Summit is particularly addressing the topic of artificial intelligence and will be held in Apulia, on Italy’s southeast coast.

However, numerous other issues are addressed by the G7 on a continuing basis, including a commitment to promoting abortion under the common euphemism of “sexual and reproductive health and rights.”

A statement issued by G7 foreign ministers this month reiterated the G7’s devotion to ensuring “gender equality and the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls in all their diversity as well as LGBTQIA+ persons [sic].” Each nation chairs the G7 for a year, with a wide range of issues dealt with throughout numerous meetings in the time period.

Though the Holy See is not a member of the G7 group, Meloni stated that Francis will attend “the outreach session, which is the session that is also open to other invited countries and not just the members of the G7.”

The June meeting will be attended by the leaders of the G7 countries:
  • U.S. President Joe Biden
  • Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
  • U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
  • Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
  • French President Emmanuel Macron
  • German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz
  • Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
In addition, the European Union’s Charles Michel and Ursula Von Der Leyen will attend, in their roles as president of the European Council and president of the European Commission.

Meloni cited the Holy See’s initiative begun in 2020, the “Rome Call for AI ethics,” which has been pioneered by the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life, alongside Microsoft, IBM, FAO, and the Italian Ministry of Innovation.

Together, those initial bodies behind the Rome Call for AI Ethics signed a joint document, which they said is “developed to support an ethical approach to Artificial Intelligence and promote a sense of responsibility among organizations, governments, institutions and the private sector with the aim to create a future in which digital innovation and technological progress serve human genius and creativity and not their gradual replacement.”

Since then, the supporters for the Vatican’s endeavor have grown in number to include a number of universities and foundations.

Meloni stated that Francis’ presence at the G7 meeting would serve to bring the document to the “attention of other leaders at the Apulia summit.”

“His presence brings prestige to our nation and to the entire Group of Seven,” said the Italian president, noting that it will be the first time a pope has taken part in a G7 meeting.

Continuing, Meloni cited Pope John Paul II’s 1979 address to the United Nations in New York, in which he posited political action as being centered on man in the fullness of his both spiritual and material existence. She stated:

Quote:I am convinced that the presence of His Holiness will make a decisive contribution to defining a regulatory, ethical and cultural framework for AI, because this field, the present and the future of this technology, will be another test of the ability of the international community to do what another pope, Pope St. John Paul II, talked about in his famous speech to the United Nations on October 2, 1979: “political activity, whether national or international, for in the final analysis this activity comes from man, is exercised by man and is for man.”

In recent months, the Holy See has been paying increased attention to the subject of artificial intelligence. Lately, in his message for the 2024 World Day of Peace, Francis has made vocal calls for AI to be subject to control internationally.

“I urge the global community of nations to work together in order to adopt a binding international treaty that regulates the development and use of artificial intelligence in its many form,” he wrote.

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  Livestream: Fourth Sunday after Easter - April 28, 2024
Posted by: Stone - 1 hour ago - Forum: April 2024 - No Replies

Fr. Hewko's Mass for the Fourth Sunday after Easter - April 28, 2024 - will be livestreamed at 9:00 AM EST
“Hearts Set On the True Joys” (PA) 


Video


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  Fr. Hewko's Sermons: Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist - April 25, 2024
Posted by: Stone - Yesterday, 08:04 AM - Forum: April 2024 - No Replies

Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist & Martyr - April 25, 2024 - "Buried in Venice" (NH)


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  Pope Francis: ‘Deniers of climate change’ are ‘foolish’
Posted by: Stone - Yesterday, 05:18 AM - Forum: Pope Francis - No Replies

Pope Francis: ‘Deniers of climate change’ are ‘foolish’
Pope Francis, in a recent CBS interview, labeled skeptics of the climate change narrative as ‘foolish’ for not believing ‘research.’

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Pope Francis interviewed by CBS' Anchor Norah O'Donnell, April 2024
Video screenshot/CBS

Apr 25, 2024
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews [slightly adapted]) — Pope Francis has stated that “deniers of climate change” are “foolish” as they don’t believe “research,” and insisting that “climate change exists.”

In comments made to CBS Evening News and aired April 24, the 87-year-old Pontiff decried those whom CBS’s Norah O’Donnell described as “deniers of climate change.” 

