On June 15-22, 2008, the whole world is invited to Quebec City
Transcription
On June 15-22, 2008, the whole world is invited to Quebec City
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 aera (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. 53rd Year. No. 349 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 April-May-June 2008 On June 15-22, 2008, the whole world is invited to Quebec City The Eucharist, gift of God for the life of the world Pope Benedict XVI in the U.S.A.: Peter brings hope to America see article on pages 12-15 Cardinal Agre of Ivory Coast visits our headquarters in Rougemont, Canada ED COTTRILL, PHOTOGRAPHER see page 24 THE EUCHARIST - GOD’S GIFT FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD Foundational theological document for the 49th International Eucharistic Congress The International Eucharistic Congress that will be held in Quebec City in June 2008 offers both the local Church and the universal Church an intense time to pray, reflect on, and celebrate the gift of the Holy Eucharist. The forty-ninth in a series of congresses that have marked the Church’s life for more than a century, the Quebec conference coincides with the 400th anniversary of the foundation of the first French city in North America, which would become in the 17th century an important entry point for missionary activity on the entire continent. clesia de Eucharistia. He wanted to rekindle in the heart of the Church an admiration for this supreme gift of the Holy Eucharist and stir up renewed adoration of this Sacrament which contains the very Person of the Lord Jesus in his sacred humanity. The October 2005 Synod of Bishops on The Eucharist in the Life and Mission of the Church prolonged and deepened this reflection by spelling out the pastoral implications of the Eucharistic mystery. The world’s longing for the freedom of love “At the Last Supper, on the night when He was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.”4 The Institution of the Holy Eucharist The central theme of the Congress, approved by Pope Benedict XVI, is “The Eucharist, God’s gift for the life of the world.” It is particularly important today to remember God’s gift, for, in the midst of remarkable technological progress, notably in the area of communication, our world experiences a deep interior emptiness that it perceives as an absence of God. Fascinated by its own creative capacities, contemporary humanity tends to forget its Creator and set itself up as the sole master of its own destiny. This temptation to put ourselves in God’s place does not silence the longing for the infinite that inhabits our depths and the authentic values that we strive to develop, even if they do risk leading us astray. The value we place on freedom, our longing for equality, the ideal of solidarity, our access to unrestricted communications, our technological abilities and the protection of the environment are unquestionably admirable values that are a credit to our world and bring forth fruits of justice and brotherhood. The tragedy of a humanism that has forgotten God In addition, forgetting the Creator risks closing human beings in on themselves, in a self-centeredness that results in an inability to love and make lasting commitments, and increasingly frustrates the universal longing for love and freedom. For man, created in God’s image and for communion with God, “cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” ¹ The fulfillment of the human person comes about by this self-gift that signifies openness to the other, welcome and respect for life. But today human beings are constantly pushing back the limits of our mastery over the transmission and end of life. Unchecked, this power over life and death, although technologically possible, threatens humanity itself. For, in the strong words of Pope John Paul II, a “culture of death” has taken over many secularized societies. The death of God in the culture leads almost inevitably to the death of the human being. We see this, not only in currents of nihilistic thought, but above all in the conflictual and broken relationships that are multiplying at all levels of human experience, disrupting marriage and the family, multiplying ethnic and social conflicts, and increasing the gulf between the rich and the huge majority who are the poor. Despite our keener consciousness of human dignity and human rights, we are witnessing the multiplication of violations of these rights almost everywhere on the planet: the accumulation of weapons of mass destruction, which make a lie of all talk of peace; a growing concentration of material goods in the hands of a few, which skews the spread of globalization, while, to our shame, the fundamental needs of masses of the poor are ignored. World peace is undermined by injustice and misery, and terrorism becomes the weapon of choice of the desperate. On the religious level, people today are no longer willing to submit themselves to an authority that dictates their conduct. They must cope with widespread access to many different beliefs and the growing difficulty of handing on to new generations the heritage that they have received from their own religious tradition. The Christian faith is no exception to this pattern, and is even more affected by it because its transmission relies on revelation that reason alone cannot measure. Jealous of their hard-won freedom, human beings construct their own spirituality without any reference to religion, thus sometimes giving in to the excessively individualistic tendencies of contemporary democratic cultures. What the Saviour instituted on the night he was betrayed was the gift of himself, impelled by the depths of his love: “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (Jn 13.1). The institution of the Holy Eucharist is the gift of Love in Person; it is God who gives himself in the Sacrament of the Passover of Christ. Jesus instituted this Sacrament by a rite that continues the gift of his life as a sacrifice that takes away sin, and he conveyed its meaning by a gesture of service, the washing of feet. The evening of Holy Thursday, Jesus knew that he was bringing to its fulfillment the memorial of the Jewish Passover meal: he took bread, blessed it and said, “Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body which will be given up for you” then he took the cup filled with wine and said, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it; this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all. Do this in memory of me.” By these gestures and words, Jesus instituted a new rite, his paschal rite, by which he offered himself in place of the traditional lamb, giving himself and sacrificing himself out of love. His act of love fulfills the New Covenant in his Blood, which frees humanity from sin and death. The institution of the Eucharist conceals a profound mystery that transcends our ability to understand and our categories. It is the mystery of faith par excellence. The Eucharist constantly nourishes the Church, for from the Eucharist the Church draws her life and her reason for existence. The Eucharist, Memorial of the Paschal Mystery Memorial of Christ’s Passover, a Trinitarian Gift What, then, is the content of this memorial that the Church, since its origins, has celebrated as the Lord’s gift par excellence? Jesus established its essential form at the Last Supper when he spoke the words of institution over the bread and the wine to change them into his Body and Blood. But this act by which Christ gives his own person conceals a PART ONE The Eucharist, God’s Gift par excellence At the Centre and Summit of Salvation History “The Church has received the Eucharist from Christ her Lord not as one gift – however precious – among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself, of his person in his sacred humanity, as well as the gift of his saving work”. ² The servant of God, John Paul II, ended and crowned his long pontificate during the year of the Eucharist that he set up following his encyclical Ec- Page 2 “Michael” Journal, 1101 Principale St., Rougemont, QC, Canada — J0L 1M0 Contents “Michael”. April, May, June 2008 The Eucharist - God’s Gift Cardinal Ouellet to the Commission Open letter to Quebec Catholics Missions in South America The Pilgrims of St. Michael Government does not create money Pope Benedict in the USA Monetary Reform Pierre Marchildon in Poland The Holy Demoniac Tel.: Rougemont (450) 469-2209; Montreal area (514) 856-5714; Fax (450) 469-2601; www.michaeljournal.org Page 2-4 5 6 7 8-10 11 12-15 16-19 20-21 22-23 April-May-June 2008 content whose depths cannot be exhausted since it contains the whole Passover of the Lord, that is, his offering to the Father of love unto death on the Cross and his Resurrection from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. ness allows the fecundity of the new Adam to take its course. “Mater Dei et Mater Ecclesiae.” When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, it welcomes the gift of Christ who hands himself over to sinners out of obedience to the Father’s will. St. Paul proclaims it solemnly in the hymn to the Philippians: “He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2.8-11). God’s gift to the banquet of love commits the Church to sharing this gift with the whole of humanity, which is called to become Christ’s body and spouse. The Church’s primary devotion to this mystery is its full, marvelling, worshipping faith. For, in response to the ultimate mystery of God’s Eucharistic self-offering, must correspond the supreme mystery of faith: the Church’s total, gratitude-filled adherence, united with Mary’s pure faith. The Holy Spirit’s mission is to assure this nuptial relationship between the perpetual realization of the Eucharistic mystery and the Church’s welcome that thus nourishes the world’s hope by its witness. Thus the Church welcomes the Father’s gift to the world in his only Son, incarnate and crucified: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life” (Jn 3.16). The Pascal Sacrifice In light of this doctrine, we understand even better why all the sacramental life of the Church and of each Christian reaches its summit and its fullness in the Eucharist. In this Sacrament, the mystery of Christ’s sacrificial self offering to the Father on the altar of the Cross is renewed continuously by his own will. The Eucharist, as the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, thus does much more than recall a past event: it represents sacramentally an event that is always “now” – since Jesus’ offering of love on the cross was accepted by the Father and glorified by the Holy Spirit. Consequently this offering transcends time and space, and by the Lord’s explicit will, remains permanently available to the faith of the Church. “Do this in memory of me.” When the Church celebrates the Eucharistic banquet, she does not do “as if” it were the first time. Rather, the Church welcomes the definitive eschatological event, the event of a unique love that is always offered to us. This banquet of love takes its inexhaustible substance from the sacrifice of love of the Son of God made man, who has been lifted up and always intercedes for us. PART TWO The Eucharist, the New Covenant The Eucharist Builds up the Church, the Sacrament of Salvation The supreme gift of the Eucharist is a covenant mystery, the nuptial mystery joining God and humanity. In the Eucharist the living God constantly gives rebirth to the Church as a people brought together, as the Body and Spouse of Christ, as a living community that is at the same time a single mystical Person with Him. Saint Augustine says, “Let us rejoice then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ himself.” ¹³ The Church is the people of the New Covenant, as inseparable from the Eucharist as the body is inseparable from the head, living from the Eucharist as a wife lives from the gift of her husband. As heir to and partner in the Eucharistic mystery, the Church, quickened by the Spirit and shaped by Mary’s faith, participates in God’s gift to the world. The Church herself is a sacrament, that is, “a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race.”14 Indeed, the Church is the universal sacrament of Trinitarian communion for the world. The Gift of the Church as Communion Mary, First Church and Eucharistic Woman God’s gift to the world came about thanks to a woman, blessed among all women, who believed and handed herself over unconditionally to the mysterious Word of her Lord. Mary of Nazareth is the woman who, above all others, said “yes” to the God of the covenant, thus becoming at the annunciation, the fulfilment of the daughter of Sion, the beginning of the Church. Her “yes” accompanied the incarnation of God’s Word from the first moment of his conception to his death and Resurrection. No other creature possesses such a concrete memory of the Word enfleshed even unto Eucharistic flesh. No other human being knows so perfectly what the mercy, pardon, compassion and suffering of redeeming Love means. Mary is the Eucharistic woman par excellence, 15 the new Eve whose utter open- April-May-June 2008 The Church’s Eucharistic Response To Believe and Love like Mary, in Jesus The first form of sharing that springs immediately from the Eucharistic heart of Jesus is the new commandment of love: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (Jn 13.34). This commandment is new because its measure is no longer to love the neighbour as ourselves, but as Jesus loved. It is new because it puts before us the essential demand of entering into the eschatological community of disciples who are united to Him by the same faith; it is new in the measure that it requires humility and a willingness to serve that enables us to take the last place and die for others. “Dear brethren, the Lord has marked out for us the fullness of love that we ought to have for each other. He tells us: ‘No one has greater love than the man who lays down his life for his friends’… John the evangelist, who recorded (these words), draws the conclusion in one of his letters: ‘As Christ laid down his life for us, so we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. “We should indeed love one another as he loved us, he who laid down his life for us.” ciples around the risen Lord? By remembering our Christian roots, to which many eloquent voices testify. At the beginning of the fourth century in North Africa, some Christians preferred to die rather than live without Sunday, that is, without the Lord whom they encountered in the holy Eucharist. PART THREE For the Life of the World The Church, the risen Lord’s partner, lives because of this gift of God and, united to Jesus Christ, the High Priest, gives this gift to humanity. The world benefits from the love of Christians and the Church’s worship that glorifies God by interceding for the world. Whether the Church dialogues with God in worship or in her mission to the world, the Church does not live for herself, but for the one who came “that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10.10). The Eucharist, the Life of Christ in our lives A. The Spiritual Worship of the BaptizedIt points to a totally renewed life: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10.31). “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God” (Rom 12.2). This new worship shows itself, among other ways, by humility and service, “each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Rom 12.3). Authentic Adoration The Eucharist makes Christ present in the act of adoration par excellence, his death on the Cross. By his act of absolute love unto death, Christ returns to the Father with reconciled humankind and obtains for all the Spirit of love and peace, the Spirit who gives life to the Church’s adoration in spirit and in truth. Though Him, with Him and in Him, the whole Church adores in the name of redeemed humanity. In the offering of the holy Sacrifice in persona Christi, Caput et Corpus, as Saint AuTo Be Reconciled in gustine puts it, including the Unity active participation of the faithful in the mystery of praise, The Eucharistic Celthanksgiving and communion, ebration makes Christ’s Christ and the Church carry out disciples aware of their this supreme act of adoration. responsibility for their This act of adoration in which own ongoing need to Christ and the Church engage be reconciled and to be The Ark of the New Covenant for in the Eucharistic Celebration artisans of reconciliation. the Eucharistic Congress does not end with the liturgy. It They express this by celeis prolonged in his permanent brating the Sacrament of Reconciliation that purifies sacramental presence, which invites the faithful to their hearts for Eucharistic Communion and by their participate by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. decisions to welcome each other with their different cultures and life choices. Eucharistic adoration outside Mass prolongs the memorial by inviting the faithful to remain with the That around the world the Christian Churches Lord who is present in the Blessed Sacrament: “The celebrate the Lord’s Supper separately is a sign of Teacher is here and is calling for you” (Jn 11.28). historical and doctrinal differences that it is imposIn Eucharistic adoration, the faithful recognize the sible to conceal or overlook. United by one and the Lord’s real presence and join themselves to his act same baptism, Christ’s disciples cannot forget the of self-offering to the Father. Their adoration shares consequences of their divisions on their individual in his adoration because it is through Him, with Him or collective witness to the world. The realization and in Him that all prayer and adoration are given that they cannot all gather in full communion at the to God and accepted by God. Is not Christ, who ansame table and sorrow over the resulting weakennounced to the Samaritan woman that the Father ing of the missionary witnessing opens hearts to a was seeking those who adored in spirit and in truth search for reconciliation among all the members of (Jn 4.23-26), the first adorer who leads the long line the Body of Christ, “so that they may be one” (Jn of all men and women who adore? (Heb 12.2, 24). 17.11). Once again we are witnessing everywhere in the Each Eucharist is celebrated in anticipation of, Church a fervent revival of this “art of prayer” that and hope for the reunification of the one people of Pope John Paul II associated with Eucharistic adoGod at the one table of the Lord. ration, which increases both the Church’s witness to God’s love and her intercession for the needs To Come Together on Sunday, of the world. The practice of adoration reinforces the Lord’s Day in the faithful the sense of the sacredness of the The Church is the community of disciples that Eucharistic Celebration which has, unfortunately, professes its belonging to the Lord by its distinctive decreased in certain areas. Explicitly recognizing sign: the practice of mutual love and fraternal love the divine presence in the sacred species outside for all. We cannot love with the same love as Christ of Mass contributes to promoting the faithful’s acwithout constantly receiving this love from Him. His tive and interior participation in the celebration and new commandment is not a simple moral ideal of- helps them to see it as more than a social ritual. fered for our freedom. It is a covenant, a love shared The fruits of Eucharistic adoration also influence the between the Lord and his disciples, which increases spiritual worship we offer throughout the whole of and shines on the world if it is constantly renewed at life – doing God’s will every day. 20 its source, the Sunday Eucharist. Today it is important to re-evangelize Sunday, for in many places its meaning has been obscured under pressure from an individualistic and materialistic culture. How can we rediscover the meaning of this assembly of dis- Contemplating Christ in a state of self-offering and immolation in the Blessed Sacrament teaches (Continued on page 4) “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 Page 3 THE EUCHARIST - GOD’S GIFT FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD able statistical data, it can be said that less than half of the immense sums spent worldwide on armaments would be more than sufficient to liberate the immense masses of the poor from destitution. This challenges humanity’s conscience. To peoples living below the poverty line, more as a result of situations to do with international political, commercial and cultural relations than as a result of circumstances beyond anyone’s control, our common commitment to truth can and must give new hope.” 37 The Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City (Continued from page 3) us to give ourselves without limit, actively and passively, to the point of being given like the Eucharistic bread which is given from one hand to another in Holy Communion. Does not the One whom we visit and adore in the tabernacle teach us to persevere in love, day in and day out, welcoming the circumstances and events of life and everything about them, leaving out nothing but sin, as we try to produce as much fruit as possible? True adoration is the gift of self in love, the ecstasy of love in the present moment, for the glory of God and the service of the neighbour. In this way Christ’s adoration, and the Church’s, is sacramentally actualized in the celebration of the Eucharist, and is prolonged in the heart of the community and the faithful. Eucharist and Mission “The two disciples of Emmaus, upon recognizing the Lord, ‘set out immediately’ (cf. Lk 24.33), in order to report what they had seen and heard. Once we have truly met the Risen One, we cannot keep the Good News to ourselves and the joy we have experienced. The encounter with Christ, constantly intensified and deepened in the Eucharist, issues in the Church and in every Christian an urgent summons to testimony and evangelization.” 34 Evangelization and the Transformation of the World“ The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” When the Church celebrates the memorial of the death and resurrection of Christ, she never stops asking God “Remember, Lord,” all those for whom Christ came to bring life. This constant prayer expresses the identity of the Church and its mission, for the Church knows that she is in solidarity with and responsible for the salvation of all humanity. Living from the Eucharist, the Church participates in Christ’s universal prayer of intercession and brings to humanity the hope of eternal life. 35 The Eucharist opens to sharing those who are tempted to close their hands. It highlights reconciliation instead of division. It puts life and human dignity at the centre of our faith commitment. In a society too often dominated by a “culture of death,” which the search for individual comfort, money or power only intensifies, the Eucharist reminds us of the rights of the poor and the duty of justice and solidarity. It awakens the community to the immense gift of the New Covenant that calls all humanity to go beyond itself. In the American continent, as elsewhere, the Church started with a missionary vision. Its faith and ecclesiastical institutions gave birth to a local Church that, inspired by the first community in Jerusalem, helped shape the characteristics of this emerging people. This Church, like the society in which it took root, was marked by an initial dynamism: Ursulines and Hospitallers; Recollets and Jesuits, lay associates and secular priests crossed the ocean to proclaim the gospel of God in a new land. In the mystical adventure of these men and women, which pushed them to the limits of physical endurance, courage and faith, the Church deeply identified with this growing country. By once again drawing on its roots in the Eucharist, the great missionary thrust that so marked the history of this country must continue and deepen as it faces the new challenges of secularization. Following the example of John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI has constantly appealed to human responsibility, particularly that of leaders and heads of state: “On the basis of avail- Page 4 “However, we know that evil does not have the last word, because it was the Crucified and Risen Christ who overcame it, and his triumph is expressed with the power of merciful love. His Resurrection gives us this certainty: despite all the darkness that exists in the world, evil does not have the last word. Sustained by this certainty, we will be able, with greater courage and enthusiasm, to commit ourselves to work for the birth of a more just world.” 38 Witnesses to Eucharist The Family, the Domestic Church, Foundation of a Civilization of Love “The Eucharist is the very source of Christian marriage. The Eucharistic Sacrifice, in fact, represents Christ’s covenant of love with the Church, sealed with His Blood on the Cross. In this sacrifice of the New and Eternal Covenant, Christian spouses encounter the source from which their own marriage covenant flows, is interiorly structured and continuously renewed. As a representation of Christ’s sacrifice of love for the Church, the Eucharist is a fountain of charity. In the Eucharistic gift of charity the Christian family finds the foundation and soul of its ‘communion’ and its ‘mission’: by partaking in the Eucharistic Bread, the different members of the Christian family become one body, which reveals and shares in the wider unity of the Church. Their sharing in the Body of Christ that is ‘given up’ and in His Blood that is ‘shed’ becomes a never-ending source of missionary and apostolic dynamism for the Christian family.” 40 Moreover, by thus strengthening its consciousness of being the domestic Church, the family participates more actively in witnessing to the faith and love that the Church incarnates in the heart of society. Consecrated life, Pledge of hope that Proclaims the Bridegroom’s Coming “By its very nature the Eucharist is at the centre of the consecrated life, both for individuals and for communities. It is the daily viaticum and source of the spiritual life for the individual and for the Institute. By means of the Eucharist all consecrated persons are called to live Christ’s Paschal Mystery, uniting themselves to Him by offering their own lives to the Father through the Holy Spirit. Frequent and prolonged adoration of Christ present in the Eucharist enables us in some way to relive Peter’s experience at the Transfiguration: ‘It is well that we are here’. In the celebration of the mystery of the Lord’s Body and Blood, the unity and charity of those who have consecrated their lives to God are strengthened and increased.” 41 The Synod on the Eucharist of October 2005 spoke in this way of consecrated persons: “Your Eucharistic witness in the service of Christ is a cry of love in the darkness of the world, an echo of the ancient Marian hymns, the Stabat Mater and the Magnificat. May the Woman of the Eucharist par excellence, crowned with stars, and rich in love, the Virgin of the Assumption and of the Immaculate Conception, watch over you in your service of God and the poor, in the joy of Easter, for the hope of the world.” 43 CONCLUSION God so loved the World By way of conclusion, a few texts of Vatican II will synthesize the Trinitarian, nuptial and mission- ary perspectives that we wish to give to the theme of the International Eucharistic Congress of 2008. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that through Him, with Him and in Him, the world might live the Trinitarian life. The Holy Eucharist is God’s gift par excellence, a wedding present, welcomed and celebrated by the Church, which makes the Church the universal sacrament of the New Covenant. This gift of love essentially commits the Church to the Holy Spirit’s mission, as it encounters humanity’s universal desire for freedom in love. “For God’s Word, through Whom all things were made, was Himself made flesh and dwelt on the earth of men (see Jn 1.3,14). Thus, He entered the world’s history as a perfect man, taking that history up into Himself and summarizing it (Eph 1.10). HeHimself revealed to us that ‘God is love’ (1 Jn 4:8) and at the same time taught us that the new command of love was the basic law of human perfection and hence of the world’s transformation.” 