For the Triumph of the Immaculate

Transcription

For the Triumph of the Immaculate
A journal of Catholic patriots
for the kingship of Christ and Mary
in the souls, families, and countries
Pilgrims of Saint Michael
1101 Principale Street, Rougemont QC, Canada J0L 1M0
Tel.: Rougemont (450) 469-2209; Montreal area (514) 856-5714; Fax (450) 469-2601
Publications Mail Reg. N° 40063742. (PAP) reg. N° 09929
website: www.michaeljournal.org
Printed in Canada
Edition in English. 55th Year. No. 358
For a Social Credit economy
in accordance with the teachings of the Church
through the vigilant action of heads of families
and not through political parties
4 years: $20.00
January-February 2010
St. Faustina Kowalska
Apostle of Divine Mercy
pages 12 to 14
Respect God’s creation
and the human person
see page 7
Let us consecrate ourselves to the Holy Family
Capitalism vs.
Communism
The Sacrament
of mercy
Bl. Anna Maria
Taigi: wife,
mother, mystic
pages 15 to 17
see pages 10-11
Freedom vs. tyranny
see pages 3 to 5
Why
Pope
John
Paul II
is a
saint
page 13
Let us consecrate our families
to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
teachers. Jesus answers his Mother who asks
for an explanation that he must “be in his Father’s house” that is God’s house (cf. Lk 2: 49). In
this episode the boy Jesus appears to us full of
zeal for God and for the Temple.
Let us ask ourselves: from whom did Jesus
learn love for his Father’s affairs ? As Son he certainly had an intimate knowledge of his Father,
of God, and a profound and permanent relationship with him but, in his own culture he had of
course learned prayers and love for the Temple
and for the Institutions of Israel from his parents.
We may therefore say that Jesus’ decision to
stay on at the Temple was above all the result of
his close relationship with the Father, but it was
also a result of the education he had received
from Mary and Joseph.
Pope Benedict XVI
veloped in the love that prevails at home, a love
that stems from the mere fact of belonging to
the same family.
I ask God that in your homes you may always breathe this love of total self-giving and
faithfulness which Jesus brought to the world
with his birth, nurturing and strengthening it with
daily prayer, the constant practice of the virtues,
reciprocal understanding and mutual respect.
I then encourage you so that, trusting in the
motherly intercession of Mary Most Holy, Queen
of Families, and under the powerful protection of
St. Joseph, her spouse, you may dedicate yourselves tirelessly to this beautiful mission which
the Lord has placed in your hands.
Pope Benedict XVI
Here is the address Pope Benedict XVI delivered Dec. 27, 2009, feast of the Holy Family,
before praying the Angelus together with those
gathered in St. Peter’s Square:
Dear Brothers and Sisters, today is Holy
Family Sunday. We can still identify ourselves
with the shepherds of Bethlehem who hastened
to the grotto as soon as they had received the
Angel’s announcement and found “Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger” (Lk 2:
16). Let us too pause to contemplate this scene
and reflect on its meaning. The first witnesses of
Christ’s birth, the shepherds, found themselves
not only before the Infant Jesus but also a small
family: mother, father and newborn son.
God had chosen to reveal himself by being
born into a human family and the human family
thus became an icon of God ! God is the Trinity, he is a communion of love; so is the family
despite all the differences that exist between
the Mystery of God and his human creature, an
expression that reflects the unfathomable Mystery of God as Love. In marriage the man and
the woman, created in God’s image, become
“one flesh” (Gen 2: 24), that is a communion of
love that generates new life. The human family,
in a certain sense, is an icon of the Trinity because of its interpersonal love and the fruitfulness of this love.
Today’s Liturgy presents the famous Gospel episode of the 12-year-old Jesus who stays
behind in the Temple in Jerusalem unbeknown
to his parents who, surprised and anxious, discover him three days later conversing with the
Contents
““Michael” January-February 2010
Pages
On the Holy Family. Benedict XVI
2
What will 2010 be ? Benedict XVI
2
Capitalism vs. communism. Louis Even
3-4
The Church on capitalism
5
Money in its proper place. Louis Even
6
Respect God’s creation. Benedict XVI
7
Don’t take God’s place. Cardinal Ouellet
7
No to the legalization of euthanasia
8
The Manhattan Declaration
9
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi
10-11
St. Faustina and Divine Mercy
12 to 14
Why Pope John Paul II is a saint
13
Little Audrey Marie Santo. Yves Jacques
15
The sacrament of mercy. M.A. Jacques 16 to18
The power of the St. Benedict medal
18
The destruction of a society. Fr. Euteneuer 19
Socialism in the United States
20
Bill C-6 in action. Dr. Eldon Dahl
21
2 million Americans protest Obama
21
Saved at the threshold of Hell
22-23
Elephants attack Orissa
23
Prayer to the Infant Jesus of Prague
24
Page What will 2010 be ?
Here are excerpts from the address Pope
Benedict XVI delivered January 3, 2010, before
praying the midday Angelus with the pilgrims
gathered in St. Peter’s Square:
Here we can glimpse the authentic meaning
of Christian education: it is the fruit of a collaboration between educators and God that must
always be sought. The Christian family is aware
that children are a gift and a project of God.
Therefore it cannot consider that it possesses
them; rather, in serving God’s plan through
them, the family is called to educate them in the
greatest freedom, which is precisely that of saying “yes” to God in order to do his will. The Virgin Mary is the perfect example of this “yes”. Let
us entrust all families to her, praying in particular
for their precious educational mission.
And I now address in Spanish all those who
are taking part in the Feast of the Holy Family in
Madrid. I cordially greet the Pastors and faithful
who have gathered in Madrid to celebrate joyfully the Sacred Family of Nazareth.
How is it possible not to remember the true
meaning of this feast ? Having come into the
world, into the heart of a family, God shows
that this institution is a sure path on which to
encounter and come to know him, as well as an
ongoing call to work for the unity of all people
centered on love.
Hence one of the greatest services that we
Christians can render our fellow human beings
is to offer them our serene and unhesitating witness as a family founded on the marriage of a
man and a woman, safeguarding and promoting the family, since it is of supreme importance
for the present and future of humanity. Indeed,
the family is the best school at which to learn to
live out those values which give dignity to the
person and greatness to peoples. In the family
sorrows and joys are shared, since all feel en-
Dear Brothers and Sisters, on this Sunday,
the second after Christmas and the first of the
New Year, I am glad to renew to all my wishes for
every good in the Lord ! Problems are not lacking in the Church and in the world, as well as
in the daily life of families, but thanks be to God
our hope is not based on improbable predictions
or financial forecasts, however important these
may be. Our hope is in God, not in the sense of
a generic religiosity or a fatalism cloaked in faith.
We trust in God who revealed completely and
definitively in Jesus Christ his desire to be with
human beings, to share in our history, to guide
us all to his Kingdom of love and life. And this
great hope enlivens and at times corrects our human hopes. (…)
Dear friends, this is the true reason for humanity’s hope: history has meaning because it
is “inhabited” by the Wisdom of God. And yet
the divine plan is not automatically implemented
because it is a plan of love, and love generates
freedom and requires freedom. The Kingdom of
God certainly comes, indeed it is already present
in history and, thanks to Christ’s coming, has already conquered the negative power of the Evil
One.
However, all men and women are responsible for welcoming him into their own lives,
day after day. Therefore even the year 2010 will
be “good” to the extent that each of us, according to his or her own responsibilities, can work
with God’s grace.
Thus let us turn to the Virgin Mary to learn
this spiritual disposition from her. The Son of
God did not take flesh from her without her consent. Every time the Lord wants to take a step
forward with us toward the “promised land”, he
first knocks at our hearts. He waits, so to speak,
for our “yes”, in small decisions as in important
ones. May Mary help us always to accept God’s
will with humility and courage, so that the trials
and suffering of life may help to hasten the coming of his Kingdom of justice and peace.
“Michael” Journal, 1101 Principale St., Rougemont, QC, Canada — J0L 1M0
Tel.: Rougemont (450) 469-2209; Montreal area (514) 856-5714; Fax (450) 469-2601; www.michaeljournal.org
Pope Benedict XVI
Capitalism versus Communism
“Communism is intrinsically evil”,
wrote Pope Pius XI
Adam Smith,
considered as
the father of
capitalism
Capitalism responds to the aspirations
of the human person, but it has been
vitiated by the current financial system
by Louis Even
One hears often: “Capitalism is not better
than Communism. The Church has condemned
both with the same vigour. So the capitalist system deserves no more consideration than the
communist system.”
This is completely false. To say so is to attribute to the capitalist system evils that come not
from the system itself, but from the abuse of individuals who behave more like tyrants (like leaders of Communist countries) than like citizens of a
country that is genuinely capitalist.
Pope Pius XI wrote this about Communism:
“Communism is intrinsically evil, and no one
who would save Christian civilization may collaborate with it in any undertaking whatsoever”
(Encyclical letter Divini Redemptoris, n. 58).
However in another encyclical letter (Quadragesimo Anno) Pope Pius XI wrote: “Capitalism
itself is not to be condemned. And surely it is not
vicious of its very nature, but it has been vitiated.” One will see how it happened in this article.
Communism is intrinsically wrong, not only
because it divides man from God, but also because of the little importance it attaches to the in-
Date of issue: February 2010
dividual, even in the temporal area. Communism
degrades the human person. It does not take into
consideration the nature of man, created by God.
It tramples on the individual’s freedom of choice.
For Communism, man is nothing but a tool that
can be used for the goals of the Party, a tool that
must abide by those goals or be crushed ruthlessly.
Communism is tyrannical to the highest degree. Once in power, the Communist Party allows
nothing that could jeopardize its ideal. It exercises
absolute control over everything and everybody.
It orders what to do or not to do: you must accept
what the State decides for you or it will make your
life miserable.
The capitalist system has not reached this
point. The flaws for which it is blamed are not inherent to capitalism itself and do not come from
its nature but from the financial system it utilizes.
It is a financial system that dominates instead of
serves. It is the financial system that vitiates capitalism.
Karl Marx,
thought of as
the father of
communism
cent slavery. It is getting closer to Communism, as
the power to dominate the lives of others is being
concentrated into fewer hands.
It is therefore not the capitalist economy in
itself that must be blamed. One must not wish
for the destruction of capitalism, but for its widespread diffusion. If there is only 5 percent of the
population of a nation that enjoys the status of a
capitalist, one must strive to increase this percentage to 100 percent, instead of wishing to bring it
down to zero percent.
Through Social Credit
This is exactly what a Social Credit financial
system would do, in replacement of the present
financial system that dominates, intoxicates and
slowly destroys, genuine capitalism. Social Credit
would turn every citizen into a capitalist by right. In
the economic field, man would be re-established
in his liberty and be given the right to organize
his life according to his own choice, provided he
respects this same right for other people.
Also economThe
capitalist
ically
speaking,
system is, by definthe
greatest
beneition, a system that
fit
of
being
a
capanswers to the aspiritalist,
when
man
ations of human naknows how to
ture. In fact, capitalput a limit to the
ism can be defined
pursuit of ever inas a system that
creasing material
recognizes and prowealth, is his freetects private propdom of choice.
erty, free enterprise,
Insofar as his capfreedom of choice
italist income alfor the human perlows him to live
son, the sovereignty
decently, he is
of consumers over
free to accept or
the objectives of
refuse any proFamilies cannot have access to God-given plenty
production through
ject that is being
because governments bow down to Mammon
free markets — the
proposed to him.
products: chosen or
ordered by the consumers, guide the programs His income is not conditioned by personal participation in production, so he can use his free time
of production.
as he wishes. He may certainly still accept a job,
Some will object: “Things do not exactly hapbut he may also do activities of his own choosing
pen like that in our capitalist countries. Private
— and these activities may well contribute to the
property is being given a rough time, especially in
enrichment of society, with wealth that is not nethe means of production, which is being enjoyed
cessarily material. Free labour is generally more
by an increasingly small minority of people. The
creative and fruitful than hard labour.
majority must enter the service of the minority,
This capitalist income is called a dividend.
for fear of starvation through lack of purchasing
This
dividend brings unconditional economic sepower. The lack of purchasing power kills or recurity
or “absolute economic security”, to use the
duces the freedom of the choice of goods and
words
of Douglas, the founder of the Social Credit
therefore suppresses the sovereignty of the conschool
of thought. As for the wages and salaries,
sumers over the objectives of production. Do not
even
though
they are sufficient for a decent living,
conflicts between employers, who constitute a
minority, and employees, who constitute the ma- they can only offer a limited and conditioned ecojority, show that the present system has difficul- nomic security, a security conditioned by a job,
ties in answering the aspirations of people and employment or a type of bondage.
that even capitalism attaches little importance to
Those who praise wages and discredit divithe freedom of choice of the majority ? ”
dends are praising bondage and discrediting freeThe answer to this objection is precisely in dom. Trade unions and other groups who advothe fact that capitalism is restricted to the minority cate full-employment policies associate the right
and is not distributed to be enjoyed by the major- to live with bondage. As for the Social Crediters,
ity. One cannot say that a country lives under a they advocate the distribution of a social divicapitalist system when capitalism concerns only dend to each and every individual. They want an
5 percent of the population and that 95 percent economic system of freedom for everyone, the
of the people only live thanks to the permission right to live tied to the human person and not to
or goodwill of the other five. Such a system is the fact that this person is hired in production or
(continued on page 4)
therefore only five percent capitalist and 95 per-
Page Capitalism vs. Communism
(continued from page 3)
not. This social dividend would be given to all, to
those who are employed as well as those who are
not. Therefore, it would not prevent appropriate
remuneration for those who are employed in production in any way.
All capitalists
What basis has Social Credit for saying that
every human being is a capitalist by right? This
has been explained several times in back issues of
“Michael”, so we will only summarize it here.
Today’s production is the result of several
factors: first, the existence of raw material, natural resources which have been created by God,
without which nothing would be possible; second, from knowledge that has been acquired and
passed on from generation to generation, inventions and discoveries of new sources of energy
and the improvement of production processes;
third, human labour (even though this would decrease) and fourth, investments and financial capital, which consists of mere figures that allow the
mobilization of material and manpower.
easily, at least in developed countries where the
most serious economic problems are not about
production but about the sale of goods.
The Pope added: “Such an individual right
cannot, by any means, be suppressed, even by
the exercise of other unquestionable and recognized rights over natural goods.”
These other unquestionable and recognized
rights obviously include the right to property
— property of land, production concerns, means
of transportation, stores, etc. All these goods are
legitimately managed by their owners,` who can
legitimately draw profit from them, which is for
them what wages are for the employees. However, the fact remains that only God is the absolute owner of everything. He is the first author of
any possibility of production and He wants every
human being — all of His children — to enjoy the
fruits of His work. This is why His Church reminds
us that any private property has a social function
to fulfill. In other words, it must not be used for
the sole profit of its owner but be useful for all,
and to be used for the common good of all.
Among these four factors, the most important
ones are obviously the first two. The natural resources are not earned but given by God, they are
real capital created for all people of all generations
to be used for their normal needs and to be maintained (if it is inert goods like ore) and not foolishly
wasted as it is done on a world scale today.
Then there is ever-increasing progress in the
means and methods of production; progress
realized by past generations as well as the present generation; a progress of which the growth
and transmission are due to life in society and of
which no individual or group can pretend to be
the exclusive heir. It is this common heritage, a
real capital of great value that allows society to
produce even more, even with less people employed in production.
Suppress this community heritage and today’s
production will not reach one-hundredth of what
it is at present, even if you would hire all available
manpower and invest a lot of money.
This is why we say that each and every member of society is born an heir and the owner of real
capital, the preponderant factor in today’s production. Everyone must have capitalist rights over a
growing part of the fruits of production, without
eliminating wages and salaries for those who personally take part in this community capital.
And we add that, according to Douglas’
teaching, the increase in productivity should be
translated into an increasing percentage of the
purchasing power.
This would be due to the growth of the community heritage and not to the personal contribution of producers. Then it could be distributed in
the form of dividends to all and a (slowly decreasing) percentage in the form of wages for jobs that
are becoming unnecessary.
In keeping with God’s plan
This method of distribution for continually
growing production would kill any communist or
socialist propaganda at its base. It would also be
the most effective way to recognize what Pope
Pius XII called the fundamental right of every human being to the goods of the earth in his famous
radio address of June 1, 1941:
“Material goods have been created by God
to meet the needs of all men, and must be put at
the disposal of all of them, as justice and charity
require.
“Every man indeed, as a reasonable gifted
being, has, from nature, the fundamental right
to make use of the material goods of the earth,
though it is reserved to human will and the juridical forms of the peoples to regulate, with more
detail, the practical realization of that right.”
What juridical forms or laws have ever proposed a method as effective as a dividend to each
and every person, a basic income to apply in practice the right of every man to make use of the material goods of the earth ? This could be done so
Page employment. Then one will look for solutions in
the production of new material goods. Yet, these
new goods have to be sold and to this end, artificial needs must also be created. People must be
convinced that they need these new products,
which contributes to outright materialism. The
dignity of man is ruthlessly sacrificed to the necessity of keeping production going, even though
the production already made is more than sufficient to meet the basic needs of all. It is certainly
a drive towards materialism. (Editor’s note: And it
also contributes to the unnecessary waste of resources and destruction of the environment.)
In a Social Credit financial system, human
greed — one of the consequences of original sin
— would still exist, but it would not be stimulated or imposed by the necessity of purchasing
power tied to employment. The social dividend to
all would dissociate — in an ever-growing part —
purchasing power from employment in production and would lead society in the way opposite
of materialism.
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical letter Populorum Progressio on the development of peoples,
wrote that the pursuit of development called for,
“the deep thought and reflection of wise men
in search of a new humanism, one which will
enable our contemporaries to enjoy the higher
values of love and friendship, of prayer and contemplation.”
This reminds us of the remark of a French
Christian philosopher named Maritain, who said
that progress that is used wisely, should not lead
to a civilization of work, but to a civilization of contemplation.
The fall of Marxism in Eastern Europe
does not necessarily mean the triumph of
capitalism, which has to be corrected of its
financial flaws.
Today, this social function has become difficult to fulfill because many private owners must
fight to save their properties from ruin, in a world
of unrestrained competition, of financial privileges
for the powerful and the ever-growing taxes levied by all levels of government.
The social function of private property would
be wonderfully and automatically fulfilled through
a social dividend which would give a claim to the
fruit of all production to each person. And this
would happen without impoverishing the owners,
instead it would do them a service, since their
products (if they are necessary) will be easily sold
on a market where consumers have enough purchasing power to provide for their basic needs.
An answer to two accusations
One accuses the concentration of wealth in the
hands of a few as leading to Communism. This is
true, because this concentration leaves the mass
of have-nots easily open to communist or socialist propaganda. Or because the State intervenes
with the goal to break the monopoly and nationalize big industry and this leads to State Socialism.
But one should not conclude from this that sound
capitalism is wrong. Indeed, it is the present financial system that leads to the concentration of capital in the hands of a few, thus vitiating capitalism
and opening up the way to Communism.
One also accuses the present capitalist system of creating new artificial needs in order to sell
its abundant production and thus leading to consumerism and materialism, just as efficiently as
the atheistic and materialistic laws of Communist
countries would do.
Here again, one must not accuse the capitalist economy in itself, but the financial system, of
which the controllers refuse to distribute purchasing power in other ways than employment in production: no job, no money. Progress, which should
be a blessing by freeing man from the need for
employment becomes on the contrary, a curse, a
problem, when the income disappears along with
Would not this new humanism, wished for by
the Pope, allow man to free himself from materialism and to “enjoy the higher values of love and
friendship, of prayer and contemplation?” Would
it not be well served by the adoption of the Social
Credit financial proposals ? These proposals were
conceived in 1917 by a genius, Scottish engineer
Clifford Hugh Douglas, but were persistently refused and fought, even by university professors
and other members of the elite.
Catholic and Social Crediter
The Catholic who is also a Social Crediter has
all the tools needed to face the communist and
socialist propaganda on both spiritual and temporal fields.
A Catholic who, out of ignorance, complicity
or abdication, only knows or admits the present financial system in economics, may possess
solid spiritual arguments against Communism.
However, he will be pitifully empty-handed when
the time comes to present a Christian solution to
the scandal of an abundance of goods being destroyed in front of human needs that are never
satisfied.
How can a Catholic condone the submission
of real possibilities of public or private production
to the conditions of a financial system that has become an end instead of a means, a master instead
of a servant; a financial system that consents to
function only by dictatorship and debt ? How can
a Catholic not prefer to this tyranny, a flexible financial system that fits the physical possibilities
of production with a guarantee to cover the basic
needs of each and every human person without
humiliating inquiries, conditions, or debt ?
