Quote:When the Church approves private revelations, she declares only that there is nothing in them contrary faith or good morals, and that they may be read without danger or even with profit; no obligation is thereby imposed on the faithful to believe them. Speaking of such revelations as (e.g.) those of St. Hildegard (approved in part by Eugenius III), St. Bridget (by Boniface IX), and St. Catherine of Siena (by Gregory XI) Benedict XIV says: "It is not obligatory nor even possible to give them the assent of Catholic faith, but only of human faith, in conformity with the dictates of prudence, which presents them to us as probable and worthy of pius belief)" (De canon., III, liii, xxii, II).  [Taken from the 1912 Catholic Encyclopedia]

Detail of the Last Judgment – Cathedral of Orvieto

A Statue of the Saint in the St. Dominic Savio Retreat Center in Bollington, Cheshire, England

Quote:It was remarkable that he often spoke about the Sovereign Pontiff, and expressed the desire of being able to see him as he had something of great importance to tell him.

As he had repeated this on several occasions, I one day asked him what the important matter was. He replied: "If I could have an interview with the Pope, I would tell him, that in spite of the great tribulations which he has to endure at present, he should never slacken in his special solicitude for England. For God is preparing a great triumph for Catholicism in that kingdom."

I asked him, "Why, what grounds have you for that statement?"

"I will tell you, but do not mention it to others, for they might think it ridiculous. But if you go to Rome, tell Pius IX for me.

“This is why I think so. One morning, during my thanksgiving after Communion, I had a repeated distraction, which was strange for me. I thought I saw a great stretch of country enveloped in a thick mist and it was filled with a multitude of people. They were moving about, but like men who, having missed their way, are not sure of their footing.

"Someone nearby me said: 'This is England.'

“I was going to ask some questions about it when I saw His Holiness Pius IX as I had seen him represented in pictures. He was majestically clad, and was carrying a shining torch with which he approached the multitude as if to enlighten their darkness. As he drew near, the light of the torch seemed to disperse the mist, and the people were left in broad daylight.

"'This torch,' said my informant, 'is the Catholic religion which is to illuminate England.'"

When I was in Rome in 1858, I related this vision to the Holy Father, who was greatly interested and said: ‘What you have told me confirms me in my resolution to do all that is possible for England, which has long been the object of my special care. What you have related is, at the very least, the counsel of a devout soul.’”

Quote:“You must never build a life on visions; above all, on the other people's visions. In material things, you need anything but common sense, and in spiritual things you need common sense, but there (spiritual matters) we cannot be deceived, being the infallible rules which God has laid down for us. (I.e. through His Church). Beware of mysticism, the fiend (the devil) is behind the Mother of God. If you let her go by, you find the fiend.”

That is, if we constantly crave and seek after mystical visions to direct our lives, Satan and not Our Lady might be the one to answer! Also, beware of having real visions, because Lucifer is also behind - there is suffering that comes with a true visions he learned. Père Lamy remarked that if he knew Our Lady was behind a door he would not let her in as the suffering for such a grace is very great indeed, a statement meant to shock as he wished to stress the amount of suffering required for greater graces.

Quote:“The Blessed Virgin foretold the War (I.e. WWI). She spoke to me very maternally about my childhood, founded the pilgrimage of Our Lady of the Woodland; told me she wanted a new congregation. With great energy she condemned modernism, treated several matters, defending me from Lucifer.

(…)

After the Credo, she spoke of the War in very sorrowful tones (i.e. World War I). 'It will be slow to kindle' It will set all Europe on fire. It will set the world on fire. There will be about five millions killed, but (turning towards Lucifer) I shall save many in spite of you.' The fiend said, 'They'll pass through the Vosges.' The Blessed Virgin: 'No, no, they will pass through Belgium.' Satan said, 'They are just as guilty on one side as the other.'. Satan understands guilt very well./quote]


Before and right up to the Consecration, Our Lord appeared. He spoke to Père Lamy as well. Père Lamy recalls that Our Lord told him why WWI was permitted:

[quote]“Our Lord told me that the War had three causes: Blasphemy, Sunday labour, and the desecration of marriage.” (i.e. adultery, breaking the marriage vow through extramarital affairs.)