44 “While helping the world and receiving many benefits from it, the Church has a single intention: that God’s kingdom may come, and that the salvation of the whole human race may come to pass. For every benefit which the People of God during its earthly pilgrimage can offer to the human family stems from the fact that the Church is ‘the universal sacrament of salvation’, simultaneously manifesting and arising from the mystery of God’s love.” 46 “The Most Blessed Eucharist contains the entire spiritual boon of the Church, that is, Christ himself, our Pasch and Living Bread, by the action of the Holy Spirit through his very flesh vital and vitalizing, giving life to men who are thus invited and encouraged to offer themselves, their labors and all created things, together with Him.” 48 Bread yourself, good Shepherd, tend us; Jesus, with your love befriend us. You refresh us and defend us; to your lasting goodness send us that the land of life we see. Lord, who all things both rule and know, who on this earth such food bestow, Grant that we your saints may follow to the banquet you make hallow. 49 (Excerpts taken from the Theological Document for the Eucharistic Congress) 1. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, n. 24. 2. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 11. 4. Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 47 13. Saint Augustine, In ev. Jo. (21, 8: PL 35, 1568). See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 795. 14. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, n. 1. 15. See John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, nn. 53-58. 20. Saint Augustine, Homily on the Gospel of John (Tract. 84, 1-2: CCL 36, 536-638), in The Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. II (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Corp., 1976), p. 449. 34. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter,Mane nobiscum Domine, n. 24. 35. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, n. 1. 37. Benedict XVI, Audience with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, January 9, 2006. 38. Benedict XVI, General audience, April 12, 2006. 40. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, n. 37. 41. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, n. 95. 43. Synod on the Eucharist, Message to the People of God, n. 20, 21, October 2005. 44. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, n. 38. 46. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, n. 45. 48. Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 5. 49. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Eucharistic hymn, Lauda Sion. With them heirs and guests to be. “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 April-May-June 2008 Cardinal Marc Ouellet to the Bouchard-Taylor Commission their will clearly expressed to maintain the liberty of choice between denominational and moral teaching, the States suppresses all denominational instruction and imposes their course of ethics and religious culture in the public and private schools and this, without possibility of exception. Because of the profound unrest in many families, coupled with a sense of helplessness in the face of an all-powerful State that does not fear anything, it seems, including the influence of the Church who cannot impose her law without major constraint. The most scandalous situation is reserved to the private Catholic schools that are forced, because of the interplay of government grants, to marginalize their own denominational instruction to the advantage of the state courses that are being imposed everywhere and at each level. Marc Cardinal Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec City and Primate of Canada: The debate on the Accommodation Practices and their emotional repercussions have forced Quebec society to an exercise of listening, reflection and dialogue on the subject of the place of religion in the public space. We are happy that a large forum presided by two known personalities permit us to calmly lead this reflection and dialogue on the actual problem, on the causes, issues and means of solution. Quebec society is presently in front of a choice that obliges individuals and institutional instances of the State, Churches and different religious groups to a serious examination of the situation and a real and sincere dialogue in order to wisely decide the way to follow in order to live harmoniously in the coming decades. DARE TO GIVE A PROFOUND DIAGNOSTIC From the outset, I declare my conviction that the attack on values and the quest for a meaning of life in Quebec are so profound and urgent that they have grave repercussions on the public health that engenders enormous costs for the system of health. For 400 years, the Quebec society rests in the midst of two pillars: the French culture and the Catholic faith that forms the base of armature that permits the integration of other components of an actual pluralistic identity. It is made fragile by the weakening of the religious identity of the francophone majority. The debate today directly touches religion and the relations between cultural communities, but the real problem is not that of the integration of immigrants that would be rendered more difficult because of the demands of their religious practices. The statistics reveal that the accommodation practices for religious motives are minimal, which would indicate the reason for current and future tensions. So we cannot then not give responsibility to them or judge them overwhelming, despite the profound anxiety of the Quebec society towards those who are seeking refuge or a place of welcome for their religion. The refugees and immigrants often bring us the great riches of their witness and of their cultural values that add to the common value of Quebec society. Sharing and solidarity should then be the basic attitudes in regard to the immigrants and their human and cultural needs. The real problem is also not that of “the place of religion in public space,” to spread this expression, vague as it is, facilitates the diffusion of the modern slogan: “religion in private or in church but not in public places.” What is a public place? Is it a street, a park, the air waves, the school, the city hall, or the National Assembly? Should we destroy the monument dedicated to Bishop Francois de Laval from the public place or the one dedicated to Cardinal Taschereau? Should a banner say “Merry Christmas” in the center of Parliament or should it be replaced by “Happy Holidays,” in order include everyone? Have the religious characteristics of our history that constitute our collective identity become problems or bad memories to be put aside? Do we have to eliminate them from public places in order to satisfy a radical secularist minority who are the only ones who complain in the name of an absolute equality of citizens? The believers and unbelievers bring with them belief or unbelief in all the places that they frequent. They are all called to live together, to mutually accept each other, and to not impose their beliefs or unbelief’s, in public or in private. To take away all religious signs from a cultural public place identified by a tradition defined by its religious dimension, is this not equivalent to promoting unbelief as the unique value that has a right to depict itself? The presence of a crucifix at the National Assembly and at a City Hall is not a sign of a single religion of the State. It is an identifiable and cultural sign linked to a concrete history, a real population who has a right to the continuity of its institutions and its symbols. These symbols are not over all a denominational sign but a witness of the cultural heritage of all a society marked by its historical vocation from the cradle of the evangelization of North America. To take them away signifies a cultural rupture, a denial of who we April-May-June 2008 were and who we are called to collectively be; historically founded on the values of Christianity. THE REAL PROBLEM AT ITS BASE The real problem of Quebec is then not the presence of religious signs or the apparition of overwhelming new religious signs in public places. The real problem in Quebec is the spiritual emptiness created by a religious and cultural rupture, a substantial loss of memory, leading to a crisis of the family and of education that leaves the citizens disorientated, de-motivated, subject to instability and dreams of a passing and superficial value. A people whose identity was strongly configured for centuries by the Catholic faith cannot from one day to another (a few centuries are brief in the life of a country) be emptied of its substance without which results in grave consequences at all levels. The disarray of the youth, the dizzying fall of marriages, the low birth-rate and the many horrible abortions and suicides, to name only a few of the consequences that add to the precarious conditions of the elderly and of the public health. And to fill this spiritual and cultural emptiness is a anti-Catholic rhetoric full of clichés that unfortunately finds itself too often in the media. He who favors a real culture of disdain and shame in regards to our religious heritage, destroys the soul of Quebec. It is about time that we ask: Quebec, what have you done with your baptism? It’s about time that we break the hold of secular fundamentalism, imposed even with public funds, and that we find a better equilibrium in Quebec between tradition and creative innovation to the service of the common good. We should relearn the respect for religion that is the means of identifying the population and the respect of all the religions without giving in to the pressure of the secularists who advertise the exclusion of religion in public places. Quebec is ripe for a new profound evangelization that is taking shape in certain circles by important catechetic initiatives, even by community efforts in returning to the sources of our history. A spiritual and cultural renewal is possible if the dialogue between the State, the Society and the Church spread their teachings, constructive and respecting the collective identity that has become pluralistic. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS THREATENED Within the context of this debate on the Accommodation Practices, we cannot ignore the radical change that the Quebec State has introduced concerning the place of religion in the schools. These changes provoke disorder and anger in many parents who have had their private rights stolen in the name of a ultimate reform and the modernization of the Quebec school system. Without taking into account the primacy of the rights of the parents and Will the reframing of the formation of ethics and religion for the citizens with obligatory courses be successful to save a minimum of points of reference to assure a harmonious existence of living? I doubt it, and I am even convinced of the contrary, because this operation was done at the expense of the religious freedom of the citizen, especially that of the Catholic majority. Moreover, they are founded exclusively on an “understanding” of the beliefs and rites of six or seven religions. I doubt that the teachers who are not very much prepared to take up this challenge, will be able to teach in neutrality and in a critical manner, ideas that they understand even less than their own religion. One would have to be very naive to believe that the miracle of cultural and religion instruction will fabricate a new little pluralist Quebecer expert in inter-religious and critique relations towards all creeds even that of their own parents. The least we can say is that the thirst for spiritual values will be far from being satiated and a dictatorship of relativism risks making more difficult the transmission of our religious heritage. CONCLUSION The rural Quebec culture puts a cross everywhere at the road crossings. These crosses invite us to pray and reflect the meaning of life. What choice is imposed now upon our society that the State must take clear and very respectful decisions of the religious and individual consciences, as well as that of groups and the Church? In spite of certain deviances due to recurrent but limited surges of fanaticism; religion stays a source of inspiration and a power of peace in the world and our society, if it is not manipulated by political interests or bullied into legal aspirations. The reform that imposed by Law 95 submits religions to the control and the interests of the State, all the while putting an end to religious liberties acquired for generations. This law does not serve the common good and cannot be imposed without being resented as a violation of the religious liberty of the citizens. It is not unreasonable to maintain it as is stipulated, because their goal was to establish a laciest jurisdiction that would exclude religion in public places. The two pillars of our national cultural identity, our language and religion, are called historically and sociologically to either hold each other up, or to fall together. Has not the moment come for a new alliance where the Catholic faith and the culture emerge together to give to Quebec society, security and confidence for the future? Quebec lives always the heritage of a religious tradition that is strong and positive, exempt of major conflicts and characterized by sharing, welcoming strangers and compassion towards the less fortunate. We must protect and cultivate this religious heritage founded on love that is a force of social integration much more useful than an abstract knowledge of a few superficial ideas from six or seven different religions. Above all its important at the present time for the Catholic majority to wake up, recognize its true spiritual needs and renew with its traditional practices in order to be up to the mission that belongs to them. May the wisdom of God inspire the recommendations of the Commissionaires in order that they recognize religious freedom as a primary and permanent value that it blossoms in Quebec and gives meaning to life. “Michael” Journal, 1101 Principale St., Rougemont, QC, Canada — J0L 1M0 Marc Cardinal Ouellet Tel.: Rougemont (450) 469-2209; Montreal area (514) 856-5714; Fax (450) 469-2601; www.michaeljournal.org Page 5 Open letter to the Catholics of Quebec (LifeSiteNews.com, November 6, 2007) - Quebec City`s Cardinal Marc Ouellet has spoken out against a Quebec initiative which would impose a relativistic religion course on all Quebec students whether in public school, private school or even receiving home education. The Cardinal made his remarks before a commission which is seeking public reaction to the program on “Ethics and Religious Culture” which includes positive presentation of homosexual families and requires children to question their own religious upbringing. (see coverage: http:// www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/oct/07100409.html) The Cardinal’s presentation before the Bouchard-Taylor commission is being seen as a watershed defense of the place of the Catholic faith in Quebec society and indeed in Canada as a whole. Cardinal Ouellet said that the mandated course “subjects religions to the control and the interests of the State and puts an end to religious freedoms in school which were acquired many generations ago.” With a firmness and fire rarely seen from the Canadian Catholic hierarchy, the Cardinal said, “No.” The following is the full text of Cardinal Marc Ouellet’s letter to the Catholics of Quebec. The Cardinal’s letter brings to light many of the church’s past shortcomings but also how the Catholic Church can play a role in that province’s future. Open letter to the Catholics of Quebec In search of Quebec pride Following my intervention at the Bouchard-Taylor commission, your comments have been many and varied. I have read all of them with great care, whether they came in the mail or through the media. I thank you for the messages of support, I also thank you for the criticism which has made me reflect and prompted this open letter, which seeks to deepen reflection, dispel misunderstandings and promote dialogue in a spirit of peace and reconciliation. In response to my analysis of the Quebecois malaise I have heard “finally, it’s about time!” as well as “what a step backward!” Let’s be clear. I am not asking for Quebec society to go back to 1950. From a sociological and cultural point of view, pluralism and secularism have made their home in Quebec and we must be proud of the gains made in the areas of the economy, health, culture, social services, education, politics and dynamism of Quebec society. Quebec has an enviable living standard, a culture of liberty and tolerance, an openess to immigration and a load of talent in arts and culture. But a fact remains: its search for spirituality is languishing. Perhaps was it impeded by the excessive authority of the Church? Or perhaps has it not received the education necessary to its needs? The spiritual void which I have mentioned is the fruit of the spirit of the world which, by wanting to eliminate God, suggests, in a thousand ways, that we become our own God. Reluctance to procreate, to spawn life, compromises Quebec’s future, and its youth seeks role-models which are cruelly lacking. We need a serious dialogue on values and our Christian stance to once again give faith and hope to Quebec’s soul. Toronto monthly meetings August 10, 2008 Lithuanian Hall, 2573 Bloor St. W. (One block west Dundas Subway Station) Rosary at 2:00 p.m. – Meeting at 2:30 p.m. Information: (416) 749-5297 Rougemont monthly meeting June 29, July 27, 2008 House of the Immaculate 1101 Principale St., Rougemont QC Simultaneous translation into English 10:00 a.m. Opening. Rosary. Lectures 5:00 p.m. Holy Mass The Catholic Church has no lack of exemplary figures who have marked our society’s history. Secular people, men and women, religious people, left behind memorable traces, a precious heritage in the fields of health, education and evangelism. Pope John Paul II canonized and beatified 14 of these figures during his pontificate. But, unfortunately, they are too little known. Much more attention is given to the church’s negative side than to its contribution to active Quebec history and culture. A just and enlightened exam of our past would help, I think, recognize our limits but also nourrish Quebecers’ pride and confidence in their future. Inspired by the gesture of John Paul II in March of 2000, of which I have born witness, I am inviting Catholics to perform an act of repentance and reconciliation. Quebec society drags a wounded history whose bad memories block access to the sources of its soul and religious identity. The time has come to take stock and make a new start. Errors were committed which have tarnished the image of the church and for which we must humbly ask for forgiveness. I am inviting pastors and the faithful to help me seek the manner with which to recognize our mistakes and deficiencies, so as to help our society reconcile with its Christian past. Vatican City, Mar 14, 2008 / 01:10 am (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI’s third encyclical will discuss Catholic social teaching, touching on issues as varied as poverty, peace, wars, international cooperation, energy sources, and globalization. As Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada, I recognize that the narrow attitudes of certain Catholics, prior to 1960, favoured anti-Semitism, racism, indifference toward First Nations and discrimination against women and homosexuals. The behaviour of Catholics and certain episcopal authorities with regards to the right to vote, access to work and promotion of women, hasn’t always been up to par with society’s needs or conformed to the social doctrine of the church. The encyclical will be titled “Caritas in Veritate,” “Love In Truth,” La Repubblica reports. “Caritas in Veritate” will be Pope Benedict’s third encyclical. His first encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est,” examined the virtue of love while the second, “Spe Salvi,” focused upon the virtue of hope. I also recognize that abuses of power and cover-ups have, for many, tarnished the image of the clergy and its moral authority: mothers have been rebuffed by priests without concern for their family obligations; youngsters were subject to sexual aggression by priests and religious figures, causing great injury and traumatism which have broken their lives! These scandals have shaken popular confidence toward religious authorities and we understand this! Forgive us for all this pain! The four-chapter encyclical will no longer be published on May 1 as previously planned, but will be delayed so that translations, especially the Chinese translation, may be completed. The period of Lent in 2008, in preparation for the international eucharistic congress in Quebec City, will give us the opportunity to make a public display of repentance, basing ourselves on God’s gift to the world of life through the Eucharist. Other initiatives will follow to facilitate dialogue and heal memory. Ralph Laurin of Chicopee, MA died on April 20th at the age of 85 May this search for peace and reconciliation, made in all sincerity, help Quebec more serenely remember its christian and missionary identity, which has given it an enviable place on the international scene. As pastor of a mainly Catholic people, you will understand that the handing down of our cultural and religious heritage is close to my heart. That is why I reiterate my support to parents who have the right to receive a religious instruction at school true to their convictions. I therefore join them in asking the State to respect the Quebec tradition of handing down religious teachings at school, not necessarily BY the school, and allow churches and recognised religious groups to teach confessional courses, conceived and paid for by them. And in the name of everyone’s religious liberty, state ethics and religious culture courses should be. We are proud to be Quebecers and we do not want to lose our means to pass down the deep values of our religious heritage. Our Judaeo-christian tradition has made of us a solidary-minded and charitable people, we know how to help each other and are able to forgive with the help of God. In order to once again fully believe in ourselves and become confident in our future, let us find roads to reconciliation and offer our compatriots a real dialogue on spiritual and religious values which have shaped Quebec identity. In a way, isn’t it about, today as it was yesterday, simply living the gospel? Marc Cardinal Ouellet Page 6 New encylical of Pope Benedict Mr. Laurin knew the work of the Pilgrims of St. Michael through Bob and John Lambert of Springfield. The three men were veterans of World War II. They formed a very efficient trio in the battle of ideas against the financial dictatorship, in the work of the Pilgrims of St. Michael. They used the discipline and training they had acquired in the army, not to kill the enemy, but to bring them towards the road of truth in subscribing them to the Michael Journal. Mr. Laurin was actively devoted to the apostolate for 18 years, going door to door to offer the Michael Journal to the families. He worked to enlighten them on the beauty of the Catholic faith, and to warn them of the injustice of the economic system of today that holds all people in the grip of debts that are impossible to pay. He was a trucker and did long and hard days of work. Still, on the evenings and on weekends he found the strength to go to the door to door and distributing leaflets. At almost every Congress, during the years that they did the apostolate, the trio “Bob, John and Ralph” were proclaimed “champions of subscriptions.” How many sacrifices this represented! Ralph Laurin was athirst for justice and is now satisfied, as the Beatitudes in the Bible promise. A Mass was celebrated for the repose of the soul of our great apostle Ralph Laurin, in the chapel of the House of the Immaculate on May 10. “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 April-May-June 2008 South America My mission of apostolate in Ecuador and Argentina In January 2008, I had the pleasure of travelling to South America for three weeks of apostolate with Carlos Reyes, the editor of the Spanish edition of the Michael Journal. I was welcomed in Ecuador by Carlos and his wife Teresa. The first few days we were accompanied by an exorcist priest from Spain, Fr. Fortea. We had a meeting in Quito, with over 3,000 people attending. Later that week we participated in a retreat for the youth of South America. The group there, Lasos de Amor Mariano, (Lace of Marian Love) works in cooperation with the Pilgrims of St. Michael with a goal of converting the youth and to continue to work with them in teaching them the Catholic Faith, forming them in Apologetics so that they are able to defend the Faith. Carlos Reyes also teaches them the Social Doctrine of the Church and the application of SoYves Jacques (right) with Carlos and Teresa Reyes cial Credit so that these youth will be completely formed and ready to go out into the world and lead true Christian lives in every aspect of Church teaching. In the two years since the founding of these retreats, miracles, both spiritual and physical, have happened. Whole families have converted to the Church, marriages have been reconciled, and youth have been cured from drug and alcohol addiction, as well as a number of other addictions and oppressions. The youth at these retreats come from every background and I was blessed to witness some very sincere and total conversions. These young people are now “in love” with God and the Blessed Mother and are well on their way in this process of formation, learning the total consecration, to Jesus through Mary, by St. Louis-Marie De Montfort. They are eager to learn the Truth and to share it with others. There was a group of young people there from Columbia where these retreats have been established and ongoing for the past eight years. In their formation they have learned the love of God and their neighbor and have recently incorporated our Social Credit program into their apostolate by means of Local Coupon Systems. These systems help the people, wealthy and poor, cooperate with each other in exchanging goods in that same spirit of love and service of the first Christians as spoken of in the “Acts of the Apostles”. We had another meeting in Quito where we met with the Auxiliary Bishop who supports our apostolate. We were able to give to all the clergy present our journal, “San Miguel”, along with a copy of Louis Even’s book, “In This Age of Plenty’, which has just recently been published in Spanish. We also met a wonderful priest, Fr. Arnau from Argentina, who owns a Catholic Publication, “Christo Hoy”, (Christ Today), which has a weekly circulation in Argentina, Ecuador and Paraguay. He was very interested in our Work and providentially we were scheduled to go to Argentina the following week. We were able to meet with him again and discuss a program in cooperation with his apostolate, for the expansion of the San Miguel Journal in South America. While in Argentina, we met with a group of professionals “CIES” ( Centro de Investigaciones de Etica Social), who promote the Social Doctrine of the Church and are approved by Rome. This group wishes to work in cooperation with us through some universities and internet courses that would teach Social Credit in the light of the social teaching of the Church. They intend on coming to Canada for our Annual International Congress and “week of study” this September, 2008. They had received one of our San Miguel journals, “The Money Myth”, from a very good priest from the village of Open Door, Argentina. Open Door is the neighboring village of Lujan, where resides the miraculous statue of “Our Lady of Lujan”, Patroness of Argentina. We can say that it was truly Our Blessed Mother, through this priest, who “opened the door” for us in Argentina. We also met the director of “Annunciar”, a Catholic radio and television network that broadcasts throughout Argentina. They are also interested in coming to our Congress to do a television documentary on the Pilgrims of St. Michael and the social teaching of the Church. All throughout this mission I could see the hand of God. I sensed the action of the Holy Spirit uniting all these people with a common goal in reaching out to their brothers and sisters for the salvation of souls. We are now in the planning stage in Argentina and in the formation and evangelization stage in Ecuador. In Columbia there is an expansion of evangelization in all its aspects, from teaching Catechesis, Apologetics and the teachings of the Social Doctrine of the Church, With a group of young people from Lazos de Amor Mariano to the establishment of Local Exchange Systems to help the poor and create unity and hope in the community. All the groups that we worked with had one important thing in common: they were all consecrated “To Jesus, through Mary”, according to St. Louis-Marie De Montfort. What I experienced