Father Thomas Landry 0.P. said to a group of
Social Crediters in a homily on March 7, 1937:
“How good it is to be a Catholic when one is a
Social Crediter and how good it is to be a Social Crediter when one is a Catholic.” Yes, Father,
the Pilgrims of Saint Michael are convinced of it,
through personal experience.
Louis Even
Toronto monthly meetings
February 14, April 11, 2010
Lithuanian Hall, 1573 Bloor St. W.
(One block west of Dundas Subway Station)
Rosary at 2:00 p.m. – Meeting at 2:30 p.m.
Information Roger: (416) 749-5297
Catholic social teaching
on capitalism
Capitalism must be corrected
The social doctrine of the Church stands above
existing economic systems, since it confines itself to
the level of principles. An economic system is good
only to the extent that it applies the principles of
justice taught by the Church. As Pope John Paul II
wrote in 1987, in his encyclical letter Sollicitudo Rei
Socialis: “The tension between East and West
is an opposition... between two concepts of the
development of individuals and peoples, both
concepts being imperfect and in need of radical
correction... This is one of the reasons why the
Church’s social doctrine adopts a critical attitude towards both liberal capitalism and Marxist
collectivism.”
We may understand why the Church condemns
Communism or Marxist collectivism which, as Pope
Pius XI wrote, is “intrinsically evil” and anti-Christian, with its avowed goal being the complete destruction of private property, family and religion. But
why would the Church condemn capitalism ?
In his encyclical letter Centesimus Annus (n. 34), John Paul II
recognizes the merits of free enterprise, private initiative and profit: “It would appear that, on the
level of individual nations and
of international relations, the
free market is the most efficient
instrument for utilizing resour- John Paul II
ces and effectively responding
to needs. But this is true only for those needs
which are ‘solvent’, insofar as they are endowed
with purchasing power, and for those resources
which are ‘marketable’, insofar as they are capable of obtaining a satisfactory price. But there
are many human needs which find no place on
the market. It is a strict duty of justice and truth
not to allow fundamental human needs to remain
unsatisfied and not to allow those burdened by
such needs to perish.”
A little further in the same encyclical (n. 42), the
Pope explains what is acceptable and what is not,
in capitalism:
“Returning now to the initial question: can
it perhaps be said that, after the failure of Communism, capitalism is the victorious social system and that capitalism should be the goal of
the countries now making efforts to rebuild their
economy and society? Is this the model which
ought to be proposed to the countries of the
Third World which are searching for the path to
true economic and civil progress?
“The answer is obviously complex. If by
‘capitalism’ is meant an economic system which
recognizes the fundamental and positive role of
business, the market, private property and the
resulting responsibility for the means of production, as well as free human creativity in the
economic sector, then the answer is certainly in
the affirmative, even though it would perhaps
be more appropriate to speak of a “business
economy”, “market economy” or simply “free
economy”. But if by “capitalism” is meant a
system in which freedom in the economic sector is not circumscribed within a strong juridical
framework which places it at the service of human freedom in its totality, and which sees it as
a particular aspect of that freedom, the core of
which is ethical and religious, then the reply is
certainly negative.”
Even if Marxism has collapsed, this does not
mean the triumph of capitalism. Even after the fall
of Communism there are still millions of poor people
and situations of injustice in the world:
“The Marxist solution has failed, but the realities of marginalization and exploitation remain
in the world, especially the Third World, as does
the reality of human alienation, especially in the
more advanced countries. Against these phenomena the Church strongly raises her voice.
Vast multitudes are still living in conditions of
great material and moral poverty. The collapse
of the Communist system in so many countries
certainly removes an obstacle to facing these
problems in an appropriate and realistic way,
but it is not enough to bring about their solution. Indeed, there is a risk that a radical capitalistic ideology could spread which refuses even
to consider these problems, in the a priori belief
that any attempt to solve them is doomed to failure and which blindly entrusts their solution to
the free development of market forces.” (Centesimus Annus, 42.)
The fault that the Church finds with present capitalism is thus neither private property nor free enterprise. Far from wishing the disappearance of private
property, the Church rather wishes its widespread
availability so that all may become real owners of
capital and be real “capitalists”:
“The dignity of the human
person necessarily requires the
right of using external goods in
order to live according to the
right norm of nature. And to this
right corresponds a most serious obligation, which requires
that, so far as possible, there
John XXIII
be given to all an opportunity
of possessing private property... Therefore, it
is necessary to modify economic and social life
so that the way is made easier for widespread
private possession of such things as durable
goods, homes, gardens, tools requisite for artisan enterprises and family-type farms, investments in enterprises of medium or large size.”
(Pope John XXIII, encyclical letter Mater et Magistra, May 15, 1961, nn. 114-115.)
Social Credit, with its dividend to every individual, would acknowledge every human being as
a capitalist, a co-heir of the natural resources and
progress, some of which are human inventions and
technology.
Capitalism has been vitiated
by the financial system
The fault that the Church finds with the capitalist system is the fact that each and every human
being living on the planet does not have access to a
minimum of material goods. So they are not allowed
to have a decent life and even in the most advanced
countries there are thousands of people who do not
eat their fill. It is the principle of the destination of
human goods that is not fulfilled: there is plenty of
production, it is the distribution that is defective.
And in the present system the instrument that
makes possible the distribution of goods and services, the symbol that allows people to get products,
is money. It is therefore the money system, the financial system that is at fault in capitalism.
Pope Pius XI wrote in Quadragesimo Anno in
1931: “Capitalism itself is not to be condemned.
And surely it is not vicious of its very nature, but
it has been vitiated.”
What the Church condemns is not capitalism as
a producing system, but, according to the words of
Pope Paul VI, “the calamitous system that accompanies it,” which is the financial system:
“This unchecked liberalism led to dictatorship rightly denounced by Pope Pius XI as producing ‘the international imperialism of money’.
One cannot condemn such abuses too strongly,
because — let us again recall solemnly — the
economy should be at the service of man. But if
it is true that a type of capitalism has been the
source of excessive suffering, injustices and
fratricidal conflicts whose effects still persist, it
would be wrong to attribute to industrialization
itself evils that belong to the calamitous system
that accompanied it. On the contrary, one must
recognize in all justice the irreplaceable contribution made by the organization and the growth
of industry to the task of development.” (Paul
VI, encyclical letter Populorum Progressio, on the
development of peoples, March 26, 1967, n. 26.)
The defect of the system: money
is created by the banks as a debt
It is the financial system that does not accomplish its purpose; it has been diverted from its end
that is to allow the goods to meet the needs. Money
should be nothing but an instrument of distribution
and a symbol that gives a claim, in other words, a
simple accounting system.
Money should be a servant, but the bankers
in appropriating the control over its creation, have
made it an instrument of domination. Since people
cannot live without money, everyone: this includes
governments, corporations and individuals; must
submit to the conditions imposed upon them by the
bankers to obtain money. Money means having the
right to live in today’s society. This establishes a real
dictatorship over economic life and so the bankers
have become the masters of our lives. Pope Pius
XI was quite right when he said in Quadragesimo
Anno (n. 106):
“This power becomes particularly irresistible when exercised
by those who, because they hold
and control money, are able also
to govern credit and determine
its allotment, for that reason supplying, so to speak, the lifeblood
to the entire economic body, and
Pius XI
grasping, as it were, in their hands
the very soul of production, so
that no one dare breathe against their will.”
There is no way any country can get out of debt
in the present system, since all money is created as
a debt: all the money that exists comes into circulation only when it is lent by the banks with interest.
And when the loan is paid back to the bank, the
money being withdrawn from circulation ceases to
exist. In other words new money is created every
time banks make a loan and this same money is
destroyed every time loans are paid back.
The fundamental flaw in this system is that
when banks create new money in the form of loans,
they ask the borrowers to pay back more money
than what was created. The banks create the principal, but not the interest. And since it is impossible
to pay back money that does not exist, debts pile
up or you must also borrow the amount to pay the
interest. This does not solve your problem because
you fall even deeper into debt.
This creation of money as debt by the international bankers is the means of imposing their will
upon individuals and of controlling the world:
“Among the actions and attitudes opposed
to the will of God, the good of neighbour and the
‘structures’ created by them, two are very typical: on the one hand, the all-consuming desire
for profit, and on the other, the thirst for power,
with the intention of imposing one’s will upon
others.” (John Paul II, encyclical letter Sollicitudo
Rei Socialis, n. 37.)
Since money is an instrument that is basically social, the Social Credit doctrine proposes
that money be issued by society and not by private
bankers for their own profit. Pope Pius XI stated in
Quadragesimo Anno:
“There are certain categories of goods for
which one can maintain with reason that they
must be reserved to the community when they
come to confer such an economic power that it
cannot, without danger to the common good, be
left to the care of private individuals.”
Alain Pilote
Page Social Credit puts money in its proper place
Today when there
is no money, everyone stops producing.
Even if there are still urgent needs to be met,
people are laid off and
do nothing.
Under a Social Credit system, public debt
would be unthinkable. What a country provides
is real wealth: why then should this wealth be
represented as a debt? How is it possible for a
country to be burdened with debt for such production, unless its roads, sewers and public
buildings were built by foreign countries?
Today, when there
is no money, municipalities lay aside urgent services requested by the population even
though there is everything needed — men and
materials — to accomplish all of these projects.
Depressions and privations in front of possibilities are the fruits of a false financial system
which dominates instead of serves. And these
bad fruits would disappear under a sound financial system, under a Social Credit system.
Louis Even
founder of “Michael”
When the money is not there, construction
slows down or stops, even if there are still homeless families trying to makes ends meet. Even
though bricklayers, carpenters and plumbers are
impatiently waiting to be employed.
Social Credit would change all of this radically. Social Credit rejects this subjection of man to
finance. It proclaims to the whole world:
“It is money that should be issued in keeping with actual and potential production; and
not production which should get in step with
money.”
Money according to goods
Production is something concrete and real
— houses, food, clothing, shoes and transportation. Production is also water systems, sewers,
streets, sidewalks, as well as schools, hospitals
and churches.
But what is money? It is just an abstraction
or unit of measurement. It is not a reality or commodity. Money is figures on metal discs, pieces
of paper or in a bank ledger. It is figures which
are accepted as a means of payment.
Since they are a means of payment, figures
should be issued as production is made, if one
wants production to advance and not let it be restricted due to the scarcity of figures.
Financing distribution
Financing production is not enough. Goods
and services must also reach those who need
them. In fact, the only reason for the existence of
production is that the goods meet the needs.
Production must be distributed. How is it distributed today and how would it be distributed
under a Social Credit system?
Today, goods are put up for sale at a certain
price. People who have money buy these goods
by paying the required sum. This method allows
those who have money to buy the goods which
they want and need.
Money
must
become an
instrument
of service,
not of
poverty,
slavery
and debt
Lacking workers or materials to produce
could be understandable. But lacking figures to
mobilize workers and materials is incomprehensible and inadmissible in a society made up of
intelligent beings.
Money as a servant
Social Credit tears away the veil which has
kept money as something almost sacred and untouchable. It makes money a servant and not a
master — a god who dictates, permits and forbids.
Social Credit maintains that: All that is physically possible and legitimately requested must,
by this very fact, be made financially possible.
If it is possible to build houses, roads and
sewage systems, it must be financially possible
to pay for the necessary work and materials to
build these things.
If this is not possible, then one must admit
that it is the monetary system that masters man
and not man who masters the monetary system.
Since money consists of nothing more than
engraved or printed figures, or handwritten figures in a bank ledger, it is stupid, criminal and
absurd to let families go homeless and towns go
without public utilities, simply because of a lack
of figures.
A just bookkeeping system
Under a Social Credit system, all new production would be financed by new credits and
not by credits tied to production that is already
created. The credits issued according to the
needs of production would be withdrawn and
cancelled as consumption takes place.
In other words, the money system would be
a mere bookkeeping system. However, it would
also be a just system, in keeping with existing
conditions. Money would come into being as
production is made and money would disappear
as production disappears.
Page Now, Social Credit would in no way change
this method of distributing goods. The method
is flexible and good — provided, of course, that
the individuals who have needs also have the
purchasing power to choose and buy the goods
which fill these needs.
Purchasing power in the hands of those who
have needs and wants: it is precisely here that
the present system is defective. And it is this defect that Social Credit would correct.
When production is financed, it functions.
When it functions, it distributes money which is
used to finance it. The money is thus distributed
in the form of wages, profits and industrial dividends constituting purchasing power for those
who receive the allotments. But there are a few
flaws in the present system:
ten years, when worn
machinery — of which
wear is included as an
expense in the price
— is replaced by new
machinery, etc.
Then there are those individuals who receive
money and who do not spend it. This money is
included in the prices but it is not in the purchasing power of those who need goods.
The repayment of short-term bank loans and
the present fiscal system further increase the gap
between the prices and the purchasing power.
Hence the accumulation of goods, unemployment, and all that ensues from it.
Social Credit would bring order into this
chaos. Since it considers money as a bookkeeping system, it would constantly adjust the sum
of the prices and the purchasing power so that
they would balance. This would involve simple
accounting procedures and a balance would be
achieved.
A dividend for progress
In the second place, the production system
does not distribute purchasing power to everyone. It distributes it only to those who are employed in production. And the more the production comes from the machine, the less it comes
from human labour. Production even increases,
whereas required employment decreases. So
there is a conflict between progress, that eliminates the need for human labour, and the system,
that distributes purchasing power only to the
employed.
Yet everybody has the right to live. And
everybody is entitled to the basic necessities of
life. Earthly goods were created by God for all
men and not only for those who are employed,
or employable.
That is why Social Credit would do what
the present system is not doing. Without in any
way disturbing the system of reward for work,
it would distribute to every individual a periodical income, called a “social dividend” — an income tied to the individual as such and not to
employment.
And as progress would liberate people
more and more from employment, the dividend
would take a larger part in their purchasing
power. The dividend would allow everybody
to enjoy the fruits of progress. This would be
considering all citizens as shareholders, entitled
to a share of the abundant production resulting
from progress — which is a common capital —
and no longer resulting from individual labour,
which is rewarded by wages and salaries.
From this would stem freedom, the freedom
for individuals to develop as human beings, without being constantly obliged to seek employment, to produce superfluous goods, or to make
those things which serve only to destroy, such as
the war industry.
It would put an end to the perpetual worries
about the future, in a country where one is certain that goods will be as abundant tomorrow as
they are today. What a relief in the lives of individuals and families!
Louis Even
Moving ?
Purchasing power adjusted to prices
In the first place, industry never distributes
purchasing power at the same rate that it generates prices.
When a finished good is put on the market,
it comes with a price attached to it. But part of
the money included in this price was distributed perhaps six months to a year ago, or even
more. Another part will be distributed only once
the good is sold and the merchant takes out his
profit. Another part will perhaps be distributed in
Make sure “Michael” moves with you
If you are about to move or have just
moved, it is very important to give your new
address to your post office so that they can
inform us. Otherwise, Canada Post returns
your “Michael” Journal to our office with
the notation “moved, address unknown,”
and charges 95 cents for each paper thus
returned.
“If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation”
The ecological balance of the planet is threatened by pollution and the waste of resources
— problems which, as the attentive students
of Social Credit know, are directly caused by
the present financial system. This brings about,
among other things, the creation of useless needs
to create jobs that are not really necessary. Douglas (the founder of the Social Credit school) justly
pointed out that once the necessities of life are
guaranteed, most people will content themselves
with a simpler lifestyle which in turn will reduce
the destruction of the environment by far.
Pope Benedict XVI has made several statements recently on the environment issue, which
shows that he is taking this problem seriously. He
even chose for the 43rd World Day of Peace on
January 1, 2010, the theme: “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation.” Here are some excerpts from this message, as well as other recent
statements from the Holy Father:
Message for the World Day of Peace
“Respect for creation is of immense consequence, not least because ‘creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works’, and
its preservation has now become essential for
the pacific co-existence of mankind.
“Prudence would thus dictate a profound,
long-term review of our model of development,
one which would take into consideration the
meaning of the economy and
its goals with an eye to correcting its malfunctions and
misapplications. The ecological health of the planet calls for
this, but it is also demanded
by the cultural and moral crisis
of humanity whose symptoms have for some time been
evident in every part of the
world.
“Humanity needs a profound cultural renewal; it
needs to rediscover those values which can serve as the solid basis for building a brighter
future for all. Our present
crises — be they economic,
food-related, environmental
or social — are ultimately also
moral crises, and all of them
are interrelated. They require
us to rethink the path which
we are travelling together.
Specifically, they call for a lifestyle marked by sobriety and
solidarity, with new rules and
forms of engagement, one
which focuses confidently and courageously on
strategies that actually work, while decisively rejecting those that have failed. Only in this way
can the current crisis become an opportunity for
discernment and new strategic planning.
“Human beings let themselves be mastered
by selfishness; they misunderstood the meaning
of God’s command and exploited creation out
of a desire to exercise absolute domination over
it. But the true meaning of God’s original command, as the Book of Genesis clearly shows, was
not a simple conferral of authority, but rather a
summons to responsibility. The wisdom of the
ancients had recognized that nature is not at our
disposal as ‘a heap of scattered refuse’. Biblical
Revelation made us see that nature is a gift of
the Creator, who gave it an inbuilt order and enabled man to draw from it the principles needed
to ‘till it and keep it’ (cf. Gen. 2:15). Everything
that exists belongs to God, who has entrusted
it to man, albeit not for his arbitrary use. Once
man, instead of acting as God’s co-worker, sets
himself up in place of God, he ends up provoking
a rebellion on the part of nature, ‘which is more
tyrannized than governed by him’. Man thus has
a duty to exercise responsible stewardship over
creation, to care for it and to cultivate it.
The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council reminded us that ‘God has destined the earth and
everything it contains for all peoples and nations’.
The goods of creation belong to humanity as a
whole. Yet the current pace of environmental exploitation is seriously endangering the supply of
certain natural resources not only for the present
generation, but above all for generations yet to
come.
“The ecological crisis offers an historic opportunity to develop a common plan of action
aimed at orienting the model of global development towards greater respect for creation and
for an integral human development inspired by
the values proper to charity in truth. I would advocate the adoption of a model of development
based on the centrality of the human person, on
the promotion and sharing of the common good,
on responsibility, on a realization of our need for
a changed life-style, and on prudence, the virtue
which tells us what needs to be done today in
view of what might happen tomorrow.”
Angelus, January 1, 2010
In his address before the angelus prayer in St.
Peter’s Square on January 1, 2010, Pope Benedict
said:
“One objective that may be shared by everyone, an indispensable condition for peace, is the
administration of the earth’s natural resources fairly and wisely. ‘If You Want to
Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation’, is the timely theme to
which I have dedicated my
Message for today’s 43rd
World Day of Peace...
“At this moment, however, I would like to stress
the importance that the decisions of individuals, families
and local administrations
also have in the preservation of the environment.
‘We can no longer do without a real change of outlook
which will result in new lifestyles’ (cf. Message, n. 11).
In fact we are all responsible
for the protection and care
of creation. Therefore in this
field too, education is fundamental; to learn to respect
nature, to be increasingly
disposed; to begin building
peace ‘with far-reaching decisions on the part of individuals, families, communities and states’ (ibid.).
“If we must care for the creatures that surround us, what consideration we should have for
people, our brothers and sisters! What respect for
human life ! ”
Address to the Diplomatic Corps
In his address to the ambassadors of 178
countries accredited to the Holy See on January
11, 2010, the Holy Father said:
“If we wish to build true peace, how can we
separate, or even set at odds, the protection of
the environment and the protection of human life,
including the life of the unborn ? It is in man’s respect for himself that his sense of responsibility
for creation is shown. As Saint Thomas Aquinas
has taught, man represents all that is most noble
in the universe (cf. Summa Theologiae, I, q. 29,
a. 3). Furthermore, as I noted during the recent
FAO World Summit on Food Security, ‘the world
has enough food for all its inhabitants’ (Address
of November 16, 2009, No. 2) provided that selfishness does not lead some to hoard the goods
which are intended for all.”
Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate
Pope Benedict XVI did not forget about the
environment issue in his latest encyclical, Caritas
Pope Benedict XVI
in Veritate, released in July, 2009:
“Nature is at our disposal not as ‘a heap of
scattered refuse’, but as a gift of the Creator who
has given it an inbuilt order, enabling man to draw
from it the principles needed in order ‘to till it and
keep it’ (Gen 2:15). (n. 48.)
