By: Dr. J. P. Hubert
I noticed that the former Headline News "HLN" a sister network to CNN has reformatted its content recently. The latest iteration is called "HLN News and Issues." At night the network presents 2 similar shows in succession, hosted by 2 women respectively each of whom have hour long programs.
The first is Jane Velez Mitchell a self-professed recovering alcoholic attorney and former Celebrity Justice personality who spends most evenings railing against the unending parade of domestic violence and murder cases which she showcases each night. She is routinely assisted by a panel of guests including lawyers, mental health professionals and law enforcement officers. Understandably, Velez-Mitchell is particularly bothered by all of the violence which is currently being perpetrated against women and children. There seems to be a very feminist bias to her commentary however.
The second woman is Nancy Grace, a former Prosecutor turned talk-show host who nightly delivers a steady diet of murder, violence and kidnapping cases which usually follow the current news quite closely. Grace also employs a panel of experts heavily represented by Prosecuting and Defense attorneys and other Law Enforcement and Mental Health Professionals. In many ways the programs are similar in content and topics although Grace seems to be a bit more theatrical and caustic to her own guests and experts. Velez-Mitchell who is more polite to guests is quite dramatic in expressing her outrage over the horrendous nature of much of what she covers.
The interesting thing to me has been the fact that both women especially Velez-Mitchell seem truly perplexed about how to explain what appears to be a marked increase in terrible crimes especially those involving spouses, children and families. The various psychological/psychiatric experts all attempt to offer explanations but none to date have tumbled to what is decidedly a spiritual aspect or component of the rising crime problem they are witnessing. Rather, they look completely to naturalistic/secular explanations for what is transpiring. Not once to my knowledge have either of the hosts included a religious "expert" among their panelists.
Traditional Roman Catholics have no difficulty understanding the likely cause of the steadily increasing and horrendous family violence problem which is occurring. It is part of the overall process of an almost total falling away (Apostasy) from the True Faith (Traditional Roman Catholicism) which has since the close of the Second Vatican Council been increasing at an impressive rate. This must be added to the Apostasy which was already underway due to the Protestant Reformation, the loss of much of Christendom to Islam and the rise of Atheism in the wake of the French and Russian Revolutions. As I have written elsewhere all of these have contributed to the progressive loss of the social Kingship of Christ. The result of losing
"the social Kingship of Christ--and with it Christendom's hindering effect over evil--has been the creation of a plethora of civil laws throughout the formerly Christian world which are antithetical to the Divine Law of Christ (abortion, contraception, in-vitro fertilization, surrogate pregnancy, physician assisted suicide, destructive embryo research, legalized sodomy, gay 'marriage' etc). Is it any wonder then that there exists almost complete moral anarchy where once there was the great Judeo-Christian ethic? Unfortunately, the conciliar popes through their embrace of neo-modernism have facilitated rather than help retard the emergence of global evil and the eventual appearance of Antichrist."
MORE...
Some readers may be outraged to hear that the conciliar popes and Vatican hierarchy have (whether purposely or through malfeasance) helped bring about increasing amounts of global evil. As I have written elsewhere the conclusion seems unavoidable that the traditional restraining or hindering effect of the Roman Catholic Church over evil has largely been removed.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Man Allegedly Murders Wife and 5 Children: Flees to Haiti
"In No Uncertain Terms this is the Most Horrific and Violent Event this Community has ever Experienced"
CHRISTINE ARMARIO, Associated Press Writer
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) -- The husband of a woman found dead in a Florida apartment along with her five young children boarded a flight for Haiti, and police said Sunday the couple had a history of domestic violence calls to their homes over the past decade.
Mesac Damas, 33, who has family in Haiti, left Miami International Airport on Friday, said Collier County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Michelle Batten. Sheriff's officials said they want to talk to Damas, who is a person of interest. They were not calling him a suspect.
The victims found Saturday were Guerline Damas, 32, and her children: Michzach, 9; Marven, 6; Maven, 5; Megan, 3; and 11-month-old Morgan. Batten would not say how they died.
Family members contacted authorities Friday saying they hadn't heard from the mother. A deputy went to the home and knocked on the front door, but got no answer, said Capt. Chris Roberts of the sheriff's special investigations division.
He did not look through any of the apartment's windows.
"With the information the deputy had, I think what he did was reasonable," Roberts said.
A missing person report was filed Saturday, and the sheriff's office later entered the home in a gated community in Naples in southwest Florida and found the bodies, Batten said.
"In no uncertain terms, this is the most horrific and violent event this community has ever experienced," Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.
Roberts said the couple had been married two years but together for about 10. Police had been called a handful of times to their homes since 2000 for domestic disturbances, he said.
"...and because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." Matt. 24: 12
CHRISTINE ARMARIO, Associated Press Writer
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) -- The husband of a woman found dead in a Florida apartment along with her five young children boarded a flight for Haiti, and police said Sunday the couple had a history of domestic violence calls to their homes over the past decade.
Mesac Damas, 33, who has family in Haiti, left Miami International Airport on Friday, said Collier County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Michelle Batten. Sheriff's officials said they want to talk to Damas, who is a person of interest. They were not calling him a suspect.