and learned in South America is that we can put into action a “Civilization of Love” guided by the loving hand of Mary Immaculate. Yves Jacques My mission in Paraguay A warm welcome to all our readers of the Michael Journal! Last year, we had a marvelous experience of apostolate in the beautiful country of Paraguay in South America. This experience was followed by the arrival of four young people from that country who came to stay with us in Rougemont, to work and study for six months at the House of St. Michael where the full-time Pilgrims live. The four Paraguayans are: Christian Manuel Torres Vera, 25 years old, Jorge Guillen Portillo, 22, Miguel Angel Vera Ovilar, 20, and Lourdes Mabel Ruiz Diaz Aguilera, 17. I returned to Paraguay with these four young people to teach Social Lucie Parenteau Credit in their country, to continue to work in the Diocese of Ciudad del Este, with the goal of advancing the Work of the Michael Journal that I began last year with Paola Santamaria. Christian, Miguel and Lourdes have signed up to work for us full-time in their country. distribute the riches of the country by a dividend to each person, in order that each would have the minimum necessary to live. We had sent a container of 700,000 leaflets and journals to Paraguay, so we had an ample supply of leaflets that we stored in Lourdes’ house. We were then able to leave them everywhere we went, in the churches, and in the homes; we also gave packs to those who will help us to distribute them. It was with much regret that I left the red earth of Paraguay, but I left with the consolation of knowing that our young people are decided in their efforts to continue the Work of Michael, with the help of their friends who have joined with them and with other good people who share our ideal. Lucie Parenteau I had the pleasure of spending all of the month of February with them. We were able to do the Rosary Crusade, an apostolate that consists of visiting and praying with the families. We present our work on social justice and take time afterwards to explain a bit to them. We were invited to go to two radio stations, Itaper and XTO, where the radio hosts are our friends. We spoke there as well about our beautiful work and the importance of vanquishing poverty in the world. At one of the homes that we visited, a good man invited us to his parish that was a bit far from the village. We went to visit him three times, and so were able to know him better and to really appreciate the simplicity (and extreme poverty) in which the people live, and their language as well. We held different meetings and conferences in order to expose the nonsense of the creation and monopolization of money to these people who are expoited by High Finance, and give the solution of Credit Social that would April-May-June 2008 Our group of young people visits the families on the Rosary Crusade in Paraguay “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 Page 7 The Pilgrims of St. Michael Africa A testimony by Fr. Jean-Romain Nioka During the month of February we had the joy to receive, for the first time, Fr. Jean-Romain Nioka from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Providentially he arrived in Rougemont and understood the great importance of the mission of the Pilgrims of St. Michael. This is the conference he gave on February 23, 2008 on the occasion of our monthly meeting in the House of the Immaculate in Rougemont. I was ordained a priest on February 15, 1987. So on February 15, I had the joy of celebrating the 21st anniversary of my priestly life in this community of the Pilgrims of St. Michael. This made me very happy. by going to the source, meaning God. God, who is holiness itself. Only God is holy. The holiness of God is part of His mystery. All that God possesses is riches and life, power and goodness. All is holiness in God. So we say: “Holy is His name.” God is holy in His greatness and in His power. We say and sometimes sing: “Worship God in His holy Temple, worship God in the Heaven of His power, worship God by glowing actions; worship God according to His grandeur.” God is Holy in all that He is, in all that He does, in His goodness, love and forgiveness. This God is a God of gentleness. This God is a God of compassion. This God is the God of infinite mercy. It has only been 23 days since Fr. Jean-Romain Nioka I discovered this community of St. God wants to be known and honMichael. So, in the heart of this community, I am like ored as the only Holiness. God is very jealous. He a small child who has just been born and I still need is jealous to the point that He does not want us to to learn much. I can only make a testimony of what love other gods. But still today we are building up I have lived during these twenty-three days in the other gods. We have our idols: money, for some it is community of St. Michael. And that is what I will do. a god, it is their god. Instead of putting their hope in God, the Creator, the God of goodness and power, And if you will permit me, I will use the Bible as some people have created gods of money or cars, my support... because the community of St. Michael of various material things that surround us. But still is a Christian community that is devoted to the work these material things are transient, passing. And of God. And all that God wanted to tell us, to transGod does not want us to have other gods besides mit to us, can be found in this Book. For me it will be Him. “You will have no other gods besides Me,” He easier to support myself with the Bible. says. I will speak about three points: the first one will God gave us a model of sanctity. We do not see be on a phrase that can be found at the entrance of God. He is invisible, but He became visible. How the House of St. Michael, it is written: “A house to and for whom? By His Son that He sent amongst us. become saints”. I believe that if we have invited you Through Jesus, God gives us a model of holiness. here, the reason above all others, is to invite you to God then is Life, and the Love of God is manifested become saints. If this is not so, I do not see a reason here: God sent His only Son into the world, so that for your presence here. we might live through Him. Jesus, is the Incarnate For my second point, I want to speak about the Word. “Jesus took on all of our weaknesses, except community life that I have discovered in the heart of sin,” St. Paul tells us. Because Jesus came here on the Pilgrims. And after, I will speak about their mis- earth, He took our human condition. He lived like us, but without sin. His Life was and is, so that men sion: they are lay missionaries. of all ages have the example of perfection that God The last point (the third point), I will speak a little expects of each one of us. From which comes the about the Michael Journal. I think that you have sto- invitation of Jesus: “Be holy, as I your Father am len something from us. Yes! holy” (St. Luke 6, 16). “A house to become saints” It was a bit of an accident, the first few days when they brought me here. When I arrived at the reception area (in the House of St. Michael), as I am a priest, I was struck by the phrase: “A house to become saints”. It was on the second of February that I read this phrase for the first time. But now I read it every day when I enter into this community, in this house, because it belongs to this family. Our eyes are used to reading publicity in the world. Today, when we go out, we see publicity on the manner of dressing, of food, on electronics. This is modern society. But to find something about God, publicity on God, is practically impossible in a society where God is being eliminated. And even more so today when we say that religious education should not exist. God does not have a place in our society of today. We must sometimes retreat from the world or go into a community like this where we can speak about God. In many places we hear about the great stars. For me the great star of this world is Jesus. Jesus who came for the great adventure, to the point that today He has captivated the entire world. So this is what made the disciples of Jesus, and we have put ourselves behind Jesus. I say then that I had to come to this place, in the community of St. Michael, so that I could read this phrase: “A house to become saints”. And I was very, very happy; since I am a priest. I told myself, if I am not on the road of sanctity, this occasion has been given to me to sanctify myself and to become a saint. As we can read on the wall, it says to “Build the Kingdom of the Immaculate”. The Kingdom of the Immaculate, this kingdom without stain, without sin, this is the Kingdom of the Virgin Mary. And if we are saints, we inhabit this kingdom. The notion of sanctity invokes ideas of perfection, of purity, of holiness. He who lives according to the laws of God is holy. We can define holiness only Page 8 We have to understand that holiness is possible, because God called us. It is for everyone: priests, religious, Pilgrims, fathers, mothers, children; we are all called to holiness. Our essential vocation is unique: holiness. We say: All roads lead to Rome. I, as a priest in my mission, I have to go towards holiness. The father of a family (or the mother of a family) should search to join this road. He has the vocation to be fertile, to multiply the earth, but it does not suffice to stay at this level. He should climb the summit of holiness. We are called to holiness. Here is our essential vocation; we should not make a mistake. and we will arrive to holiness. God gives us the means to reach holiness. He cannot invite us to do something without the means to reach it. We cannot respond to something, someone cannot ask us to do something, without making an association to the means, or the way, to do it. The sacraments, channels of grace We also can arrive at holiness; the Lord has given us the means. What are these means with which we can arrive to holiness, in order to establish the Kingdom of the Immaculate? With the sacraments, God has communicated His grace and the gifts of Himself. The sacraments are channels of divine grace. It is by the sacraments that He gives us the graces we need to attain holiness. It is by Baptism. We are born into divine life through Baptism. We are sinners, but when we receive Baptism, we enter into the family of the children of God. At that moment we are holy. It is only with time that we become false, that we are soiled in sin; we lose this image of holiness that we carry on the day of our Baptism. We can go to rediscover this holiness with the sacrament of Penance and reconciliation. But unfortunately today, people do not go to Confession: “It is not the time; it’s not this or that...” However we, as Christians, are Christians in Baptism. But there is this human weakness that lives in us and that causes us to fall. These days when we are sick, we run to the doctor so that he can heal our body. Also then when we become spiritually sick in our Christian life, we are invited to go to confession to recuperate the image of holiness. Our food, the Eucharist Another sacrament needed in order to establish the Kingdom of the Immaculate is the Eucharist. The Eucharist nourishes our soul and helps us to grow with eternal life in our mind. We go to eat a meal. Why? It is to rejuvenate our body. In order to grow in the faith of the children of God, this faith that permits us to move mountains, we should nourish ourselves not with pastries, but instead with the Body and Blood of Christ. Our nourishment is the Eucharist. The sacrament of Confirmation There is also the sacrament of Confirmation that gives us a supernatural strength in our daily lives against the forces of evil. We have said that we are in a world of conflict, and in the prayer of the Our Father, Our Lord tells us: “Lead us not into temptation.” Everything is temptation today. But the Christian is someone who should stand upright. If we do not stand upright, with both feet on the ground, we will fall into temptation. Someone who is confirmed, who possesses the spirit of God, is someone who stands upright. Whatever the storm, he will resist. We can achieve this strength in the sacrament of Confirmation. There is the sacrament of Holy Orders that I have received as a priest. Among you, there are those who are The House of St. Michael in Rougemont, Quebec God, who loves married through the use of the us, never asks for the impossible. Never would our sacrament of Marriage. There is the sacrament of Father who loves us ask us for something impos- the sick as well. The sacraments respond to the parsible. We can attain it, but not alone. It is only if ticular needs of such and such circumstance of our we allow He who is the Master of holiness, Christ, lives and they give us the appropriate graces. Each to guide us in all confidence. It is He who told us: sacrament is very important in our lives, and helps “Without Me, you can do nothing.” us to live the Kingdom of the Immaculate. Without Jesus we cannot arrive to holiness, because He is the way; it is He who guides us. It is like a person cannot pretend he is a Pilgrim and do the apostolate on his own. A Pilgrim is someone who is sent. And in order to arrive to holiness, we should be guided by He who is holiness Himself: Christ. We could say holiness is difficult. But the Lord Jesus told us that He cannot ever ask us something that is impossible. So then holiness is possible; it is not an illusion. We must put ourselves on the road Our Mother, the Church God gave us a Mother, that is the Church, who has the responsibility of sanctifying us by the Holy Spirit. The mission of the Church is to sanctify men. We are one Church, and the Church is the family of the children of God. It is of this family that we consist, and it is this family that the community of St. Michael is a part. All those who are brought by the spirit of God are called “sons of God”. Mothers have the charge “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 April-May-June 2008 of the home, to raise the children. Sometimes the father does not have the time; he is always gone on mission. It is the mother who stays with the children. And the Lord has confided us to our Mother, that is the Church, and our Mother, who is the Virgin Mary; She has us in charge. So finally, we are all called to holiness. Make no mistake, the call to Christian plenitude, to perfect charity, addresses itself to all who believe in Christ, no matter what their rank or station. All are called to holiness. “Be perfect, as I, Your Heavenly Father, am perfect” (Matt. 5, 48). Holiness demands sacrifice So, what is the road we need to follow to attain holiness? It is the road of perfection. The road of perfection goes through the cross. We cannot become holy without sacrifices, just as we cannot build a house without suffering. It is at the price of sacrifices that we are able to obtain something. And we also in our Christian life, in order to attain holiness, should impose sacrifices upon ourselves. We cannot live just any way. Live our Baptism We should live according to the Commandments of God, according to the rules of God. “If someone wishes to follow Me, let him deny himself daily.” To forget yourself is a sacrifice. “Let him carry his cross and follow Me.” There is no holiness without selfrenunciation, without a spiritual battle. The life of holiness demands a spiritual battle. Once I have received Baptism, I am called to go towards holiness. If I do not become a saint, then my Baptism has not given me all the possible fruits. In order to attain this ultimate vocation, I think we should make this effort to live our Baptism, our baptismal vocation. The saints that I see proceed through the years provoke a holy jealousy in my daily life. Today we speak of many saints. But the saints were not superhumans; they are our brothers and sisters who lived with us but who lived a life with dignity and merit and who, today, are honored by the Lord. Why should not we risk to live this adventure? I have always said: my life of the priesthood is a life of adventure. It really is an adventure. I should live a great adventure so that it will produce fruits. When I say: the great adventurer is Christ; He really had the greatest adventure that swept away the whole world. We should follow Christ. We should let ourselves be led by Christ. He is the Way. May the good God permit us to contaminate others by the virus of our holiness! It is a good sickness. It struck me when I entered for the first time in the community of St. Michael and saw “A house to become saints.” I have profited from this during this time I have spent in the community. In my prayers, I asked for sanctity. Community life based on the Bible I will go now to the second point of the life in community in this family of St. Michael. Here I will take the Bible. If I do not support myself on the Bible, I am nothing. What gives me strength is the Bible. I will read from the Acts of the Apostles 2: 42, 47. We speak of the “first Christian community”; how the first Christians started to live in community. The family of St. Michael is a community. And I would like you to read as the community of St. Michael, as Pilgrims as were the first Christian community: In the Acts of the Apostles, it states: “They continued steadfastly in the teaching of the apostles and in the communion of the breaking of the bread and in the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; many wonders also and signs were done by means of the apostles in Jerusalem, and great fear came upon all. And all who believed were together and held all things in common, and would sell their possessions and goods and distribute them among all according as anyone had need. And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread in their houses, they took their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and being in favor with all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their company such as were to be saved.” I was struck by the way of life of the Pilgrims. The first community of the first Christians showed itself “assiduous to the teaching of the apostles.” I observed the community of the Pilgrims. They are assiduous like the first Christians to the teaching of the apostles. The teaching of the apostles is the teaching of the Church. The Pilgrims defend the Social Doctrine (of the Church). They (the Pilgrims) continue to walk in the footsteps of the first Christians and defend the teaching of the apostles. April-May-June 2008 “Faithful to fraternal communion” I was struck to see that all together, they eat at the same time; that together, they come in prayer, after finishing one task, they go to find another service. This, as a priest, really impressed me, this “faithfulness to fraternal communion.” Today, it is hard to guide older persons because they are already adults, and each person has his own orientation. But while being in the community, each one tries to dilute his caprices, his differences, to go hand in hand and to live this community life. I think it is very, very important. the same talents, there would no longer be love. We would no longer be compatible. In the communities (the two houses), I see that there are those who have talents, different gifts. When we need a certain one, we call the person and he comes to give service. Everything is complete and in harmony. So unity gives strength. This community is a spiritual force with its prayer and apostolic action of the Pilgrims. This is what I wanted to say at the level of the community life. The mission of the Pilgrims of St. Michael “Faithful to the sharing of bread and prayer.” Each day it is at the chapel of the House of the Immaculate where we celebrate; it is here that we pray. If we are not in the chapel in the House of the Immaculate, we are in the chapel of the House of St. Michael. Now I will speak about the point concerning the mission of the Pilgrims of St. Michael. I will again take the Bible in the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 4, verses 16 to 19, where it speaks about how Jesus went to Nazareth, “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and according to his custom, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read. And the volume of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. And after he opened the volume, he found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me; to bring good news to the poor he has sent me, to proclaim to the captives release, and sight to the blind; to set at liberty the oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of recompense.’” “Assiduous in prayer” as they have a particular devotion also to St. Michael, you have to see them recite the prayer of St. Michael. It’s beautiful, it’s magnificent. “Fear appeared in all spirits: many were the prodigies and signs accomplished by the apostles. Together all the believers gathered everything in common. They sold their properties and goods and shared the entire amount with their neighbor according to his needs.” While observing (the I said before that a Pilgrim members of the Community is someone who is sent. We of St. Michael) I did not see cannot send ourselves. We anyone who tries to take all have to be sent. And Jesus, St. Michael the Archangel the blankets for himself: that when He came to earth, He read is mine, and the rest is for the community. I saw this prophecy from Isaiah: “The spirit of the Lord is them; they put everything in the same pot. This sig- upon me because he has anointed me.” nifies that all they possess, they put together. Even Pilgrims of St. Michael, do not deceive yourif they receive donations from other places, they try selves, when you have the strength to go on the to give this to the community. road to knock on the doors, you do not say: “It is This is their life and their strength; it is the com- I.” It is the spirit of the Lord who is in you. You have munity life. Today, it is difficult even in our small fam- benefited from the Spirit on the day of your Baptism ilies with a father, mother and children. Sometimes and Confirmation. It is the Holy Spirit that gives you there are so many conflicts that the father wants the strength to be able to go door-to-door. to leave, to go somewhere else because at home “The Spirit has anointed me.” By our Baptism we it’s like a war zone. See how these men who are consecrated to defend a cause, they accept being are anointed with Holy Oil, so we are also consecrated. together and working together. “He sent me to announce to the captives their “Day after day with a single heart, they frequentrelease.” We, the Pilgrims, can give many testimoed assiduously the Temple (see the temple here, at nies. There are many people who are in prison in the House of the Immaculate, and on the other side, their own homes, enclosed without any opening. the House of St. Michael) and break bread in their They have no one who could help them to get out, houses.” Yes of course, during Holy Mass we break maybe help them to open a window. They are the the bread, the Body of Christ who permits us to grow captives whom we can deliver. in our Faith. After going to the table of the Lord, they go to the other side (of the hall) to partake of the “Sight to the blind.” There are many blind people material bread that they also need. in this world. The Lord will tell us: “You have eyes but you do not see.” This means that even if of course “So taking their nourishment with cheerfulness we have eyes, we see only that what that world tells and simplicity of heart,” this is beautiful. Sometimes us. What is essential goes by because we do not when you eat, you listen to certain conferences of see it, we are spiritually blind. Mr. Louis Even, to give an ambiance and animation to the meals. “Set at liberty the oppressed.” Many are oppressed. Today, with Social Credit and the econoSimplicity of heart my, we speak about the taxes that oppress us. So “Simplicity of heart,” this is what I noticed. These our mission then is to go and bring liberty to the are not complicated people; but they are people oppressed, to the people who do not know Social who are inhabited by simplicity and I find that this is Credit or the Social Doctrine, so that they may be a good virtue. When the Lord Jesus came into the liberated. world as Son of God, He could have taken all the “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” goods of the earth because they belonged to Him. This is for you, the Pilgrims: “When we go on misHe also became simple. He became simplicity itself, sion, we are inhabited by the Spirit of the Lord.” Do to the point of washing the feet of the apostles. It is the first element concerning the community life of not feel alone. Say to yourself: “I am in security bethe Pilgrims, and I have admired that during these cause the Spirit of God accompanies me. So I go.” few days. Here I think also of the mission of the twelve apostles, and I would like to read from the Gospel of In the Gospel of Matthew, he tells us: “You are St. Luke, Chapter 9, verses 1, 6: all brothers.” It is an essential formula. Of course, in a community, things must go the way of the community. In the community we must do everything in simplicity, and this is marvelous. I admired the readiness to render service. And why is this? It is because when you put yourselves in a community, each person brings something particular to the community. The Lord did not give each person all of the gifts possible. If each person had “Then having summoned the twelve apostles, he gave them power and authority over all the devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them forth to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; nei(Continued on page 10) “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 Page 9 Mary, Mother of God Scott Hahn was born in 1957, married Kimberly in 1979 with whom he has six children. He is now working as a Professor of Theology and Scripture at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has been teaching since 1990. He is also the founder and director of the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Dr. Hahn received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple major in Theology, Philosophy and Economics from Grove City College, Pennsylvania in 1979, with his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1982, and his Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Marquette University in 1995. He has over ten years of youth and pastoral experience in various Protestant congregations, and is a former Professor of Theology at Chesapeake Theological Seminary. He was ordained a minister at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Virginia. He entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil in 1986. She Gave the Word Flesh For many years, I considered Marian doctrine and devotion to be symptomatic of a mortal infection within Catholics; indeed, it represented what was most wrong with Catholicism. Paradoxically, my former anti-Marian views have resulted in an appreciation for the common objections frequently raised against the Church’s teachings about Mary. Cradle Catholics often have no idea of the repugnance “Bible Christians” feel for Marian doctrines and devotions. It was then that someone mailed me a plastic Rosary. As I opened the package, I felt I was facing the toughest obstacle of all. Yet, by that time, so many doctrines of the Catholic Church had proven to be biblically sound that I decided to step out in faith on this one. I began, hesitatingly, to pray my first Rosary, offering it for a specific intention, a situation that seemed hopeless by human standards. Wonder of wonders, my prayers were answered. The seemingly impossible situation was reversed. (Editor`s note: After a conversation with a Protestant friend named Chris who asked him if he was praying to Mary, Scott began researching the Bible regarding Marian doctrine.) First, I reminded Chris that, as a man, Christ fulfilled God’s law perfectly, including the commandment to honor one’s father and mother. The Hebrew word for honor, kabbed, literally means “to glorify.” So Christ didn’t just honor His Heavenly Father. He also perfectly honored His earthly mother, Mary, by bestowing His own divine glory upon her. Our veneration of Mary, then, is an essential part of our imitation of Christ. We follow Him not just by honouring our own mothers, but also by honoring whomever He honors and with the same honor that He bestows. Here was the greater miracle I gained through the Rosary. From that moment, I sensed how praying the beads deepened my own theological penetration of Scripture. Mary was no longer an obstacle to faith; she was opening its mysteries to me. Do we detract from Christ’s finished work by affirming its perfect realization in Mary? On the contrary, we celebrate His work precisely by focusing our attention on the human person who manifests it most perfectly. Mary is not God, but she is the Mother of God. She is only a creature, but she is God’s greatest The Pilgrims of St. Michael A testimony by Fr. Jean-Romain Nioka (Continued from page 9) ther have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and do not leave the place. And whoever doesn’t receive you, go forth from that town, and shake of even the dust from your feet for a witness against them.’ And going forth, they went about from village to village, preaching the gospel and working cures everywhere.” There is an expression that still makes me happy, the Pilgrims saying: “We went to do the door-todoor.” It is the same expression the Our Lord used: “Go from village to village.” You go from “village to village,” from door-to-door, “announcing the Good News.” You are missionaries of hope. Many people today do not have hope any more. Many people kill themselves, especially the young people here. They no longer have a place. They do not understand the sense of life, maybe because there is a lack of missionaries. And here you are called to go door-todoor to bring this hope so that people will have a taste for life. You are called to put a bit of salt in their life. In this modern world, we have material wealth, but unfortunately we are missing many important things. To give sense to this life, we are called to bring the Good News to humanity. It is like someone who puts some salt into some food that is not very salty. When food is not salted, it is not very appetizing. But when it is well salted, well seasoned, we eat it with much appetite. Go to season the life of our nation, our society. The return of the apostles from their mission There is another thing that we are also living: the return of the Apostles, in the Gospel of St. Luke, Ch. 9 verse 10: “And the apostles on their return reported to him all that they had done.” It is the life of the Pilgrims. No Pilgrim can go to do the apostolate and come back just to sit down. When the Pilgrims return, they go to do their report. This means that the mission that they have just realized, it is not their mission. They were sent. When they return they should make a report so that their Page 10 mission can be evaluated, and so that the next mission can be improved. This has not started today (this manner of living) but dates from the time of Jesus with His apostles. And this is very pleasant to me. When the Pilgrims come to give their report to those responsible of the Community, these people should then give their report to the others. They make their report to Louis Even and Mrs. Gilberte Cote-Mercier, who have founded this Work. “Here is the Work that you have left. Here is how it progresses. You have left it at a certain level, and we have brought it to this level.” It is as if we have attained and confided these talents. And we should not bury these talents; we should fructify them. We should really become missionaries, go everywhere, and spread this Work that Mr. Louis Even has started. And he, for his part, will make a report to Jesus, and Jesus to His all-powerful Father. And this is how I have understood the life of the Pilgrims. They make a report in order to improve their Work. The Michael Journal I will speak now about the last point: the Michael Journal. I announced that, in the beginning, you stole the Michael Journal from us. And it’s true. We were reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” At the end, (of this citation), there is a phrase: “Today is accomplished in your ears this passage of scripture.” It is here that I say: “Michael Journal is a message of hope; it will be realized tomorrow.” Here (in Rougemont) your three meals are assured, it is truly a paradise compared to Africa. It is in Africa that we must waken the consciences so that the people understand what Social Credit and the Social Doctrine of the Church are. The Africans are still in obscurity. I think that Louis Even is smiling now, because I learned that in his projects, he wanted to spread the Michael Journal even in Africa. So dearly beloved in Our Lord, this is the little experience I wanted to share with you in this moment. By Fr. Jean-Romain Nioka creation. Just as artists long to paint one masterpiece among their many works, so Jesus made His mother to be His greatest masterpiece. Pope John Paul II has stated: “God in His deepest mystery is not a solitude, but a family, since He has in Himself fatherhood, sonship, and the essence of the family, which is love.” The story of our redemption, then, unfolds precisely as a family history, with a Father, an older Brother, and many siblings, united in a bond of love. Only one more person remains to make the correspondence perfect: a mother. No family is complete without a loving mother, and every motherless family feels this absence as an aching need. A well-trained theologian, Pope John Paul II has introduced the compact phrase “maternal mediation” into the Church’s theological vocabulary. And it seems to capture the very heart of Marian doctrine and devotion. As an Evangelical, I used to rush to the one verse that seemed to snuff out this seemingly heretical spark: Saint Paul’s categorical assertion that Christ is the only “mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5). How dare we refer to Mary’s maternal mediation! First, the Greek word used here for “one” is eis, which means “first” or “primary,” not monos, which means “only” or “sole.” Just as there is one mediator, there is also one divine sonship, which we all share, by way of participation with Christ (Filii in Filio, Sons in the Son). Christ’s mediation does not exclude Mary’s, but rather establishes it, by way of her participation. Furthermore, the Epistle to the Hebrews explains Christ’s high priesthood in terms of His being the first-born Son of God (Heb. 1:5-2:17), which serves as the basis for our divine sonship (Heb. 2:10-17), as well as our priestly sanctity and service (cf. Heb. 13:10-16; 1 Pet. 2:5). Once again, there is no tugof-war between Christ’s one priesthood and our participation in it. As first-born Son in God’s family, Jesus mediates as the High Priest between the Father and His children, whereas Mary mediates as Queen Mother (cf. 1 Kings 2:19; Rev. 12:1-17). Mary mothers the Son. For us sinners, she mothers our Savior. And for her Son, she mothers His siblings. When it comes to Mary’s role in God’s saving plan, “mother” is not only a noun, but a verb, and hence an office. As the Mother of God and His children, Mary shows us how to glorify the Father, not by grovelling, but by receiving the gift of His Son in the fullness of the Spirit. That is how God’s sovereign grace enables us to share in His glory, and so become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). So if you want to judge how well a person grasps the Gospel in its essence, find out how much they make of having God as their father - and Mary as their Mother. As we begin the third millennium, I believe that God wants to use Mary to bring a deep grace of conversion to all Christendom, not only Protestant and Orthodox, but Catholic as well. This fits with the Holy Father’s call for authentic ecumenism to be based on a “dialogue of conversion.” Such a conversion might seem improbable by human standards, but it’s one that I know can take place, because I have known it myself as a singular grace from God, mediated by His mother. By Scott Hahn Used with permission of Emmaus Road Publishing, (Emmausroad.org) “Catholic for a Reason II” pages 17-27. “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 April-May-June 2008 The Government does not create money 1. That each man is entitled to the necessities of life; by Louis Even When one speaks of economics, one speaks of man’s activities to place the goods of the earth at the service of his needs. It is not enough to find goods, or to produce them; it is also necessary to bring them to the right destination or goal. Otherwise economics does not reach its end. One must not satisfy himself with just bringing wheat from the earth; it is necessary for bread to enter the hungry stomach. It is necessary for shoes to be worn by naked feet, garments on the backs of those who are cold, furniture into homes, and wood into the stove. 2. That money must serve man and not man serve money; 3. That money must go in unity with production, and not production in unity with money; 4. That systems are made for man, and not man for systems; 5. That money must not limit the freedom and the growth of the human individual. Today’s economic system is based on money, but it also begins at the wrong end: Finance rules production; production rules consumption; man must adapt himself to what one offers him and to what one allows him to obtain. An economic system is good when it does that. It is bad when it does not, or when it only succeeds for a few privileged people. Each man has a right to a minimum of goods on earth, at least to the necessities of life. A system which does not guarantee the necessities of life to all members of society is a defective system. The Church has long ago affirmed this. The economic system improved by Social Credit will begin with man. Man, as a consumer, will give his orders to production; and production will obey the consumers’ orders. In regards to finance, it will be ordered to service to express the consumers’ desires, and be allowed to give them what they want, all that they want, in the limits of the possible. Wealth abounds Food, clothing, houses, furniture, fuel, medicines, education — this is wealth; this is what supports or sustains life. It is easy today to produce these useful things. They are advertised for sale everywhere. One looks more for buyers than for workers. The present problem is not to make wheat to grow out of the earth, but to put the flour into the homes. It is not to manufacture shoes, but to distribute them to the population. And why is this difficult? The food awaits those who are starving. Those who are hungry are waiting for the food. How come the two do not join together? Coal is waiting for the furnace, and the furnace is waiting for the coal. How come the two do not join together, seeing that the miner is unemployed and small children shiver in the houses? How come the sick are not provided with medicine? This is the case in everything, in spite of the intensive advertising, and in spite of the salesmen. The wealth is there, but permission to obtain it is not there. The wealth of the country is in the useful things. But the permission to choose the goods which one needs is money. The wealth is in front of the public. But the money is not in the public’s hands. Therefore, the public has not the permission to take the things which are made for it. Money Money is but the permission to obtain the things which are waiting on the shelves. If there are no items waiting, money does not serve, because there is nothing to buy. But if the things are there, and it is the money that is lacking, one cannot buy the things. One then deprives himself in front of abundance that is deprecating. What is more difficult to do: to produce food, clothing, furniture, houses, or to give the permission (the money) to buy them. Nevertheless, it is the food, clothing, furniture, houses that are there, and the permissions which are lacking. These permissions are conventional signs: round metal coins, rectangular pieces of printed paper, or simple accounts in bank books. All of these permissions are perfectly valid. The important thing is to have them. Who creates wealth? The workers. Who creates the permissions? The bankers. The workers, helped by machines, create a great deal of wealth in the world. But the bankers, helped by a diabolical system, make the permissions exceptionally rare. They are rare because the bankers, when they create them, only let them go for a certain period of time, and then induce the population to return the permissions. They even demand to have more permissions returned back to them than they had put out. Therefore, these permissions become rare. There would remain less than nothing if there would not be public debts, mortgages on farms and houses, the many bankruptcies, all of which represent permissions kept beyond their term. The money manufacturers, the bankers, rule the quantity of permissions. They therefore rule the standard of living. One does not eat in agreement with the food of the country. One does not dress himself in accordance with the country’s clothing. April-May-June 2008 One does not lodge himself in unity with the wood nor the other construction materials of the country. One does all of this and other things with the quantity of money that the system permits us to have. The Popes have denounced this system, but it continues just the same. When and how do banks create money? When and how do they destroy money, thus removing the permissions to live? All of this has been explained in various “Michael” articles, and we come back to them from time to time. The brochure “What do we mean by real Social Credit” basically explains it. All people should know it, so as to understand the remedy. The Government and money The Government does not create money. It taxes and borrows to have money. But it does not create it. When the individuals are at the end of their capacities for taxes and loans, the Government borrows from the banks. The banks have received from the Government itself the permission to create money in its place. And when the Government wants to have money from them, it gives them money and then gets into debt. What a beautiful return for the privilege which it has amiably granted to them! It is the Government that should create the money in accordance with the total quantity of useful things for sale in the country. Instead of that, it submits to the will of bankers, and all the people (like the Government itself) suffer from a lack of money. This degeneration of the Government makes it the servant of private interests. And all the people have become the slaves of these private interests. The people who take the trouble to study the question are stunned by such disorder, and more and more they demand that the Government create the money in accordance with the needs and possibilities of the country. This does not mean to say that the Government must create money in accordance with the whims of men who are in power, nor that it must use this money as it pleases. It is the producers themselves who make the goods, and the consumers who use them. The Government acts along with the volume of money, like an accountant works with the total production and consumption of the country. The accountant is not the owner of the money that he is accounting, he only keeps the books. He does not create the facts; he just notes them down. Social Credit It is for this reason, and for other principles expounded in numerous articles in past issues of “Michael”, that Social Credit demands a dividend for each citizen, and that money be in relation with the total saleable production. Study Social Credit. You will understand it if you believe: Is there a place for moral ethics in all of this? Yes, where man is found acting freely as a man. It is in placing his orders that the consumer must act as a man, to guide himself with his reason. It is there that education, morals, and religion must intervene. Today, it is finance that intervenes. Finance has usurped the place of reason to lead man’s orders. Social Credit puts things in their proper place. This is why one finds a much more sound philosophy in the head of a Social Crediter from the countryside than in the banker’s from Wall or Bay Street. Louis Even Apostolate in California During the months of March and April, I had the pleasure of going to California for a month. One month before I went to her place, Virginia Ahumada gave two bundles of leaflets to a young man named Mario from Honduras. He brought them to his friends and to his church. They were so enthusiastic about it that they sent some to a priest in Honduras and elsewhere in South America. I went with Virginia to meet Jesus Mendez (see photo), a contact of hers. He is a distributor of religious articles and owns his store in Los Angeles. He is servicing many stores and churches all over the town, so he knows many people. We left him 50 bundles of leaflets at his store which he wants to spread and he subscribed for 4 years. The day before, we also distributed 20 bundles at the San Conrado Mission Church. Also we met a nun at Immaculate Conception Church, who is the pastoral director and took 2,000 leaflets and she wants to come to the Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City. 40,000 leaflets were distributed for the last 2 weeks in Los Angeles: with a total of 200 subscriptions gathered. Patrick Tetrault Leaflet distribution Sarah Hill from Sherman Oaks in California is a great distributor of our leaflets. She came to our Congress last year, and left very enthusiastic. She distributes leaflets wherever she goes: at rallys, protests, and during door-todoor visits. Connie Arnaldo has been doing a lot of apostolate in her area as well, making many new contacts and spreading many leaflets. Congratulations and many thanks for the beautiful apostolate work being done in California! “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 Page 11 POPE BENEDICT XVI VISITS THE USA “Faith Sheds New Light on All Things” Here are excerpts from the various speeches of Pope Benedict XVI during his inspiring pastoral journey to the United States of America, April 15-20, 2008: ishes and vital movements, in the enthusiasm for the faith shown by so many young people, in the number of those who each year embrace the Catholic faith, and in a greater interest in prayer and catechesis. At the same time she senses, often painfully, the presence of division and polarization in her midst, as well as the troubling realization that many of the baptized, rather than acting as a spiritual leaven in the world, are inclined to embrace attitudes contrary to the truth of the Gospel. “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth!” (cf. Ps 104:30). The words of today’s Responsorial Psalm are a prayer which rises up from the heart of the Church in every time and place. They remind us that the Holy Spirit has been poured out as the first fruits of a new creation, “new heavens and a new earth” (cf. 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1), in which God’s peace will reign and the human family will be reconciled in justice and love. We have heard Saint Paul tell us that all creation is even now “groaning” in expectation of that true freedom which is God’s gift to his children (Rom 8:21-22), a freedom which enables us to live in conformity to his will. Today let us pray fervently that the Church in America will be renewed in that same Spirit, and sustained in her mission of proclaiming the Gospel to a world that longs for genuine freedom (cf. Jn 8:32), authentic happiness, and the fulfillment of its deepest aspirations! Homily at Nationals Stadium, Washington, D.C., April 17: “I have come to America to confirm you in the faith of the Apostles” In the exercise of my ministry as the Successor of Peter, I have come to America to confirm you, my brothers and sisters, in the faith of the Apostles (cf. Lk 22:32). I have come to proclaim anew, as Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost, that Jesus Christ is Lord and Messiah, risen from the dead, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father, and established as judge of the living and the dead (cf. Acts 2:14ff.). I have come to repeat the Apostle’s urgent call to conversion and the forgiveness of sins, and to implore from the Lord a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in this country. As we have heard throughout this Easter season, the Church was born of the Spirit’s gift of repentance and faith in the risen Lord. In every age she is impelled by the same Spirit to bring to men and women of every race, language and people (cf. Rev 5:9) the good news of our reconciliation with God in Christ. Here I wish to offer a special word of gratitude and encouragement to all those who have taken up the challenge of the Second Vatican Council, so often reiterated by Pope John Paul II, and committed their lives to the new evangelization. I thank my brother Bishops, priests and deacons, men and women religious, parents, teachers and catechists. The fidelity and courage with which the Church in this country will respond to the challenges raised by an increasingly secular and materialistic culture will depend in large part upon your own fidelity in handing on the treasure of our Catholic faith. Young people need to be helped to discern the path that leads to true freedom: the path of a sincere and generous imitation of Christ, the path of commitment to justice and peace. Much progress has been made in developing solid programs of catechesis, yet so much more remains to be done in forming the hearts and minds of the young in knowledge and love of the Lord. The challenges confronting us require a comprehensive and sound instruction in the truths of the faith. But they also call for cultivating a mindset, an intellec- I pray, then, that this significant anniversary in the life of the Church in the United States, and the presence of the Successor of Peter in your midst, will be an occasion for all Catholics to reaffirm their unity in the apostolic faith, to offer their contemporaries a convincing account of the hope which inspires them (cf. 1 Pet 3:15), and to be renewed in missionary zeal for the extension of God’s Kingdom. The world needs this witness ! Who can deny that the present moment is a crossroads, not only for the Church in America but also for society as a whole? It is a time of great promise, as we see the human family in many ways drawing closer together and becoming ever more interdependent. Yet at the same time we see clear signs of a disturbing breakdown in the very foundations of society: signs of alienation, anger and polarization on the part of many of our contemporaries; increased violence; a weakening of the moral sense; a coarsening of social relations; and a growing forgetfulness of God. The Church, too, sees signs of immense promise in her many strong par- Page 12 On April 16, the Pope’s 81st birthday was celebrated in the White House “Michael” Journal, 1101 Principale St., Rougemont, QC, Canada — J0L 1M0 The Pope with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon tual “culture”, which is genuinely Catholic, confident in the profound harmony of faith and reason, and prepared to bring the richness of faith’s vision to bear on the urgent issues which affect the future of American society. In today’s Gospel, the risen Lord bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and grants them the authority to forgive sins. Through the surpassing power of Christ’s grace, entrusted to frail human ministers, the Church is constantly reborn and each of us is given the hope of a new beginning. Let us trust in the Spirit’s power to inspire conversion, to heal every wound, to overcome every division, and to inspire new life and freedom. How much we need these gifts! And how close at hand they are, particularly in the sacrament of Penance! The liberating power of this sacrament, in which our honest confession of sin is met by God’s merciful word of pardon and peace, needs to be rediscovered and reappropriated by every Catholic. To a great extent, the renewal of the Church in America depends on the renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which that sacrament both inspires and accomplishes. Address to United Nations,New York City, April 18: “Human rights are based on natural law” This reference to human dignity, which is the foundation and goal of the responsibility to protect, leads us to the theme we are specifically focusing upon this year, which marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document was the outcome of a convergence of different religious and cultural traditions, all of them motivated by the common desire to place the human person at the heart of institutions, laws and the workings of society, and to consider the human person essential for the world of culture, religion and science. Human rights are increasingly being presented as the common language and the ethical substratum of international relations. At the same time, the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights all serve as guarantees safeguarding human dignity. It is evident, though, that the rights recognized and expounded in the Declaration apply to everyone by virtue of the common origin of the person, who remains the high-point of God’s creative design for the world and for history. They are based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts and present in different cultures and civilizations. Removing human rights from this context would mean restricting their range and yielding to a relativistic conception, according to which the meaning and interpretation of rights could vary and their universality would be denied in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks. This great variety of viewpoints must not Tel.: Rougemont (450) 469-2209; Montreal area (514) 856-5714; Fax (450) 469-2601; www.michaeljournal.org April-May-June 2008 be allowed to obscure the fact that not only rights are universal, but so too is the human person, the subject of those rights. The life of the community, both domestically and internationally, clearly demonstrates that respect for rights, and the guarantees that follow from them, are measures of the common good that serve to evaluate the relationship between justice and injustice, development and poverty, security and conflict. The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security. Indeed, the victims of hardship and despair, whose human dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence, and they can then become violators of peace. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Padre Felix Varela: any one of us could be among them, for there is no stereotype to this group, no single mold. Yet a closer look reveals that there are common elements. Inflamed with the love of Jesus, their lives became remarkable journeys of hope. For some, that meant leaving home and embarking on a pilgrim journey of thousands of miles. For each there was an act of abandonment to God, in the confidence that he is the final destination of every pilgrim. And all offered an outstretched hand of hope to those they encountered along the way, often awakening in them a life of faith. Through orphanages, schools and hospitals, by befriending the poor, the sick and the marginalized, and through the compelling witness that comes from walking humbly in the footsteps of Jesus, these six people laid open the way of faith, hope and charity to countless individuals, including perhaps your own ancestors. others, especially the vulnerable and the innocent, to join you along the way of goodness and hope. The second area of darkness — that which affects the mind — often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations. I have already mentioned the many liberties which you are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundamental importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded. It is no surprise then that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda. And what of today? Who bears witness to the Good News of Jesus on the streets of New York, in the troubled neighborhoods of large cities, in the places where the young gather, seeking someone in whom they can trust? God is our origin and our destination, and Jesus the way. The path of that journey twists and turns — just as it did for our saints — through the joys and the trials of ordinary, everyday life: within your families, at school or college, during your recreation activities, and in your parish communities. All these places are marked by the culture in which you are growing up. As young Americans you are offered many opportunities for personal development, and you are brought up with a sense of generosity, service and fairness. Yet you do not need me to tell you that there are also difficulties: activities and mindsets which stifle hope, pathways which seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment but in fact end only in confusion and fear. At Yankee Stadium, New York City, April 20 Human rights, of course, must include the right to religious freedom, understood as the expression of a dimension that is at once individual and communitarian – a vision that brings out the unity of the person while clearly distinguishing between the dimension of the citizen and that of the believer. The activity of the United Nations in recent years has ensured that public debate gives space to viewpoints inspired by a religious vision in all its dimensions, including ritual, worship, education, dissemination of information and the freedom to profess and choose religion. It is inconceivable, then, that believers should have to suppress a part of themselves – their faith – in order to be active citizens. It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one’s rights. The rights associated with religion are all the more in need of protection if they are considered to clash with a prevailing secular ideology or with majority religious positions of an exclusive nature. The full guarantee of religious liberty cannot be limited to the free exercise of worship, but has to give due consideration to the public dimension of religion, and hence to the possibility of believers playing their part in building the social order. Indeed, they actually do so, for example through their influential and generous involvement in a vast network of initiatives which extend from universities, scientific institutions and schools to health care agencies and charitable organizations in the service of the poorest and most marginalized. Refusal to recognize the contribution to society that is rooted in the religious dimension and in the quest for the Absolute – by its nature, expressing communion between persons – would effectively privilege an individualistic approach, and would fragment the unity of the person. Meeting With Youth and Seminarians, St. Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY, April 19: “God is our origin and our destination, and Jesus the Way” Young friends, I am very happy to have the opportunity to speak with you… In front of you are the images of six ordinary men and women who grew up to lead extraordinary lives. The Church honors them as Venerable, Blessed, or Saint: each responded to the Lord’s call to a life of charity and each served him here, in the alleys, streets and suburbs of New York. I am struck by what a remarkably diverse group they are: poor and rich, lay men and women - one a wealthy wife and mother - priests and sisters, immigrants from afar, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior father and Algonquin mother, another a Haitian slave, and a Cuban intellectual. April-May-June 2008 My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew — infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion — before it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good. Many of your grandparents and great-grandparents will have recounted the horror of the destruction that ensued. Indeed, some of them came to America precisely to escape such terror. Let us thank God that today many people of your generation are able to enjoy the liberties which have arisen through the extension of democracy and respect for human rights. Let us thank God for all those who strive to ensure that you can grow up in an environment that nurtures what is beautiful, good, and true: your parents and grandparents, your teachers and priests, those civic leaders who seek what is right and just. The power to destroy does, however, remain. To pretend otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet, it never triumphs; it is defeated. This is the essence of the hope that defines us as Christians; and the Church recalls this most dramatically during the Easter Triduum and celebrates it with great joy in the season of Easter! The One who shows us the way beyond death is the One who shows us how to overcome destruction and fear: thus it is Jesus who is the true teacher of life (cf. “Spe Salvi,” 6). His death and resurrection mean that we can say to the Father “you have restored us to life!” (Prayer after Communion, Good Friday). And so, just a few weeks ago, during the beautiful Easter Vigil liturgy, it was not from despair or fear that we cried out to God for our world, but with hope-filled confidence: dispel the darkness of our hearts! dispel the darkness of our minds! (cf. Prayer at the Lighting of the Easter Candle). What might that darkness be? What happens when people, especially the most vulnerable, encounter a clenched fist of repression or manipulation rather than a hand of hope? A first group of examples pertains to the heart. Here, the dreams and longings that young people pursue can so easily be shattered or destroyed. I am thinking of those affected by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence, and degradation — especially of girls and women. While the causes of these problems are complex, all have in common a poisoned attitude of mind which results in people being treated as mere objects — a callousness of heart takes hold which first ignores, then ridicules, the God-given dignity of every human being. Such tragedies also point to what might have been and what could be, were there other hands — your hands — reaching out. I encourage you to invite Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth’s place — or better said its absence — an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a “freedom” which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ’s very being for others (cf. “Spe Salvi,” 28). How then can we as believers help others to walk the path of freedom which brings fulfillment and lasting happiness? Let us again turn to the saints. How did their witness truly free others from the darkness of heart and mind? The answer is found in the kernel of their faith; the kernel of our faith. The Incarnation, the birth of Jesus, tells us that God does indeed find a place among us. Though the inn is full, he enters through the stable, and there are people who see his light. They recognize Herod’s dark closed world for what it is, and instead follow the bright guiding star of the night sky. And what shines forth? Here you might recall the prayer uttered on the most holy night of Easter: “Father we share in the light of your glory through your Son the light of the world … inflame us with your hope!” (Blessing of the Fire). And so, in solemn procession with our lighted candles we pass the light of Christ among us. It is “the light which dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores (continued on page 14) “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 Page 13 POPE BENEDICT XVI VISITS THE USA (continued from page 13) lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride” (Exsultet). This is Christ’s light at work. This is the way of the saints. It is a magnificent vision of hope — Christ’s light beckons you to be guiding stars for others, walking Christ’s way of forgiveness, reconciliation, humility, joy and peace. Homily during Mass at St. Patrick’s, New York City, April 19: “Communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love” In this morning’s second reading, Saint Paul reminds us that spiritual unity — the unity which reconciles and enriches diversity — has its origin and supreme model in the life of the triune God. As a communion of pure love and infinite freedom, the Blessed Trinity constantly brings forth new life in the work of creation and redemption. The Church, as “a people made one by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Spirit” (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4), is called to proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life. Here in this cathedral, our thoughts turn naturally to the heroic witness to the Gospel of life borne by the late Cardinals Cooke and O’Connor. The proclamation of life, life in abundance, must be the heart of the new evangelization. For true life — our salvation — can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gift. This is the message of hope we are called to proclaim and embody in a world where self-centeredness, greed, violence, and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts. Saint Irenaeus, with great insight, understood that the command which Moses enjoined upon the people of Israel: “Choose life!” (Dt 30:19) was the ultimate reason for our obedience to all God’s Commandments (cf. Adv. Haer. IV, 16, 2-5). Perhaps we have lost sight of this: in a society where the Church seems legalistic and “institutional” to many people, our most urgent challenge is to communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love. I am particularly happy that we have gathered in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Perhaps more than any other church in the United States, this place is known and loved as “a house of prayer for all peoples” (cf. Is 56:7; Mk 11:17)… I would like to draw your attention to a few aspects of this beautiful structure which I think can serve as a starting point for a reflection on our particular vocations within the unity of the Mystical Body. The first has to do with the stained glass windows, which flood the interior with mystic light. From the outside, those windows are dark, heavy, even dreary. But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendor. Many writers — here in America we can think of Nathaniel Hawthorne — have used the image of stained glass to illustrate the mystery of the Church herself. It is only from the inside, from the experience of faith and ecclesial life, that we see the Church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit. It follows that we, who live the life of grace within the Church’s communion, are called to draw all people into this mystery of light. This is no easy task in a world which can tend to look at the Church, like those stained glass windows, “from the outside”: a world which deeply senses a need for spirituality, yet finds it difficult to “enter into” the mystery of the Church. Even for those of us within, the light of faith can be dimmed by routine, and the splendor of the Church obscured by the sins and weaknesses of her members. It can be dimmed too, by the obstacles encountered in a society which sometimes seems to have forgotten God and to resent even the most elementary demands of Christian morality. You, who have devoted your lives to bearing witness to the love of Christ and the building up of his Body, know from your daily contact with the world around us how tempting it is at times to give way to frustration, disappointment and even pessimism about the future. In a word, it is not always easy to see the light of the Spirit all about us, the splendor of the Risen Lord illuminating our lives and instilling renewed hope in his victory over the world (cf. Jn 16:33). This leads me to a further reflection about the architecture of this church. Like all Gothic cathedrals, Page 14 it is a highly complex structure, whose exact and harmonious proportions symbolize the unity of God’s creation. Medieval artists often portrayed Christ, the creative Word of God, as a heavenly “geometer”, compass in hand, who orders the cosmos with infinite wisdom and purpose. Does this not bring to mind our need to see all things with the eyes of faith, and thus to grasp them in their truest perspective, in the unity of God’s eternal plan? This requires, as we know, constant conversion, and a commitment to acquiring “a fresh, spiritual way of thinking” (cf. Eph 4:23). It also calls for the cultivation of those virtues which enable each of us to grow in holiness and to bear spiritual fruit within our particular state of life. Is not this ongoing “intellectual” conversion as necessary as “moral” conversion for our own growth in faith, our discernment of the signs of the times, and our personal contribution to the Church’s life and mission? The spires of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis, they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God. As we celebrate this Eucharist, let us thank the Lord for allowing us to know him in the communion of the Church, to cooperate in building up his Mystical Body, and in bringing his saving word as good news to the men and women of our time. And when we leave this great church, let us go forth as heralds of hope in the midst of this city, and all those places where God’s grace has placed us. In this way, the Church in America will know a new springtime in the Spirit, and point the way to that other, greater city, the new Jerusalem, whose light is the Lamb (Rev 21:23). For there God is even now preparing for all people a banquet of unending joy and life. Amen. Pope’s address to the U.S. Bishops Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, April 17 While it is true that this country is marked by a genuinely religious spirit, the subtle influence of secularism can nevertheless color the way people allow their faith to influence their behavior. Is it consistent to profess our beliefs in church on Sunday, and then during the week to promote business practices or medical procedures contrary to those beliefs? Is it consistent for practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching, or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death? Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel. For an affluent society, a further obstacle to an encounter with the living God lies in the subtle influence of materialism, which can all too easily focus the attention on the hundredfold, which God promises now in this time, at the expense of the eternal life which he promises in the age to come (cf. Mk 10:30). People today need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of their lives. They need to recognize that implanted within them is a deep thirst for God. They need to be given opportunities to drink from the wells of his infinite love. It is easy to be entranced by the almost unlimited possibilities that science and technology place before us; it is easy to make the mistake of thinking we can obtain by our own efforts the fulfillment of our deepest needs. This is an illusion. Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain (cf. Spe Sal- vi, 31), our lives are ultimately empty. People need to be constantly reminded to cultivate a relationship with him who came that we might have life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). The goal of all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish and nurture that living relationship with “Christ Jesus, our hope” (1 Tim 1:1). In a society which values personal freedom and autonomy, it is easy to lose sight of our dependence on others as well as the responsibilities that we bear towards them. This emphasis on individualism has even affected the Church (cf. Spe Salvi, 13-15), giving rise to a form of piety which sometimes emphasizes our private relationship with God at the expense of our calling to be members of a redeemed community. Yet from the beginning, God saw that “it is not good for man to be alone” (Gen 2:18). We were created as social beings who find fulfillment only in love - for God and for our neighbor. If we are truly to gaze upon him who is the source of our joy, we need to do so as members of the people of God (cf. Spe Salvi, 14). If this seems counter-cultural, that is simply further evidence of the urgent need for a renewed evangelization of culture. The family is also the primary place for evangelization, for passing on the faith, for helping young people to appreciate the importance of religious practice and Sunday observance. How can we not be dismayed as we observe the sharp decline of the family as a basic element of Church and society? Divorce and infidelity have increased, and many young men and women are choosing to postpone marriage or to forego it altogether. To some young Catholics, the sacramental bond of marriage seems scarcely distinguishable from a civil bond, or even a purely informal and open-ended arrangement to live with another person. Hence we have an alarming decrease in the number of Catholic marriages in the United States together with an increase in cohabitation, in which the Christ-like mutual self-giving of spouses, sealed by a public promise to live out the demands of an indissoluble lifelong commitment, is simply absent. In such circumstances, children are denied the secure environment that they need in order truly to flourish as human beings, and society is denied the stable building blocks which it requires if the cohesion and moral focus of the community are to be maintained. Children should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. This brings us back to our consideration of the centrality of the family and the need to promote the Gospel of life. What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today? We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. All have a part to play in this task - not only parents, religious leaders, teachers and catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well. Homily at Yankee’s Stadium, New York City, April 20: “Look to the Future With Hope” Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, in the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus tells his Apostles to put their faith in him, for he is “the way, and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6). Christ is the way that leads to the Father, the truth which gives meaning to human existence, and the source of that life which is eternal joy with all the saints in his heavenly Kingdom. Let us take the Lord at his word! Let us renew our faith in him and put all our hope in his promises! The first reading also makes clear, as we see from the imposition of hands on the first deacons, that the Church’s unity is “apostolic”. It is a visible unity, grounded in the Apostles whom Christ chose and appointed as witnesses to his resurrection, and it is born of what the Scriptures call “the obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5; cf. Acts 6:7). “Authority” … “obedience”. To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a “stumbling stone” for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ — “the way and the truth and the life” — we come to see the fullest mean- “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 April-May-June 2008 (continued from page 14) ing, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. “In his will is our peace.” Real freedom, then, is God’s gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on “the mind of Christ” (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the “apostolate” of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God’s saving plan. Each day, throughout this land, you and so many of your neighbors pray to the Father in the Lord’s own words: “Thy Kingdom come”. This prayer needs to shape the mind and heart of every Christian in this nation. It needs to bear fruit in the way you lead your lives and in the way you build up your families and your communities. It needs to create new “settings of hope” (cf. Spe Salvi, 32ff.) where God’s Kingdom becomes present in all its saving power. Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for its growth in every sector of society. It means facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ’s victory and a commitment to extending his reign. It means not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal. It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, “there is no human activity — even in secular affairs — which can be withdrawn from God’s dominion” (Lumen Gentium, 36). It means working to enrich American society and culture with the beauty and truth of the Gospel, and never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives. And this, dear friends, is the particular challenge which the Successor of Saint Peter sets before you today. As “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation”, follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! Hasten the coming of God’s Kingdom in this land! Past generations have left you an impressive legacy. In our day too, the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst. On these solid foundations, the future of the Church in America must even now begin to rise! Amen! In loving memory of our economist for Social Credit: Diane Boucher Diane Boucher, from Lac Delage, near Quebec City, died on May 4th at the age of 55. She received death with courage, her greatest sorrow was having to leave her children: LouisMichel, Anne-Gabrielle, VictorJoel and Catherine-Sophie. She made many sacrifices to give them a good education and to transmit the Catholic faith, and left a very lucrative job in computer research (in which she had a Masters’ degree), in order to homeschool her children, something that she undertook on her own. purchasing power and that it is impossible to correct this problem in the financial system where the money is a good that is fabricated and commerce is in view of the profits. According to him, the correction demands a financial system where the purchasing power and the currency is adjustable for the direct manipulation at the level of prices and the general distribution of a dividend based on the capacity of national production. “So, my wish would be to form the economists of the future following the thoughts of Douglas.” She learned Social Credit through her husband, Francois Couture, and decided to take courses in economic science at the University of Laval in order to prove the truthfulness of Social Credit. She studied the theory in depth... And she compared orthodox economics and the new economy proposed by the Scottish engineer Major Clifford Hugh Douglas; she read all his books. Gifted with a brilliant intelligence, the deeper she went into the subject, the more she was enthralled. A professor recognized the value of her research and accepted to guide her work. She was then able to obtain her Masters’ degree in economics, and she already had a Master’s degree in research. She was illuminated by Social Credit: “I do not say that I believe that Social Credit is good, but I say that I KNOW THAT SOCIAL CREDIT IS GOOD.” She went to the bottom of the question... She realized that her convictions did not bring her honors, applause or a higher level of living; because she understood the power against which she was fighting. She stood up to the consequences rather than renounce the truth. At the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, on September 29, 2003 she told me: “I know that the economists would never admit that they had studied an error; it had to be an engineer that discovered the grave errors in the present financial system. “C.H. Douglas affirmed that this fault in the system of prices causes an accelerated reduction of the A little while later, at the office of the Michael Journal, we received a letter from Catholic Action from the Diocese of Cracow in Poland, dated September 29, 2003, which is the feast of St. Michael the Archangel that was the same day that Mrs. Boucher told me of her plans. On December 5-7th, 2003, Catholic Action organized a seminar in Zakopane, in which the principal subject was Social Credit, and they asked us to participate. Mrs. Diane Boucher and Mr. Alain Pilote accepted the invitation to represent the Institute of Louis Even for Social Justice at this seminar. They really interested the participants in Social Credit; this group consisted of intellectuals from different professions, who were already sympathetic to the idea: economists, professors, engineers, doctors and a deputy. Our two representatives were also invited to speak about Social Credit on Radio Maria. The seed was planted on good soil. Since that time, Mrs. Boucher applied herself to conceive a model of the application of Social Credit. Providence will see that though her work is unfinished, it be continued, so that finally justice will be established in the world. Spiritually prepared to enter into Heaven, she left us in May “the month of Mary, the most beautiful month.” A believer, she fought her whole life for justice, and Jesus opens His Heart wide in order to welcome her into His Kingdom where all is truth. The Mass of May 24th was celebrated at the St. Michael House for the repose of the soul of Mrs. Diane Boucher. Subscription rates to “Michael” for Australia (in Australian dollars) Surface mail: 2 years $32.00 1 year $16.00 Air mail: 2 years $64.00 1 year $32.00 Please make all cheques and/or money orders payable to: Renata Stirrat, 32 Dundee Ave., Holden Hill, SA 5088 For New Zealand (in NZ dollars) Surface mail: 2 years $36.00 1 year $18.00 Air mail: 2 years $74.00 1 year $36.00 Please make all cheques and/or money orders payable to: Mr. Henry Raynel, 120 Litten Road, Howick Auckland, New Zealand E-mail: [email protected] April-May-June 2008 Send this form with your cheque or money order to: For Canada: “Michael” Journal, 1101 Principale St., Rougemont, QC J0L 1M0; Tel.: 450-469-2209 For the U.S.A.: “Michael” Journal, P.O. Box 86, South Deerfield, MA 01373; Tel: 1-888-858-2163 “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 Page 15 Monetary Reform and How a National Monetary System Should Work By Richard C. Cook The author has received an overwhelming response to his recent Global Research report entitled, “An Emergency Program of Monetary Reform for the United States.” The introduction to that report stated that, “the U.S. financial system headed by the Federal Reserve System has failed, and…only an emergency program of monetary reform can address conditions which may be leading to a catastrophe like the Great Depression or worse.” When a loan is made it is issued as a liability on the bank’s ledger. When it is repaid, the liability is canceled. With today’s computer systems, all transactions are digitized, of course. The bank keeps the interest on the loan as its combined administrative fee and profit. The money that is lent had no prior existence. So what is really going on here? One of the things that is going on is that money is being mis-defined as a commodity. People who believe money is a commodity think it has value inand-of-itself. But one of the hardest things to grasp about money is that not even gold or silver money, or paper money supposedly backed by gold or silver, has or could have intrinsic value. Note that all the banks of the Western world are ultimately private institutions owned by the world’s super-rich. The international banking structure is operated by, and on behalf of, the world’s monetary elite primarily for their own profit. The author had realized as early as 1970 that the central problem with the world’s economy lay on the side of distribution, not production. He came to Washington, D.C., that year and spent most of the next thirty-six years working within sight of the Washington Monument, learning how things really work, and pondering the methods that might be more in concord with such founding documents of American democracy as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Twenty-one of these years were with the U.S. Treasury Department. Now, for the first time, this report builds on the findings of many of the world’s monetary reformers past and present by offering a complete prescription for a new and better world. This prescription is radically different from most progressive reform agendas that address only symptoms of the underlying systemic failures. WHERE MONEY COMES FROM When setting out to study monetary principles, we must realize how little we know of the real facts of monetary history. Economics is an extremely limited discipline rife with untested assumptions and unchallengeable dogmas. Its most pernicious doctrine is the assertion that there is something called “the market,” where there is an “invisible hand” that makes everything work out the way it is supposed to. Actually, an economy functions according to the principles according to which it is designed and regulated. If it is designed to funnel wealth into the hands of the monetary controllers, then that is what the “market” and the “invisible hand” will do. If it is designed to foster “the general welfare,” as it should according to the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, then the “market” and the “invisible hand” will tend in that direction. Richard Cook Once money is created as credit, it takes many forms according to how the loan recipient spends it. Some credit is used by businesses or individuals as investment in order to generate profits over and above the amount they must repay to the bank with interest. If the money is used simply for consumer purchases, the individual consumer must pay back the loan through future earnings. In those cases where the borrower defaults on the loan or goes bankrupt, the money simply