Today is the anniversary of the great 'Miracle of the Sun' performed at Fatima in Portugal before 70,000 people, said to be the greatest miracle since the parting of the Red Sea.
At Fatima -https://www.salvemariaregina.info/Message.html - Our Lady showed three little shepherd children, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco (aged 10, 7 and 9 respectively) a vision of Hell which utterly terrified them. Only for a few seconds; any longer, the children said, and they would have died of fear.
Is this why Catholic school children are not told the amazing story of Fatima any more? Because they'll be frightened? I've actually heard a DRS (Director of Religious Studies) primary teacher substitute the prayer Our Lady gave specifically to be prayed with the Rosary - " O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell"- with "save us from the time of trial".
I have to say that as a Catholic school kid myself once, I was far more frightened of the Yellow Peril than of the hell that successive Redemptorist priests warned us about so graphically. I'd say that was because I was also taught how to avoid hell, whereas the good nuns had no idea of how to avoid the Yellow Peril, which was definitely on its way.
At Fatima, the children were shown Hell so that they would realise the terrible gravity of Our Lady's words in saying, inter alia, that "More souls go to Hell because of the sins of the flesh than for any other reason".
Let's stop right there, and look at what Pope Francis had to say about sins of the flesh in February this year:
“Sins of the flesh are the lightest sins. Because the flesh is weak. The most dangerous sins are those of the spirit. I am talking about angelism: pride, vanity are sins of angelism. Priests have the temptation — not all, but many — of focusing on the sins of sexuality, what I call morality below the belt (surely he means immorality below the belt?). But the more serious sins are elsewhere….”
The Pope went on to explain how priests in confession should deal with sins of the flesh: "I know a cardinal who is a good example. … as soon as someone goes to him to talk about those sins below the belt, he immediately says: ‘I understand, let’s move on.’ He stops him, as if to say: ‘I understand, but let’s see if you have something more important. Do you pray? Are you seeking the Lord? Do you read the Gospel?’ He makes him understand that there are mistakes that are much more important than that. Yes, it is a sin, but… He says to him: ‘I understand’:"
The Pope concludes by saying priests who pursue the traditional, centuries-old method of hearing confession of sins of the flesh "are in need of a psychiatrist.”
Whom do we believe? Our Lady, the Mother of God, who at Fatima was declared "worthy of belief" by Pope Pius XII - or Pope Francis?
Abortion is quite obviously one of those sins "of the flesh" for which, Our Lady stated, "more souls go to Hell than for any other reason. I don't know what kind of destination Pope Francis has in mind for what he calls "the most dangerous sins of pride and vanity" but it must be more hellish than Hell.
And today isn't just the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun which Our Lady promised the children as proof of her apparitions and the supernatural truth of her warnings, it's also "Respect Life Sunday". An innocuous title, chosen to be positive, and to avoid giving offence. This year, folks it's all about - you guessed it! The Environment.
Back in 1972, Pope St John Paul II set aside the first Sunday of October as "Respect Life Sunday" to advance "the culture of life to be implemented through prayer, activism and education against the falsehoods promoted by the pro-abortion advocates".
Now, in New Zealand, it seems the Catholic Church has given up on all of that, just as the pro-abortion advocates are promoting abortion up to birth, in one of the biggest whoppers of all time, as "a health issue".
In our church this morning we were asked to respect life by being grateful to the immigrants who work in our hospitals caring for the young bucks who've wrecked their cars and their bodies and who do nothing but complain, complain, complain.
But meanwhile, over at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, the pastor was giving a sermon against abortion.
Bob Gill says: Mary, Mother of the Church, Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Teresa Coles says: the most dangerous place for a baby is its Mother's womb (St Mother Teresa)
Bob Gill says: So true - unfortunately.
As a post-script, today I emailed the six on my wonderful Voice for Life CHB committee with a list of the MPs who supported the atrocious Abortion Legislation Bill, divvied up so each of has a sizeable group to pray for, asking God that they change their vote at the second reading.
I publish the list below, not Naming and Shaming but Naming and Praying, hoping some readers might join us:
Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, "Behold we did not know this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not requite man according to his work? (Proverbs 24:11-12).