“There are people who are foolish, and foolish even if you show them research, they don’t believe it,” responded Francis. “Why? Because they don’t understand the situation or because of their interest, but climate change exists.”

In contrast, Dr. John Clauser – Nobel Prize winner in Physics in 2022 alongside two other scientists, for his work in the field of quantum mechanics – has argued that “misguided climate science has metastasized into massive shock-journalistic pseudoscience.”

“In turn,” he added, “the pseudoscience has become a scapegoat for a wide variety of other unrelated ills. It has been promoted and extended by similarly misguided business marketing agents, politicians, journalists, government agencies, and environmentalists. In my opinion, there is no real climate crisis.”

READ: Arctic sea ice just reached its highest level in 21 years, and it’s going largely unnoticed

CBS noted that Francis’ very brief comments will be expanded upon in a longer “60 Minutes” episode on May 19, followed by an hour-long program on May 20.

Pope Francis has indeed made the talking point of “climate change” a central one in his 11-year pontificate along with the promotion of an “ecological spirituality.”

His 2015 encyclical letter Laudato Si’ has become the reference text for numerous Vatican and papal initiatives focused on the so-called “green” agenda. In it, Francis speaks about a “true ecological approach” which listens to “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

The document has given rise to the Laudato Si’ Movement, which aims to “turn Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ into action for climate and ecological justice,” as the mass divestment from “fossil fuels” is inspired by the Pontiff’s environmental writings.

Last October 4, Francis published a second part to Laudato Si’ in the form of Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, in which he issued stark calls for “obligatory” measures across the globe to address the issue of “climate change.”

READ: Pope Francis calls for obligatory global ‘climate change’ policies in new document ‘Laudate Deum’

“It is no longer possible to doubt the human – ‘anthropic’ – origin of climate change,” wrote the Pontiff, before later calling for mandatory alignment with “green” policies:

Quote:If there is sincere interest in making COP28 a historic event that honors and ennobles us as human beings, then one can only hope for binding forms of energy transition that meet three conditions: that they be efficient, obligatory and readily monitored.

READ: Pope Francis advocates for powerful global government not subject to ‘changing political conditions’

Such papal promotion of the “climate change” cause has not gone without high profile criticism, including lately from Canadian philosopher Jordan Peterson. Peterson slated Francis for his focus on “climate change,” saying the Pope “seems to be on about [the topic] constantly when you should be saving souls.”

“That’s how you save the planet, not by worshiping Gaia,” Peterson stated, referring to the pagan name for “Mother Earth.” “I don’t see for the life of me what the Catholic Church has to do with the ‘climate crisis,’” he continued. “Just the formulation is wrong; the priority is wrong; you save the world one person at a time.”

READ: Jordan Peterson slams Pope Francis’ fixation on ‘climate change’: ‘He should be saving souls’

In what was set to be the culmination of all of his “climate change” activism, Francis was due to attend the COP28 climate conference in Dubai last November. However, due to ill health, he had to cancel the trip less than two days before he had intended to leave.

The Pope has also made numerous calls to action for global leaders to implement the pro-abortion Paris Climate Agreement, citing the “negative effects of climate change” and an “ecological debt” which required “climate finance, decarbonization in the economic system and in people’s lives.”

READ: Climate expert warns against extreme ‘weather porn’ from alarmists pushing ‘draconian’ policies

After many years of climate alarmism rhetoric from the Pontiff, in 2022 the Vatican officially joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Climate Agreement. The Pope defended the controversial move, saying that “she [‘Mother Earth’] weeps and implores us to put an end to our abuses and to her destruction.”

His continued promotion of the Paris Agreement, which underpins the majority of the current “climate change” agenda, comes despite the agreement’s fundamentally pro-abortion principles which connect to the stated U.N. goal of creating a universal “right” to abortion in line with Goal No. 5.6 of the organization’s Sustainable Development Goals.

His actions have disregarded long-standing and repeated concerns from pro-life and family advocates, who continually warned about the climate activism movement’s alignment with pro-abortion and population control advocates and lobby groups.

Consequently, the Pope’s “climate change” rhetoric has earned criticism also from prelates within the Church. Bishop Athanasius Schneider joined the late Cardinal George Pell in condemning Francis’ concept of “ecological conversion,” with Schneider arguing it was “an expression of pure naturalism… there is no supernatural vision, or a very vacant supernatural vision.” “Ecological conversion is an abuse of this concept of conversion itself,” he stated.