remains in circulation however it was spent. Actually, money is anything that a willing buyer and a willing seller agree to exchange for something else. Money could be and has been such things as gold, silver, paper, wampum, cows, stones, shells, sticks with notches, or, today, electronic blips. What may appear to give gold or silver value is its scarcity and durability. But unless there are goods and services available and for sale, gold and silver are totally useless. You can’t eat gold or silver, live in them, or wear them. In and of themselves they have no value. What gives any money value is the producing economy and nothing else. Unfortunately, large amounts of credit are used mainly for speculation, not for any benefit to the producing economy. This includes securities bought on margin and borrowing by hedge funds where the fund may make a profit even if the value of its investments goes down. Bank-created credit in this case is little more than chips in a casino. So by this definition, bank-created credit, while it may generate money which a willing buyer and seller agree to exchange, is money with strings attached, in that at some point, it must travel back to the bank in cancellation of a debt. Thus a buyer who offers it to a seller is, in reality, deceiving himself about his actual ability to pay. He is not a free man. Always lurking in the back of his mind is that with every article he has purchased he has shackled himself ever more firmly to future indentured servitude. Other borrowing takes place by equity funds and other types of investors for leveraged mergers or buyouts of entire companies, where the predators wreck a company’s infrastructure by reducing costs and selling its assets, then pay back their bank loans before unloading the business on someone else. The seller, on the other hand, may breathe a little more freely having just acquired some of the monetary medium necessary to repay his own debts. And so it goes, ad infinitum. Even if the money were backed by gold and silver, the system would work in exactly the same way. The most important thing to realize about the banking system is that the money which enters into circulation as purchasing power must eventually be returned in the repayment of loans. This is why the Federal Reserve’s monetary measures—M1, M2, and M3—are meaningless, because so much of it has liens against it. So by what right do the bankers bind the economy in such a straightjacket of debt? Again, the underlying logic is that money is a commodity. A group of men have money. It is their money, we believe, rightfully earned. Therefore, because these individuals have money, they have a further right to lend it to others. We are taught that paying it back is the way things should be—obviously, if we borrow something, we should pay back what we owe. But under existing laws, the banking system then makes the leap of assuming that because they have money which can be lent, they have a right to lend much more than they actually possess. Somehow they have become fit practitioners of the fractional reserve banking system whereby, as described above, they can lend simply by creating debits in their computers, based on some ratio between their capital stock and their lending ceiling. Unfortunately, we march today to the tune of the monetary elite, so they are the ones who reap the profits and the benefits. They are the ones on whom the “invisible hand” lavishes the wealth of the world. But the peculiar thing is that because the borrowed money pays for labour, commodities, rent, etc., it becomes part of the prices that are eventually charged for goods and services. However, when the money goes back to the bank to cancel a loan, that purchasing power disappears. Neither the banks nor economists ever make note of the fact that this process creates a chronic shortage of purchasing power which must be filled by more loans and more bank profits. The economy is thus a treadmill that borrowers must constantly trudge along in order to have enough money for survival. It is done through the process of bank-created credit. While during the nineteenth century other forms of money circulated, such as large quantities of coinage, silver certificates, and government-issued greenbacks, almost all the money that exists today originates through a loan by a financial institution to an individual or a business. So a system which is seemingly grounded in the simple adage that if you borrow you should repay is all wrong. The reason it is all wrong is that in most cases, individual consumers should never have to borrow in the first place. And we never ask ourselves why, with the abundance that is possible from modern science and technology, should peo- Page 16 Thus we realize that the financial system works against what should be the real purpose of money, which is to serve as a ticket for the purchase by people of articles they need to survive or otherwise desire to utilize once the demand for survival has been met. People have needs and desires. The economy is fully capable of producing all the goods and services needed to fulfill those needs and desires. But the system is broken, because, despite the abundance of credit available for financial speculation, there is not sufficient money available at the consumer level to mediate between prices and consumption, even when most people have a job. We still must borrow, and that is wrong. There should be a better way for society to generate the money for what people need. This new report on “Monetary Reform and How a National Monetary System Should Work” continues the dialogue by outlining the principles and mechanisms available to help guide the creation of a monetary system for any nation that wishes to enjoy economic democracy with prosperity. This would be in contrast to the collapsing debt-based monetary system overseen by the Federal Reserve and the other central banks of the world, coordinated at the top by such institutions as the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of International Settlements. Just below the banking system are the giant corporations of the global economy which derive capital from, and funnel profits into, the financiers’ empire. Bringing up the rear are the populations and debt-serfs of the no-longer-sovereign nation states, including those of the United States, whose participation in the system as consumers is essential, but whose jobs continue to disappear as manufacturing is increasingly automated. ple have to borrow money at interest for the necessities of life—a house, a car, household expenses, an education, etc. But if bankers can do this, why can’t you or I? If I have $1,000, why can’t I then lend $10,000 and collect the corresponding interest? The answer is that a bank has a government charter and supposedly can guarantee through various safeguards that the people to whom it lends can repay. But even this isn’t required of a bank any more if it can package its loans and sell them to some other business entity, such as an investment company. But the fact is that banks can only be created by people who are already rich, who can put up some initial capital, build a functioning business, and ob- “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 (Continued on page 17) April-May-June 2008 (Continued from page 16) tain the government charter mentioned above. Once they do this, they are the masters of the world. Also note that under today’s highly unstable financial conditions, it is not only banks which create credit through lending. Since the deregulation of the 1980s, Wall Street brokerage firms greatly expanded the system whereby speculative loans are floated for purchase of securities. This has resulted in a current ratio of debt to equity of 22:1 in the U.S. securities markets, where debt far outweighs value. WHAT IS CREDIT? The word “credit” is one of the most widely-used and important word in the English language. Dictionary.com lists twenty-one definitions. All these definitions have some connotation of the concept of “value” and the exchange of that value across the dimensions of time and space between one person and another. Obviously, the ideas of “credit” and “money” are closely related. The idea of credit when viewed from a macroeconomic perspective refers to the ability of an economy to produce goods and services of value to the members of that community. It refers to the potential value of that economy to support life. What it does not and cannot refer to is money in and of itself, because money, as we have seen, has no intrinsic value. Without the credit-potential of a producing economy, money has no meaning. On the other hand, money can be a convenient yardstick to measure credit, as when we state that the 2006 GDP of the United States was $12.98 trillion. But actually, the “real” credit of the U.S. economy was much higher, because our economy is not running at anywhere near its full capacity. The automobile industry, for instance, is running at about fifty percent of its physical potential. So the real credit of the U.S. is actually higher than the GDP. “Credit” in an economic sense confers a legal right to draw on the goods and services that make up the potential GDP of the nation. It is the way the society agrees to hand out the monetary tickets by which the GDP may be acquired. Obviously, the issuance of either too many or too few tickets will cause problems. The issuance of too few tickets will result in underproduction, poverty, even death. The issuance of too many tickets will result in inflation. When the Federal Reserve creates, then deflates, asset bubbles, like the currently collapsing housing bubble, these effects alternate, resulting in the kind of ongoing economic chaos we have seen for decades. It can readily be seen that credit is a cultural phenomenon. It is the sum total of the entire productive capacity of the nation. It has grown from the past, exists in the present, and can be projected into the future. It is the result of the work of untold millions of people, dead and gone, alive today, and yet unborn. Many of its results may be proprietary, in terms of businesses, property, and patents owned, etc., but every person who has ever lived, lives today, or who will live in the future is a participant in that culture. be confused with the virtually unlimited availability of credit to speculators and stock predators as is presently the case with our Wall Street-based economy. This analysis has been documented at length by the Social Credit Movement and has been well-known to monetary reformers for decades. But these principles are poorly recognized. Money, and therefore credit, is viewed as private property, even though most of it, as stated previously, is made by banks “out of thin air.” It is no exaggeration to say that the existing system is one whereby the financial elite has confiscated and privatized the most important public resource of all, more important than water, land, electric power, etc. This has resulted in much of the world’s wars, poverty, and crime. This gap is what drives nations to seek overseas markets for their products as the U.S. did so strenuously during the post-World War II period. When the U.S. balance of payments later fell into negative territory, we tried to compensate by the policy of “dollar hegemony,” whereby we foisted our currency on the rest of the world as the principal means of oil trading, maintenance of currency reserves, and paying for our trade deficit. Let us again examine the ways money enters into the economic system, this time looking at the total credit picture of the U.S. economy. We said that the 2006 GDP was $12.98 trillion. This takes into account a trade deficit of $726 billion. The question is, where did the credit come from to purchase the GDP, because, by definition, it all had to be paid for in prices. But as the U.S. internal and external debt grows and our fiscal and trade deficits deepen, a total systemic breakdown is starting to take place. The main recent prop of the U.S. economy, the housing bubble, is deflating. And frantically, we are trying to escape by a radical devaluation of the dollar combined with an aggressive military policy based essentially on confiscating the resources of other nations such as Iraq. According to official data, the available national income in 2006 was $10.23 trillion, including wages, salaries, interest, dividends, personal business earnings, and capital gains. Of this amount, approximately one-third was taken through taxes by government at the federal, state, and local levels. Churning through the economy was borrowing of all kinds—for consumption, commerce, investment, speculation, new government debt, and to finance business transactions. In fact it was the net increase in debt—$3.77 trillion—that paid for the difference between GDP and national income. Debt also financed much of the trade deficit by our borrowing to purchase what was imported from abroad. The need to borrow has been greatly increased by the decline of the U.S. manufacturing sector, where well-paying jobs that contributed to the national income have disappeared or been outsourced overseas. The ratio of debt to national income has reached historic proportions—460 percent of the national income today vs.186 percent in 1957. Orthodox economics, including the manipulation of interest rates by the Federal Reserve, has no tools for resolving this crisis. The main reason is that neither economists nor politicians understand it, though bankers certainly do. Orthodox economics is helpless because people do not understand how the gap between production and purchasing power relates to the way the microeconomics of the corporation translates into the macroeconomics of nations. We observed earlier in this report that prices of articles within the economy include the loans that are taken out during the production process. But these loans are canceled as bank liabilities when they are repaid. Therefore the purchasing power of the economy always lags behind prices. This, combined with action to prop up our fiscal deficit by importing dollars spent abroad on manufactured products we no longer make ourselves, has created a house of cards that must soon come down. All that is lacking is a major shock, such as a widening war in the Middle East or inability by foreign creditors to continue to accept devalued dollars. Neither devaluation nor aggression will solve the problem which derives from the failure of debt financing to create real purchasing power and thereby resolve the chaos through which a system built for the profits of the financiers can never produce enough unencumbered credit to maintain our desired level of production and the standard of living that goes with it. THE PRESCRIPTION As with anyone facing bankruptcy, it is time for those who wish to understand the current U.S. economic crisis to take a deep breath, step back, and gather themselves in order to correctly assess the situation. Obviously the solution is not to risk blowing up the world by continuing to resolve our domestic economic problems through overseas conquests. This is what the Western nations have been trying to do for centuries, and it appears that the rest of the world may finally have had enough. This is especially the case today when the main factor that is floating the U.S. economy is the huge U.S. trade imbalance where foreign nations must use the dollars they take in to their ultimate disadvantage by financing a federal budget deficit that is measured in dollars whose value is dropping. Nor does the solution lie on the production side of the equation. The U.S. and other developed economies are capable of producing everything their populations need, even accompanied by a reasonable amount of foreign trade, especially if we can return our industry to the level of productivity we enjoyed prior to the Federal Reserve-induced recession of 1979-83 which gave us today’s anemic “service economy.” Therefore, credit can and should be viewed as a communal endowment, a public phenomenon, a part of what is called “the commons,” even with the normal and natural fact of the existence of private property. So the use of credit and its distribution should be treated as a public utility, like water or electricity. Everyone should have a right to its use, according to some rational, lawful, and humane criteria of need or contribution to creating it. Rather, the solution lies with the federal government taking back its constitutionally-authorized control of the credit of the nation from the financiers and managing it as previously stated—as a public utility. There is no need to eliminate capitalism, change the basis of property ownership, abolish corporations, etc., because the organization and administration of the production process is essentially irrelevant to the real problem. As with the use of other utilities, it is the responsibility of the community to see that credit is used wisely and for positive and constructive purposes. But no one should be denied it altogether, because it is a necessity of life. Once again, the producing economy is not the problem. It has performed with tremendous effectiveness in creating the goods and services people need and want. It would be the basis for real economic democracy if its bounty could be made available and distributed in accordance with democratic principles. Money, as a measure of credit, should therefore be available to the entire community. The government, as the representative of the community, has the responsibility of overseeing, coordinating, and regulating its availability, keeping in mind the fairest and most socially beneficial ways for it to be utilized. Monetary reformers would argue that extensive availability of credit to the working population should be part of the “general welfare” guaranteed by the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. This should not April-May-June 2008 But this is not the only area where prices include factors that are not paid out in wages, salaries, dividends, or other sources of individual or business income. Other factors include retained earnings, insurance, certain maintenance and overhead costs, plus the cumulative effect of corporations buying from each other with payments which never exit the production system. As a result, only somewhere between a third and a half of all costs are ever distributed to consumers. It is essential to realize that the central government of a sovereign nation has the right, the ability, and the responsibility to introduce ALL new credit into existence. This is totally different from having the central bank “print money” by relaxing lending policies, resulting in an infusion of cheap loans which must still be repaid. (Continued from page 18) “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 Page 17 Monetary Reform and How a National Monetary System Should Work (Continued from page 17) Sovereign creation of credit is not based on debt. It is and should be based on direct spending of money into circulation by the government itself. Obviously the government should do this in a way that promotes the best interests of the members of society while respecting the varying degrees of contribution by those of different levels of skill and achievement. It is quite possible to enact such a program with due regard to all established conventions of private property and the private ownership and control of existing wealth. To those who are concerned that the concept of publicly-controlled credit postulates a monetary supply that can be turned on and off like tap water, this is a misconception. There is indeed a cornucopia of supply on the earth, but it is not of money. If is of what human beings are capable of producing with the skill of their hands and their heads and the knowledge of science and technology. Money is only a ticket to transfer this abundance from producer to consumer, but it must be plentiful enough to allow the transfer of all that is reasonably desired, it should not be misused for financial speculation, and it is the job of government to bring that money to the place of the economic activity where it is needed. The key point is that such money should not be encumbered by debt to a financial institution, including the banks of the Federal Reserve System. by the need for financial dominance as an offset to the failure to generate sufficient internal purchasing power through democratic management of credit. This syndrome would be eliminated by the monetary reforms described herein. These are the principles—a functioning economy that combines responsible free enterprise with government regulation and infrastructure; democratic distribution of a National Dividend which supplements earned income; and an international system of economic relationships among sovereign nations acting as equals. None of these principles is currently being met, and no one in a leadership position has a plan to take us there, either now or when the crisis strikes. The first measure in bringing about change, taking the U.S. as an example, would be for the federal government to create a Monetary Control Board as envisioned by model legislation proposed by the American Monetary Institute. This board would oversee the entire process of assuring that the money supply is sufficient to express the real credit demands of the nation in paying for the GDP. This would be followed by a combination of the following steps: charged against a government ledger but would be off-budget, with no need to finance it with taxation or borrowing. A portion of the National Dividend would be made available to all citizens reaching the age of eighteen, who would receive a non-taxable lumpsum of $60,000 for higher education, trade school, or business investment. Bank financing would be much more limited than at present. Private sector corporate investment would be funded entirely out of retained earnings and capital markets without recourse to bank lending. Bank lending for stock speculation would be abolished as would leveraged buyouts. Bank lending would be accomplished without fractional reserve methods by requiring banks to supplement their capital and deposits with credit borrowed at very low rates from the federal government as publicly-created credit. While the banks would be allowed to add administrative costs and a reasonable business profit for lending used to finance commerce, mortgages, and small business start-up, government guarantees and subsidies should result in net interest rates to borrowers no greater than one percent. International trade would be accommodated through a regulated system of exchange rates based on real purchasing values of respective national currencies. RESULTS This should be done according the following principles: This program would not create a utopia nor install a Big Brother to watch over us. It would not relieve mankind of the need to work, study, save, take care of our environment, make wise decisions, use opportunities intelligently, participate in representative government, care for those less fortunate, provide for our posterity, practice self-restraint, obey moral strictures, worship our creator, or love our neighbor as ourselves. The decisions of what goods and services should be produced should represent a reasonable mix of what is needed and desired by consumers with what is required for the public good by way of regulation and infrastructure. Decisions should be made by a combination of market forces, business governance, and oversight by representative government. In other words, production should be conducted as we imagine it is done at present, though in reality neither the market, business, nor representative government can function properly and responsibly today because they are under so much pressure from a disastrously dysfunctional monetary system. Purchasing power should be provided to all individuals whether they work or not. This is increasingly important as fewer workers are needed due to automation to produce an increasing amount of goods. There is no way to avoid dislocation of workers due to change in an advanced economy, but it is essentially that people be protected from such change even if they decide to opt out of working for a living at all. There are many productive things people can do without having to draw an income from a paying job. The money provided to people regardless of whether they work would constitute the National Dividend envisioned by a Social Credit system. One way to manage such a system would be to require everyone to work until the age of 40, when optional retirement would be offered. The idea of one nation being the world’s policeman with military bases everywhere and a right to conquer other nations at will and take their resources must be abandoned once and for all. A system where the nations of the world are financially independent and self-sustaining as described in this report would lead to the possibility of international stability and trade among nations and regions of the world acting as equals. The history of the last century proves that the drive to war is largely fueled Moving ? 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 about it. 