The victims found Saturday were Guerline Damas, 32, and her children: Michzach, 9; Marven, 6; Maven, 5; Megan, 3; and 11-month-old Morgan. Batten would not say how they died.
Family members contacted authorities Friday saying they hadn't heard from the mother. A deputy went to the home and knocked on the front door, but got no answer, said Capt. Chris Roberts of the sheriff's special investigations division.
He did not look through any of the apartment's windows.
"With the information the deputy had, I think what he did was reasonable," Roberts said.
A missing person report was filed Saturday, and the sheriff's office later entered the home in a gated community in Naples in southwest Florida and found the bodies, Batten said.
"In no uncertain terms, this is the most horrific and violent event this community has ever experienced," Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.
Roberts said the couple had been married two years but together for about 10. Police had been called a handful of times to their homes since 2000 for domestic disturbances, he said.
"...and because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." Matt. 24: 12
More Natural Disasters: Catastrophic Flooding in Georgia
Southeast Floods Block Highways; Death Toll Rises To 8
Southeast Creeks Turning Into Rivers
KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press Writer
Posted: 5:46 am EDT September 22, 2009 Updated: 9:26 am EDT September 22, 2009
AUSTELL, Ga. -- Washed-out roads and flooded interstate highways around Atlanta added to the misery Tuesday after days of torrential rain in the Southeast that claimed at least eight lives, including a 15-year-old boy whose body was found in the Chattooga River.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency also reported a new death in Douglas County west of Atlanta, bringing the toll in that county to four people. No more details were immediately available.
The victims included a toddler swept away from his family when a swollen creek ripped apart their trailer home in west Georgia on Monday. Many others were drivers whose vehicles were pushed off roads by rapidly rising waters. One man in Chattanooga, Tenn., was missing two days after betting onlookers he could swim across a flooded ditch next to his house.
Authorities urged people who don't need to drive to stay home, a day after Gov. Sonny Purdue declared a state of emergency in 17 counties.
"It's going to be a long morning. We're asking people to be patient," DOT spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan said.
The good news was that the rain was tapering off in many areas. The National Weather Service said there was more rain to come, but the likelihood and severity will decline in the coming days.
Days of downpours and thunderstorms saturated the ground from Alabama through Georgia into eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, just months after an epic two-year drought in the region ended after winter rains.
As Tuesday rush-hour began in the Atlanta area, Interstate 20 west of the city was closed in two spots by water spilling over the major artery for commuter traffic from the sprawling western suburbs. Portions of at least two other interstates in the metro area were also closed, as was I-75 in Houston County in central Georgia.
Hundreds of roads and bridges were under water or washed out in the Atlanta area and other parts of the state, including 17 bridges on state and interstate highways.
Dozens of roads remained closed in western North Carolina and several small landslides were reported. Officials said the flooding there was the worst since remnants of hurricanes Frances and Ivan came through in 2004.
As much as a foot of rain fell over parts of the Atlanta area Monday. The town of Dallas northwest of Atlanta had 16 inches in a 48-hour period, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said.
Aerial shots showed schools, football fields, used car lots and even entire neighborhoods submerged by the deluge, sending some unlucky residents scurrying for higher ground.
"It's a mess all over," said Lisa Janak of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
As the storm front rumbled through west Georgia, it turned a normally sleepy creek into a surging headwater that tore apart 2-year-old Preston Slade Crawford's mobile home around 2 a.m. Monday. The body of the drowned boy nicknamed "Scooter" wasn't found until hours later. His parents had been rescued from the raging waters as another son, Cooper, age 1, clung to his mother's arms in Carroll County, west of Atlanta.
Pat Crawford, the boy's grandmother, watched helplessly as the family's mobile home was whisked away.
"Y'all gotta help us! Y'all gotta save us!" Crawford remembers Bridgett Lawrence and Craig Crawford shouting above the roaring water. She said she was on higher ground, but couldn't get to them because the current was so bad.
About 12,000 Georgia Power customers were without power late Monday.
Crews in the tiny Georgia town of Trion worked to shore up a levee breached by the Chattooga River and in danger of failing. The town evacuated more than 1,500 residents, and Red Cross workers set up an emergency shelter.
Emergency officials were often forced to improvise to rescue dozens of people stranded in their homes and cars.
"We're using everything we can get our hands on," Douglas County spokesman Wes Tallon said. "Everything from boats to Jet Skis to ropes to ladders."
Other southeastern states were hit less severely.
In Kentucky, rescue crews went on more than a dozen runs to help stranded people after 4 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisville on Sunday, said city fire department spokesman Sgt. Salvador Melendez.
Water rose as high as window-level on some houses in North Carolina's Polk County, forcing emergency officials to evacuate homes along a seven-mile stretch of road. Flooding in more than 20 counties in western North Carolina closed roads, delayed school and forced evacuations.