Here are the MPs who voted in support of the Abortion Legislation Bill at the first reading:
Amy Adams – National - Selwyn
Kiritapu Allan – Labour – List
Ginny Andersen – Labour – List
Jacinda Ardern – Labour – Mt Albert
Darroch Ball – NZ First – List
Maggie Barry – National – North Shore
Andrew Bayly – National – Hunua
Paula Bennett - National - Upper Harbour
David Bennett - National – Hamilton East
Dan Bidois – National - Northcote
Chris Bishop - National - Hutt South
Simon Bridges – National – Tauranga
David Carter – National – List
David Clark – Labour – Dunedin North
Tamati Coffey – Labour – Waiariki
Judith Collins – National – Papakura
Liz Craig – Labour – List
Clare Curran – Labour – Dunedin South
Marama Davidson – Green – List
Kelvin Davis - Labour – Te Tai Tokerau
Matt Doocey – National – Waimakariri
Sarah Dowie – National – Invercargill
Ruth Dyson – Labour – Port Hills
Paul Eagle – Labour – Rongotai
Kris Faafoi – Labour – Mana
Andrew Falloon – National – Rangitata
Julie Anne Genter - Green – List
Golriz Ghahraman – Green –List
Paul Goldsmith – National – List
Nathan Guy - National - Otaki
Peeni Henare – Labour – Tamaki Makaurau
Chris Hipkins – Labour – Rimutaka
Brett Hudson – National – List
Gareth Hughes – Green – List
Raymod Huo – Labour – List
Willie Jackson – Labour – List
Shane Jones – NZ First – List
Nikki Kaye – National – Auckland Central
Matt King – National – Northland
Barbara Kuriger – National - Taranaki-King Country
Denise Lee – National – Maungakiekie
Iain Lees-Galloway – Labour – Palmerston North
Andrew Little – Labour – List
Jan Logie – Green – List
Marja Lubeck – Labour – List
Jo Luxton – Labour – List
Nanaia Mahuta – Labour – Hauraki-Waikato
Trevor Mallard – Labour – List
Jenny Marcroft – NZ First – List
Ron Mark – NZ First – List
Tracey Martin – NZ First – List
Kieran McAnulty – Labour – List
Todd McClay – National – Rotorua
Ian McKelvie – National – Rangitikei
Clayton Mitchell – NZ First - List
Mark Mitchell – National – Rodney
Todd Muller – National – Bay of Plenty
Stuart Nash – Labour – Napier
Damien O'Connor – Labour – West Coast
Greg O'Connor – Labour – Ohariu
David Parker – Labour – List
Mark Patterson – NZ First – List
Winston Peters - NZ Fist – List
Willow-Jean Prime – Labour – List
Priyanca Radhakrishnan – Labour – List
Grant Robertson – Labour – Wellington Central
Jami-Lee Ross – Independent – Botany
Deborah Russell - Labour – New Lynn
Eugenie Sage – Green – List
Scott Simpson – National – Coromandel
Carmel Sepuloni – Labour – Kelston
David Seymour – Act – Epsom
James Shaw – Green – List
Scott Simpson – National – Coromandel
Aupito William Sio – Labour – Mangere
Stuart Smith – National – Kaikoura
Erica Stanford – National – East Coast Bays
Jamie Strange – Labour – List
Chloe Swarbrick – Green – List
Fletcher Tabuteau – NZ First – List
Jan Tinetti – Labour – List
Anne Tolley - National - East Coast
Phil Twyford – Labour – Te Atatu
Tim van de Molen – National – Waikato
Nicky Wagner – National – List
Louisa Wall – Labour – Manurewa
Angie Warren-Clark – Labour – List
Duncan Webb – Labour – Christchurch Central
Meka Whaitiri - Labour – Ikaroa Rawhiti
Poto Williams – Labour – Christchurch East
Nicola Willis – National – List
Megan Woods – Labour - Wigram
Lawrence Yule - National- Tukituki
Bob Gill says: Mary, Mother of the Church, Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Teresa Coles says: the most dangerous place for a baby is its Mother's womb (St Mother Teresa)
Bob Gill says: So true - unfortunately.
As a post-script, today I emailed the six on my wonderful Voice for Life CHB committee with a list of the MPs who supported the atrocious Abortion Legislation Bill, divvied up so each of has a sizeable group to pray for, asking God that they change their vote at the second reading.