“On this earth there is room for everyone:
here the entire human family must find the resources to live with dignity, through the help of nature
itself — God’s gift to his children — and through
hard work and creativity. At the same time we
must recognize our grave duty to hand the earth
on to future generations in such a condition that
they too can worthily inhabit it and continue to
cultivate it… One of the greatest challenges facing
the economy is to achieve the most efficient use
— not abuse — of natural resources.” (n. 50.)
To save and care for nature and the animals
is good. However, to save human beings is even
more important. Benedict XVI explains:
“It is contrary to authentic development to
view nature as something more important than
the human person. This position leads to attitudes
of neo-paganism or a new pantheism — human
salvation cannot come from nature alone, understood in a purely naturalistic sense. (Like transforming the earth into a god such as Gaia, the
Greek mother-earth goddess.) This having been
said, it is also necessary to reject the opposite
position, which aims at total technical dominion
over nature, because the natural environment is
more than raw material to be manipulated at our
pleasure; it is a wondrous work of the Creator
containing a ‘grammar’ which sets forth ends and
criteria for its wise use, not its reckless exploitation.” (n. 48.)
On this matter, Pope John Paul II wrote in his
Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus (n. 38):
“In addition to the irrational destruction of the
natural environment, we must also mention the
more serious destruction of the human environment, something which is by no means receiving the attention it deserves. Although people
are rightly worried — though much less than
they should be — about preserving the natural
habitats of the various animal species threatened
with extinction, because they realize that each of
these species makes its particular contribution to
the balance of nature in general, too little effort
is made to safeguard the moral conditions for an
authentic ‘human ecology’.”
Rougemont monthly meetings
House of the Immaculate
1101 Principale St.
Ferbuary 28, March 28, April 25
Simultaneous translation into English
10:00 a.m.: opening; 5:00 p.m.: Holy Mass
Page Let us not take the place of God to decide
the final hour of those who are dying and handicapped!
“Who are we ? ” if not the daughters and sons
of this Immaculate Virgin, our Mother who has
watched over our baptism since the beginning
of Quebec City. Who are we, if not the men and
women who are blessed by God since the foundation of the world to be saints in Her presence of
love.
Who are we, if not sinners, children of Adam
and Eve, authors of the first sin, of whom the consequences affected all human beings until the
present time. We are not proud to be sinners, but
it is an advantage to know and above all to recognize it through the confession of our faults that
liberates our conscience and leave it free through
mercy and pardon.
Marc Cardinal Ouellet
These extracts are taken from the homily
of Cardinal Marc Ouellet, primate of the Roman
Catholic Church in Canada. He spoke at the NotreDame Cathedral in Quebec City on December 8th,
2009, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the archdiocese:
At the beginning of the apparitions in Lourdes
in 1857, when Bernadette asked the beautiful
Lady her identity, she replied by raising her eyes
to Heaven and humbly crossing her arms on her
breast: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Three
years later, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary was solemnly proclaimed at St.
Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
I would like to remind you of this providential
occurrence in a moment when Quebec’s society
questions its cultural identity and fundamental
values. Who are we, Quebecers, to whom the
source of immigration is more or less recent ?
We respond partially to this question in celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception,
as primary patroness of the Archdiocese of Quebec. Our historical and cultural Quebec identity is
profoundly religious and even Catholic. And we
should be proud !
Quebec’s society does not willingly recognize
the values of its religious identity. Its people have
certain unhappy and confused memories of this
identity, that handicap their hope and motivation
for the future. Similarly, the power of life and
death over someone else extends its empire beyond the unborn children and is now threatening,
through the imminent legalization of euthanasia,
the security and dignity of the sick and those
who are most vulnerable.
Brothers and sisters, we are fortunate enough
to know who we are: the creatures of a God of
Love, the only Master of life and death. We do
not want, at any price, to take His place in deciding the final hour of our dying and handicapped
brothers and sisters.
Let us thank God for illuminating our consciences with the light of His Word and for fortifying our will with his grace, so that we may have
the courage to help our society rediscover its most
profound identity, that is, its covenant with God.
The more our baptismal identity is lost in the common conscience, the more we should cultivate it
and offer ourselves as missionaries of Divine Love
that gives joy and peace.
In raising our eyes towards Mary, who is totally consecrated to Christ, in contemplating her fullness of grace that she pours on the Church and
the world, do we not have the feeling of being
blessed and privileged ? Do we not sense at the
same time the responsibility of being even more,
missionaries in this society ? Let us not be afraid,
we are for this society as an inner compass that
The Immaculate Conception, Patroness
of the Archdiocese of Quebec City
keeps the course towards the north pole of the
Divine Eucharist.
May the Virgin Mother obtain for us this grace,
she who we contemplate with a living faith as the
Immaculate Heart. The holy Cure of Ars nourished
a filial devotion to her, so much so that in 1836,
before the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, he had already consecrated
his parish to Mary as “conceived without sin.”
Dear brothers and sisters, may the Blessed
Virgin, our Mother, accompany us in this year for
priests that we are celebrating, so that we, priests,
may be solid and enlightened guides for the faithful that the Lord has confided to our pastoral care.
May she support our steps in this mission and obtain for us the grace to stay faithful to who we are:
members of the Body of Christ.
“I am the Immaculate Conception.” May this
intimate revelation of Our Lady to the Church and
to St. Bernadette Soubirous touch us profoundly
and rejoice our heart “to the praise of God’s glory,
this grace that we receive through His beloved
Son.” Amen !
Marc Cardinal Ouellet
No to the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide !
Letter asking Members of Parliament and all the people of Canada to
reflect on the possible consequences of Bill C-384.
The Parliament of Canada is soon expected to debate private member’s Bill C-384, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity), which aims at legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.
Those wishing to re-open this debate are no doubt motivated by concern for the sufferings of others. An unfortunate understanding of compassion has led them to suggest euthanizing the most vulnerable instead
of providing them with proper care, effective pain control, and social,
emotional and spiritual support until their natural death. It is always important to be as clear as possible about intentions and possible consequences when we consider human acts, so as to assure the greatest good
and limit any harm to the persons directly affected and also to the wider
community.
Unfortunately, some of the terms being proposed for this debate are
misleading or unclear. This can only lead to discussions that are confusing and unhelpful, and also makes it difficult to find common ground from
which to assess the risks and impact of proposals for new legislation.
From the Catholic perspective, it is legitimate to use medication and
other means to alleviate suffering, even if a side effect can be the shortening of life expectancy. It is also legitimate for someone to refuse medical procedures that are found to be especially burdensome. But what
is never acceptable is the direct and intentional killing of the depressed,
handicapped, sick, elderly or dying (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
nrs. 2276-77).
It is hard to see how any legislation legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide would protect the most vulnerable in our society. What confidence and trust could they possibly have that their lives would continue
Page to be protected by health-care providers, family and friends, or society at
large? Euthanasia and assisted suicide, by their very nature, mean there
is no longer a common duty for all to protect the lives of others. There is
also the well-founded fear that euthanasia and assisted suicide can be imposed on individuals as a way to save costs and lessen demands on caregivers. Inevitably, the result would be a society even more fragmented,
with its members living in greater isolation and anxiety.
As this debate resumes in our country on such an important question,
the Catholic Bishops of Canada invite:
1. The members of the Parliament of Canada — elected representatives in the House of Commons as well as Senators — to use clear definitions in their upcoming debates, and also to consider the profound impact that such legislation would have on the lives of individuals and on
the wider community;
2. All Canadians to become better informed about euthanasia and assisted suicide, and to promote instead palliative and home care to help
those in need and their care-givers;
3. Catholics, our brothers and sisters who belong to other Christian
communities or other faiths, and all who appreciate the beauty and dignity
of life, to engage in this debate civilly and respectfully, so as to witness a
profound reverence for the inherent dignity of each and all human life.
September 21, 2009
Most Reverend V. James Weisgerber
Archbishop of Winnipeg
President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
(Note: Since October, 2009, the President of the CCCB is now Most
Reverend Pierre Morissette, Bishop of Saint Jerome.)
The “Manhattan Declaration”:
The Manifesto That’s Shaking America
“We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar
what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances
will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”
Here are excerpts from an article taken from
the excellent website of Italian Catholic journalist
Sandro Magister, http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/?eng=y
The manifesto has been endorsed by Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox leaders, united in
defending life and the family. They put the White
House in the crosshairs. In Europe, they would’ve
branded it political “interference” by the Church.
by Sandro Magister
ROME, November 25, 2009 — On the other
side of the Atlantic, the news passed almost without notice: the news about a strong public appeal
in defense of life, marriage, religious freedom and
objection of conscience, launched jointly — a rarity — by top-level representatives of the Catholic
Church, the Orthodox Churches, the Anglican
Communion, and the Evangelical communities of
the United States.
Manhattan Declaration Summary
Religious Liberty
Christians, when they have lived up to the
highest ideals of their faith, have defended the
weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.
Freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized. The threat to
these fundamental principles of justice is evident
in efforts to weaken or eliminate conscience protections for healthcare institutions and professionals, and in anti-discrimination statutes that
are used as weapons to force religious institutions, charities, businesses, and service providers either to accept (and even facilitate) activities
and relationships they judge to be immoral, or
go out of business. Attacks on religious liberty
are dire threats not only to individuals, but also
to the institutions of civil society including families, charities, and religious communities. The
health and well-being of such institutions provide
an indispensable buffer against the overweening power of government and is essential to the
flourishing of every other institution — including
government itself — on which society depends.
We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical
Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm
fundamental truths about justice and the common
good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending
them. These truths are (1) the sanctity of human life,
(2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of
husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience
and religious liberty. Inasmuch as these truths are
foundational to human dignity and the well-being
of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable.
Because they are increasingly under assault from
powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled
today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and
to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no
matter what pressures are brought upon us and
our institutions to abandon or compromise them.
We make this commitment not as partisans of any
political group but as followers of Jesus Christ,
the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the
Truth, and the Life.
Human Life
Among the religious leaders who presented
the appeal to the public on Friday, November
20, at the National Press Club in Washington (in
the photo above), were the archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Justin Rigali, the archbishop of
Washington, Donald W. Wuerl, and the bishop of
Denver, Charles J. Chaput. And among the 52 first
signatories of the appeal were 11 other Catholic
archbishops and bishops of the United States…
The 4700-word appeal is entitled “Manhattan
Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience,” and
takes its name from the area of New York in which
its publication was discussed and decided last
September.
The final drafting of the text was entrusted to
Robert P. George, a Catholic professor of law at
Princeton University, and to Evangelical Protestants Chuck Colson and Timothy George, the latter
a professor at the Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
The “Manhattan Declaration” has not emerged
in a vacuum, but at a critical moment for American society and politics: precisely while the administration of Barack Obama is pushing hard for
passage of a health care reform plan in the United
States.
Defending life from the moment of conception and the right to objections of conscience, the
appeal contests two of the points endangered by
the reform project currently under discussion in
the Senate.
The complete text of the declaration, as well
as the following summary, can be read on this
web page: www.manhattandeclaration.org.
The lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the
elderly are ever more threatened. While public
opinion has moved in a pro-life direction, powerful and determined forces are working to expand
abortion, embryo-destructive research, assisted
suicide, and euthanasia. Although the protection
of the weak and vulnerable is the first obligation
of government, the power of government is today often enlisted in the cause of promoting what
Pope John Paul II called “the culture of death.” We
pledge to work unceasingly for the equal protection of every innocent human being at every stage
of development and in every condition. We will
refuse to permit ourselves or our institutions to
be implicated in the taking of human life and we
will support in every possible way those who, in
conscience, take the same stand.
Marriage
The institution of marriage, already wounded
by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is at risk of
being redefined and thus subverted. Marriage is
the original and most important institution for sustaining the health, education, and welfare of all.
Where marriage erodes, social pathologies rise.
The impulse to redefine marriage is a symptom,
rather than the cause, of the erosion of the marriage culture. It reflects a loss of understanding of
the meaning of marriage as embodied in our civil
law as well as our religious traditions. Yet it is critical that the impulse be resisted, for yielding to it
would mean abandoning the possibility of restoring a sound understanding of marriage and, with it,
the hope of rebuilding a healthy marriage culture.
It would lock into place the false and destructive
belief that marriage is all about romance and other
adult satisfactions, and not, in any intrinsic way,
about the unique character and value of acts and
relationships whose meaning is shaped by their
aptness for the generation, promotion and protection of life. Marriage is not a “social construction,”
but is rather an objective reality — the covenantal
union of husband and wife — that it is the duty of
the law to recognize, honor, and protect.
Unjust Laws
As Christians, we believe in law and we respect the authority of earthly rulers. We count it
as a special privilege to live in a democratic society where the moral claims of the law on us are
even stronger in virtue of the rights of all citizens
to participate in the political process. Yet even in
a democratic regime, laws can be unjust. And
from the beginning, our faith has taught that civil
disobedience is required in the face of gravely
unjust laws or laws that purport to require us to
do what is unjust or otherwise immoral. Such
laws lack the power to bind in conscience because they can claim no authority beyond that of
sheer human will.
Therefore, let it be known that we will not
comply with any edict that compels us or the
institutions we lead to participate in or facilitate abortions, embryo-destructive research,
assisted suicide, euthanasia, or any other act
that violates the principle of the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every member of
the human family.
Further, let it be known that we will not
bend to any rule forcing us to bless immoral
sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or
the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the
truth, as we know it, about morality, marriage,
and the family.
Further, let it be known that we will not be
intimidated into silence or acquiescence or the
violation of our consciences by any power on
earth, be it cultural or political, regardless of the
consequences to ourselves.
We will fully and ungrudgingly render
to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is
God’s.
Springfield monthly meetings
Lucie Boulrice, 1133 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 737-3080
First Sunday of the month at 2 p.m.
February 7, March 7, 2010
Page Blessed Anna Maria Taigi
Wife, Mother and Mystic
Early life
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi was born in Siena,
Italy, on May 29, 1769. Her parents, Luigi Giannetti
and Maria Masi were of a poor, working class family,
and Anna was of Italian and Tuscan blood. She was
baptised Anna Maria Antonia Gesualda on the day
after her birth. Due to the collapse of her father’s
business when she was six years old, she moved
with her parents to Rome, where she remained the
rest of her life.
In Rome, Anna Maria (she was nicknamed “Annette”) attended for two years the parochial school
of the Filippini Sisters, the “good Mistresses” as they
were called. Following her schooling, she worked as
a household maid and several other non-skilled occupations in an effort to help with the family finances. Throughout her childhood and teenage years,
she seemed to be of average piety and spirituality.
At age 20, on January 7, 1790, she married
Domenico Taigi, who was a poor porter or “servant”
of the chef for Prince Chigi. Domenico’s morals and
piety were very good, but he had a terrible temper.
Or, as the decree for Anna’s beatification puts it “his
(Domenico) manners were rough and uncultured,
and his temperment undesirable.” His brusque and
turbulent manner and quick temper caused Anna
much suffering, but it also caused her to exercise
her virtue of patience, meekness, humility and forgiveness. She learned that a smile and silence often
appeased his wrath.
He never was physically abusive to her, but he
certainly was a tyrant at times. Nevertheless, he
loved her deeply, as one can easily detect the frank
and sincere testimonies that he gave during the official process of her beatification. As the years progressed, Anna Maria bore seven children, three of
whom died in childhood. The remaining two boys
and two girls grew to maturity with her ever-attentive
concern for both their religious and moral upbringing, along with their secular education.
The call of God — her deep conversion
Describing her life as a young wife, one source
states, “Chaste in morals, attached to her wifely duties, Anna Maria yet lived more for the world than
for God.” However, an increasing sense of spiritual
disturbance began to mingle with Anna’s frivolities
and worldliness. One day she went to the Basilica
of St. Peter’s. There was a great throng. She was
leaning on the arm of her husband, all radiant and
decked with her prettiest necklaces. They were in
the piazza, surrounded by Bernini’s colonnade. The
jostling of the crowd threw her against one Father
Angelo, a Servite. He had never seen the young
woman before, but he heard an interior voice say:
“Notice that woman, for I wiII one day confide her to
your care and you will work for her transformation.
She shall sanctify herself, for I have chosen her to
become a saint.”
(...) There followed a period of discouragement.
After having savored humiliations, Anna returned to
pray in the church of St. Marcellus, where she had
been married. Entering one of the confessionals in
trepidation, she found herself in the presence of the
curate, a religious of the Servite Order, Father Angelo Verandi. It was he who in the piazza in front of
St. Peter‘s had heard the Lord’s voice say to him:
“Take notice of that woman... I am calling her to
sanctity.”
Now, our Lord enabled him to recognise her: “So
you have come at last, my daughter,” he said. “Our
Lord loves you and wants you to be wholly His,” and
he told her of the message he had received before
at St. Peter’s. Anna had spent three years in vain
worldly triflings and now a new life was to begin.
Concerning Anna’s spiritual direction, Father
Angelo needed great discernment to undertake a
task so infinitely delicate. For Anna Taigi was neither
a Carmelite nun nor a devout widow, but the young
wife of Domenico, by whom she was to have seven
children in a dozen years. There lay her essential
duty. Everything else: penances, prayers, miracles,
ecstasies, could play their part only insofar as the
Page 10
obligations of her state would allow. Consequently it was no good for Father Angelo just to re-read
St. Teresa; he had to have, together with mystical
learning, a robust common sense and a profound
humility to guide this young mother and wife.
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837) was
given an extraordinary and unique gift of a sunglobe wherein she saw past, present and future
happenings
The first demand of the Master was purification:
to that end, God immediately gave Anna a keen conscience of her own weaknesses and misery... This
spirit of penance, so far as Anna was concerned,
dated from the moment of her confession at St. Marcellus and was never to leave her. Upon returning
home, she prostrated herself before the new little
altar that she had made in her room, gave herself a
pitiless scourging and beat her head severely many
times on the floor till the blood came. Father Angelo
soon had to check this thirst for penance and austerity and remind her that she was a wife and mother
and that such extraordinary penances were not her
duty — her duty must lie in the holy fulfillment of her
state in life.
The ever-present difficulty was that her husband
Domenico was no St. Joseph. The first of Anna’s
miracles was to get him to consent to forgo all those
luxuries in which he led the way and sought her participation. Wonderful to say, he surprisingly became
resigned to the holy will of his wife.
“About a year after our marriage,” he says in his
official deposition, “the Servant of God, while yet in
the flower of her youth, gave up, for the love of God,
all the jewelry she used to wear — rings, ear-rings,
necklaces, and so on, and took to wearing the plainest possible clothing. She asked my permission for
this and I gave it to her with all my heart, for I saw
she was entirely given to the love of God.”
Anna begins to hear an inner Voice
Not long after her fervent coming to God, Our
Lord pointed out the first step in her ascent to Him
— the enormous value of simplicity and charity towards others:
“Remember that you must be prudent in everything. The devil, My daughter, is a spirit of contradiction. He who is under the devil’s influence cannot
rest either day or night. My spirit, on the other hand,
is a spirit of love and peace, full of condescension
for everything that is not sin. Who possesses My
peace, possesses all things: Many souls do severe
penance in order to reach this great good. None can
reach the peace of my elect unless they strive to
become as simple as a child and to acquire, from
the start, true charity. Who possesses charity, My
daughter, possesses patience. Charity works with
zeal and love. It speaks evil of no one, for it fears
to lose the precious pearl of My friendship. It understands all, sees all, notices all, but it covers all with
its mantle. It excuses the faults of its neighbors, and
sympathizes with his sorrows and says to itself:
‘Truly, I would be even worse, if You did not come to
rescue me.’
“You must know,” said Jesus to her, “that when
I speak to you I produce in you tenderness, peace,
compunction for your sins and above all, humility.
Know well, My daughter, that no matter how much
he desires to love Me, if a man enter not the straight
path of humility, he will keep on stumbling. Man has
within himself a dust that settles round his heart; it
is called self-love... Man is full of pride, and I have
nothing to do with the proud. Only the humble find
favor in My sight. He who wishes to taste My delights must despise the world and expect to be despised by it in turn.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary also became her guide
and helped her to prepare for the mission that God
had called her to:
“Know well, My dear daughter, that here below
you will have for every one good day a hundred bad
ones, because you must be like My Son Jesus. You
must be devoted, above all, to doing His will and
submitting your own constantly to His in the state of
life to which it has pleased Him to call you; therein
lies your special vocation. Later on, when people
come to examine your conduct closely, every individual must be able to convince himself that it is
possible to serve God in all states and conditions of
life, without the performance of great exterior penances, provided only one fights vigorously against
one’s passions and conforms oneself in all things
to the holy will of God. Remember: it is far more
meritorious to renounce one’s own will and submit
oneself entirely to the will of God, than to perform
the greatest bodily mortifications.”