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. Page 18 What this program would do would be to allow the nation’s monetary system to reach the same level of maturity, functionality, and access presently found, at least potentially, in the physical economy which utilizes science and technology so effectively in producing abundant goods and services. We should spend sufficient credit into existence to supply the basic operating expenses of government at all levels without recourse to either taxes or borrowing. In the past, this has been done by the colonial American legislatures, the Continental Congress at the time of the Revolutionary War, and the federal government during the Civil War. Probably two-thirds of existing federal government expenditures could be eliminated, because much of it is to compensate for a failed monetary system, including much of the military machine. Further, at least ninety percent of all taxes could be eliminated under such a program. The only taxes that would be retained would be those in the form of user fees for infrastructure operations and maintenance or those levied as a control mechanism to prevent inflation. Capital expenses for infrastructure construction at the federal, state, and local levels could be financed through a self-capitalized national infrastructure bank. Government expenditures would continue to require legislative approval under our republican form of government which would be enhanced, not threatened, by monetary reform. The remainder of the total societal gap between production and purchasing power would be filled by a non-taxable National Dividend of two types. One would be a cash stipend paid to all citizens which would also serve the purpose of eliminating poverty by providing everyone with a basic income guarantee. The remainder of the National Dividend would consist of an overall pricing subsidy, whereby a designated proportion of all purchases, including home building expenses, would be rebated to consumers. The total National Dividend per person would probably exceed $12,000 per year under today’s economic conditions. It would be a calculated value This means that the program would free mankind from the control of the monetary elite which has unjustly usurped the fruits of the labor of everyone else. The amount of money involved in this control over time is immense. In his report on “An Emergency Program of Monetary Reform of the United States,” the author calculated that the National Dividend for 2006 should have resulted in an average stipend paid to each U.S. citizen of $12,600. For a person aged 60, this would work out to $756,000 over a lifetime in current dollars. This figure of $756,000 represents the amount of money an individual has had to borrow from financial institutions to make up what he should have received as his share of a National Dividend if Congress had not ceded the public prerogatives of credit-creation that exist in the Constitution to private financiers. Extrapolated for the entire U.S. population, the amount of unnecessary borrowing probably has exceeded $100 trillion since World War II. We can gain confidence that this figure is in the ball-park by realizing that total societal debt in the U.S. today has been reliably estimated at over $48 trillion. Thus it is easy to see that in time, the program of monetary reform described in this report could eliminate poverty and the main causes of war, reduce the size of government, and give individuals a chance to prosper. It would replace the current system of debt-serfdom caused by monetary strangulation at the consumer level with true economic democracy. Economic democracy may be defined as free access to the bounty of God’s earth, according to one’s need, character, ability, and work. The purpose of this access is for individuals to have the liberty to work out responsibly their own occupation, lifestyle, identity, and destiny without these being dictated by external authorities or the threat of economic ruin. (Continued on page 19) “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 April-May-June 2008 (Continued from page 18) These are the freedoms that are inherent in the ideals that created America and, though compromised so much, have been America’s gift to the rest of the world. The reader might ask why, if these reforms could so readily be made, weren’t they thought of and implemented before? The answer is that these reforms have been known and promoted by many people in the past, both known and unknown, including such leaders in America as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and many others. But working against such enlightened leaders has been an international financier conspiracy with immense political power. The modern era of financier control in the U.S. started with the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. But during the 1920s, the U.S. was still outstripping the rest of the world with rapid economic growth. This was due to a favorable financial position with respect to Europe after World War I, the wide availability of credit in the domestic economy, rapid industrial progress, and the predilection of American industrialists to pay their workers generous wages. Note that President Herbert Hoover is on this list of enlightened leaders. It is not generally known that Hoover, elected in 1928, had become familiar with the Social Credit system which originated in Great Britain with Major C. H. Douglas, who published the seminal work “Economic Democracy” in 1918. Douglas, with intimate knowledge of the events of the time, later related in his book “Warning Democracy” that in order to counter Hoover’s enlightened economic ideas, the financiers decided to wreck the U.S. economy, starting with the stock market crash of 1929. There is an official version of history, then there is the way things really happened. Thus Hoover is popularly, but mistakenly, portrayed as a failed president. But Hoover, an engineer and one of the most capable presidents in U.S. history, identified the Federal Reserve, acting on its own, as having brought on the Great Depression. He responded by creating the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to revitalize the economy with a fresh infusion of credit, but, having been blamed for the crash, was voted out of office in favor of F.D.R. in 1932. The RFC remained and was instrumental in rebuilding the economy over the next two decades. Roosevelt himself understood that the federal government had to maintain a decisive degree of control over credit, though he was undermined by people in his own administration favorable to the financiers. So he never completed a program of real monetary reform. During the 1930s, Douglas was forecasting another world war due to monetary causes, but he was told during his visits to the U.S. that the financiers would never allow Social Credit to be implemented. According to monetary reform folklore, the financial elite looked around for an economist to combat Douglas’s ideas, and settled on John Maynard Keynes. The Keynesian system tried to deal with the monetary problem through massive government deficits, high taxes, and rapid economic growth. This system worked through the World War II years and beyond but ran out of steam after the 1963 assassination of JFK and the loss by the U.S. of its trade advantages and fiscal solvency during and after the Vietnam War. The financiers reasserted control throughout the 1970s, leading to the devastating Federal Reserve-induced recession of 1979-83 and the deregulation of the financial industry during the Reagan years of 1981-1989. That left matters where they stand today. Since the 1980s, every U.S. economic expansion has been nothing more than a Federal Reserve-created asset inflation. The latest has been the now collapsing housing bubble, the largest bubble in history. The financiers are trying to bring about an orderly decline—the so-called “soft landing”—though at the likely cost of the wealth, health, jobs, homes, and perhaps even some of the lives of tens of millions of demoralized people. Will we let them get away with it? Obviously, the government has bail-outs on its mind, though now, with housing gone, there may be nothing left for the financiers to inflate for the next round of chaos. Still, they are trying. Analysts are now calling attention to a new merger and acquisition bubble, and a huge securities lending boom that has driven the stock market to historic levels even as consumer purchasing power in the U.S. crumbles. If this bubbles bursts, much of the middle class wealth that remained after the 1987 stock market crash, the 2000-2002 bursting of the dot.com bubble, and the ongoing decline of the housing market will be gone for good. Maybe the party is finally over. Maybe at the end of their 300-year reign, starting roughly with the creation of the Bank of England in 1694, the financiers have finally succeeded in doing enough damage to the world economy that the rest of us are willing to take action. Or maybe there will be a sufficient distraction by more war in the Middle East and elsewhere. Maybe peak oil or global warming will intervene with destruction on too large a scale to ignore. Or maybe we’ll just limp along into the sunset. Only time will tell. But however the change may happen, it remains the author’s conviction that, one way or the other, a fair and intelligent monetary system will someday exist on the planet earth. Richard C. Cook is the author of Challenger Revealed: An Insider’s Account of How the Reagan Administration Caused the Greatest Tragedy of the Space Age. A retired federal analyst, his career included stints with the U.S. Civil Service Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Carter White House, and NASA, followed by twenty-one years with the U.S. Treasury Department. He is now a Washington, D.C.-based writer and consultant and spoke at the AMI annual conference in Chicago in September 2007. His website is at www.richardccook.com. Global Research, May 11, 2007 Check out our website at: www.michaeljournal.org The European Union and the Culture of Death consequences of this decision are important,” Mecary said. “Henceforth, France will no longer be able to refuse approval to an unmarried person on the grounds of their homosexuality.” The Earth Charter, through the United Nations, has promoted the culture of death under the guise of words such as “reproductive rights” and “discrimination” for years. Population control through abortion, euthanasia and homosexual marriage has spread throughout the European Union under the influence of the United Nations. They now stand on the brink of a total annihilation of morality since they adopted these ideals and are putting them into practice. She said the case would reach from France out to other countries of the European Union. “The same thing will be true for other member countries of the Council of Europe which allow adoption by unmarried people.” Contrary to the boasts of European Commissioner Jose Barroso; the European Union is not exactly a utopia as he would like to have us believe. It seems as if through the European Union, the agenda of the culture of death through the United Nations is transitory from paperwork to policy, and we can see these opinions are being diffused throughout the western world as well. European Bishops and the World Congress of Families are now setting a challenge before the European Union. “The traditional family, we like to call the natural family as God ordained it, is certainly under attack in Europe.” The EU is also attempting to convince member states to recognize “de facto unions and registered partnerships,” according to Susan Yoshihara from the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. “The EU is exceeding its mandate in some of these areas. By doing that, essentially what the EU is doing is driving family policy in countries that are trying to preserve the traditional family.” (Such as Poland and Malta). Jacobs says partnerships between groups like the World Congress of Families and European Bishops, help level the playing field. “There’s extreme pressure to try to redefine marriage. Countries like Latvia and Poland have been subjected to European scrutiny and possible sanctions for their stand on traditional marriage.” Jacobs adds that some of the damage has already been done from these attacks on the family. He points to research showing dwindling fertility rates throughout the European population. (LifeSiteNews) The European Court of Human Rights has been successfully used by homosexual activists in a bid to force a sovereign nation to change its laws protecting children. A lesbian woman has obtained a ruling from the court that effectively prohibits France from refusing adoption to homosexuals. She was awarded 24,500 euros (35,500 U.S. dollars) in damages and court expenses. The woman’s lawyer, Caroline Mecary, admitted in a statement that the case had been pursued as a political measure to overturn French law. “The April-May-June 2008 The Luxembourg Parliament passed the Euthanasia Bill and is now set to become the third country in EU to legalize euthanasia. The Luxembourg Parliament voted by a slim margin to legalize euthanasia on February 19, becoming the third country in the European Union to do so. The law was passed by a vote of 30 to 26. The vote was heralded as a defeat for Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker’s Social Christian Party, which was strongly against the bill. Nearly all of the members of the Social Christian Party voted against the measure. “The Christian Social Party and the Catholic Church were against the euthanasia law, calling it murder, but we said no, it’s just another way to go,” said Jean Huss, a member of the Green Party, and co-sponsor of the bill. “This bill is not a permit to kill,” said Socialist Lydie Err, who helped draft the bill. “It’s not a law for the parents or the doctors but for the patient and the patient alone, to decide if he wants to put an end to his suffering.” The Netherlands became the first country in the European Union to legalize euthanasia in 2002, with Belgium following that example in 2003. Luxembourg’s euthanasia bill has passed the first reading by one vote and will be legalized if it passes the second reading. Every member of the ruling Christian Social Party would need to vote against the euthanasia bill to ensure that it would be defeated. (LifeSiteNews) European patriots who are standing up against this agenda proposed by the United Nations through the European Union are few, but they are struggling valiantly to keep their religious faith and culture. They continue to promote truly Christian marriages where children are welcomed and loved, the elderly are cared for, and families become true “beacons of light” for the world. Let us continue to expose these evils and work together to re-establish a true Christian society. We must pray to Our Mother Mary for guidance and strength, to wage the battle against the forces of evil, with the help of St. Michael and the entire heavenly army. “Michael” Journal, 1101 Principale St., Rougemont, QC, Canada — J0L 1M0 Marie Anne Jacques Tel.: Rougemont (450) 469-2209; Montreal area (514) 856-5714; Fax (450) 469-2601; www.michaeljournal.org Page 19 A new slavery Canada and the New World Order An interview with Pierre Marchildon on Radio Maryja in Poland We would like to present to our readers a transcription of a radio program that was broadcasted on the Catholic station Radio Maryja of Torun, Poland, on August 11, 2002. This radio station is owned by the Redemptorist Fathers, and its programs are broadcasted all over Poland and through satellites all over the world. It is very popular among Polish people in North America, and of course in Poland. The most popular program of this station is called “Unfinished conversations”, which is broadcasted every evening between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., and often is continued after midnight until 2 o’clock in the morning. Our dear deceased Pilgrim Pierre Marchildon (who passed away on December 17, 2007, at the age of 59) was in Poland in 2002 during the last visit of Pope John Paul II. He was invited by Radio Maryja as guest of “Unfinished Conversations.” The formula of this program first includes the presentation by the guest of a specific subject, and then there is an open line in which listeners can ask questions and make comments. Mr. Marchildon’s topic for this program was: “Canada and the New World Order.” “Michael” and Poland Pierre Marchildon: I am very happy to be in Poland to speak on Radio Maryja. I was invited here by the directors of Radio Maria. I am privileged to be in this land where the Polish people fought very strongly against Communism. I came to Poland to help the Polish people understand the harm that globalization and the one world government has done to Canada. Also I came to see the development of the “Michael” Journal in Poland This land of Poland and the Polish people were strong instruments that overthrew the Communist regime. Through this there was much bloodshed, but we are walking here in the land of the saints that have been canonized by Pope John Paul II, such as Saint Maximillian Kolbe, Saint Sister Faustina, and many others. Bank Act to our Constitution, and gave away the right to create money to private banks. Of course, we have to understand that in the United States in 1913 the Federal Reserve Bank, a private corporation, took over their money system. Not long after, in 1914, the International Bankers started the First World War by financing it. That is when Canada started to get into debt. Then in 1917 the same International Bankers funded and financed the Communist Revolution with the Wall Street Bankers in New York. That was the enemy’s plan. But Heaven had a plan too because in 1917 Our Lady of Fatima came to visit us to ask us to pray so that we could get rid of the Communist regime. Then at the same time in 1917 and 1918, C.H. Douglas came out with the principles of a national money system. A monetary system that would be without usury and interest, and that would belong to society. That is why he called it a Social Credit money system. Later in 1939, there was a big depression worldwide, and we really felt it in Canada. Louis Even, the founder of “Michael” It was in 1934 that Louis Even read some of the writings of C.H. Douglas. Louis Even was a great Catholic; he knew his Faith and also the Social Doctrine of the Church. He knew some of the quotations in the encyclicals of different Popes. In one of these famous quotations, Pope Pius XI stated in his Encyclical Letter Quadragesimo Anno in 1931 that those who control the money control the lives of the people; those who control the economy control everything, up to the point that «without their permission no-one can breathe.» In 1939, Louis Even began the foundation of our French paper called Vers Demain to reveal to the people that it was the banks that made a restriction of money during 10 years of the depression. When war was declared in 1939, they found money overnight to finance the war and to kill people by the millions and to destroy nations. So Canada got into World War II, which was financed by the same banks, and sunk deeper into debt. Why are we here and how have we come to be here? It began quite a few years ago when Bishop Kraszewski translated the book of our founder Louis Even, “In This Age of Plenty.” This book explains the fraud of the banking system in the whole world and it introduces a technique to apply the Social Doctrine of the Church. Because there was a great interest among the Polish people in Poland and we received many letters, we decided to print a leaflet in the Polish language. And then I, myself, wanted to have a “Michael” Journal in Polish for the people of Poland to have a continuation of the Work of the Pilgrims of Saint Michael. In 1999 we founded the “Michael” Journal in Polish. And then in 2001, we edited another of the three brochures that our founder wrote. The title of the book was “The Global Fraud.” Bishop Frankowski gave a wonderful recommendation for this book. In the past, Louis Even wrote often to CarJacek Morawa and Pierre Marchildon at Radio Maryja dinal Wyszynski. Louis Even also admired Poland and the fact that Cardinal Wyszynski Bigger debts and taxes worked to defend the Catholic Church in Poland. That is why the Pilgrims of Saint Michael have a After the war, during the1960s, we elected Prime tender spot in their hearts for Poland. That is also Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a socialist. He rewhy I am very happy to be here tonight at Radio ceived some of his education in Moscow, and he Maryja to give more information about the Masonic, was a Fabian from the London School of Econominternational, financial, and globalist plan to destroy ics. He brought Canada deeper into debt, from 50 my country of Canada, and what they are doing to billion to 200 billion dollars. Now with the burden every nation in the world. So this evening I would of this huge debt, we could not even pay the interlike to give you some of the history of the work of our est on the national debt. And while we are on this enemies in Canada. subject of Pierre Trudeau, he is the one who also passed the abortion law in Canada. So up to now, in A global plan the 1980s and 1990s, our national debt of Canada One of our biggest downfalls was in 1913 when to the private banks is over 600 billion dollars (in Canada’s Prime Minister, Robert Borden, added the 2002). Page 20 After, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney came in power who had inherited this debt. In his campaign before the election, he said he would never accept the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Mexico. But two months after he won the election, he signed the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Mexico. Then many of our big companies moved to Mexico because of cheap labor. There was a lot of loss of jobs in Canada and then, the Canadian people were taxed to pay the interest on these debts. Being the income tax was not enough; the Federal Government had to add another tax on the goods and services, called the Goods and Services Tax. Also in 1981 the interest rates jumped to 22% and many people who had mortgages experienced a double in the cost. During this time in 1981 and 1982, 300,000 families in Canada lost their homes, farms, and businesses. At the rates of 22%, with the increase in the taxes, people had to pay for their houses three and four times with the property taxes. And this is what we called democracy in America, and in Canada. But I call it a new slavery. And then after that with all this increase in taxes and interest rates, the mothers had to go to work. This was the beginning of the breaking down of the family life. The mothers put their children in daycare centers. Children came back home and were raised in front of the television with its corruption and pornography. The abortion rate also increased. Today we have up to 110,000 abortions a year in Canada. In some parts of Canada we do not even reproduce ourselves; there are 1.3 children per family. Now our federal, provincial and municipal governments, with all of these debts, are cutting into our social programs dealing with hospitalization and education. The governments have started to privatize what they own to private corporations. Also we lost a lot of farmers. We used to have 600,000 farmers, but now we are down to 200,000. Most of the farms that are left are mortgaged to the banks. A catastrophic monetary system One of the worst things that happened is that we lost our schools because we accepted the government handouts, such as grants. And when these grants were accepted, we had to teach sex education beginning at age six. Now what has happened to our children? After they receive the sacrament of Confirmation, we do not see them in church anymore because they are ready for sex, because this is what they are being taught! Just to give you an example: Before the Pope came to Canada for the World Youth Day (in July, 2002), they were saying that the amount of youth practicing their religion in different parts of Canada, especially in Quebec, was down to about three to five percent. So this is part of the disaster that the monetary system and the International Bankers have done to Canada. We could have freed the whole world in the year 2000, the Jubilee Year, when Pope John Paul II asked for the cancellation of the international debts, because all of these debts have been paid at least ten times over with all the interest payments that have been made to the private international banks. Being this was not done (the cancellation of the debts), the global people are working now, stronger than ever, to take over the world’s resources and all the capacity to produce in the world. Total control Lately, in the year 2001 with the terrorist situation, this was used as a way to bring new laws and new control over all the nations. They want to introduce a new identification card, like a credit card or a smart card. For the last ten years they have been talking about the microchip. They started to implant the wildlife animals and they are injecting the microchip in all the domestic pets. We could see “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 April-May-June 2008 that after September 11, 2001, Canada, the United States, Australia — where I just came back from — and other countries have passed what they call the terrorist laws. On Christmas Eve of last year, they began promoting and advertising a new implantation of the microchip in the people for identification. This year in April (2002), the Food and Drug Administration in the United States approved of the microchip to be implanted. On May 10th of this year, they began in the state of Florida to implant the Verichip in the people. This is so they can have more control on the people, to know our whereabouts and, eventually, all of our financial transactions. It is what Father Michel Schooyans wrote in his book, what the one world people, the United Nations, the global people want: they want total control of every person, to mutilate everyone and destroy humanity. There would be much more to say on this, but I would just like to mention that it almost looks like we are losing the battle on this. The Catholics and the Christians are doing a bit of what Saint Peter did today in the Gospel. It looks like we are being defeated, but we will have to do like Saint Peter and cry out and ask God’s help to save us from all of this world control. The people will have to come back to God, convert and start going back to church, to pray again the Rosary and ask the Virgin Mary to help us. John Paul II in Canada and Poland I would just like to say a little word about what Pope John Paul II said when he came to Canada for the World Youth Day. I can tell you that he woke up the whole nation and all of America; North America was awakened by the Pope when he came to Canada. Long live the Pope! And also when the Pope went to Mexico, there were 12 million people one evening who came out to admire the Pope while he went from the airport to his residence. Now the Pope is coming to Poland. I am very happy to be here. We invite all the Polish people and the people in other countries nearby to come and meet the Pope to encourage him. We, the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, wanted to give a little help to Poland by bringing some of our pamphlets with the message of the Pope against globalization. The Pope, in his message against globalization, said it would be nice to have a global world, to help one another in every country, but how can we help other countries when we are so sunk in debt that we cannot even feed our own people. I would like to just quote the Pope on what he said on this subject: “Globalization is the loss of sovereignty of every nation. And we will be governed by a few centres in the hands of private individuals.” So we have to do everything to stop this. We will pray that Poland will not accept the global government, the global situation. So we hope to see you at the places that the Pope will be coming: to Our Lady of Czestochowa, the Shrine of Sister Faustina in Krakow, and other places, and we will be there ourselves to distribute the “Michael” Journal in Polish for anyone who wants one. If you would like to ask questions about what is happening in Canada concerning the farming and the schools, we will accept call-in questions now. Father of Radio Maryja: Please, we are listening, this is Radio Maryja. Question from listener: I am listening to this programme and I heard what Mr. Marchildon was saying about microchips. I heard about this on the programme broadcasted by Radio Maryja recently. I would ask a question connected with the subject. I would like to ask how far are things regarding marking the people. I read on the Internet and in the book of John Leary «Be prepared for the era...» about this problem that touches the wealthy societies. That is to say, people who make all financial transactions and own banking credit cards, very easy will take that sign, which is the sign of capital; it means the sign of high developed countries, where of course money will be slowly withdrawn from circulation. the European Union introduced euro money. It is the next step of withdrawal of that money and of establishing cashless accountancy. Is Poland ready for this, and is this dangerous for us? It seems to be a very important problem. I talk with many people from my environment and they don’t know what the biochip or microchip is, they are not aware of the smart cards and all this equipment that will make the people become dependant on the system. This programme that is now broadcasted by the April-May-June 2008 Fathers is a good opportunity to warn people that to take these «goodies» of civilization means that we are lost, because man without God cannot live, and when he takes all these elements of capitalism and economy he is loosing freedom. He cannot decide about his own life and takes things that make him a slave. He will do everything to keep up his own level, own standard of life for the price of exclusion himself from the eternal life with God. I’m asking you to say more, if possible, and let people know of the dangers of the microchip technologies. Thank you for the opportunity of asking the question. Stay with God. Father of Radio Maryja: Stay with God. Pierre Marchildon: I would like to say that the people who are going through the universities will learn it their way, and if they want a position in life, which everyone wants, you have to go along with the system. If not, you will not be qualified. They want to eliminate all of the opposition, anyone that will oppose them. So it is the duty of anyone who knows the truth to be a witness to the truth, either in the Faith or in economics. And we have to do a bit like Jesus Christ did — take the whip and whip the money changers. Father of Radio Maryja: Please, next caller. Hello. Father of Radio Maryja: Thank you very much. Pierre Marchildon: Concerning the microchip, I believe that it will be a new identification, because since the terrorist attack of September 11th, they already started to implant the Verichip within six months of that attack. And I believe that if there should be another terrorist attack, especially in the United States, the microchip will be the new identification. They introduced the Verichip in May of this year on the health side, saying that if you had that chip; it could save your life. For example: if you were in an accident and the ambulance would come, they could scan the chip and know what drugs not to give you. They also presented it concerning those who have a sickness, like Alzheimer’s, and if you become lost, they could find you with the GPS system using a satellite… (Jacek Morawa gives Pierre’s answer in Polish. Part of tape is missing) So it is very well advanced, but I believe that now with the smart card with a chip, or the implantation of the chip later on, if you do not have that chip, you will not be identified in the new system of banking and government programs. Then you will have to present this new identification. As Dr. Carl Sanders said, with this microchip they would be able to control our behaviour, which they showed with their rat experiment. They could make the rat do whatever they wanted it to do. So we must not at all take that microchip in any form. In answer to this question: the real history of Canada is not written in the university books. The bankers control the highest authority of our country. If the International Bankers control the highest authority, the government, they control the universities. How come the greatest swindle and fraud of the world is not repeated, is not voiced, by most of the elite? Because they have gone with the system! I could quote a famous phrase from a former governor of the Bank of Canada who said that every time a bank makes a loan, they create money out of nothing! Father of Radio Maryja: We invite the next listener. Listener: My name is Beata Bulak, I’m calling from Cisie near Warsaw. I am a regular reader of Michael Journal and on Wednesday I go to the Parliamentary club of League of Polish Families to bring them the book of Louis Even «A Sound and effective financial system» because I heard on the waves of Radio Maryja that the League of Polish Families is preparing a project for healing the Polish economy. Thank you. Stay with God. Pierre Marchildon: We congratulate you, madam, to have had the courage to introduce legislation in the Parliament on our proposition on money reform that would finance and help the nation. Father of Radio Maryja: Next listener, please. Listener: I would like to greet cordially the man who is talking to us tonight. I thank him for opening our eyes on what is going on abroad and on the other side of the ocean. I know something about it because I have my brother in Canada. He has been living there for 12 years now. Why don’t the Polish people know about these things that are happening in the world. I think that everything that happens abroad will happen in our country. One more time, thank you very much. Listener: My name is Krzysztof (Christopher), and I’m calling from Lodz. I want to ask you about the place of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and of the plot that is happening in our times. If you can give me more information on this subject. Father of Radio Maryja: Thank you very much. Pierre Marchildon: The IMF and the World Bank are there as a front for the International Bankers. They are there to lend money to different countries, and when they do lend the money there are conditions. When they lend one dollar, they want eight dollars back. So they are not there to help any nation; they are there to make sure these nations go deeper into debt so they can finally take all of their national resources. Because the goal of the international people… They had a meeting in Canada in 1995, the G7 at the time, where they made a plan called The Global Resource Bank, so that once they will have all the resources of the world in their hands, and the capacity to produce, they will finally evaluate this world wealth and tell the people of this global village, in which you will just be a number… They are even using some of the terms of the social doctrine which state that you would have a right to the fruits of the modern technology. They will give everyone on the planet a global security, and they will send the money electronically and for you to have access to that money, you will have to have a new electronic identification. Pierre Marchildon Books and leaflets to order Catechism of the Catholic Church 1992...........