I publish the list below, not Naming and Shaming but Naming and Praying, hoping some readers might join us:
Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, "Behold we did not know this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not requite man according to his work? (Proverbs 24:11-12).
Here are the MPs who voted in support of the Abortion Legislation Bill at the first reading:
Amy Adams – National - Selwyn
Kiritapu Allan – Labour – List
Ginny Andersen – Labour – List
Jacinda Ardern – Labour – Mt Albert
Darroch Ball – NZ First – List
Maggie Barry – National – North Shore
Andrew Bayly – National – Hunua
Paula Bennett - National - Upper Harbour
David Bennett - National – Hamilton East
Dan Bidois – National - Northcote
Chris Bishop - National - Hutt South
Simon Bridges – National – Tauranga
David Carter – National – List
David Clark – Labour – Dunedin North
Tamati Coffey – Labour – Waiariki
Judith Collins – National – Papakura
Liz Craig – Labour – List
Clare Curran – Labour – Dunedin South
Marama Davidson – Green – List
Kelvin Davis - Labour – Te Tai Tokerau
Matt Doocey – National – Waimakariri
Sarah Dowie – National – Invercargill
Ruth Dyson – Labour – Port Hills
Paul Eagle – Labour – Rongotai
Kris Faafoi – Labour – Mana
Andrew Falloon – National – Rangitata
Julie Anne Genter - Green – List
Golriz Ghahraman – Green –List
Paul Goldsmith – National – List
Nathan Guy - National - Otaki
Peeni Henare – Labour – Tamaki Makaurau
Chris Hipkins – Labour – Rimutaka
Brett Hudson – National – List
Gareth Hughes – Green – List
Raymod Huo – Labour – List
Willie Jackson – Labour – List
Shane Jones – NZ First – List
Nikki Kaye – National – Auckland Central
Matt King – National – Northland
Barbara Kuriger – National - Taranaki-King Country
Denise Lee – National – Maungakiekie
Iain Lees-Galloway – Labour – Palmerston North
Andrew Little – Labour – List
Jan Logie – Green – List
Marja Lubeck – Labour – List
Jo Luxton – Labour – List
Nanaia Mahuta – Labour – Hauraki-Waikato
Trevor Mallard – Labour – List
Jenny Marcroft – NZ First – List
Ron Mark – NZ First – List
Tracey Martin – NZ First – List
Kieran McAnulty – Labour – List
Todd McClay – National – Rotorua
Ian McKelvie – National – Rangitikei
Clayton Mitchell – NZ First - List
Mark Mitchell – National – Rodney
Todd Muller – National – Bay of Plenty
Stuart Nash – Labour – Napier
Damien O'Connor – Labour – West Coast
Greg O'Connor – Labour – Ohariu
David Parker – Labour – List
Mark Patterson – NZ First – List
Winston Peters - NZ Fist – List
Willow-Jean Prime – Labour – List
Priyanca Radhakrishnan – Labour – List
Grant Robertson – Labour – Wellington Central
Jami-Lee Ross – Independent – Botany
Deborah Russell - Labour – New Lynn
Eugenie Sage – Green – List
Scott Simpson – National – Coromandel
Carmel Sepuloni – Labour – Kelston
David Seymour – Act – Epsom
James Shaw – Green – List
Scott Simpson – National – Coromandel
Aupito William Sio – Labour – Mangere
Stuart Smith – National – Kaikoura
Erica Stanford – National – East Coast Bays
Jamie Strange – Labour – List
Chloe Swarbrick – Green – List
Fletcher Tabuteau – NZ First – List
Jan Tinetti – Labour – List
Anne Tolley - National - East Coast
Phil Twyford – Labour – Te Atatu
Tim van de Molen – National – Waikato
Nicky Wagner – National – List
Louisa Wall – Labour – Manurewa
Angie Warren-Clark – Labour – List
Duncan Webb – Labour – Christchurch Central
Meka Whaitiri - Labour – Ikaroa Rawhiti
Poto Williams – Labour – Christchurch East
Nicola Willis – National – List
Megan Woods – Labour - Wigram
Lawrence Yule - National- Tukituki
In our church yesterday the priest followed the same process as the previous Sunday: not bothering to distribute Communion personally. The priest last week was new and appeared to have a physical reason for not being up to the job, but Monsignor Walsh appeared to be in good physical condition yesterday as he spent quite a bit of time on his feet while handing out a Papal award to one of the parishioners during Mass.