Jesus told Anna Maria that by being a simple
wife and mother she was to be a sign that holiness
and union with God is available to everyone. He further described her mission: “I destine you to convert
sinners, to console people of all sorts and conditions — priests, prelates, My very Vicar himself. All
who listen to your words will be granted signs and
graces at My hands... But you will also meet with
false and treacherous people; you will be submitted
to ridicule, scorn and calumny, but you will endure it
all for love of Me.”
This frightened her. “My God, whom are You
choosing for this task ? I am a creature unworthy
to tread the earth.” “I see that also,” answered the
Voice. “It is I who will guide you by the hand, as a
lamb is led by the shepherd to the altar of sacrifice.”
As she was praying one day in the church of
St. Andrew della Valle, before the crucifix she heard
this question from the lips of the Crucified: “What
is your wish ? To follow Jesus poor and naked and
stripped of all, or to follow Him in His triumph and
glory ? Which do you choose ? ” “I embrace the
Cross of my Jesus,” she answered. “I will carry it,
like Him, in pain and ignominy. I await at His hands
triumph and glory in the hereafter.”
Anna Maria is given the extraordinary
miracle of a mystic sun globe
It was in 1790, the very year of her call, that
Anna was the object of a most unique and remarkable favour. The decree of the beatification thus refers to it:
“Among other gifts, the most remarkable was
that, for a space of forty-seven years, she saw a kind
of sun in whose light she descried things at hand
and things afar off, foresaw future events, scrutinized the secrets of hearts and the most hidden and
most inward impulses.” Suddenly, then, in her humble home, Anna saw a little above her head, as it
were, a blazing sun crowned by a circle of thorns;
two long thorns clasped it round; in the centre was
the Eternal Wisdom (presumably), represented by
a young woman seated in contemplation. Films of
cloud dimmed the dazzling light, but an interior voice
told her that the clouds would disappear according
to the increasing measure of her purification. In this
Here is a moving incident. In Anna’s last illness,
She is given the grace to obtain cures
light she was to see, until her death, not only everythe Abbe, worn out with going for the doctor, the
The grace of healing was bestowed upon this
thing that might conduce her to perfection but also
priest, her friends, fell ill of congestion. The Beata
humble woman, as it was formerly upon the Aposeverything that could help win others for God and
beckoned him to come near, and tracing on his
tles in an official manner. Soon after her conversion,
allow her to help the Church militant or suffering.
breast the Sign of the Cross, said: “Go to bed. Go to
when she was gravely ill in her humble home, she
Cardinal Pedicini, who knew Anna Maria for over was preparing herself for death when our Saviour sleep for half-an-hour and all will be well. I have too
30 years, and whose position in the great Roman appeared to her, dressed in a great blue cloak; He much need of you at this moment to allow you to be
congregations shows a man little given to credulity took her by the left hand and told her He took her for ill.” Half-an-hour later, he was cured, but Anna was
or wild assertions, speaks at great length in his judi- His spouse and granted to that hand the gift of cur- in her agony.
cial depositions concerning this prodigious gift:
ing the sick. Then he said: “You may get up. You are
Her death — Blessed Anna Maria Taigi
“For forty-seven years, day and night, at home, cured.” She cried out aloud and got up.
is found to be an incorruptible
at church, in the street, she saw in this sun, which
Sometimes Anna was content with touching a
Anna Maria Taigi died at 4 a.m. on the morning of
became increasingly brilliant, all things on this sick person with this sore hand which bore the invisearth both physical and moral; she penetrated to ible mark of her power. More often, so as to avoid June 9, 1837, after having received the Sacrament
the depths and rose up to heaven, where she saw admiration, she made use of a statue of Our Lady or of the Sick given by the local parish priest. Our Lord
had promised Anna that the cholera would spare
the eternal lot of the dead. She saw the most se- St. Philomena, of a relic or oil from the votive-lamp.
Rome until her death. She had scarcely
cret thoughts of persons nearby or far off;
breathed her last when the scourge broke
events and personages of bygone days...
out amidst scenes of indescribable panic.
She had only to think of a thing and it presented itself in a clear and complete manThe death of the Beata at first passed
ner... A mere glance at this mystic sun, and
unnoticed, but piety recovered quickly,
she entered at will into the most secret
and the body was left exposed for two
council-rooms of kings.”
days for the veneration of the faithful in
the church of Santa Maria, in Via Lata.
Princes of the Church, kings, queens,
On the Sunday evening, a devout cortege
Popes and saints came to ask this humble
conducted it to the new cemetery, in the
woman to teach and enlighten them to the
Campo Verano, where, conformably to
secrets of heaven. She enlightened them
the instructions of Gregory XVI, it was ento the extent demanded by obedience, putclosed in a leaden sepulchre, with seals
ting far from her all spirit of curiosity, not
affixed, near the chapel. Mgr. Natali had
even asking an explanation of those things
caused a mask of the face to be taken beshe failed to understand.
fore the body was placed in the coffin.
“A prodigy unique” in the annals of
The fame of her sanctity increased
sanctity is the way the decree of beatificaday by day. Cardinal Pedicini, while drawtion speaks of it, and it is to be explained
ing up his voluminous memoirs of her,
by the unique circumstances in which the
went often to pray at her tomb. Cardinal
world and the Papacy then were. At a time
Micara, the Capuchin, dean of the Sacred
The
incorrupt
body
of
Blessed
Anna
Maria
Taigi
when Pope Pius VII is made prisoner by
College and Prefect of the Congregation
lies in state in the Basilica of San Chrysogono in Rome
Napoleon, she declares that Pius VII will
of Rites, always carried a picture of her
return to his seat in Rome. She sees even
about
his
person.
The Venerable Bernard Clausi, of
And here are scenes that are the Gospel over
beyond the reign of Pius IX. She is God’s answer to
the
Minim
Order
of
Franciscans, who often asked for
again.
Jesus
had
just
cured
the
mother-in-law
of
the challenge of unbelief.
her prayers, said to all who came his way: “If she is
St.
Peter
at
Caparnaum.
The
sick
heard
of
it
and
She touched the sick and they were cured; she
not in heaven, there is no room there for anybody.”
warned others of their approaching end and they flocked to Him by every road, and even by way of
the
roof.
So
also
Anna,
with
Mgr.
Natali,
went
to
the
Saint Vincent Pallotti called Anna “his secretary,
died holy deaths. She endured great austerities for
house
of
a
woman
whose
daughter
was
dying
of
his
plenipotentiary,
charged with all the interests of
the souls in Purgatory, and the souls, once set free,
the
croup.
The
doctors
had
given
her
up,
only
the
his
congregation
in
the presence of the Most Holy
came to thank her... She suffered in body and soul...
She realized that her role was to expiate the sins mother pleaded with Anna in the tones of the Chan- Trinity.”
of others, that Jesus was associating her with His anite woman. Anna consoled her, saying: “It will be
Blessed Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, foundress of
sacrifice, and that she was to be a victim in union nothing.” She made the sign of the Cross upon the the Good Shepherd Congregation, confided to her
swollen throat. The little girl was cured. The whole
with Him.
the thorny questions she had to deal with in Rome.
neighborhood was stirred.
Along with receiving the extraordinary ongoing
The number of miracles increased and the
We owe to the Princess of Palestrina the acvision of the sun, Anna Maria began to be drawn
people deplored the fact that the body of the Beata
into ecstasies along with hearing the inner Voice. count of the cure of her brother-in-law, Cardinal rested so far from Rome. By order of the CardinalMost often, she was often drawn into ecstasy while Barberini. “I used to love to confer with Anna. When Vicar, it was brought to the church of Our Lady of
receiving Holy Communion, but also even during I could not see her, I wrote to her. She prayed to Peace. The coffin, sealed for eighteen years, was
the most humble tasks of washing clothes or even God for me and for all that concerned me, and the re-opened and the body was found as fresh as if it
result was always as she foretold. She was frank
while eating.
had been buried the day before.
and friendly. If my children were ill, I turned to her.
After Holy Communion, when she felt ecstasy My brother-in-law, Msgr. Barberini, was stricken with
Learning that she had expressed a wish to be
overwhelming her, she cut matters short and hast- a fatal disease a little before his promotion to the buried in the church of the Trinitarians, Pope Pius
ened back to her kitchen, but the Spirit often over- cardinalate, and I told the holy woman this. The ter- IX had the body brought on August 18, 1865 to the
came her in the road, so much so that she had to rible illness grew worse, and yet she bade me fear Basilica of San Chrysogono. Three years later, the
have a companion. The sight of a cross, of a flower, nothing and not to be troubled but to have recourse coffin was again opened and though the clothes of
or of a statue of Our Lady, would halt her, ravished to St. Philip Neri. She also sent a relic of the saint.”
the Beata had decayed, her body was still intact.
in the love of God. Naturally the gossipers missed
The sisters of St. Joseph took off the poor clothing
It was an unhoped for cure, and actually from
nothing and she suffered on account of their unand replaced it by new. For eight days the body was
the moment the Beata began to pray, Our Lord said
charitable tongues and calumnies.
exposed for the veneration of the faithful.
to her: “The prelate’s death is decreed by the divine
Meanwhile the Process took its course. After the
counsel.” Yet Anna only insisted the more for this
Her extraordinary charity
impossible cure and obtained it. Our Lord told her official enquiry entrusted to Mgr. Natali, the juridical
One day in winter, when she came out of the no one would attribute it to her, and in fact it was enquiry was begun in 1852. Thirty witnesses upon
Pieta church with Mgr. Natali, she met in the street credited to St. Philip Neri. That, however, was fresh oath were heard — Cardinals, bishops, nobles, sera young man who was almost naked; his eyes were reason for insistence. Anna never believed in pat- vants, two daughters of the Beata and finally, leanhaggard; he was crying with cold and hunger, a enting her good deeds.
ing on his stick, with hunched shoulders, an old
veritable spectre covered with filth, from whom the
man of ninety-two years. The man who, after God,
The Luigeto Antonini, whom I have just named,
passers-by drew aside as from one smitten with
had the most to do with making Anna Maria a saint
the plague. Anna ran to him, took him by the hand, the knight and servant of the Beata and the agent — Domenico. In 1863, Pope Pius IX introduced the
led him to her home, warmed him, washed him, of her miracles, deposed that he assisted at a great Cause of Beatification; on March 4, 1906, Pope Pius
dressed him, restored and consoled him, gave him number of cures. “Oftentimes I accompanied her X declared the heroism of her virtues. On May 30,
alms, and sent him away with a thousand expres- on such errands. When she could not go in person, 1920, Pope Benedict XV ranked Anna Maria Taigi,
sions of regard, so that he wept and could find no she sent me with a little cotton soaked in the oil of mother of a family, amongst the Blessed. A little
the lamp that burned before her statue of Our Lady.”
word to answer.
while later, he made her the special protectress of
And the good young fellow was no more astonished
Another day, she had reached the church of Our at being the agent of cures than were the little Indi- mothers of families.
Lady of Consolation when she came upon a poor ans sent on similar errands to the sick by St. Francis
The incorrupt holy remains of Blessed Anna
woman stretched on the road, foaming at the mouth, Xavier. He himself, when attacked by sciatica, which Maria Taigi lie in state in the Chapel of the Madonna
in a fit of epilepsy. The passers-by shunned her with tied him to his bed, or constrained him to walk with in the Basilica of San Chrysogono in Rome. Her meaverted heads. Anna drew near, wiped away the crutches, spoke to the Beata, who cured him with a morial feastday is celebrated in the Church on June
slaver, lifted her up and went to a neighboring shop Sign of the Cross. From then onwards, he could go 9. Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, pray for us !
to buy her a cordial. Charity is contagious. The crowd limping but alert here and there through the town at
This article is taken from the website www.
stopped; a voluntary collection was organized and all times. If he caught a cold or a catarrh in doing
mysticsofthechurch.com and is reproduced with the
given to the poor woman. Once she had restored her, the Beata’s errands, it was enough for him to tell his
kind permission of its webmaster, Glen Dallaire. The
Anna effaced herself and went to the church. There “Mamma” and a Sign of the Cross put all to rights.
main source for this article is the book “Wife, Mother
an ecstasy awaited her. Like St. Martin of old, who Headaches or pains in the chest, swellings and
and Mystic” by Albert Bessieres, S.J., translated
had just shared his cloak with a poor man of Amiens, other miseries which he contracted in the service of
from the French by Rev. Stephen Rigby, Tan Books,
she heard Our Savior say to her: “Thank you, My the saint fled at a Sign of the Cross.
1970.
daughter, for the care you have given to Me.”
Page 11
The Apostle of Divine Mercy
St. Faustina Kowalska, first saint of the third millenium
During her lifetime, Faustina was virtually unknown, even to many sisters of her congregation.
Only a few of her superiors and her confessor and
spiritual director, were ever aware of her visions
and revelations. She died of tuberculosis, mystically
united with Christ, at the age of 33, on October 5,
1938, having been a religious for 13 years.
T
he third of ten children, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska was born into a pious peasant family
in 1905, in Glogowiec, Poland. She was christened
Helena. At the age of seven years, she first heard an
interior call to the religious life. Thirteen years later
she was to knock on many a convent door, before
finally, on August 1, 1925, gaining admittance to the
Convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady
of Mercy in Warsaw, where she took the name Sister Maria Faustina. After a five-year-long novitiate in
Krakow, she made her perpetual vows of chastity,
poverty and unselfish love. Being a natural, cheerful
person, Sister Faustina served as cook, gardener
and doorkeeper at convents in Krakow, Pock and
Vilnius. It was during these years that Jesus commissioned her to write her Diary. This extraordinary
record reveals the depth and richness of her mystical life and union with God. She enjoyed great graces and a host of spiritual gifts: contemplative prayer,
revelations, visions, prophecy, mystical espousals,
invisible stigmata, the ability to read human souls,
and a profound knowledge of the mystery of God’s
mercy.
Faustina’s mission to spread the message of
Divine Mercy began on February 22, 1931. Having
appeared to her in a vision, Christ commissioned
her to paint an image of Him with red and pale rays
radiating from His heart. The image was to bear the
subscription: Jesus, I trust in You!
In her Diary, Faustina writes: “I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. (...) After a while,
Jesus said to me; ‘Paint an image according to
the model you see, with the motto below: Jesus
I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout
the world’ ” (47).
“I promise that the soul that venerates this
image will not perish. I also promise victory over
its enemies already here on earth, especially at
the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My
own glory” (48).
When Faustina’s spiritual director learned of
her visions, he had her submit to a psychiatric assessment. Having determined the soundness of
her mental faculties, he placed an artist under the
saint’s direction with a view to producing a true copy
of her vision of the Merciful Savior.
St. Faustina receives a vision of Jesus
Jesus asked Faustina that the first Sunday after Easter be declared Mercy Sunday, the “Feast of
Divine Mercy”, a day when His graces would flow
in an extraordinary way to all those who asked for
them. He told Faustina: “I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine toward the souls
of sinners. Let no sinner be afraid to approach
Me” (50).
Mercy Sunday is now celebrated in thousands of
Catholic parishes across the United States. It has
already been designated a liturgical Feast Day of
the Catholic Church in Poland. St. Faustina’s Diary
describes the promise Jesus made to those who
solemnly participate in the Feast of Divine Mercy:
“Have mercy on us and on the whole world!”
The Hour of Mercy
Jesus said to St. Faustina: “Let no sinner
be afraid to approach Me.” In Faustina’s “Diary,” Jesus invites each one of us to yield to
His infinite mercy, to trust in His compassion
and forgiveness. Great graces are promised
to those who proclaim His great mercy.
Jesus asked Saint Faustina to celebrate the
Hour of great Mercy, which is the hour when Our
Lord died on the cross. He promised that from
this prayer of the chaplet of Divine Mercy, said
during this hour, tremendous graces would be
given to all. This can be applied to other people
as well, especially for the dying and the suffering souls in purgatory.
“I shall protect them Myself at the hour of
death, as My own glory. And even if the sins
of the soul are as dark as night, when the
sinner turns to My mercy, he renders Me the
greatest praise, and becomes the glory of My
Passion. When a soul praises My goodness,
Satan trembles before it and flees to the very
bottom of hell” (Diary, 378).
Christ is always knocking at the door of our
hearts to remind us that if we have recourse to
His Divine Mercy, He will free our souls from evil,
restore our ability to love and purify our intentions. Sin is our greatest tragedy since it leads
us into the horrible reality of death and eternal
condemnation. Trusting in Jesus, praying to Him,
relying on Him – this is our one avenue of salvation. Jesus assures us that His wounded heart
will not abandon us in the hour of death. It is
never too late to renounce evil and start walking
in the path of salvation. Having chosen Faustina, a simple, uneducated nun, who trusted Him
boundlessly, Christ assigned her the critically
important task of proclaiming His Merciful Love
to the world: “Today – Jesus told her – I am
sending you with My mercy to the people of
the whole world. It is not my desire to punish hurting mankind, but to heal it, press it to
My merciful Heart (Diary, 1588). You are the
secretary of My mercy. I have chosen you
for that office in this and the next life (Diary,
1605) (...) to make known to souls the great
mercy that I have in store for them, and to
exhort them to trust in the bottomless depth
of My mercy” (Diary, 1567).
Page 12
At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment
of agony. This is the hour of great mercy...
In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul
that makes a request of Me in virtue of My
Passion. (Diary, 1320).
As often as you hear the clock strike the
third hour, immerse yourself completely in
My mercy, adoring and glorifying it. Invoke
it’s omnipotence for the whole world, and
particularly for poor sinners, for at that moment, mercy was opened wide for every
soul. In this hour you can obtain everything
for yourself and for others for the asking; it
was the hour of grace for the whole world
– mercy triumphed over justice.
Jesus, I trust in You
“I promise that the soul that venerates this image will
not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I
Myself will defend it as My own glory.”
Try your best to make the Stations of the
Cross in this hour, provided that your duties
permit it; and if you are not able to make the
Stations of the Cross, then at least step into
the chapel for a moment and adore, in the
Most Blessed Sacrament, My Heart which is
full of mercy. Should you be unable to step
into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer
there where you happen to be, if only for a
very brief instant. (Diary, 1572)
“Whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this
day will be granted complete remission of sins
and punishment” (300).
“I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge
and a shelter for all souls, especially poor sinners. On that day, the very depths of My tender
mercy will be opened. I will pour out an entire
ocean of graces upon those souls who approach
the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that goes to
Confession and receives Holy Communion will
obtain complete forgiveness of sins and a remission of all punishment. (...) Let no soul fear to
approach Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.
(...) Humanity will not enjoy peace until it turns
to the Fount of My Mercy” (699).
Why Pope John Paul II is a saint
ROME, JAN. 28, 2010 (Zenit.org) Pope
John Paul II was the same in public and in private: “transparent, sincere, integral,” according to the postulator of his canonization cause.
Monsignor Slawomir Oder made this reflection
Tuesday when he presented a volume that
he has written in collaboration with Saverio
Gaeta. It presents more
than 100 testimonies
related to the Polish
Pontiff’s cause for canonization.
beatification is coming in October are still just
that: rumors.
Monsignor Oder explained that a case
studied by the Vatican was the now well-known
cure of Sister Marie Simon-Pierre. The young
French nun of the Little Sisters of Catholic
Motherhood suffered
Parkinson’s disease (as
did John Paul II).
Monsignor
Oder
said this case was
chosen due to, among
other things, its “simplicity.” He further noted
how the nun suffered
from the same illness
as the Pope and, finally,
how her cure enabled
her to take up her activities again at the service of nascent life, a
cause that was dear to
John Paul II.
“Why He Is a Saint:
The True John Paul II
Explained by the Postulator of the Cause of
Beatification” was presented in Rome with a
presentation from the
leader of the Vatican’s
saint
congregation,
Cardinal Jose Saraiva
Martins.
The details in the
book that grabbed international attention are
regarding the Holy Father’s practices of mortification, including flagellation and sleeping on
the floor.
Cardinal Saraiva Martins, however, highlighted the depth of the Pontiff’s prayer. He
confessed how overwhelmed he was by the
profundity of the Pope’s recollection when he
invited someone to dine and the visit began
with a silent prayer in the private chapel.
“He was as though absorbed in God,” the
cardinal said. “He was a man of God and his
intense prayer was a true evangelization.”
The prelate also pointed out the Pope’s
profound devotion to Mary and mentioned
the “joy,” the “happiness” that John Paul II felt
in the year 2000, after the beatification of the
shepherds of Fatima, Francisco and Jacinta
Marto, on May 13.
Pope John Paul II at the shrine of Divine
Mercy in Krakow on June 7, 1997, in front
of the tomb of Sister Faustina and the
image of the Merciful Jesus
On being asked by Faustina about the significance of the two rays on the image, Jesus
replied: “The two rays denote Blood and Water.