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  Archbishop Viganò: The soul of the Catholic people is summed up in the Rogation Days
Posted by: Stone - Yesterday, 05:10 AM - Forum: Archbishop Viganò - No Replies

Archbishop Viganò: The soul of the Catholic people is summed up in the Rogation Days
The Catholic people, in invoking God’s mercy and blessing on the fruits of the earth, recognize themselves with humble realism as sinners capable of amending, of doing penance, and of defending their faith.

[Image: Screen-Shot-2024-04-25-at-2.14.31-PM-1.png]

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò/YouTube

Apr 25, 2024
(LifeSiteNews) — The following is the full text of a homily by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò on the major litanies, or rogations.


FIRMAMENTUM MEUM
Homily on the Major Litanies, or Rogations
Pozzolatico (Florence)
April 25, 2024


Dominus firmamentum meum, et refugium meum, et liberator meus.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. Ps 17: 3

The Rogations take many of us back to ancient times, when the twenty-fifth day of April was dedicated to the Blessing of the Fields. And it was in the countryside, once not too far from the cities, that we saw processions of the faithful and people following the priest, accompanied by the singing of the Litanies. Ut fructus terræ dare et conservate digneris… Peasants in festive attire processed with our parish priests to their farms, where his prayer echoed in a silence broken only by the singing of birds. The fruit trees were in bloom and poplar seeds flew through the air. And it was known, in the depths of a conscience that still spoke, that the Lord rewards the just and punishes the wicked: not only because this was what was preached in church, but also because this justice, simple in understanding and divine in its manifestations, sent locusts into the field of those who worked on Sundays and made the crops fruitful and the flanks of the cows and sheep ample for those who lived in the grace of God.

Our deeply Catholic upbringing showed itself to be embedded in a very elaborate design of Providence; and even if creation was hostile to us after the expulsion from Eden, we were nevertheless helped by the serene rhythm of the seasons and the comforting rhythm of religious celebrations to lead a life still corresponding to the harmony willed by the Creator.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Brother Sun,
Who is the day, and You illuminate us through him.
And beautiful and radiant with great splendor…


In those days we could still admire the dawn, in this season, the sky that cleared and shone in its radiant blue: today we have become accustomed to the gray blanket of artificially sprayed skies. And we understand, only today, how much we have taken for granted the light of day, which some self-proclaimed philanthropist would like to block:

of Thee, Most High, he bears signification.

Let us consider: the hatred of the enemy seems to show itself progressively with more and more arrogance, and to deprive mankind of the light of the sun is a disturbing figure of the obscuring of Christ, Sol Iustitiæ, by the servants of the Adversary.

Praised be You, my Lord, by Brother Wind

And by air and cloud and serene and every weather,

by which Thou givest sustenance to Thy creatures.


That society that was still Catholic, although undermined by the errors of liberalism or atheistic materialism, managed to survive until the 1960s because it was kept alive by the sanctifying work of the Church and by a generation of priests formed according to the traditional approach. To make these good parish priests and religious swallow the indigestible morsel of Vatican II took years and years of reeducation and purges, but in the meantime – even where the Reformed rite had replaced the Catholic Mass – the Faith of Christ was still being preached from the pulpits. For this reason alone, modern errors could not take root everywhere: the fear of God, respect for the sanctity of life, recognition of the social role of the family, and the will for good remained in souls. In the meantime, the conciliar cancer was spreading in the pontifical universities, in the seminaries, in the convents, in the Catholic associations.

It was then that the Catholic hierarchy dropped the Rogations, considering them a forbidden manifestation of quasi-superstitious fideism. The proud and haughty minds of the innovators could not tolerate the Christian people asking forgiveness for their sins, invoking the Lord’s mercy, and propitiating His blessings in the fields. It was a “medieval” vision, unworthy of the high and grown-up consciences of the modernists. It was an obstacle to religious dialogue, because it recognized the Divine Majesty as having a centrality that modern man claimed for himself and his dignitas infinita – intelligenti pauca. Thus Providence was banished both in its intervention in history and in our ability to invoke it. Vatican II, with its horizontal vision, precluded us from that consoling awareness of being part of a cosmos in which our individual existence is irreplaceable because it is the fruit of the Provident Love of God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.