ReplyDeleteNow I have witnessed three occasions in the last few months of the lay ministers taking over an important part of the Mass in St Joseph’s. We have lost the plot, I’m thinking.
But who am I to judge?
If not you, Bob, then the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, who have stated plainly at least twice:
Delete"The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons." - Redemptionis Sacramentum, 157.
"...a reprehensible attitude is shown by those priests who, though present at the celebration, refrain from distributing Communion and leave this task to the laity." - Instruction on Certain Norms Concerning the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery, 10.
I would think highly of any priest having difficulty standing for any length of time resorting to even sitting down to distribute Communion. Surely we would appreciate those doing their best to distribute with consecrated hands under difficult circumstances.
DeleteThose priests who sit to one side for no real reason, with a couldn’t-care-less attitude, lose my respect immediately.
Bob, it occurs to me that those priests may think they're ceding to the 'Extraordinary' Ministers of Holy Communion the honour of distributing the Hosts. They may be so far out of touch with reality that they believe allowing a lay person to distribute the Hosts is an act of humility.
DeleteThis business of cushioning how we treat our children at times is concerning. Avoiding speaking to them about the stark reality of things like Hell and eliminating virtually all kinds of discipline will do little to condition children to become strong adults.
ReplyDeleteHi Julia. I was delighted to find your blog. I met you a number of years ago.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a common experience of being totally out of sync with the world, and if faithful to the teachings of the Church as always held in faith and morals, out of sync with ones family and children. That makes for a lonely path. At the same time, being part of the Church, attending Mass, it is common enough to find oneself equally isolated for the same reasons. Even if we run to the safest harbour wherever we can find it in the Church, the isolation doesn't go away. I fear the bullies.
I find that being a Catholic in the New Zealand Church, for the most part, is like finding yourself ensconced in a progressive almost anti-Catholic situation. The Church is primarily interested in the environment etc. It seems to be a pragmatic Church which finds truth in 'right' action alone, and demands little in terms of intellectual and moral conversion. But you continue to believe it is the Church of Christ, and so you cannot remove yourself at all.
Certainly, it is more interested in apparently rising oceans than sins that ruin one's life.
Linda, the Church in New Zealand is occupied by the enemy, like France was in WWII. Some of us are the equivalent of the French Resistance.
DeleteNow I know why as a teenager I used to imagine myself as Violette Szabo, heroine of the French Resistance. I was practicing.
DeleteWhat a slap in the face for Pope St JP II and most Catholics in NZ, making Respect for Life Sunday into an environmental day, just as our government is clearly moving towards full term abortion (read infanticide). What wonks make these decisions in the Church, why wont they identify and explain themselves?
ReplyDeleteI too, was appalled to see that the latest Welcom newspaper had revealed that Respect Life month this year would be devoted to care of the environment. Any organisation/institution can do that and many do. We need to be the voice for those who noone is speaking up for rather than join the clamour of the latest fad.
ReplyDeleteI refuse to read it and never pick Welcom up. If it is handed to me I take it to be polite and then leave it in the pew.
DeleteLinda, well written... from start to go.. as is your article Julia. Spot on again. I'm praying for you.
ReplyDeleteJulia, in infer from your Comment that some priests might see it as some sort of "antidote" to clericalism.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, it's the contrary.
It's clericalism to posit that the laity only make a real contribution when they perform priestly functions.
And it does nothing to solve the homosexual problem.
As I take 'clericalism' to mean abuse of priestly privilege, I'd say you're right and also that it does nothing to solve any problem.
ReplyDeleteOf course my word "in" was supposed to be "I". Sorry.
DeleteClericalism is the concept that the priest, the cleric, is superior to the laity.
Our shameful bishops have used that term to obfuscate the reality of the abuse. Their charade is that the abuse is an outcome of the clergy regarding themselves as superior, and thus not accountable, to the laity.
In fact the abuse for which they feigned an apology is an effect of homosexualism.