The pale ray stands for the Water which makes
souls righteous. The red ray stands for the
Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays
poured forth from the very depths of My tender
mercy when My agonized Heart on the Cross
was opened by the lance” (299).
Faustina’s mission consisted in: reminding the
world of God’s merciful love towards every human
being, even the greatest sinner; conveying new
forms of devotion to the Divine Mercy; launching
a great movement of devotees and apostles of Divine Mercy, who would lead people to a renewal of
Christian life in the spirit of this devotion; i.e. in the
gospel spirit of childlike confidence in God and love
of neighbour.
Divine Mercy and St. Faustina’s Diary
The essence of Christ’s message to St. Faustina
is that we are living in a time of mercy. The present age, more than any other in history, calls for a
great outpouring of the mercy of God. As a result,
the revelations to Faustina have become known as
“The Message of Divine Mercy” with Jesus receiving the new title, “The Divine Mercy”, not unlike His
earlier title of “The Sacred Heart”. Many times Jesus
reveals to Faustina how deep His mercy is.
“I have opened My Heart as a living fountain
of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them
approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be
strengthened in goodness. Whoever places his
trust in My mercy will be filled with My divine
peace at the hour of death” (1520).
“I am offering people a vessel with which they
are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of
A witness stated that when asked, “Do you
see the Virgin ? ” the Pope answered, “No, but I
hear her.” Another witness, though, said John
Paul II confided that he “saw” her.
The book notes that the Holy Father had
a sweet tooth and has other insights into the
Pope’s personality: He once answered a religious who expressed her “concern” for “Your
Holiness”: “I am also concerned about my holiness!”
Monsignor Oder highlighted the Pope’s
“humanity” and his ability to perceive in all
persons “the imprint of God.” And Cardinal
Saraiva Martins noted that humanity and holiness are one thing: The more holy one is, the
more “human” one is.
A cure
Though John Paul II has already been proclaimed venerable – Benedict XVI approved the
recognition of his heroic virtues in December
– a miracle still needs to be confirmed before
his beatification. That means rumors that the
mercy. That vessel is this image bearing the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You” (327).
“I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul
approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an
abundance of graces that it cannot contain them
within itself, but radiates them to other souls”
(1074).
Faustina’s Diary tells us that it is not enough to
trust Jesus. We must show mercy to our neighbours
in deed, in word, and in prayer (742). Jesus says to
Faustina: “If a soul does not exercise mercy in
one way or another, it will not obtain My mercy
on the Day of Judgment” (1317).
“The Lord said to me, ‘It should be of no concern to you how anyone else acts; you are to be
What’s new
What the book contributes as a novelty are
unpublished documents from 114 testimonies
related to the canonization cause.
There are documents from the Polish secret service, mentions of the Italian secret service, a letter of resignation in case of incapacity
due to illness (in Italian), an open letter to Ali
Agca in Polish (never published) and testimonies on his mystical life.
The book notes how the Polish secret service spied on Karol Wojtyla even before his
ordination, then as a priest and bishop. In the
60’s, a whole structure was dedicated to his
vigilance.
The volume reveals how it was his chauffeur, Jozef Much, who informed Archbishop
Wojtyla of the death of John Paul I, which
greatly affected him. A strong migraine forced
him to cancel an appointment.
Before taking the plane to Rome, his chauffeur expressed the hope that he would return
soon. “I don’t know,” the next Pope would
answer, “in a serious tone with an air of sadness.”
Suspicions that the Polish prelate would
one day be the Bishop of Rome had surfaced
as many as two decades before.
When he was appointed auxiliary bishop
of Krakow, his bishop, Eugeniusz Baziak, took
him by the arm and led him to some priests in
the waiting room, saying: “Habemus Papam”
(we have a Pope).
Co-author Saverio Gaeta pointed out that
the subtitle of the book (“The True John Paul
II Explained by the Postulator of the Cause of
Beatification”) does not mean that other biographies are not “true,” but that the John Paul
II described in the book is the one known personally by witnesses.
oli.
The book was published in Italian by Rizz-
My living reflection, through love and mercy.’ I
answered, ‘Lord, but they often take advantage
of my goodness.’ ‘That makes no difference, My
daughter. That is no concern of yours. As for
you, be always merciful toward other people,
and especially toward sinners’ ” (1446).
“Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion.
I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward
Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they
distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them,
and they do not want to accept them. They treat
Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of
love and mercy. In order that you may know at
Page 13
Saint
Faustina
and Divine
Mercy
least some of My pain, imagine the most tender
of mothers who has great love for her children,
while those children spurn her love. Consider
her pain. No one is in a position to console her.
This is but a pale image and likeness of My love”
(1447).
Throughout the Diary we encounter magnificent
prayers addressing God’s mercy, prayers that urge
us to venerate God’s infinite mercy and compassion
toward any soul that seeks to be joined with Him.
“Praise the Lord, my soul, for everything, and
glorify His mercy, for His goodness is without
end. Everything will pass, but His mercy is without limit or end. And although evil will attain its
measure, in mercy there is no measure. Oh my
God, even in the punishments You send down
upon the earth I see the abyss of Your mercy, for
by punishing us here on earth, You free us from
eternal punishment. Rejoice, all you creatures,
for you are closer to God in His infinite mercy
than a babe is to its mother’s heart. O God, You
are compassion itself for the greatest sinners
who sincerely repent. The greater the sinner, the
greater his right to God’s mercy” (423).
The family of St. Faustina Kowalska
St. Faustina reminds us of the meaning of the
Eucharist and the Holy Trinity. “Jesus, when (…)
in Holy Communion (…) You (…) condescend to
dwell in the little heaven of my heart, I try to keep
You company throughout the day. I do not leave
You alone for a moment, even though I am in the
company of other people or those entrusted to
my care. My heart is always united to Him. When
I sleep, I offer Him every beat of my heart. When
I am awake, I immerse myself in Him in silence.
On awaking, I make a brief act of adoration to
the Holy Trinity and thank God for allowing me
to live yet another day, that the mystery of the
incarnation of His Son may once more be repeated in me, and once again His sorrowful Passion may unfold before my eyes. I try to make
it easier for Jesus to pass through me to other
souls. I go everywhere with Jesus. His presence
accompanies me everywhere” (486)
Later, she was instructed in the recitation of the
Chaplet of Divine Mercy: “This prayer will serve
to appease My wrath. You will recite it for nine
days, on the beads of the Rosary, in the following manner: first of all, you will say one Our
Father and Hail Mary and the I Believe in God.
Then, on the Our Father beads, you will say the
following words: ‘Eternal Father, I offer You the
Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly
beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, for our sins
and those of the whole world.’ On the Hail Mary
beads you will say the following words: ‘For the
sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on
us and on the whole world.’ In conclusion, three
times you will recite these words: ‘Holy God,
Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world’ ” (476).
Jesus Himself tells us why it is so important to
recite this prayer: “Recite the chaplet unceasingly
that I have taught you. Whoever recites it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests
will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of
salvation. Even in the case of the most hardened
sinner, if he were to recite this chaplet only once,
he would receive grace from My infinite mercy.
I desire that the whole world know My infinite
mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to
those souls that trust in My mercy” (687).
“Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls
that say this chaplet; the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who
say the chaplet” (848). “At the hour of their death,
I defend as My own glory every soul that will say
this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying
person, the indulgence is the same” (811).
“Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask is compatible with My will”
(1731).
After Faustina’s death, the message of God’s
mercy began to spread throughout the world. However, owing to the political situation prevailing in
Poland during and after the war, the Church found
it difficult to verify the authenticity of Faustina’s writings. As a result, the Vatican was forced to impose a
temporary ban on the spreading of the revelations.
Eventually, however, the writings were subjected to
a thorough scrutiny. Since then, scholars and theologians have been staggered by the ability of a simple nun, with barely two winters of formal education,
to write so profoundly and so clearly on the mystical
life. Her writings were found to be entirely free of
theological error. They are now numbered among
the masterpieces of mystical literature.
Lagiewniki – Capital of Divine Mercy
The chief purpose of the Holy Father’s pilgrimage
to Poland on August 2002 was to visit the Shrine of
Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki. At the Eucharistic celebration, John Paul II dedicated a new church,
solemnly entrusted the world to the Divine Mercy,
and declared Lagiewniki to be the capital city of Divine Mercy. After all, had not Jesus promised that
“the spark preparing the world for His final coming”
(Diary, 1732) would fly forth from here?
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
On September 13, 1935, Sister Faustina had
a terrible vision of a destroying Angel (“the agent
of divine wrath”) about to strike some place on the
planet. She began praying, begging him to put off
the punishment until the world did penance. At first,
her pleas seemed in vain, but presently she saw the
Holy Trinity and felt the power of Christ’s grace in
her soul. Again she began to plead for the world in
words that welled up out of the silence of her soul:
“Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and
Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved
Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, for our sins and
those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us” (475).
Her prayer was answered and the angel was
prevented from carrying out the chastisement. The
following morning, Sister Faustina heard these interior words: “Every time you enter the chapel,
start reciting the prayer which I taught you yesterday” (476).
Page 14
Until World War II, the Convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki remained a private institution, serving the sisters and those entrusted to their care.
Today, it houses the sanctuary of the Divine Mercy
with its famous, grace-working image of the Merciful
Jesus and the relics of Sister Faustina. Thousands
of pilgrims regularly converge on this spot from all
over the world. Here the message of mercy is proclaimed. Prayers are offered up for God’s mercy for
the world. Acts of mercy are rendered to those in
need. Here also apostles of God’s Mercy receive
their spiritual formation.
The Mercy Message
The message of mercy is simply this: that God
loves us, all of us, no matter how great our sins. He
wants us to turn to Him so that He may bless us.
He wants us to recognize His mercy and allow it to
flow through us to others. In this way, all will come
to share in His joy. To repeat: it’s as simple as ABC:
Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him,
repent of our sins and ask for His Mercy. Be Merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow
through us to others. Completely Trust. God wants
us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust.
On the first Sunday after Easter, April 18, 1993,
at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope John Paul II
declared Sister Faustina a member of the community of the blessed. She was canonized in the Jubilee
Year 2000 on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 30th. She
is, therefore, the first saint of the Third Millennium.
In his canonization-Mass homily, the Holy Father
pointed out that by Divine Providence, the life of this
humble daughter of Poland was inextricably linked
with the history of the recently ended 20th century.
“In fact, it was between the First and Second World
Wars that Christ entrusted His message of mercy to
her. Those who remember, who witnessed or participated in the events of those years and the horrible
sufferings they caused for millions of people, know
well how necessary was the message of mercy.
(...) What will the years ahead bring us ? What will
man’s future on earth be like ? We are not given to
know. However, it is certain that in addition to new
progress, there will unfortunately be no lack of painful experiences. But the light of Divine Mercy, which
the Lord wished to return to the world through Sister
Faustina’s charism, will illumine the way for the men
and women of the third millennium.
“Sister Faustina’s canonization has a particular eloquence: by this act I intend today to
pass this message on to the new millennium. I
pass it on to all people, so that they will learn to
know even better the true face of God and the
true face of their brethren. (...) Sister Faustina
Kowalska wrote in her Diary: ‘I feel tremendous
pain when I see the sufferings of my neighbors.
All my neighbors’ sufferings reverberate in my
own heart; I carry their anguish in my heart in
such a way that it even physically destroys me.
I would like all their sorrows to fall upon me, in
order to relieve my neighbor’ (Diary, 365). This
is the degree of compassion to which love leads,
when it takes the love of God as its measure! (...) It
is this love which must inspire humanity today, if it is
to face the crisis of the meaning of life, the challenges of the most diverse needs and, especially, the
duty to defend the dignity of every human person.
Thus the message of Divine Mercy is also implicitly
a message about the value of every human being.
Each person is precious in God’s eyes; Christ gave
his life for each one; to everyone the Father gives
his Spirit and offers intimacy (...)
This consoling message is addressed, above all,
to those who, afflicted by a particularly harsh trial or
crushed by the weight of the sins they committed,
have lost all confidence in life and are tempted to
give in to despair. To them the gentle face of Christ
is offered; those rays from His heart touch them and
shine upon them, warm them, show them the way,
and fill them with hope. How many souls have been
consoled by the prayer “Jesus, I trust in you”, which
Providence intimated through Sister Faustina! This
simple act of abandonment to Jesus dispels the
thickest clouds and lets a ray of light penetrate every life. “Jezu, ufam tobie” (...) And you, Faustina, a
gift of God to our time, a gift from the land of Poland
to the whole Church, obtain for us an awareness of
the depth of Divine Mercy; help us to have a living
experience of it and to bear witness to it among our
brothers and sisters. May your message of light and
hope spread throughout the world, spurring sinners
to conversion, calming rivalries and hatred, and
opening individuals and nations to the practice of
brotherhood. Today, fixing our gaze with you on the
face of the risen Christ, let us make our own your
prayer of trusting abandonment and say with firm
hope: Christ Jesus, I trust in you! Jezu, ufam tobie!”
(Homily of the Holy Father, April 30, 2000).
Robert Kasza
Reprinted with permission of www.loveoneanother.com
A Statement of Life in a Culture of Death
“Little Audrey” Marie Santo
Every so often, God
sends to the world that special soul that demonstrates
more clearly His infinite love
and mercy for mankind. Audrey Marie Santo was
one of these special little souls.
“Little Audrey” was born in the city of Worcester,
Massachusetts on December 19, 1983. On August
9, 1987, when she was only three years old, she fell
into the family swimming pool and nearly drowned.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was
stabilized and then taken to U-Mass Medical Center where she was accidentally overmedicated with
750 mg. of the drug Phenobarbital. The overdose
caused her to lapse into a coma-like state called
Akinetic Mutism, which meant that she had very limited body movement. Medical professionals told the
family that they needed to place her in an institution
where she could live out the remaining days of her
life. Her mother’s faith-filled response to them was
simply: “I shall place her in my arms.” They predicted
that “she would not live more than two weeks”. Thus
began a labor of love which lasted for twenty years.
Audrey came home from the hospital in November 1987, four months after her accident. Her family
immediately set about working around the clock with
relatives and medical staff keeping close watch that
all of Audrey’s needs were met and that she receive
only the very best of care. There was such a tremendous outpouring of love from all those around
Little Audrey that it was no wonder that God chose
to dispense His special blessings upon her family and anyone else who came in contact with her.
What merely began as a labor of love for a helpless little girl had now grown into an apostolate that
would spread throughout the whole world.
Miracles began to happen; statues of the Virgin
Mary began to weep tears of blood, oil began to exude from statues and holy images and many people
were even healed of their illnesses. On five different
occasions, while the Holy Mass was being celebrated in Audrey’s home, many people witnessed the
Host in the celebrant’s hands beginning to bleed.
(An interesting side-note is that Audrey received her
First Holy Communion from the hands of Most Rev.
Bernard Joseph Flanagan, bishop emeritus of the
diocese of Worcester, MA (1959-1983). When we
recall that Audrey was unable to swallow because of
her condition and was being fed via feeding tubes, it
is remarkable that on the day of her First Holy Communion and every day after that, she was able to
receive Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist without any
difficulty. It was also during Bishop Flanagan’s Mass
in Audrey’s home that the first Eucharistic Miracle of
the bleeding Host took place. Audrey’s family had
been given permission to have the Blessed Sacrament in a Tabernacle in her room, thus she was in
the continuous presence of Our Lord in the Holy
Eucharist. But, of all these phenomena, by far the
most wonderful of all was that hearts were changed
and conversions began taking place. Little Audrey
had clearly become one of God’s special instruments and her mission seemed to be two-fold: to
bring souls to Jesus and to be a statement of life in
a culture of death.
Pope Benedict XVI, in the introduction to his
encyclical, Charity in Truth, states that: “Charity is
love received and given.” It is “grace” (cháris). It’s
source is the wellspring of the Father’s love for the
Son, in the Holy Spirit. Love comes down to us from
the Son. It is creative love, through which we have
our being; it is redemptive love, through which we
are re-created. Love is revealed and made present
by Christ (cf. Jn 13:1) and “poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5).
As the objects of God’s love, men and women
become subjects of charity. They are called to make
themselves instruments of grace, so as to pour forth
God’s charity and to weave networks of charity. And
further on, in chapter one, we read: “Only through
an encounter with God are we able to see in the
other something more than just another creature
[17], to recognize the divine image in the other, thus
truly coming to discover him or her and to mature
in a love that “becomes concern and care for the
other.” [18]
model for this teaching. We see a community coming together, recognizing the “jewel” that they have
in this little person and treating her with the dignity
that she deserves as a child of God, thus enabling
her to develop to her full potential in the family of
God despite all her handicaps. At the same time, we
see Little Audrey, in an extraordinary way through a
very special grace from God, reciprocating all this
love by giving it back to all those around her according to each person’s individual needs. Letters
came from all over the world asking Little Audrey for
her prayers. These letters were individually read to
her by her mother, a family member, or one of her
nurses. Audrey would listen attentively to each letter as it was read, and many claim that they were
healed either physically or spiritually because of her
prayers.
precious in God’s eyes, and that every human being
has a particular place and purpose in society. What
she was unable to provide physically to society, God
made up for in a most extraordinary way, manifesting how great His love is for all of mankind.
Little Audrey died on April 14, 2007. On September 11, 2008, Most Rev. Robert J. McManus,
Bishop of the Diocese of Worcester, MA, recognized
the Foundation for the Promotion of the cause of
the beatification and canonization of Audrey Marie
Santo. We can now plead to her to intercede for us
in Heaven before the throne of God, that He deliver
our beautiful country of America from the “culture
of death”, and that all may live their lives with the
dignity that they deserve as children of God, having been created in His image and likeness. Little
Audrey Santo, pray for us!
Yves & Annie Jacques
Prayer for the Beatification of Audrey
Eternal Father, we thank you for the gift of Audrey Santo and for her extraordinary witness to the
world that all life, no matter how small, broken, or
wounded, remains precious in Your eyes. Grant that
she may be venerated as a saint for the glory of
God. Hear the requests of all those who seek her
intercession, especially the grace for which we now
ask… We ask this through Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
(Prayer taken from Little Audrey’s website, www.littleaudreysanto.org)
Audrey’s bedroom after her death and her
gravesite (right) in Worcester, Massachusetts
According to the world’s standards, Audrey’s life
was of very little worth or even of no value at all. She
could not work, she could not speak and she could
not even eat without the aid of feeding tubes. She
needed constant care and could even be considered a “burden” to her family and to society. But God
has made use of “the weak to confound the strong”
(Cor.1:28), and “He has exalted the lowly.”(Luke 1: )
Pope Paul VI in his encyclical letter, Populorum Progressio, reminds us that: “…in the design of God, every man is called upon to develop and fulfill himself,
for every life is a vocation.” Little Audrey’s vocation
was truly that of a witness in this life, that we are all
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In the life of Little Audrey, we have the perfect
Page 15
The sacrament of mercy
“Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them” (John 20:21-23)
God’s mercy manifests itself in a dramatic
way in the sacrament of Reconciliation (also
called the Sacrament of Penance or Confession). The example of mercy that it demonstrates, tells us that God loves us – all of us
– no matter how great our sins. He wants
us to recognize that His mercy is greater
than our sin, so that we will put our trust in
Him. Thus, all will come to share His joy. The
graces of His mercy are dependent upon our
trust, so that the more we trust in Jesus, the
more graces and blessings we will receive.
He gave us one example of the depth of His
mercy in the parable of the prodigal son.
derives no benefit but makes void the sacrament and incurs the guilt of sacrilege. If, however, the sin be omitted, not through any fault
of the penitent, but through forgetfulness, it is
forgiven indirectly; but it must be declared at
the next confession.
The Catechism continues, “After having
attained the age of discretion, each of the
faithful is bound by an obligation to faithfully
confess serious sins at least once a year.”
Anyone who has a mortal sin on his soul
must not receive Holy Communion, even if
he experiences deep contrition, without first
having received sacramental absolution,
unless he has a grave reason for receiving
Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession. Children must go to the
sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy
Communion for the first time. 1457
In this parable, a man with two sons gave
to the youngest his inheritance. The young
man went out and wasted his fortune on riotous living. Soon afterwards, there was a
famine in the country and he lost all he had.
He found employment with a swine
farmer, but such was his fate that even the
swine were given better nourishment than
he was. So he said to himself, “How many
hired men in my father’s house have bread
in abundance, while I am perishing here with
hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and
will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against
God and against you. I am no longer worthy
to be called your son; take me as one of your
hired men.’ ” And he rose and went to his
father.