The voice of the “conciliar church” made us believe that we were all saved by the mere fact that Christ was a man like us; and therefore that there could be no punishment because there was no fault to be punished; therefore there was no longer a God to implore to hold back the arm of His righteous wrath upon us sinners. This meant – and we see it confirmed today – that not even a Redeemer was needed and that the Sacrifice of the Cross was useless. But if everyone is saved, what is the use of the Church? If there is no flood, what good is the Ark? If the world can live in peace and harmony without God, why should we pray to Him? If we want rain, we drop it, and if the fields dry up, we grow GMO plants in hydroculture, we create synthetic meat, we replace wheat with cockroaches, nature with solar panels, and life with its grotesque replica in a test tube.

[color=#1101d]The soul of the Catholic people is summed up in the Rogations, because in invoking God’s mercy and blessing on the fruits of the earth that are ripening in the fields and along the rows, that people recognized themselves with humble realism as sinners, capable of amending, of doing penance, of defending their faith[/color] with the generous and sincere impetus of Peter: Lord, with you I am ready to go to prison and to death (Lk 22:33).

That Christian world, dear brothers, has been obliterated: in many nations it is considered a crime to follow its principles. But if it is humanly difficult to think that it is possible to reconstruct that model on the ruins of a brutalized and rebellious humanity, we nevertheless have the possibility of forming small communities in which the Catholic Faith is guarded and preserved according to that ancient and sacred way of life, in the awareness that perhaps we should also adapt to clandestinity and guerilla fighting. It will be then that our children will discover with amazement and disbelief how preferable it is to plough a field, till a vegetable garden, grow fruit, raise livestock, graze sheep, know how to make cheese and bake bread. Because that blessed sweat of the brow brings us back to the concreteness of our condition as exsules filii Hevæ but frees us from the servitude of call centers, from usury, from the need to buy and eat what others have decided.

Returning to the Faith is possible by creating small traditional communities, in which to confront the elements, follow the rhythms of the seasons, the fatigue of summer and the rest of winter, with constant prayer punctuating the days; days when we rise with the light of the sun and the sign of the Cross, and at the end of which we lie down with the names of Jesus and Mary on our lips; Days when the hail is driven off by means of a short, fervent prayer and lighting the blessed candle, when the agony of a soul is accompanied by the tolling of the bell, and not by the arrogance of corrupt doctors and heartless nurses.

That is why we pray today: that there may be farmers in the fields, vinedressers in the vineyards, shepherds for the flocks, tireless workers in times of both serenity and storm, both in the heat and with the hoarfrost. And this is true for crops and livestock, but also and above all for the Lord’s field, for His vineyard, for His flock: it is the reason why in the Litany we make invocation to be spared from flood and storm, from plague, hunger, and war, but also for which we pray ut domnum Apostolicum et omnes ecclesiasticos ordines in sancta religione conservare digneris. This is what the ministers of the Most High are for: to till and sow the Word of God by preaching; to multiply the clusters of the one vine; to feed the sheep that the Lord has entrusted to them.

The anniversary of the priestly ordination of Father Lorenzo and Father Emanuele and of my own episcopal consecration remind us of the importance of the Catholic priesthood, especially at a time when there are fewer and fewer ministers who have remained faithful to Christ. The Collegium Traditionis is precisely a seminarium, a place – and this will be well understood by those who know country life – where the seed of the vocation is made to grow and brought to development, before the plant can be planted and strengthened and bear fruit. Let us also ask, following the example and through the intercession of the glorious Apostle and Evangelist Mark, to see the supernatural fruits of this nursery of future priests blessed: for the glory of God, the honor of the Church, and the salvation of souls. And so may it be.

+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

25 April 2024
S.cti Marci Ev.

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  Cashless Society: WEF Boasts That 98% Of Central Banks Are Adopting CBDCs
Posted by: Stone - 04-25-2024, 06:01 AM - Forum: Great Reset - No Replies

Cashless Society: WEF Boasts That 98% Of Central Banks Are Adopting CBDCs


ZH [Emphasis in the original] | APR 25, 2024

Whatever happened to the WEF?  One minute they were everywhere in the media and now they have all but disappeared from public discourse.  After the pandemic agenda was defeated and the plan to exploit public fear to create a perpetual medical autocracy was exposed, Klaus Schwab and his merry band of globalists slithered back into the woodwork.  To be sure, we'll be seeing them again one day, but for now the WEF has relegated itself away from the spotlight and into the dark recesses of the Davos echo chamber.