$15.00 The Hidden Face of the UN (Schooyans).........$25.00 By Louis Even on Social Credit In This Age of Plenty ........................................$20.00 What Do We Mean by Real Social Credit?...........$3.00 A Sound and Effective Financial System..............$3.00 By Major C.H. Douglas on Social Credit Economic Democracy...........................................$10.00 Social Credit.........................................................$13.00 The Monopoly of Credit........................................$10.00 (Prices include shipping and handling) Free leaflets to order: (New) The North American Union and the Anti-Christ (New) Our Lady of America The Eucharist (New) The Rosary The Holy Mass The Microchip The Money Myth Exploded The Federal Reserve It is urgent to put an end to the scandal of poverty (Nuevo) Union Norte Americana - Spanish ~ (Nuevo) El Rosario - Spanish “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 Page 21 The Holy Demoniac: The True Story of Anneliese Michel Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) It asks aloud the one and ultimately fundamental question: namely, does another, unseen, spiritual world exist or not? The prosecuting attorney claims he knows there are no evil spirits. Although he considers himself a practicing Christian, he prevails upon the jurors to dismiss everything the priest has to say about Satan and his cruelty. By contrast, the defense attorney, an avowed agnostic, approaches these dramatic events without prejudice. The deeper Anneliese wrote down evshe digs into the case, the more erything Jesus said to her. she comes to sense its supernatThese notes are not dated but ural character. She even receives numbered. On February 15, clear signs of the existence of an 1976 she handed four pages of invisible reality. During the trial these notes to Father Renz (her she states honestly that she has spiritual director) who carefully an open mind concerning the preserved them. They are, as existence of the spiritual world. it were, Anneliese’s “spiritual Upon this, she bases her argutestament.” ments for the defense. As for the priest, from the moment he The words of Jesus to stands eyeball to eyeball with the Anneliese: Devil in a dramatic spiritual struggle to free the girl from his power, 1. Everything good that you do, he has not the slightest difficulty and have done, comes from Me. believing in evil spirits. In the end, Every good thought, every good Anneliese Michel he is found guilty of willful neglect deed: nothing is yours. That is in the death of Emily Rose. The why (at Holy Mass) I let you write them down, to show you that you can do nothing on viewer, however, senses that fundamentally it is not your own, and to teach you humility. You should not the exorcist but the Devil that is on trial. The court suppose that you have achieved anything by your- declares de facto that the Devil does not exist; and self. All these are gifts of my great love to you. You if science was not at fault, then superstition and the should have nothing that belongs to you. You must priest had to be responsible for Emily’s death. understand that everything comes from Me and so The Exorcism of Emily Rose carries an extraoraccept them with gratitude; and do not be proud as dinarily important message. It is set forth unambiguthough they were from you, for these are my gifts. ously in the closing scene: “work out your own sal2. Expect everything, but everything, from Me. I vation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2: 12). Father can make possible what is impossible. Place great Ernest Alt, who exorcised Anneliese, points to two trust in Me. This brings Me glory. It draws Me to realities that became extraordinarily clear to those who witnessed the dramatic events – realities which you. the film director also endeavored to express: First 3. Be sorry for your sins and then believe in My there is the dimension that threatens to engulf creagreat love for you. Do not doubt it, for this saddens tures when they desire to be like God. This is what Me greatly. My ways are mysterious ways. You must Satan has always wanted. To a greater or lesser delet Me chose the way for you. Have I not already gree we all desire this whenever we commit sin. The given you ample proof of My love? other reality is the dimension of God’s Redemptive 4. Be silent! Do not talk so much. Restrain your Work in Jesus, the Son of God who became man tongue, since for every needlessly uttered word – a reality which lives in the Catholic Church, in all you will have to hold account. Love solitude. Meet the sacraments and the work of the Church. with others only when necessary, e.g. for reasons The facts of friendship, and not for pleasure’s sake. Give up Turning from the film to the real events: Anpermitted pleasures as well. neliese was one of four daughters of Joseph and 5. Do not worry about the future. Try at all times Anna Michel, an upright, deeply devout couple living to listen to My voice and carry out My wishes (My in Klingenberg, Germany. Although frail and sickly will). I love you tenderly. Do likewise while carrying as a child, she was “quite normal” as her friends reout My most silent wish – always listening to My call. She could be jolly, tell jokes and have fun along voice. (The sheep know their Shepherd’s voice. I with the others. Something “abnormal” began hapam the Good Shepherd and I love My sheep.) pening shortly after her sixteenth birthday in autumn 6. Believe that I answer every prayer so long as of 1968. According to one of her friends, Anneliese it does not stand in the way of the soul’s salvation. was unable to get up one morning after a horrific Often I wait before answering even the just prayers night. She felt as if an enormously powerful force of My children that they may be persistent and their was pressing down and knocking the breath out of her. Futile appeals for help. A wet bed. Unimaginaprayers be of benefit to others. ble terror. The occurrence repeated itself almost a 7. Do not lose heart if something does not hap- year later. Visits to the doctor and exhaustive neuropen (right away) as you would wish. Try at least to logical tests came up with nothing. hide your indignation. You do not know what good Nevertheless, she was admitted to a sanatorium such adversities serve or why they are necessary. where her terrified fellow inmates looked on as her * * * blue eyes turned black, her hands contorted and her The real person behind The Exorcism of Emily body became wracked by strange convulsions. DeRose was Anneliese Michel. The film scenario is spite the interrupted school year, the bright, diligent based on the shocking, fully documented account of girl managed to complete high school; she prepared a real demoniac by cultural anthropologist and reli- to enter teaching college. As a young college student gious studies expert Dr. Felicitas D. Goodman (The she complained to her mother of strange sounds in her room. Her mother sent her to an ENT specialist. Exorcism of Anneliese Michel, Doubleday, 1981). The latter found nothing wrong with her hearing. The phenomenon of demonic possession and However, the problem became real when oththe broader question of existence of the Devil are subjects that cannot but arouse interest and emo- ers in the house began hearing noises under the tions. Why did this innocent girl die? Was she men- floor or the ceiling or the cupboard. When the frighttally ill or in fact possessed? Do demons really exist? ened family rose to pray in front of the statue of Our Are they capable of enslaving and killing a person? Blessed Mother, Anneliese’s face convulsed groWhat does modern science have to say? Does psy- tesquely. A terrifying hatred exuded from her black chiatry exclude the existence of the Devil? Who is eyes. Family prayer, frequent Communion and the right? The priest who tries to exorcise the girl or the evening Rosary brought the girl less and less relief. court prosecutor who accuses the priest of medieval Spiritually and physically she was feeling worse by benightedness? These are some of the questions the day. She complained of being beset by appalling apparitions. the film raises. In the times we are living today, demoniac activity is very widespread, and many of our youth are falling into the trap of occultism and different satanic cults. Anneliese Michel gave her life to help her brothers and sisters recognize the dangers of refusing to believe that Satan exists. Let us follow her example and give ourselves totally to Christ, living our daily lives in service to Him. Page 22 Such dread! she told Fr. Arnold Renz, her spiritual confidant who would soon become her exorcist. It is the kind of terror you could find only in Hell itself. You feel so abandoned that no one on earth… You know, Father Arnold, I imagine it must have been like that on the Mount of Olives… only unimaginably worse, for He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world. More and more dreary visits to the doctors brought Anneliese to utter exhaustion. At the strenuous request of her parents and Fr. Arnold, experts in the field of spirituality and demonic possession began visiting the house. One of these later observed: Anneliese was a sweet girl from a deeply religious family. She complained, “I feel as though I have no ‘I’ of my own.” She said she occasionally saw demonic faces, but could not describe them in any detail… From time to time she would fling blessed objects away from her…The stench of burning and sewage pervaded the rooms. At the same time, she was capable of successful study. You could see joy in her eyes. She did not avoid company and behaved as you would expect a young girl in love to behave – recalls a student friend. By this time Anneliese was already going out with Peter. She was aware of his deep feelings for her. Yet though she did not avoid him, she felt her personal problems prevented her from entering into a deeper relationship with him. But Peter proved to be a tenacious friend. He comforted her and himself, insisting they would find a doctor who would get to the bottom of these strange ailments. He stayed with her to the very end, never losing heart, even when – as he recalls – she would stare at him with a look full of hatred and break out into snarls and animal-like howls. As the months went by, Anneliese’s behavior became increasingly more bizarre and monstrous: she would leap at the walls, run up and down the stairs, drink her own urine from the floor, dunk her head in the toilet bowl, scratch and bite the walls, roll about naked in the gravel or soak herself in water in an attempt to quench the fever that raged inside her. She had unbelievable physical strength. When her sister tried to grab her once, Anneliese flung her to the floor like a rag doll. She hardly slept at all. When she did go to bed, she lay there lifeless, like a corpse. Her stiffened neck muscles prevented her from drinking or even breathing. Then suddenly she would calm down, regain her composure, and return to her studies or play the piano. The exorcisms Feeling utterly helpless, the Michels asked the Bishop for permission to have an exorcism performed on their daughter. Members of the clergy visiting the house were convinced they were dealing with a case of demonic possession. Fr. Adolph Rodewyk S.J. was of a similar mind. Anneliese (far right) with her father, mother and three sisters. They often supported and assisted her during the exorcisms, asking the intercession of Heaven For several years during the war, he had defied the Gestapo by performing exorcisms on a hospital nurse. Having devoted many years to this work, he had the opportunity to study hundreds of cases of demonic possession. His personal contact with Anneliese in her home convinced him of the very worst: “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 April-May-June 2008 The question remains – wrote Fr. Rodewyk – which demon has gained possession of her? Whenever we ask her this, Anneliese always gives the name Judas. Judas is well known in the history of demonic possessions… He is known to prompt those in his power to steal the Host or make it impossible for them to swallow it. With Anneliese we see something quite similar. He admits she cannot swallow the Host. That is why she keeps it in her mouth: so it can dissolve. Anneliese is indeed in the power of an evil spirit, and the principal demon is Judas. By this I am suggesting that there may be other secondary evil spirits involved as well. Heaven had charged them to remain. Only death, as it turned out, would bring the girl deliverance. The day before she died, recalls Fr. Arnold – during the exorcism, she suddenly said, “Please give me absolution!” They were the last words she spoke to me. At midnight, the priest bade the demons be silent and allow the girl to get some rest. Anneliese lay down and went peacefully to sleep, never to wake again. She died of sheer exhaustion. in Anneliese MIchel’s lifetime even Catholic theologians were holding views at variance with the teachings of the Church. According to the convicted priest, Fr. Alt, the attempt by many theologians to reduce the phenomenon of demonic possession to purely natural psychic disturbances has led to the widespread abandonment of the practice of exorcism. To this day Germany has no officially appointed exorcist priests. At the same time interest in occultism in its various forms, including Satanism, has grown everywhere. In many instances our rapidly emptying convent and parish buildings are serving as meeting places for esoteric groups that are essentially Satanistic. Several years later, while studying Anneliese’s medical reports, a Swiss doctor, Theo Weber-Arma, uncovered facts that had been suppressed during the sensational trial of the Alas, this supposiexorcists. It turned out that tion was to be borne Anneliese had undergone In this spiritual climate Anneliese Michel came to out in full. When at last three EEG tests. Each time understand ever more deeply that her terrible exthe exorcisms began to epilepsy was ruled out. De- periences were not in vain. Indeed, they served to be performed, the haspite this, she was treated remind secularized Christians that Satan does exrassed demons started for several years with an- ist and that Hell is a real and ever-present danger to make themselves tiepileptic drugs such as to the unconverted soul. The tape recordings of known. In his notes on zentropil and tegretol. These Anneliese’s exorcisms (which include the demons’ the first exorcism, Fr. Ardrugs have serious side ef- actual voices), the photos of her battered body, her nold Renz gives an idea fects. Weber-Arma had no personal notes – all these make up the German of the struggle that was doubt that in Annieliese’s girl’s special testament to those who no longer take beginning in earnest: case the high concentration seriously the perils of Satanic activity. Anneliese, or the deof these chemical agents mons reacted most vioOn what grounds, we may well ask, could Anand their use over a pelently to holy water. She neliese’s terrible torments help save others? On the During an exorcism riod of several years were would start howling and grounds that this misunderstood and misdiagnosed bound eventually to bring thrashing about. Three men, Mr. Hein, Peter and girl had a real part in the Passion of Jesus Himself. on exhaustion and death. Needless to say, certain her father, restrained her. Anneliese tried to bite left Thanks alone to her union with the Crucified Christ individuals were responsible for this incorrect diagand right. She kicked out in my direction. From time her suffering assumed a salvific character: salvific nosis and treatment. None of them were held acto time she let out a howl, especially when sprinnot only for herself but for others as well. Indeed, it countable. kled with holy water. At times she whimpered like a was Christ Himself who suffered in her – for that is Expiation dog. She kept repeating: “Enough of this shit, you the meaning of the stigmata that several people tesasshole priest. You filthy swine!” There were many Why was Anneliese Michel possessed by evil tified to seeing upon her body. Thanks to her close more obscenities and insults which I will refrain from spirits? Possession occurs in people who have bond with Jesus, her keeping of several demons in citing. opened themselves up to the work of Satan through bondage within her own body took on a salvific dimension. An exorcism is a solemn prayer by which the satanic pacts, the practice of magic, spiritualism, Church in the name of Jesus Christ publicly and bio-energetic therapy or other occultic practices. What was at stake was the carrying out of the authoritatively expels an evil spirit from a person in Church’s triumphant struggle with the Devil. The In Anneliese’s case there was not even the slightits possession. Exorcists are well aware that knowChurch is the Mystical Body of Christ and, as with est suspicion of such involvement. Having prayed ing the demons’ names and the number of demons any living organism, when one member of the so much over the girl and having experienced the involved increases their power over them during Church engages in a struggle with the enemies of mysterious resistance of the evil spirits, Fr. Alt came the performance of the exorcism. For hours on end salvation, other members benefit from it. From her to the following conclusion: “I am convinced that the two priests – Fathers Arnold Renz and Ernst Alt extraordinarily diffi cult vocation flowed special gracwe are dealing here with a typical case of expia– prayed tirelessly over Anneliese. Eventually all es which she received from the Savior Himself. tory possession. During the many conversations I six harassed spirits made themselves known: Lucihad with her she gave me to understand that things These were actual teachings which, in order to fer, Judas, Cain, Nero, Hitler and Fleishmann. With would again be very difficult for her in the future. keep clearly distinguished from her Satanic sugAnneliese’s permission Fr. Arnold recorded the enShe lived in great fear of this and was saddened by gestions, she shared with her spiritual director. On tire process on a tape recorder (there were several it. But she felt it had to come. In the case of an ex- October 24, 1975 she wrote down the following dozen sessions in all). piatory possession the exorcist has his work cut out locution from Jesus: I am making use of your sufOnly a small portion of this material was tran- for him because it is not at all easy to understand fering, sorrow and lack of solace to save souls. On scribed or made its way into Dr. Felictas D. Good- the meaning of the suffering. The only consolation a another occasion He told her: Never cease asking man’s book. When, through the words of the ritual person not let in on the and begging on behalf and Holy Scripture as well as appeals to the saints, mystery can have is the of your neighbors that the priest and Anneliese’s loved ones charged the knowledge that through they may also attain spirits to leave the girl’s tormented body, the de- this dreadful suffering the eternal homeland; mons raised an indescribable cacophony of shrieks, a great many souls are and also: growls and howls. Despite their terrible fury, they saved.” Pray and make were prevailed upon to answer questions posed Does such an intergreat sacrifices for my to them by the priests. At one point a demon was pretation express nothpriests. It is not for forced to say, “I have something to tell you. She is ing more than the imponothing that I have rehappy. For you are constantly praying. You must tence felt by the priest in vealed to you the greatpray on.” his struggle with an evil ness and dignity of evAn incredible thing: Our Blessed Mother mak- spirit? How could he be ery priest – to the point ing it known through demonic shrieks that She is certain that Anneliese that you tremble with present and in command of the situation! Hearing endured these diabolic fear. Anneliese knew this extraordinary consolation, Fr. Arnold opened torments not for her she was not suffering his mouth to sing a Marian hymn. But at that mo- own sins but for those in vain, even though ment there broke out an appalling roar such as they of others? There might she dared not even had never heard before. Choking, as though about be grounds for doubt if imagine the great reThe gravesite of Anneliese Michel to cough up its very entrails, the demon screamed: it were not for the perward that awaited her sonal notes and tape “She is coming! She is coming! The Great Lady!” for this dedication that recordings the girl left behind. These documents evoked such supreme respect and admiration. We Hearing this part of the tape recording, Dr. Good- prove that Anneliese was clearly and lucidly aware find in her notebook the following extraordinary and man, a trained and experienced specialist, was that her frightful struggle with the powers of evil and moving dialog: You must write down something else shocked. In the margin of her notebook, she wrote: her attendant sufferings and humiliations would help as well – the Savior said. I didn’t want to write this What I heard here was so overwhelming and evoca- others to be saved. down – explains Anneliese – because I thought it tive that I had to switch off the tape recorder. I had to To the modern mind raised in the spirit of individ- came from the Devil; besides, my soul shuddered calm myself, fight back my nausea, which I achieved at the thought. But the Savior demanded my obediwith great difficulty. In the course of the prayer, An- ualism this appears strange and incomprehensible. ence, and that is why I am writing this down. The neliese demonstrated unbelievable strength. She Can one engage in a spiritual battle with Satan in Savior said, “You will become a great saint.” I still other people’s stead, and for their benefi t? From the broke free of her father’s and Peter’s grasp and didn’t want to believe it, but then the Savior gave threw herself on her knees, then got up, then fell very beginning – from the time of Christ’s struggle me a sign that I have heard Him right. Sobs and down again, and so on countless times, thus caus- and victory on the Cross – Christianity’s answer to this has been yes. In solidarity with our one Savior, tears… ing injury to her knees. Fr. Andrzej Trojanowski S.Chr. and thanks to His one victory over Satan, we are The exorcism of December 30, 1975 began engaged in a spiritual battle with the invisible realm Article based on the Polish translation of F.D. Goodmuch the same way as the preceding ones. Sud- of fallen angels, intelligent, irredeemably wicked beman’s book, Egzorcyzmy Anneliese Michel, Gdansk-Radenly one of the demons screamed out, “We are not ings hostile to God and man. dom, 2005. An English version entitled The Exorcism of coming out because He will not permit it!” “You mean Despite the protestations of so-called “enlight- Anneliese Michel was published by Doubleday in 1981. the Savior?” asked the priest. “Yes, He!” came the answer. “He does not wish it.” Tormented by these ened minds”, this truth have been an integral part Article reprinted with the permission of Love One Anseveral-hour-long sessions, the demons, whimper- of our Faith and the teaching of the Catholic Church other Magazine, Issue 6 printed in 2005. ing, begged to be released from the girl’s body. But since the time of the apostles. The tragic fact is that April-May-June 2008 “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 Page 23 Consecration to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary Oh Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, we come to You this day to compassionate our sorrows and to consecrate ourselves to You. We come to consecrate to Your Heart, to console it, the Pilgrims of Saint Michael and their Work. May our hearts beat in union with Yours. We want to live like You and with You, in love of purity, O Immaculate Heart, in the generosity of sacrifice, O Sorrowful Heart, in an ardent love for God and for our brethren, a fruitful and true love, O maternal Heart. Triumph soon, O Immaculate Heart, powerfully plead our cause at the tribunal of God. That through You, mercy triumphs over justice. Convert us, convert sinners, convert Russia. Cause O triumphant Heart, to have established on earth, a true and lasting peace, the peace of Christ, in the reign of Christ. Amen. Don’t miss our next important meetings in Rougemont: Our weeks of study, June 24-30 and August 22-29 Our International Congress, Aug. 30-31 and Sept. 1 Our Congress and weeks of study this year are under the honorary presidency of Bernard Cardinal Agre, of Ivory Coast. The main lectures of these weeks of study will be the 10 lessons on Social Credit, which were recently published in our journal. There will also be reports from various guests. All are welcome ! Please contact us before August 1 to make sure we can accommodate everyone. Cardinal Agré Page 24 “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 April-May-June 2008
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