Without it being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is
nevertheless strongly recommended by the
Church. Indeed the regular confession of our
venial sins helps us form our conscience,
fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be
healed by Christ and progress in the life of the
Spirit. By receiving more frequently through
this sacrament the gift of the Father’s mercy,
we are spurred to be merciful as He is merciful. 1458
While he was yet a long way off, his father
saw him and was moved with compassion,
and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed
him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have
sinned against God and against you. I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.” But
the father said to his servants, “Fetch quickly
Jesus, through the sacrament of Reconciliation,
the best robe and put it on him, and give him
draws
us from the darkness of sin into the light of grace
a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet;
and bring out the fattened calf and kill it. Let
According to St. Thomas (Summa Theologiæ
us eat and make merry; because my son
was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, III.74.2) “the acts of the penitent are the proximate
and is found.” And they had a great feast in honour matter of this sacrament”. Regarding the form of the
sacrament, both the Council of Florence and the
of his return. (Lk 15:11-32)
Council of Trent teach that it consists in the words of
This is only a comparison of what occurs in absolution. “The form of the Sacrament of penance,
Heaven when one sinner returns to God after, per- wherein its force principally consists, is placed in
haps, many years of living in sin. “I tell you, there will those words of the minister: ‘I absolve thee, etc.’; to
be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner repent- these words indeed, in accordance with the usage
ing than over ninety-nine upright people who have of Holy Church, certain prayers are laudably added,
no need of repentance.” (Lk 15:7)
but they do not pertain to the essence of the form
nor are they necessary for the administration of the
The institution of the sacrament
sacrament” (Council of Trent, Sess. XIV, c. 3).
Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance when
“The effect of this sacrament is deliverance from
he appeared to the Apostles after the Resurrection.
sin”
(Council of Florence). The same definition in
He gave them authority to forgive or retain sins when
somewhat
different terms is given by the Council of
He pronounced these words: “As the Father hath
Trent
(Sess.
XIV, c. 3): “So far as pertains to its force
sent Me, I also send you. When He had said this, He
and
efficacy,
the effect (res et effectus) of this sacbreathed on them; and He said to them: ‘Receive
rament
is
reconciliation
with God, upon which there
the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they
sometimes
follows,
in
pious
and devout recipients,
are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain,
peace
and
calm
of
conscience
with intense consothey are retained’ ”(John 20:21-23).
lation of spirit.” This reconciliation implies first of all
Christ gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins, that the guilt of sin is remitted and consequently,
but this did not end with their death. It was given to eternal punishment due to mortal sin. As the Counthem in view of their capacity as bishops and priests cil of Trent declares that the sacrament requires the
and because of this, as a permanent institution in performance of satisfaction “not indeed for the eterthe Church – just as they had a mission to teach and nal penalty which is remitted together with the guilt
baptize all nations. Christ foresaw that His people either by the sacrament or by the desire of receiving
would fall into sin; therefore they would need for- the sacrament, but for the temporal penalty which,
giveness in order to be saved. As long as there are as the Scriptures teach, is not always forgiven ensinners in the Church (until the end of time) there tirely as it is in baptism” (Sess. VI, c. 14).
will be a need for the sacrament. From the judicial
Why we confess our sins
character of this sacrament it follows that not every
member of the Church is qualified to forgive sins;
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states
the administration of penance is reserved to those that, “All mortal sins of which penitents after a diliwho are invested with the proper authority.
gent self-examination are conscious must be reThe sacrament produces certain effects: the counted by them in confession, even if they are
power of the keys exercised by a minister (confes- most secret and have been committed against the
sor) who must possess the proper qualifications, the last two precepts of the Decalogue (the Ten Comeffects on the soul of the recipient, i.e., the penitent mandments); for these sins sometimes wound the
who with the necessary disposition must perform soul more grievously and are more dangerous than
certain actions and/or satisfaction due to the sin those which are committed openly.” 1456
committed.
Page 16
A penitent that wilfully conceals a mortal sin,
Return into God’s family
After the reception of absolution, there
usually remains some temporal debt to be
discharged by works of satisfaction. “Venial
sins by which we are not deprived of the
grace of God and into which we very frequently fall are rightly and usefully declared
in confession; but mention of them may, without any fault, be omitted and they can be
expiated by many other remedies” (Council
of Trent, Sess. XIV, c. 3). An act of contrition
suffices to obtain forgiveness of venial sin and the
same effect is produced by the worthy reception of
sacraments other than penance, eg., by Holy Communion.
Once the sinner is reconciled with God, he experiences the revival of all those merits which he
had obtained before committing grievous sin. Good
works performed in the state of grace deserve a reward from God, but this is forfeited by mortal sin, so
that if the sinner should die unforgiven all the good
that he did in his life will avail him nothing. As long
as he remains in the state of serious sin, he cannot
merit from any good works. But after his sin is cancelled by penance, he regains the state of grace and
also the entire store of merit that he had before.
The only obstacle to obtaining the reward of
God’s grace is sin and once this is removed, we
are brought back into God’s grace. If the merit lost
through our sin would not be returned upon our reception of confession, this loss could almost be the
equivalent to an eternal punishment, which is not
compatible with the forgiveness of the sacrament. A
generally accepted opinion is that of Francisco Suarez (De reviviscentia meritorum), who stated that
the recovery of grace is complete, in other words,
the forgiven penitent has regained all of his merit
back, as if he had never sinned.
Unbaptized persons
The Sacrament of Penance was instituted by
Christ for the remission of sins committed after baptism. No unbaptized person can be validly absolved,
however deep and sincere his sorrow for his sins
may be. This does not mean that the sins committed
by unbaptized persons are worse than that of anyone else, but that one must first be a member of the
Church before he can submit himself and his sins to
the judicial process of sacramental Penance.
Contrition
Without sorrow for sin there is no forgiveness.
Hence the Council of Trent states that (Sess. XIV,
c. 4): “Contrition, which holds the first place among
the acts of the penitent, is sorrow of heart and detestation for sin committed, with the resolve to sin no
more”. The Council (ibid.) furthermore distinguishes
perfect contrition from imperfect contrition, which is
called attrition and which arises from the consideration of the evil of sin or from the fear of hell and
punishment.
He who repents of his sin out of love for God
must acquiescence to the divine ordinance regarding penance, i.e., that he would confess if there were
a priest available. He is obliged to confess when
he has the next opportunity. (This applies to serious sins.) But this does not mean that the penitent
has the choice between two methods of receiving
forgiveness, because one cannot obtain contrition
independently from the sacrament of Confession.
So it is clear then, that not even a heartfelt sorrow
based on the highest motives can dispense with the
power of the Sacrament.
“For those who after baptism have fallen into sin,
the Sacrament of Penance is as necessary unto salvation as is baptism itself for those who have not yet
been regenerated” (Council of Trent, Sess. XIV, c.
2). It is important to understand that the sacrament
of Penance is not an institution the use of which is
left to the option of each sinner. The penitent must,
within the sacrament, secure forgiveness by telling
his sins to the priest who will then give absolution.
The power given by Christ to the Apostles is twofold; a priest may forgive or retain sins according to
the circumstances and dispositions of the penitent.
Through the sacrament, God forgives or retains sin,
through the intermediary of the priest.
In the history of the Church, the founding fathers
knew well that one of the greatest difficulties a penitent has is overcoming shame, but they exhorted
and encouraged frequent confession despite this.
St. John Chrysostom (d. 347) pleads eloquently
with the sinner: “Be not ashamed to approach (the
priest) because you have sinned, nay rather, for
this very reason approach. No one says: Because I
have an ulcer, I will not go near a physician or take
medicine; on the contrary, it is just this that makes
it needful to call in physicians and apply remedies.
We (priests) know well how to pardon, because we
ourselves are liable to sin. This is why God did not
give us angels to be our doctors, nor send down
Gabriel to rule the flock, but from the fold itself he
chooses the shepherds, from among the sheep He
appoints the leader, in order that he may be inclined
to pardon his followers and, keeping in mind his own
fault, may not set himself in hardness against the
members of the flock” (Homily “On Frequent Assembly” in P.G., LXIII, 463).
God is required, insofar at least as the sinner is able
to make reparation; it is also a preventive remedy,
meant to hinder the further commission of sin.
Seal of confession
Regarding the sins revealed to him in sacramental confession, the priest is bound to inviolable secrecy. From this obligation he cannot be excused
either to save his own life or good name, to save the
life of another, to further the ends of human justice,
or to avert any public calamity. No law can compel
him to divulge the sins confessed to him, or any
oath which he takes – eg., as a witness in court. He
cannot reveal them either directly – i.e., by repeating them in so many words – or indirectly – i.e., by
any sign or action, or by giving information based on
what he knows through confession. The only possible release from the obligation of secrecy is the
permission to speak of the sins given freely and formally by the penitent himself. Without such permission, the violation of the seal of confession would
not only be a grievous sin, but also a sacrilege.
Misrepresentations of the sacrament
By way of further explanation it is needful to correct certain erroneous views regarding this sacrament which not only misrepresent the actual practice
of the Church but also lead to a false interpretation
of theological statement and historical evidence. It
should be clear:
• That penance is not a mere human invention
devised by the Church to secure power over consciences or to relieve the emotional strain of troubled souls; it is the ordinary means appointed by
Christ for the remission of sin. Man indeed is free to
obey or disobey, but once he has sinned, he must
seek pardon, not on conditions of his own choosing
but on those which God has determined and these
for the Christian are embodied in the Sacrament of
Penance.
• No Catholic believes that a priest, simply as an
individual man, however pious or learned, has power to forgive sins. This power belongs to God alone;
but He can and does exercise it through the ministration of men. Since He has seen fit to exercise it by
means of this sacrament, it cannot be said that the
Church or the priest interferes between the soul and
God; on the contrary, penance is the removal of the
one obstacle that keeps the soul away from God.
• It is not true that for the Catholic the mere “telling of one’s sins” suffices to obtain their forgiveness.
Without sincere sorrow and purpose of amendment,
confession avails nothing, the pronouncement of
absolution is of no effect, and the guilt of the sinner
is greater than before.
Absolution and penance
The sacrament has many powerful reminders
of how God has shown us how His mercy and forgiveness is without limit, and this has been proven
throughout our salvation history. At the end of our
confession, the priest traces the sign of the cross
in the air and says to the penitent, “I absolve you
from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This is to remind us that
Jesus forgave all of the sinners of the world who
participated in His crucifixion, when He said: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
(Lk 23:34) A short while later, He forgave the good
thief: “Amen, I say to you, this day you shall be with
me in paradise.” (Lk 23:43) Thus, the symbol of the
cross becomes for each Christian, the sign of the
unwavering forgiveness of God.
As stated previously, the absolution given by the
priest to a penitent who confesses his sins with the
proper dispositions remits both the guilt and the eternal punishment (of mortal sin). There remains, however, some indebtedness to Divine Justice which
must be cancelled. In order to have it cancelled
here, the penitent receives from his confessor what
is usually called his “penance”, usually in the form
of certain prayers which he is to say, or of certain
actions which he is to perform, such as visits to a
church, the Stations of the Cross, etc. Giving alms,
fasting, and prayer are the chief means of satisfaction, but other penitential works may also added.
In theological language, this penance is called
satisfaction and is defined by St. Thomas as: “The
payment of the temporal punishment due on account of the offence committed against God by sin”
(Summa Theologicæ Supplement.12.3). It is an act
of justice whereby the injury done to the honour of
tianity and the loving kindness of its Founder. But
this view, in the first place, overlooks the fact that
Christ, though merciful, is also just and exacting.
Furthermore, however painful or humiliating confession may be, it is but a light penalty for the violation
of God’s law. Finally, those who are in earnest about
their salvation count no hardship too great whereby
they can win back God’s friendship.
Both these accusations, of too great leniency
and too great severity, proceed as a rule from those
who have no experience with the sacrament and
only the vaguest ideas of what the Church teaches
or of the power to forgive sins which the Church received from Christ.
Here is a simple examination of conscience
based on the Ten Commandments, given to help
those who frequent the sacrament very seldom or
for those who are going for the first time. One also
may simply ask the priest for help in making a good,
sincere confession.
Examination of Conscience
1. You shall worship the Lord your God and
Him only shall you serve.
Do I truly put God first in my life? Are there other
elements of my life – money, possessions, habits,
relationships, career, hobbies, desires – that are
more important to me than my relationship with
God? Do I truly put my faith in God – not merely
faith that He exists, but faith that He is truly taking
care of me? Do I ever doubt God’s existence or His
love for others or myself? Do I believe that God
speaks, acts, governs and sanctifies through the
Church? Do I doubt what God has revealed through
the Church? Do I neglect it, or refuse it? Do I give
God the proper worship? How is my prayer life? Do
I engage in works of charity and justice? How am I
living up to my baptismal promises to reject sin and
to refuse to be mastered by the glamour of evil? Am
I engaged in any superstitious beliefs which weaken
my faith in God?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord
your God in vain.
Do I have reverence for God’s name? Do I ever
speak His name in anger? If I make an oath by God’s
name, am I truly living up to what I swore to do in His
name? Since I am a child of God, how am I living up
to my name? Am I faithful to all my promises? Am I
a person of my word?
3. Remember the Sabbath day, to make it
holy.
Am I faithful to Sunday Mass? Do I participate in
the liturgy with my full heart? Am I truly in communion
with the Church when I worship? Am I conscious
of any ways in which I have broken communion by
engaging in serious sin? Have I truly repented of
all of my sins before approaching the altar for the
Eucharist? Have I availed myself of the sacrament
of Reconciliation regularly in conjunction with my reception of the Eucharist? When worshipping, am I
judgmental or critical of others in the assembly – the
priest, musicians, lectors, others in the pews? Do
I regularly take Sabbath-time for prayer, reflection,
rest and recreation, or am I constantly pursuing a
goal other than that of my salvation and the salvation of others?
4. Honour your father and mother.
• While this sacrament as a dispensation of Divine Mercy facilitates the pardoning of sin, it by no
means renders sin less hateful or its consequences
less dreadful to the Christian mind; much less does
it imply permission to commit sin in the future. In
paying ordinary debts, as eg., by monthly settlements, the intention of contracting new debts with
the same creditor is perfectly legitimate; a similar
intention on the part of him who confesses his sins
would not only be wrong in itself but would nullify the
sacrament and prevent the forgiveness of sins then
and there confessed.
• Strangely enough, the opposite charge is often
heard, viz., that the confession of sin is intolerable
and hard and therefore alien to the spirit of Chris-
For those with living parents: Do I regularly call
or visit my parents? Do I give thanks for the good
things they have given and forgive the wrongs they
have done? If they are elderly, ill in body, mind or
spirit, or suffering from any other circumstance, do
I give them aid, comfort and support? When I disagree with them, do I still respect them? Do I seek to
settle any disagreements in a civil, just manner?
For those whose parents are deceased: Do I
honour the memory of my parents? Do I help that
memory to live on, especially to the next generation? Am I living the virtues they have taught me?
Have I forgiven wrongs they have done to me?
Have I forgiven myself for any conflicts which were
left unresolved at the time of their death?
For all: Do I encourage others to honour their
parents, especially in times of family conflict? Do I
honor the parents of my friends, showing them due
respect and honour? Do I contribute to a culture
which promotes the family and parental respect?
“The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy.” – Our Lord to Sister Faustina
Page 17
The sacrament of mercy
“Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.”
5. You shall not kill.
Have I let my anger reach the point of vengeance
and hatred where I desire not merely justice, but that
harm be done to another person? Have I contributed – by any act of omission or commission, direct
or indirect, formal or informal cooperation – to the
destruction of innocent human life? Have any of my
thoughts, words, deeds, things I have done or things
I have failed to do, contributed to a culture of death
rather than of life? Have I failed to respond to any
need in my community to help promote a culture of
life?
Have I told lies in general, or particularly about
anyone? Have I participated in gossip?
9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
Am I inordinately attracted to another person’s
spouse? If so, have I engaged in any speech or behaviour which could lead to an inappropriate end?
Have the same circumstances applied to any person who, for various reasons, is an inappropriate
subject for my romantic/sexual interest? Do I entertain fantasies involving inappropriate sexual behaviour? Do I view pornographic materials or other titillating media, distorting my appreciation of the true
nature of sexuality?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
For married persons: Am I faithful to my spouse,
not just in sexual relations, but in everything? Are
there other people or activities in my life which take
away time and attention due to my spouse? Do I
respect my spouse as an equal partner, not an object to an end? Am I attentive and responsive to the
needs of my spouse? Do I contribute to an effective
communication in my marriage? Do I contribute to
a sound prayer life and spiritual foundation in my
marriage? Do I live my marriage as a sacrament,
a sacred covenant whose purpose is to image the
covenant between Jesus and the Church and to
contribute to the salvation of each spouse?
Begin your confession with the sign of the cross,
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was ............
weeks (months, years) ago.”
The priest may read a passage from holy Scripture. Say the sins that you remember. Start with the
one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In order to make
a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since your last
good confession, you may conclude by saying, “I
am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life.”
Listen to the words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained
priest. As you listen to the words of forgiveness you
may make the sign of the cross with the priest.
Give thanks to God for forgiving you again. If you
recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but
be sure to confess it in your next Confession.
Do your assigned Penance and resolve to return
to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. We Catholics are fortunate to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our sins
forgiven. This sacrament is a powerful help to get
rid of our weaknesses, grow in holiness and lead a
balanced and virtuous life.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against
your neighbour.
After examining your conscience and telling God
of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You may
kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with
the priest.
Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign
you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins that have
already been forgiven. When invited, express some
prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition.
For unmarried persons: Am I living a chaste life,
respecting God’s gift of sexuality and its true purpose and place in his creation? Do I engage in any
kind of sexual activity which is contrary to God’s purpose of sexuality? If I sense a possible call to marriage in the future, am I preparing myself now to be
a good spouse, cultivating virtues which will serve
well in marriage? Do I contribute to a culture which
promotes the proper understanding of marriage?
Have I taken anything that does not belong to
me, no matter how small? Have I accepted anything
under false pretences – through another’s mistake
or some other circumstance – something to which I
am not truly entitled? Do I contribute to the needs of
the poor? (Heed the words of St. John Chrysostom:
“Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to
steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods
we possess are not ours, but theirs.”)
A formula for Confession
Act of Contrition
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s
goods.
Am I inordinately attached to material objects,
including money? Am I envious of another’s possessions – material or otherwise – instead of being
thankful for what God has provided for me?
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You. I detest all my sins, because I dread the
loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all
because I have offended You, my God, who are all
good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve
with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to
do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
Marie Anne Jacques
The Power of the Medal of St. Benedict
St. Benedict was the father of Western monasticism.
He was born in Nursia, Italy,
in 480. Beginning in 520, he
founded twelve monasteries
in the region of Subiaco. The
foundation at Monte Cassino
(529) became the cradle of his
Order. His twin sister was St.
Scholastica. Benedict died on
March 21, 542.
Inscribed in the circle surrounding Benedict are the words: Ejus in obitu nostro presentia muniamur (May his presence protect us in the hour of
death).
St. Benedict had a profound veneration for the Holy Cross and for our
Saviour Crucified. In virtue of the sign of the Cross, he wrought many miracles and exercised great power over the spirits of darkness. In consequence
of the great veneration in which St. Benedict was held from the early Middle
Ages, it followed that a medal was struck. His medal has exceptional powers
against the demons of Hell.
The four large letters at the angles of the Cross: C.S.P.B. stand for Crux
Sancti Patris Benedicti (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict).
The other side of the medal is where the real exorcistic force reveals itself. In the center is the Cross. Benedict loved the Cross and used it to drive
away demons.
The vertical beam of the Cross has five letters: C.S.S.M.L., meaning
Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux (May the holy Cross be for me a light). The horizontal beam of the Cross also has five letters: N.D.S.M.D., meaning Non Draco
Sit Mihi Dux (Let not the dragon be my guide).
The medal of Saint Benedict is one of the sacramentals of the Church.
The value and power of the medal must be ascribed to the merits of Christ
Crucified, to the efficacious prayers of St. Benedict, to the blessing of the
Church, and especially to the faith and holy disposition of the person using
the medal.
The front of the medal shows St. Benedict holding a cross in one hand
and the book of his Rule in the other. Flanking him on either side are the
words: Crux S. Patris Benedicti (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict).
Below his feet are these words: Ex S M Casino MDCCCLXXX (From the
Holy Mount of Cassino, 1880). On that date, Monte Cassino was given the
exclusive right to produce this medal.
Page 18
Encircling the Cross in a circle around the right margin are these letters V.R.S.N.S.M.V., meaning Vade retro Satana; nunquam suade mihi vana
(Begone Satan! Suggest not to me thy vain things).