Much of their discussions now focus on issues like climate change or DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), but one vital subject continues to pop up in the white papers of global think tanks and it's a program that was introduced very publicly during covid.  Every person that cares about economic freedom should be wary of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) as perhaps the biggest threat to human liberty since the attempted introduction of vaccine passports.

The WEF recently boasted in a new white paper that 98% of all central banks are now pursuing CBDC programs.  The report, titled 'Modernizing Financial Markets With Wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency', notes:

“CeBM is ideal for systemically important transactions despite the emergence of alternative payment instruments...Wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC) is a form of CeBM that could unlock new economic models and integration points that are not possible today.”

The paper primarily focuses on the streamlining of crossborder transactions, an effort which the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has been deeply involved in for the past few years.  It also highlights an odd concept of differentiated CBDC mechanisms, each one specifically designed to be used by different institutions for different reasons.  Wholesale CBDCs would be used only by banking institutions, governments and some global corporations, as opposed to Retail CBDCs which would be reserved for the regular population.

[Image: CBDCall1.jpg?itok=GuwWnDZh]

How the value and buying power of Wholesale CBDCs would differ is not clear, but it's easy to guess that these devices would give banking institutions a greater ability homogenize international currencies and transactions.  In other words, it's the path to an eventual global currency model.  By extension, the adoption of CBDCs by governments and global banks will ultimately lead to what the WEF calls "dematerialization" - The removal of physical securities and money.  The WEF states:

"As with the Bank of England’s (BOE) RTGS modernization programme, the intention is to introduce a fully digitized securities system that is future-proofed for incremental adoption of DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology). The tokenization of assets involves creating digital tokens representing underlying assets like real estate, equities, digital art, intellectual property and even cash. Tokenization is a key use case for blockchain, with some estimates pointing towards $4-5 trillion in tokenized securities on DLTa  by 2030."

Finally, they let the cat out of the bag:

"The BIS proposed two models for bringing tokenization into the monetary system: 1) Bring CBDCs, DTs and tokenized assets on to a common unified ledger, and 2) pursue incremental progress by creating interlinking systems.

They determined the latter option was more feasible given that the former requires a reimagination of financial systems. Experimentation with the unified ledger concept is ongoing."

To interpret this into decoded language - The unified ledger is essentially another term for a one world digital currency system completely centralized and under the control of global banks like the BIS and IMF.  The WEF and BIS are acknowledging the difficulty of introducing such a system without opposition, so, they are recommending incremental introduction using "interlinking systems" (attaching CBDCs to paper currencies and physical contracts and then slowly but surely dematerializing those assets and making digital the new norm).  It's the totalitarian tip-toe. 

The BIS predicts there will be at least 9 major CBDCs in circulation by the year 2030; this is likely an understatement of the intended plan.  Globalists have hinted in the past that they prefer total digitization by 2030.

A cashless society would be the end game for economic anonymity and freedom in trade.  Unless alternative physical currencies are widely adopted in protest, CBDCs would make all transactions traceable and easily interrupted by governments and banks.  Imagine a world in which all trade is monitored, all revenues are monitored and transactions can be blocked if they are found to offend the mandates of the system.  Yes, these things do happen today, but with physical cash they can be circumvented.

Imagine a world where your ability to spend money can be limited to certain retailers, certain services, certain products and chosen regions based on your politics, your social credit score and your background.  The control that comes with CBDCs is immense and allows for complete micromanagement of the population.  The fact that 98% of central banks are already adopting this technology should be one of the biggest news stories of the decade, yet, it goes almost completely ignored.

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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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  Fr. Ruiz's Sermons: Third Sunday after Easter - April 21. 2024
Posted by: Stone - 04-23-2024, 06:28 AM - Forum: Fr. Ruiz's Sermons April 2024 - No Replies

[color=#71101d2024 04 21 EL GRAN FRACASO DE LA GRAN MANIOBRA DIPLOMÁTICA DE MONS FELLAY 3er Dom desp de Pascua[/color]


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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 (2)

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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