Quote:“When a young man or a young girl falls into sin, (i.e. if they are not married,) it is nothing in comparison. It is a grave sin, but after all it is human weakness.”

Quote:“You think I am very strict about Sunday work. (I.e. no servile work should be done on Sundays.) You cannot be too much so. I go so far as to say no offering flowers to the Blessed Virgin, no cutting them on Sunday. When working on Sundays gets into the soul it is like gangrene everything goes.”

Quote:“Games and sports, as they are generally under stood by the majority, are the direct attack of Satan against Sunday services. He (the devil) said with scorn: 'I am the master here; I drive them like a herd.'. In order to avoid the judgment of Heaven, the first thing Catholics must do is to get together to observe, and get observed the sanctification of Sunday. I have always been strict on this point in my parish and the Blessed Virgin approved this strictness. (…) She complained of the profanation of the Sunday, but she throws no stone at those ho profane it. The profanation of the Sunday is a failure in reverence and adoration. She feels keenly the outrage against God. It is a fact that she pities those who make it so.”

Quote:“The war was a punishment for the French and German peoples, both equally guilty. But Mary is all powerful. She kept the Germans from coming through the gap in the Vosges, as Satan wanted it. She answered that fellow: ' While he lives (I.e Pere Lamy), the Germans shall not pass this way.' Then pointing out the district of Our Lady of the Woodlands (I.e where she wished her congregation to be established by him,) she said 'Nor after his death; that is his cradle, that's the village where he was born. (Le Pailly). 'Nor after his death'. These words incline me to believe she saw another German invasion coming.”

Quote:“About the next war (WWII), I shall not give any details, as I gave about the other (i.e, WWI). They made nothing of that warning (iI.e. people did not listen or believe him), and this will be the same. All I can tell you is that it will begin through Poland, and when it is over, you will not be on velvet.”

Quote:“The war will be slow to blaze up. It will set Europe on fire. As for Europe, that has been done. (I.e. WWI). It will set the Universe on fire, China Japan, Morocco. They have had no war as yet. But this (i.e. WII) will be the continuation of the last war. After these hard calamities, God will give peace back to the world.”

Quote:“The Holy archangel Gabriel tole me, speaking of Lucifer: 'he is playing his trump card; he thinks he has won': in which he is mistaken. Satan is playing all out. You must pray with hope in spite of the noise he makes. I tell you these things in confidence; they are breadcrumbs. (I.e. what he was revealing just then was nothing compared to what he was saw). We shall feel still more the delicate goodness of the Blessed Virgin, Mother Most Amiable; Mother most Admirable. You feel it coming from the Blessed Virgin.” (…)

“Peace will be given back to the world, but I shall not see it, and other things will come to pass! War is Big Business. The manufacturer of the aeroplane, the exploitation of the mines, the iron works, all that will dwindle. There will be no longer those great factories where morality withers and disappears. The working-class will be bound to turn back to the land. Land work will receive great impetus. Land will again be very dear.

When peace is given back to the world, big business will shrink to smaller proportions and will stay there. Everything will grow less. They are trying to avoid the inevitable, but it will happen just the same. (…) When peace is given back to the world, plots of land will rise to more value than they have now. Even if the old workmen insist on dying in towns, that will come to pass.

God willed to purify the faith of His people by giving them a long sojourn in the desert. The Israelites were a whole generation in the desert. All the same, when God gives peace back to the world, it will have to be re-evangelized over again and that will be work for a whole generation.

A great effort will have to be made for the conversion of man after the peace. There will be quite a lot of difficulties. Did not St. Paul encounter them? The spiritual state of the first Christians will come back moreover, but there will be then so few men on the earth. And there will be once more a splendid efflorescence of Orders and Congregations.”

Quote:“They will be bound to come back when they are squelched (making a gesture of squeezing pastry). When they are squelched, it will be by a master hand.”