Around the left margin of the circle are these letters: S.M.Q.L.I.V.B.,
meaning Sunt mala quae libas; ipse venena bibas (The drink you offer is
evil; drink that poison yourself). At the top of the circle is the word PAX
(Peace).
No special way of carrying or applying the medal is prescribed. It may
be worn around the neck, attached to the Scapular or the Rosary, or simply
carried in one’s pocket.
Often it is placed in the fields, the foundations of buildings, or attached to
automobiles to call down God’s blessing and the protection of St. Benedict.
No particular prayer is prescribed, as the devout wearing itself is a continual
silent prayer.
The destruction
of society
LSN: Death happens?
TE: The principle is that what happens under the
surface eventually comes out into the open. So the
killing of babies eventually leads to the euthanizing
of elderly and sick people. That’s the law. It happens infallibly. It’s part of the moral law of nature,
the moral dimension of nature, that if you don’t see
something that is so necessary to see on a personal scale, eventually it becomes social, so that you
can’t miss it.
LSN: Where is the leadership? Here we are,
there’s the dome of St. Peter’s right out that window...
Here are some excerpts of an interview with
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer in Rome with LifeSiteNews reporter Hilary White on January 6, 2010.
Fr. Euteneuer gives a very through explanation
of how our world is going through a great spiritual battle and why it may well cause the destruction of society.
LSN: You don’t think there is going to be a backlash? A natural return to moral sanity? In Britain,
even if most people don’t understand why the situation is so bad, they are clearly fed up with Blairism
and are going to kick the Labour Party out. Do you
think that people will say “enough” before a global
social disaster?
LSN: We see the crisis of abortion sometimes
in isolation. We look at individual problems like the
health care bill in the US, or the threat to national
sovereignty presented by the Lisbon Treaty, or we
look at a particular political party or candidate and
we focus our attention on those things, but we need
also to look at the larger picture. What does the abortion and moral crisis, presage in the larger realm?
TE: The only way we can avert a global collapse
is by a moral conversion. Once again, we have to
reverse the process. We have to turn back to God.
And if people get fed up and just elect another political party that is just as bad as the previous political
party, it does nothing to stem the global crisis that’s
going to come upon us. What we need is a conversion of heart.
TE: A moral degradation precedes social and
political degradation. And we see a take-over of the
financial system. We see a dismantling of the free
market as we know it, which is a hallmark of western democracy. We see a socialization of huge industries, such as the health care industry, even the
insurance industry is part of this process of socialization. I say it is not remarkable that it is happening
now. You mention that it has already happened in
Europe and we’re now catching up. Of course, because Europe legalized abortion, Europe had their
moral degradation prior to us. And now they’re seeing a rapid systematic dismantling of their economies.
LSN: How is this going to come about, barring a
massive disaster?
LSN: Can a line between legalized abortion and
the financial crisis be drawn clearly?
TE: The line to me is the spiritual and moral
dimension of it. The spiritual and moral affect everything that we do. But usually because there is a
greater accountability in the financial and economic
realm of things, it takes longer for that to degrade.
When people start losing money, they begin to wake
up. And God allows that because when people do
not recognize the demands of morality and the demands of God, the only thing they’re willing to listen
to oftentimes is their pocketbook. There’s a great
possibility in all these structural changes that are
happening now, that people could turn around and
become moral again, because of the financial crisis. Also, any type of disaster turns people back to
God, as we saw after 9-11. We didn’t sustain that
because we got back on our feet economically.
LSN: Do you anticipate a social crisis similar to
that of Britain in the US?
TE: The social crisis happens when we elect people to rule over us who are immoral. That is not an
isolated incident anymore. We have immoral activists at every branch of government and everywhere
we turn around the pagans are in charge of our institutions. So people who don’t have a moral bearing
to elect other moral people, elect immoral politicians
and people to serve over them, eventually end up
reaping the fruit of those immoral decisions. So immoral lifestyles produce immoral leaders.
LSN: This should come as a surprise to no one,
though.
TE: It’s not. It’s happened in every society that
has reached its pinnacle of civilization and then collapsed. Look at Carthage, the Phoenician empire
was much more powerful than Rome for a period
of time. But Carthage had a religion that offered human sacrifice of babies. Eventually it degraded from
within and collapsed on itself.
LSN: What do you anticipate then, with our global culture?
TE: We’ve got a serious crisis on the horizon. I’m
not a prophet of doom but I don’t see this going any
other way but a serious political crisis that’s going to
affect the globe.
TE: It’s going to be the natural result of suffering.
People turn back to God when they suffer. People
can turn back to God because they listen to reason.
Or because they hear good preaching or because
they have good moral leadership. It could also happen that way, where if the Church were living up to
its vocation – and I mean mainly Church leadership
– then the people have a fighting chance of turning
this back.
A good example of where it’s not happening was
this summer. Many of us were happy that people
were attending the townhall meetings and tea parties and yelling and screaming, but it was all about
the economics. Where were these people when
they were killing babies? Where are these people
since they are continuing to kill babies. Where is this
kind of anger generated by that? Biblically, we see
Nineveh, as a sign that this kind of thing can happen. They responded to God’s grace.
LSN: So where’s our Jonah?
TE: (Pope) Benedict, and John Paul before him,
they are true prophets. We have witnesses such as
Terri Schiavo who was a victim. They are victim witnesses. We have the witnesses of holiness in the
lives of sanctity that we see proposed to us by the
Church throughout the ages, but in the modern age
we are not lacking at all.
LSN: But we’ve had martyrs, modern martyrs, so
where’s the miracle? Where’s the big conversion?
TE: I think because the seriousness of the shedding of innocent blood through the 20th century into
the 21st century, the spiritual deficit is too great. The
scales are tipped too low, and I really believe that
we’re going to need a great martyrdom in order to
return the balance. Abraham Lincoln, believe it or
not, said that the cost of slavery was all the blood
shed in the Civil War. And I believe... how will we pay
back the cost of abortion? Our trillion-dollar debt in
the United States isn’t anything in comparison to the
actual debt that we owe to reality and to God and to
the human race even, for the killing of innocents. 50
million is what is killed every year around the world.
It’s a global genocide and it’s totally unrepented.
And with contraception and abortion, we’re basically
committing mass suicide on a global scale.
LSN: Lots of people have been sounding the
trumpet of warning for a long time...
TE: It’s human nature. Human nature doesn’t
listen. My mother always says those who do not listen must feel. You get the message when you feel
it hurting you and striking you back. I believe that is
very much the way human nature operates. It’s the
law of nature that we are slothful until we’re woken
up. The Gospels have so many messages saying
not only ‘stay awake’ but ‘wake up!’ and see what is
happening around you and if you don’t then death
happens.
TE: We have individual leaders that are stellar.
Such as here, in Archbishop (Raymond) Burke. I
think the man is just a modern saint. And his leadership does not go unnoticed. However as just one individual bishop there’s only so much he can do. We
don’t have conferences of bishops that are giving
us leadership as a body of bishops. When will that
come? It will probably only come when [the secular governments] start forcing the bishops to pay for
abortions. Those who do not listen must feel.
LSN: People are saying that there has been a
surprisingly strong reaction from the US bishops to
abortion funding in the American health care bill.
Where’s that coming from?
TE: I think there are more bishops who are seeing it for what it is. There are more bishops who
have less of the liberal agenda and are just more
Catholic. When their number increases then we
have more leadership in the body of bishops.
Pro-abortion forces in the US government are
becoming more aggressive against [the bishops].
That’s where I think the bishops as a body will stand
up and make stronger statements as time goes on
because more is going to be threatened. Not just the
tax-exempt status but Catholic institutions, Catholic
identity and they will have to defend that or they will
not be Catholic.
LSN: I’ll give you the case of the government of
Britain forcing the closure or secularization of Catholic adoption agencies. When the British Labour
government, in the person of Tony Blair, refused to
give a religious exemption to the Sexual Orientation
Regulations, the bishops shrugged and secularized
their adoption agencies. So they’ve lost the Catholic
service of adoption in Britain.
TE: And they may lose more. As the attacks
against our values and institutions get more militant,
they’re going to have to make those very hard decisions. I’ve always said, and I’ll continue to say it, for
a bishop to be a real bishop, he has to be willing to
go to war. That is a war not only with the secular
culture but often times the most difficult part of that
is the war with his own people. To make them truly
Catholic and to witness to them.
LSN: Are there signs that the tide is turning?
TE: No. I don’t think the tide is turning. I don’t
think we’ve reached that point yet. I think the crisis we were talking about earlier will be the way in
which the tide turns. Again, I’m not predicting anything, I just have this intuition that the way things
are going, they’re getting worse, they’re declining,
they’re dismantling, and that can only mean some
form of major destruction down the road. The ones
who are now presently on the side of the angels are
the ones who are going to get through that. And to
bring others along with them back to God.
And we have to keep in mind that Obama
doesn’t define life. I’m an exorcist, and I tell all the
people who I work with that the demons do not define your life. They are painful and terrible, however
long it may take to remove them and get you back
to health, you have to keep this message in mind.
That you are not defined by evil. You are defined by
God, by Jesus Christ. And the return that some of
these people have to make after living terrible lives,
and paying the price for that, is part of the reason
why God allows evil in the world. It serves a purpose
in the overall work of the Kingdom. He allows evil
in order to bring something good out of it. In fact
something even better than it would have been had
evil not been present.
LSN: So this unimaginably huge evil, 50 million
people being killed a year...
TE: ...will produce an unimaginably marvelous
good, if we are men and women of faith and we look
for it.
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer
Reprinted with permission: www.lifesitenews.com
Page 19
The Pilgrims of St. Michael from Quebec, Canada have been fighting corruption in the economic
systems for the last 70 years. The new health care
bill just signed by President Barack Obama is one
step further towards a New World Order, now so often talked about and promoted by our government
leaders. This bill has been passed with very little
knowledge on the part of the general public. In fact,
many such bills are passed during the Christmas
season, when most of the representatives are on
holiday vacation and the public are busy with their
families. The health care bill that we will discuss in
this article was passed on Christmas Eve of 2009.
* * *
The sections in this bill state that new taxes and
other impositions will crush small businesses and
local commerce. This is really a diabolical piece of
legislation. It is another step taken by the government to implement a socialistic society in the United
States.
Many in the medical profession are aware of
what is going to happen with this bill and are very
concerned. These clarified excerpts written by Dr.
Stephen Fraser, M.D. drawn from the health care
bill, will inform us more about what is going to happen in the medical field and other areas.
“As a practicing physician I have major concerns with the health care bill before Congress.
I actually have read the bill and am shocked by
the brazenness of the government’s proposed
involvement in the patient-physician relationship. The very idea that the government will
dictate and ration patient care is dangerous and
certainly not helpful in designing a health care
system that works for all. Every physician I work
with agrees that we need to fix our health care
system, but the proposed bills currently making
their way through congress will be a disaster if
passed. I ask you respectfully and as a patriotic
American, to look at the following troubling lines
that I have read in the bill. You cannot possibly
believe that these proposals are in the best interests of the country and our fellow citizens.”
Health Care Bill
Page 22: Mandates that the government will audit books of all employers that self-insure.
Socialism
in the United States
to sign up individuals for government health care
plan.
dates and controls productivity for “private” health
care industries.
Page 85, Line 7: Specifications of benefit levels
for plans. (AARP members – your health care WILL
be rationed!)
Page 272, Sec. 1145: Treatment of certain cancer hospitals – cancer patients – welcome to rationing!
Page 102, Line 12-18: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. (No
choice.)
Page 280, Sec. 1151: The government will penalize hospitals for whatever the government deems
preventable (i.e. re-admissions.)
Page 124, Line 24-25: No company can sue
government on price fixing. No “judicial review” will
exist against government monopoly.
Page 298, Line 9-11: Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission – the government will penalize you.
Page 127, Line 1-16: For doctors affiliated with
the American Medical Association. The government
will now tell you what salary you can make.
Page 317-318, Line 21-25, Sec. 1-3: Prohibition
on expansion. (The government is mandating that
hospitals cannot expand.)
Page 145, Line 15-17: An employer must autoenroll employees into public option plan.
Page 321, 2-13: Hospitals have the opportunity
to apply for exception BUT community input is required. Is this ACORN again?
Page 126, Line 22-25: Employers MUST pay for
health care for part-time employees and their families. (Employees shouldn’t get excited about this as
employers will be forced to reduce its work force,
benefits and wages/salaries to cover such a huge
expense.)
Page 335-339, Line 16-25: The government
mandates establishment of two outcome-based
measures. (Health care the way they want – rationed.)
Page 149, Line 16-24: ANY employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll.
Page 341, Lines 3-9: The government has
authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans,
HMOs, etc. (Thus forcing people into the government plan.)
Page 29, Line 4-16: Your health care is limited to
a quota set by the government.
Page 150, Line 9-13: A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn’t provide public
option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 42: The Health Choices Commissioner will
choose your health care benefits for you. You have
no choice!
Page 354, Sec. 1177: The government will restrict enrollment of “special needs people!” Unbelievable!
Page 167, Line 18-23: ANY individual who
doesn’t have acceptable health care according to
government will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 50, Sec. 152: Health care will be provided
to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Page 379, Sec. 1191: The government creates
more bureaucracy via a “Tele-Health Advisory Committee.” This means health care by phone
Page 170, Line 1-3: Any nonresident alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.)
Page 58: The government will have real-time
access to individuals’ finances and a “National ID
Health Card” will be issued!
Page 195: Officers & employees of the government Health Care Administration will have access to
all Americans’ finances and personal records.
Page 425, Line 4-12: The government mandates “advance-care planning consultations.” (Think
senior citizens end-of-life patients.)
Page 59, Line 21-24: The government will have
direct access to your bank accounts for elective
funds transfer.
Page 203, Line 14-15: “The tax imposed under
this section shall not be treated as tax.” (Yes, it says
that!)
Page 65, Sec. 164: Is a payoff subsidized plan
for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations such as ACORN. (ACORN is a
government body that has been caught dealing in
prostitution, fraud, embezzlement, etc. ACORN has
received $53,000,000 in funds from the US government. It is only one of many government-controlled
community organizations. As of now, many of them
have gotten away with serious illegal activity without
so much as a fine.)
Page 239, Line 14-24: The government will reduce physician services for Medicaid seniors.
Page 30, Section 123: There will be a government committee that decides what treatments and/
or benefits you get.
Page 84, Sec. 203: The
government mandates ALL
benefit packages for private
health care plans in the “exchange.”
Page 85, Line 7: Specifications of benefit levels for
plans. The government will
ration your health care!
Page 91, Line 4-7: The
government mandates linguistic appropriate services.
(Translation: services for illegal aliens.)
Page 95, Lines 8-18: The
government will use groups
(i.e. ACORN & Americorps)
Page 20
Page 241, Line 6-8: Doctors will all be paid the
same. This is really socialism!
Page 253, Line 10-18: The government sets the
value of a doctor’s time, profession, judgment, etc.
(Literally – the value of humans.)
Page 265, Sec. 1131: The government man-
Page 425, Line 17-19: The government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable
powers of attorney, etc. (And it’s mandatory!)
Page 425, Line 22-25, Page 426, Line 1-3: The
government provides an “approved” list of end-oflife resources and guiding you in death. (Also called
“assisted suicide.”)
Page 427, Line 15-24: The government mandates a program for orders on “end-of-life.” (The
government has a say in how your life ends!)
Page 429, Line 1-9: An “advanced-care planning
consultant” will be used frequently as a patient’s
health deteriorates.
Page 429, Line 10-12: An “advanced care consultation” may include an order for end-of-life plans.
In other words, promotion for euthanasia.
Page 429, Line 13-25: The government will
specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.
Page 430, Line 11-15: The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at endof-life.
Page 469: Community-based home medical services will be run by non-profit organizations.
Page 489, Sec. 1308: The government will cover
marriage and family therapy. (Which means the government will also insert itself into your marriage.)
Page 494-498: The government will cover mental health services including defining, creating and
rationing those services.
Dr. Stephan Fraser, M.D.
WARNING! Bill C-6 in action
Dr. Eldon Dahl is a naturopathic doctor whose home was
raided by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP) and
Health Canada about a year
ago. This is just one example
of what Bill C-6 will allow the
officials of Health Canada to
do, under the pretext of “saving” us from so-called harmful
Dr. Eldon Dahl
natural products. Bill C-6 is not
about protecting us, but allowing the government to
intrude upon the privacy of our home. Dr. Dahl explains what happened:
Health Canada raided my loving family – at gunpoint – and kept us prisoners in our own home for 11
hours while they confiscated both business and personal property. I am a naturopathic doctor who sells
100% safe natural products. One of the excuses for
the raid was that the totally harmless folic acid (a
vitamin) that I sell, did not conform to regulations. Instead of informing me by letter or phone call, Health
Canada used SWAT team tactics, which caused us
extreme emotional distress as well as irrecoverable
financial loss. This unreasonable search and seizure is proof-positive that Health Canada cannot be
trusted with the powers it already has.
The Food and Drug Act gives Health Canada the
power to “seize and detain for such time as may be
necessary any article by means of, or in relation to,
which the inspector believes on reasonable grounds
any provision of this Act or the regulations has been
contravened.” Health Canada has for many years
been using this clause as an excuse to remove from
the market entirely safe products which are incapable of harming anyone, and in our case are products that many count on to build and maintain their
health. By means of Bill C-6, Health Canada intends
to extend its confiscatory powers to every industry
that sells consumer goods of any kind. If Bill C-6
becomes law, then every consumer in Canada will
be affected by this runaway bureaucracy.
All of the products that I sell are totally 100%
safe. All are freely available for sale in health food
stores in the U.S. There has never been a single
documented fatality nor even one documented case
of harm caused by any of the products I sell, not
ever, not in the entire history of the planet. Clearly,
Health Canada has for many years been using safety as a smokescreen to hide its true agenda. What
is worse, now Health Canada is using safety as the
banner they wish you blindly to follow.
What happened to me and my family on January 15th is shocking and incredible, especially given
that it happened in Canada and in 2009. My wife
and I are still affected adversely by its impact. I wish
I were able to tell you about it face-to-face rather
than through the written word.
My True Story – Bill C-6 in Action
On January 15, 2009, at our home in Calgary, my
wife answered the door. Four RCMP officers, one
with his gun drawn and finger on the trigger burst
through. The sheer force of entry damaged the locking mechanism, which lay on the floor. I will never
forget the terrified look on the face of my wife; I have
never seen her so afraid. To describe the panic that
I felt is nearly impossible. My wife raised her hands
over her head in surrender, as an armed RCMP officer pointed his gun to her chest yelling, “That is
not cool, that is not cool!” I thought she was going
to be killed.
Unbeknown to us, at our daughter’s house
across town, our daughter’s roommate was experiencing the same treatment. The RCMP and Health
Canada broke into our daughter’s house without her
name appearing on any warrant. This is her private
residence, totally unrelated to our business. The
raiding party forced themselves into my daughter’s
house and even kicked in her bedroom door.
That day’s events have permanently scarred my
memory, and I live with the terror that it may happen again. I heard my wife say, “Please put the gun
away! We are no harm to any of you. We are humanitarians, not criminals.” The RCMP kept us confined for the “protection” of Health Canada agents
who arrived shortly thereafter, under the supervision
of drug inspector Kim Seeling.
I was handed a search warrant and told of our
right to remain silent, because anything said could
be used against us in a court of law. The search
warrant was for Folic Acid, the amino-acid L-carnitine, plant-based progesterone cream and other
ultra safe supplements that are available over the
counter in the U.S.A. or for export. I asked the officer
for clarification, “You raided our home at gunpoint
for common vitamins?” He answered, “We have a
search warrant for these products.”
My wife asked the officers for their names and
badge numbers; they refused her request. My wife,
daughter and I were sequestered to sit in our living
room for 11 hours. I asked the officer if I could photograph or film the investigative proceedings. He said,
“You need to sit where you are. We are treating you
very low key. We could place you in a holding cell
till the search and investigations are concluded, but
we don’t think it’s necessary if you cooperate.” Next
I was supervised by two RCMP officers who forced
me to open our home safe. Once opened, Kim Selling photographed its contents.
Whenever washroom breaks were needed, a
male RCMP officer went with us and stood at the
door and listened. Having my wife and daughter
victimized in our own home clearly violated our Canadian Charter Rights. And why? Everyone has the
right to be secure against unreasonable search and
seizure.
Stormtrooper tactics were never required. The
decent and humane thing would have been for
Health Canada to notify me in writing or by phone
call that they suspected some of my products may
not have been in compliance, then let me respond
and make good on any alleged non-compliance. After all, my products are 100% safe, as Health Canada well knows.