Quote: “Miracles are no use for the conversion of the world. Catholics accept them, and yet, so few of them. But this little number is confirmed in the faith by wonders. (…) The world, and even Christians, no longer admit the supernatural. But they will be duly bound to take notice some day and bow their heads. Then they will be interested.”

Quote:“And when (Our Lady) says 'nor after his death', it is because she sees farther than an archangel. Peace will be given back to the world, but I shall not see it, and before that, other things will happen of which I personally do not see the end.”

Quote:“Stone crosses were at the entrance and exit of every village. The Haute Marne must thank the monks of old for much of the Faith which it has been able to keep. All the customs were pious. If there were many of you, people saluted you (saying), 'Good evening, and good evening the company.' Even when you were alone, 'Good evening, and good evening the company.' The custom was to salute you and your good angel. Yes, now all is silent in those villages where once you heard constant singing. I used to sing from morning till night like the nightingale. Look how wide that horizon is, how calm. See the contrast between God's immensity and those mechanisms there, (pointing out the pylon of the electric line).”

Quote:“There were six to seven thousand inhabitants. I set off with 1,800. When I left there were nearly 8,000. Deeds of the day of St. Louis were dated Curgis Nova. I have seen traces of its manor. I have seen the rest of its paving scattered. Fine varnished and decorated tiles. I knew its last ruins at La Courneuve and also the château of Joinville, burnt in 1870. (i.e. during the Prussian invasion after the collapse of the regime of Napoleon III), All that has gone very ugly, very common just now. Industrialism flattens out everything.”

Quote:“What a much better place this wretched world would be if Our Lady could have her way; if we didn't place hindrances to her empire over our souls. We keep her from acting in our favour. For those who give themselves up to Her, she sees everything in advance.” (I.e. Père Lamy was saying she takes care of them, things will turn out much better if people place themselves under her care.)

He also noted: “She loves us to pray with confidence and then let her do everything her own way.”

Quote:“She listens to us all but she gives special preference to the trustful, humble prayer of the little ones. Imperious prayers cannot be heard much. She likes simplicity. I get requests (to pray to her with) 'firstly', 'secondly'. She does not care for those mechanics. As for me, I put everything into the bag. I mean to say, I do not go into details. You offer her those requests. That's alright. (…) I say to her, 'Sweet Mother, I am bringing you a lot of tiresome things. All these petitions.'. She is straight. She has sound judgment. You don't need to explain things to her, as 'Cure me this nerve, because this nerve regulates such and such a joint which hinders me from this or that movement of my foot.' She knows all that. Not, 'such a malady, such a foot or such a thing.' No; say 'I am ill.' She said to me one day, 'They want me to work in matter; they understand only that.' (He explained later, 'she would prefer to be asked to work a miracle on a soul. Her Son suffered for souls; the body passes.) She does not lose herself in complicated entreaties when she addresses Our Lord. She says, 'Jesus', or 'My Son.' He says 'Mother', and they have understood each other. Let us say, like the sick used to say to her Son, “Mary, Daughter of David, take pity on me.' She never says a useless word. She doesn't want you to say more than is necessary.”

Quote:“When you ask a miracle from the Blessed Virgin and she refuses you, she says why. It is because your wish contradicts the designs of God. The Father establishes certain rules and everyone must conform. Now hardly any one asks to do the will of God. Most prayers are orders. My God, do this; do that. Speaking of favours unobtained the Blessed Virgin used to say to me: 'You are on the earth to do the will of God and my will is in accord with His.”

Quote:“You must place all your trust in the Blessed Virgin. She holds the rudder. She told me, 'I have only to ask. God will give peace to the world.'. He noted how merciful she is, even with this wicked world. She revealed: “If God in his wrath were to smash the world, I would bring Him back the pieces.”

Regarding France, he noted: “A day will come when right-thinking men will rebuild the country. I could easily tell you when. When the wind passes all the corn bends one way, so when the Mother of God passes by, all will bend willy-nilly.