Present Day
November 15, 2009, marks 11 months since this
happened. No charges have been laid against me.
My entire finished products inventory (not only those
listed in the search warrant) continues being seized,
my case files are sealed, the RCMP Incident Report
refused, and our Access of Information report has
been denied. My ability to make an income remains
severely restricted because I am unable to conduct
any business.
Health Canada also seized my family’s personal
computers plus a tax refund cheque that was in my
desk. I am an author, and two of my books that were
to be published are on the hard drives that were
confiscated. Thus, I am also unable to earn an income from my writing. In seizing my entire inventory, Health Canada violated Section 37 of the Food
and Drugs Act, which exempts products that are not
manufactured or sold for consumption in Canada.
Many of the products I sell are destined for foreign
countries and fully comply with the regulations in
those countries.
Health Canada also went way beyond its authority by deliberately damaging my international trade
reputation. Health Canada is already destroying
businesses and livelihoods.
Bill C-6 would give them the power to escalate and expand their police powers exponentially,
across many industries, including every retail store
in Canada. Since Health Canada has a history of
abusing the powers given to it (the armed raid on
my home being only one example), there is reason
to believe that they will also abuse the even greater
powers given them by Bill C-6.
Dr. Eldon Dahl
2 Million Americans protest Obama administration
On September 12, 2009, two million people from every State in the U.S. congregated in Washington D.C. to protest against the new health care reform.
The crowd marched towards the Capitol building, chanting and carrying signs: “End the Federal Reserve”, “Obama Lies, Freedom Dies”, “2 Many Taxes”, and
“Liberty from Debt”. The American people were showing their displeasure at the agenda taken on by the socialistic Obama administration. Clearly, they are not
interested in a government that borrows billions from the International Monetary Fund, then pours money into the market through bailouts. The economy of
the United States is in serious trouble, even though the media is making a big effort to cover it up. Both the financial crisis and the new health care reform are
indications that President Obama does not have the welfare of his country, or its people, in mind.
The new health care reform that has been implemented by Obama did not mention abortion, as he was afraid that his health care bill would not be accepted
if he included this controversial issue. However, the ban of the “conscience clause” now being promoted, could force doctors to kill babies even if it goes against
their faith. They will be at risk of losing their jobs. Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, an obstetrician who has delievered over 4,000 babies, has stated that he
“will go to jail rather than perform one of these (abortion) procedures”. Furthermore, the bishops of the U.S. have stated they will close all Catholic-run hospitals
if this gets passed. Needless to say, this will create chaos in the country and bring great maledictions upon the United States.
The news of this rally is very encouraging because it means that the American people are waking up and are ready to stand up for justice and truth. Obviously, the media has been silenced on these issues, because not one of the major television stations or newspapers talked about this rally. We must continue
to strive for justice in our country, there is much work to be done and great battles to be fought!
– Editorial Staff
Page 21
Saved at the threshold of Hell
In the last issue of MICHAEL, we published the
first part of this testimony written by a woman, who
was a prisoner of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp
for women in Germany, during World War II.
who was singing, but the women trudging behind
me were all looking down. Some appeared to be
deep in thought; others muttered prayers. No one
was singing. Only I could hear the music. Suddenly
I became aware of the powerful presence of the
Creator. The thought came to me that we were safe
in His hands, and my spirits rose. The sun peeped
out from behind the village we had just passed; and
still I could hear the strains of that hymn. Our march
slowed as we trudged up a steep hill. Necks bent to
the ground, we walked on at a slower pace; and all
the while we struggled with our cruel lot.
Not long afterwards, Lisa left the camp and was
replaced by another SS nurse. An order went out
that every woman of Roma (Gypsy) origin between
the ages of ten and sixty should be sterilized. One
by one they shuffled into the ward. Minutes later,
they ran out, screaming and clutching their bellies. I
was horrified; the more so as the word was out the
Polish women were also slated for the same procedure. They wanted to make sure we would never
have children. “Not to bear children?” I thought.
“Why live then? How can one live without children,
without hope?”
Fortunately, the camp thugs would not succeed
in executing their criminal plan, for the Germans began losing the war. Their armies began to retreat
from Russia. Allied air raids became more and more
frequent. The lights would go off, and we could doze
off, if only for a while. “They’re going for Berlin”, we
would guess. An hour later, sometimes less, we
would hear the bombers flying back overhead. At
last we felt our suffering was coming to an end. The
war was drawing to a close.
Bodies of people murdered in the camps
The camp commandant ordered his staff to carry
out a selection. They marched the women inmates
before a commission consisting of himself and other SS officers. The cripples, the old, and the weak
were selected for transport. The commandant told
us that in view of the imminent end to the war, the
enemy could not be allowed to find sick and enfeebled women in the camp, and so these would be
transferred to another camp. That day we were able
to rescue Helen, a young dispatch runner from Kalisz, who was weak and unable to walk. The women
concealed her inside a straw mattress, which they
then laid out on an evenly made bed. Later Helen
told me: “I was lying still inside the mattress when
I heard an SS guard enter the room with a dog. I
froze in terror, but they passed me by, and the dog
did not scent a thing.” Perhaps it was Our Blessed
Mother, to whom I was constantly praying, who protected her?
Late one evening, after the siren signal, I went
outside to seek solitude and a few intimate moments with God. I looked up at the sky and began
to pray. Suddenly I heard a strange creaking noise.
Going to where the sound was coming from, I saw
two women pushing the same cart we had used to
convey dead bodies to the crematorium. Lying in
a disordered heap on the cart was a pile of naked
women’s bodies. Their heads lolled to and fro; their
mouths and eyes gaped open. The mouths seemed
to cry out Hitler’s barbarities to the world. Their arms
and legs hung limply from the sides of the wagon.
One body, draped over the tailboard, seemed to
be pushing the cart, as if it were helping the pair in
their grim and heavy task. These were the bodies
of women prisoners who had been transported to
Ravensbruck after the Warsaw Uprising. Because
of the lack of space in the barracks they had been
quartered throughout the winter in makeshift tents.
And so I watched that dismal caravan pass by. Never
will I be able to wipe it from my memory! “Do not forget us!” those lifeless, pain-contorted faces seemed
to cry out. How much evil Hitler had committed! But
had he been alone in this? How frequently man succumbs to Satan!
Fortunately, not all Germans succumbed to Nazi
propaganda. The family I lived with in Berlin never
said, “Heil Hitler!” Instead they saluted each other
with a “Gruss Gott!” [God greet you – ed.] They
were people of strong faith, and Satan is powerless
in such cases.
One day we became aware of an eerie silence
hanging over the camp. No SS guards in sight. Not
a dog to be heard. “Girls”, I said to my sister inmates,
“there’s some evil in the air. Come, let’s pray!” We
knelt down in front of the barrack and raising our
arms, concluded our fervent prayer by singing the
hymn, “Under Thy Protection.” We had barely finished when the barking of the dogs broke out. A
group of SS female guards ran up, shouting “Los!
Los!” They led us to the square where there were
other prisoners standing. Each of us was handed a
Page 22
(Part 2)
Then I recalled my mother telling me how Jesus
had also walked uphill dragging His heavy cross.
The closer He got to Golgotha the heavier the cross
became. He would stumble, fall, then pick Himself
up and trudge on. Though they beat Him, mocked
Him, and spat on Him, He never opened His mouth
in protest and continued to carry His enormous burden. “Why?” I asked myself. “Why did Jesus, Son
of God, have to bear that great cross? Why did the
Almighty God, His loving Father, permit this?” Then
I saw a figure coming up to us from the distance.
He was dragging a great cross. From its transverse
beam there hung sacks bearing people’s names.
One of them had my own name – Adela – written
on it. I shuddered. “Is that me?” I asked. But Jesus,
bearing my portion of sins, merely smiled and replied, “Follow me!” Weighed down by the sacks, He
overtook me, though His shoulders were gored and
lacerated, bruises and stripes covered his calves,
his feet bled, and a crown of thorns pressed cruelly
into His head.
“Los! Los! Weiter!” The SS women’s shouts
stirred me from my reverie. I stopped; then, stepping
back, I looked for Jesus. There He was – at the head
of the column. “Follow me!” He called with a smile.
Nina, an older friend of mine, took my arm and drew
me forward, but I called after Jesus, “Wait! Wait for
me!” “What’s the matter with you?” the marchers
cried out. “What are you pulling away for?”
At that moment I seemed to wake from my trance.
I no longer saw Jesus. I tore myself free from Nina’s
grasp. “Let me go!” I cried. “Why are you pulling at
me? I can manage on my own.” – “I thought you
were feeling weak and needed help,” Nina replied.
After a while, I regained my strength and was able
to keep up with the rest of the column.
The author meets Pope John Paul II
three-kilogram food package from the Red Cross.
At last, they formed us in a column five-persons
wide and, late that evening, marched us out through
the gate that had once greeted us with its infamous
slogan, Arbeit macht frei! [Work brings freedom
– ed.] Three years before, I had entered through
that same gate. The cynical slogan meant heavy
labour carried out under conditions of unbearable
cold and hunger. The work brought “freedom” only
on the high-tension fence wires or in the ovens of
the crematorium.
Now, after three years, I was saying goodbye to
this place where so many women had perished; and
it was seeing me off with what had lately become
a particularly dark and dense plume of smoke rising from the crematorium stacks. The thick smoke
seemed to hold us back, for it sank earthward and
clasped us in a farewell embrace so that we might
never forget the stench of smouldering human flesh,
bones and hair. Goodbye, our sisters in misery!
Goodbye!
The moon, emerging from behind the clouds, revealed a profound stupor on our faces. It seemed
intent on seeing which one of us would be the first
to break down, collapse by the roadside, and await
a lethal volley from an automatic weapon. “What
now? Where are they taking us? Where is that long
yearned-for freedom?” Such were the thoughts that
tormented us. I walked in a trance and kept pace
with the others only because I had to. I ceased to
feel sorrow, anger, or hatred for what had happened
to me. I could not even cry.
The monotony of the march deepened my
trance-like state to the point of delirium. I thought
I could hear the strains of “Under Thy Protection”
reaching me from a faraway place. I turned to see
The sun was rising higher. We begged for a rest,
for we were bone-weary and hungry. But our SS
guard said, “I’m hungry too, but that accursed Greta
hasn’t relieved me yet!” When we continued to beg
for a moment’s rest and offered her food from our
Red Cross packages, she screamed, “I don’t need
your shitty food! Weiter! Los! Los!” “Keep moving,
keep moving!” But our pace was constantly slowing,
for we had been on the road for twelve hours. Fortunately, after a few more hours, we received good
news. In an hour we would be stopping for a rest
near a large barn. This gave me strength. I hoped
Jesus would be waiting for me there.
Alas! The rest at the barn proved to be a brief
one, for the Russians were close by and the Germans were loath to run into them. We had to douse
our fires quickly and march back, but by a different
route. By now it was three nights since we had left
the camp. We trudged on, taking only short breaks
to eat. It was spring and the sun felt warm. Nature
was stirring from her winter sleep. But we did not
smell her scents or hear the birdsong. Dirty and
starving, we stared dully at the road in front of us.
But still I soldiered on, for it seemed to me that Jesus was again encouraging me with a smile, saying,
“Follow me!”
On the fifth day of our march, we ran into a train
of wagons and carts on the road. German civilians
were fleeing with their precious belongings toward
the American zone. Profiting from the confusion, I
along with four companions broke away from our
hated escort. We joined the crowd of refugees. But
we had no idea what to do next and so when, on
the following day, we saw another column of prisoners – ours, from Ravensbruck, as it seemed to
us – emerging from a side road, we joined up with
them. Once again we marched in every direction,
depending on the vagaries of the front.
On the tenth day, I became so weak that noth-
ing concerned me anymore except for the crashing
noise inside my head. I had reached the end of my
rope. But my companions took turns in supporting
me under each arm and made me go on. They would
never leave me behind, they insisted. What physical
effort that required! What proof of love on their part!
Who gave them the strength – wasted and worn out
as they were?
Elephants attack Orissa
after one year of persecution
Suddenly, we heard a loud clatter, then a whistle
and an expulsion, as something dropped from the
skies. People screamed and we all dived for the
ditch. That action saved my life. How long we lay
there I have no idea, but when I opened my eyes I
saw a mass of overturned carts, dead horses, and
refugees sobbing over the bodies of their loved
ones. The air raid allowed me to regain my strength,
and I was able to march on again. Finally a squadron of American and Russian tanks came rumbling
up in our direction and the SS guards took to their
heels in panic.
At last we were free to return to Poland. Her
border was now on the Oder River. We traveled for
many days, spending the nights in deserted German houses. After a week or so, we reached a
small town. We went to the railway station. Unable
to board the train, three of us climbed into the locomotive with the engineer despite his protests. In this
way we managed to reach the city of Lodz. There
we separated.
Finding myself alone on the crowded platform,
I felt lost and listless. Fortunately, I managed to
board a train to Warsaw. When we arrived there,
people poured out of the cars and ran off in various
directions. I could hear laughter and people calling.
I stood in a numbed state, gazing at the city around
me – a vast pile of rubble. Somehow I managed to
get to the other station – or at least the place where
the building had stood. The waiting train was packed
with passengers: inside, outside, on top of the cars,
in the stairwells, but I managed to secure a spot on
one of the entry/exit platforms and in this way succeeded in reaching Nowy Dwor. I had come home!
Quickly I walked – or rather ran – down the familiar road by which, after an absence of seventeen
years, I was returning home. Stopping to bless myself at the crossroads chapel, I automatically turned
right toward of my parents’ home.
I saw the old whitewashed thatched cottage.
Outside in the clean-swept yard sprinkled with white
sand stood an old woman chopping sticks on a treestump. “Who could that be?” I wondered. The answer came to me at once: “It’s mother!” she did not
see me approach and replied to my greeting without looking up. Pain and love infused her heavily
wrinkled face. I stopped to wonder what this woman, whose love my uncle’s affection had replaced,
meant to me. To my uncle I owed my later childhood and happy youth. This noble man had naively
believed in Hitler’s propaganda and taken me to a
country that hated the Poles and Poland. I survived
only thanks to God and Our Blessed Mother’s care.
Now I felt cheated and deprived of the greatest of
treasures – a mother’s love and a family home. I
looked at the little rosary cross that hung from the
patched pocket of her apron. Then I knew that the
Crucified Jesus had brought me home to my family.
In July 2008, a severe persecution of Christians
broke out in the Indian state of Orissa. A 22 year
old nun was burnt to death when angry mobs burnt
down an orphanage in Khuntpali village in Barhgarh
district, another nun was gang-raped in Kandhamal, mobs attacked churches, torched vehicles and
houses of Christians destroyed. Fr. Thomas Chellen,
director of the pastoral center that was destroyed
with a bomb, had a narrow escape after a Hindu
mob nearly set him on fire. The end result saw more
than 500 Christians murdered, and thousands of
others injured and homeless after their houses were
reduced to ashes. Recently a strange and dramatic
event took place in Orissa, which has many people
talking and wondering.
In recent months, herds of wild elephants have
begun to storm villages that are home to some of
the worst persecutors of Christians during the troubles. In one village, where in July a year ago the
Christians had to run for their lives while their homes
were being destroyed by rioters, a herd of elephants
emerged from the surrounding jungle exactly one
year later, in July 2009, at the same time of the day
of the attack.
These elephants first attacked a rock crusher
machine owned by a key leader of the persecution
movement. They then went on to destroy his house
and farms.
Hundreds of villagers have been forced to take
shelter in camps in the Indian state of Orissa after
repeated attacks by the herd of elephants.
Seven people have been killed and several others injured in attacks by a herd of 12-13 elephants
over the past few weeks in Kandhamal district.
Over 2,500 people living in 45 villages have been
affected by the attacks, district chief Krishen Kumar
said.
It is, however, unclear why this herd of elephants
migrated from the Lakheri sanctuary, which is in a
neighbouring district. He said the herd had travelled
some 300 kilometers into Kandhamal, and even
entered a town in the district. Wildlife officials were
camping at the site of the attacks and trying to find
out why the elephants had come out of their sanctuary. The villagers say elephants attack their areas in
herds, causing heavy destruction.
Gaining momentum, they rampaged through
other non-Christian homes, demolishing gardens
and singling out the home of persecutors, leaving
Christian homes untouched.
These strange attacks have spread, and according to a report, the elephants have already destroyed more than 700 houses in 30 villages, and
killed five people. Nobody in this area has seen or
even imagined the unique appearance of a herd of
wild elephants such as this. The elephants are not
ordinary elephants; they appear to be on a mission.
Typically, smaller elephants enter a village first,
appearing to survey the community. They then rejoin the larger herd, and larger elephants soon follow and get the job done.
The ministry partner in India stated, “We think
that it might have something to do with avenging the
blood of martyrs. In fact the fear of God has fallen on
the local people, who have labeled these elephants
“Christian elephants.”
With little help coming from the administration,
the villagers have taken to road blockades. “The elephants have destroyed crops and selected houses. But officials too express helplessness. “There is
no permanent habitat of elephants in Sundargarh.”
They come from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand
where their habitats have shrunk. But is not clear
how and why these elephants reached Orissa.
Breaking my prolonged silence, I asked her,
“Does Mr. Orlikowski live here?” Still without looking
at me, mother replied in the affirmative. Another moment of silence. Finally, unable to endure the growing tension, I cried out, “Mother, do you not recognize me?” It was then that she made eye contact
with me. Astonished, she cried out, “O My God! It’s
Adela! Renia! Adela’s come home!” My sister came
running out of the hose. My mother’s embrace instantly soothed my wounds and eased my pain.
After my first proper bath and meal in years, I fell
asleep almost at once and slept through the whole
day, then the whole night, then again through the
following day. My brother Stasiek came in to wake
me. It was he who had insisted on saying good-bye
to me upon my departure to Latvia. My father also
entered the room. “So”, he said, “you have come
back to our poor Poland!” Not long afterwards I got
married and wrote a book about those terrible years
spent in the concentration camp. I entitled it, In
Search of God, Happiness, and Country. In recent
years a priest friend of mind has been inviting me to
speak at youth meetings. There I describe my camp
experiences and, in this way, give public witness to
what I became convinced of in such a palpable way:
that God exists – and so does Satan.
A LOA reader
Reprinted with the permission of Love One Another
The Montana Supreme Court ruled on December 31, 2009, that state law does not prevent physicians
from assisting patients in killing themselves, making it the third U.S. state after Oregon and Washington where doctor-assisted suicide is now legal.
Page 23
The Pope’s prayer to the Infant Jesus of Prague
O my Lord Jesus, we gaze on You as
a child and believe that You are the Son of
God, who became Man through the working of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the
Virgin Mary.
Just as in Bethlehem, we too adore
You, with Mary, Joseph, the angels and
the shepherds and acknowledge You as
our only Savior.
You became poor to enrich us with
Your poverty. Grant that we may never
forget the poor and all those who suffer.
Protect our families, bless all the children of the world and grant that the love
You have brought us may always reign
amongst us and lead us to a happier life.
Grant, O Jesus, that all may recognize
the truth of Your birth, so that all may know
that You have come to bring to the whole
human family light, joy and peace.
You are God, who live and reign with
God the Father, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
«
On September 26, 2009, during his
apostolic journey to the Czech Republic,
Pope Benedict XVI visited the celebrated image of the Infant Jesus of Prague.
There, in the Church of Our Lady of Victories in the nation’s capital, he solemnly crowned this world-famous image,
and pronounced the following prayer:
«
«
The image of the Infant Jesus of Prague
is believed to have been a gift from St. Teresa of Avila to a Spanish noblewoman. The
noblewoman then gave it as a wedding gift
to her daughter, who brought it to Prague
in 1556. From 1628 onwards, the image
has been kept in the Carmelite Church of
Our Lady of Victories in the historic Mala
Strana district of Prague.
Our next week of study on Social Credit
March 13-20, 2010 in Rougemont, Que.
House of the Immaculate, 1101 Principale St.
The social doctrine of the Church and its
application, Social Credit explained in 10 lessons
A Siege of Jericho in Rougemont
March 21-27, 2010
Seven days and six nights of
adoration and prayer before
the Blessed Sacrament
exposed in the Monstrance
In our chapel of the House of the
Immaculate, 1101 Principale St.
Rougemont, QC, Canada
Picture www.ourmotheroftheeucharist.org
“When we are baptized,
Mary is there with the Holy
Spirit to generate Christ’s
presence within us.” — John
Paul II
Page 24
Opening: Sunday, March 21, 10 a.m.
Mass at 5 p.m. on Sundays and 7 p.m.
on weekdays. Confessions before each
Mass. Lectures at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Adoration day and night.

For the Triumph of the Immaculate

Transcription

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