___
Southeast Creeks Turning Into Rivers
KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press Writer
Posted: 5:46 am EDT September 22, 2009 Updated: 9:26 am EDT September 22, 2009
AUSTELL, Ga. -- Washed-out roads and flooded interstate highways around Atlanta added to the misery Tuesday after days of torrential rain in the Southeast that claimed at least eight lives, including a 15-year-old boy whose body was found in the Chattooga River.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency also reported a new death in Douglas County west of Atlanta, bringing the toll in that county to four people. No more details were immediately available.
The victims included a toddler swept away from his family when a swollen creek ripped apart their trailer home in west Georgia on Monday. Many others were drivers whose vehicles were pushed off roads by rapidly rising waters. One man in Chattanooga, Tenn., was missing two days after betting onlookers he could swim across a flooded ditch next to his house.
Authorities urged people who don't need to drive to stay home, a day after Gov. Sonny Purdue declared a state of emergency in 17 counties.
"It's going to be a long morning. We're asking people to be patient," DOT spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan said.
The good news was that the rain was tapering off in many areas. The National Weather Service said there was more rain to come, but the likelihood and severity will decline in the coming days.
Days of downpours and thunderstorms saturated the ground from Alabama through Georgia into eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, just months after an epic two-year drought in the region ended after winter rains.
As Tuesday rush-hour began in the Atlanta area, Interstate 20 west of the city was closed in two spots by water spilling over the major artery for commuter traffic from the sprawling western suburbs. Portions of at least two other interstates in the metro area were also closed, as was I-75 in Houston County in central Georgia.
Hundreds of roads and bridges were under water or washed out in the Atlanta area and other parts of the state, including 17 bridges on state and interstate highways.
Dozens of roads remained closed in western North Carolina and several small landslides were reported. Officials said the flooding there was the worst since remnants of hurricanes Frances and Ivan came through in 2004.
As much as a foot of rain fell over parts of the Atlanta area Monday. The town of Dallas northwest of Atlanta had 16 inches in a 48-hour period, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said.
Aerial shots showed schools, football fields, used car lots and even entire neighborhoods submerged by the deluge, sending some unlucky residents scurrying for higher ground.
"It's a mess all over," said Lisa Janak of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
As the storm front rumbled through west Georgia, it turned a normally sleepy creek into a surging headwater that tore apart 2-year-old Preston Slade Crawford's mobile home around 2 a.m. Monday. The body of the drowned boy nicknamed "Scooter" wasn't found until hours later. His parents had been rescued from the raging waters as another son, Cooper, age 1, clung to his mother's arms in Carroll County, west of Atlanta.
Pat Crawford, the boy's grandmother, watched helplessly as the family's mobile home was whisked away.
"Y'all gotta help us! Y'all gotta save us!" Crawford remembers Bridgett Lawrence and Craig Crawford shouting above the roaring water. She said she was on higher ground, but couldn't get to them because the current was so bad.
About 12,000 Georgia Power customers were without power late Monday.
Crews in the tiny Georgia town of Trion worked to shore up a levee breached by the Chattooga River and in danger of failing. The town evacuated more than 1,500 residents, and Red Cross workers set up an emergency shelter.
Emergency officials were often forced to improvise to rescue dozens of people stranded in their homes and cars.
"We're using everything we can get our hands on," Douglas County spokesman Wes Tallon said. "Everything from boats to Jet Skis to ropes to ladders."
Other southeastern states were hit less severely.
In Kentucky, rescue crews went on more than a dozen runs to help stranded people after 4 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisville on Sunday, said city fire department spokesman Sgt. Salvador Melendez.
Water rose as high as window-level on some houses in North Carolina's Polk County, forcing emergency officials to evacuate homes along a seven-mile stretch of road. Flooding in more than 20 counties in western North Carolina closed roads, delayed school and forced evacuations.
___
Will the "Third Rome" Reunite With the "First Rome"?
Editor's NOTE:
This Zenit article if true would represent the exact opposite of what Our Lady called for at Fatima in which she indicated that if Russia were consecrated to her Immaculate Heart by the Pope and all of the Bishops of the world on the same day, Russia would be converted to Roman Catholicism and would cease perpetrating its errors throughout the world--the worst of which is atheism.
There is no evidence that Benedict XVI intends to consecrate Russia according to the wishes of Our Lady. Moreover, there is evidence that he has participated in falsifying and de-legitimizing the Fatima apparitions. It is extremely unlikely barring a complete change of mind and heart that Benedict would push the Russian Orthodox (Moscow) Patriarch (Kirill) to return the Orthodox church to the one True Faith of Roman Catholicism, accept the Filioque clause of the Nicene Creed and accept the papal primacy of the Bishop of Rome.
What is being described here is a false ecumenism the same as what the conciliar church has advocated since the close of the Second Vatican Council. Russian Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev is certainly correct about the Novus Ordo liturgy being Protestant. It would be completely ridiculous for the Russian Orthodox to reject their liturgy in favor of the conciliar Novus Ordo Missae. It is much closer to the Traditional Roman Catholic Latin Liturgy which must be reinstated (by order of Quo Primum it has never been abrogated) than it is to the Novus Ordo which should be promptly discarded.
Until the current Vatican hierarchy is willing to reinstate the Tridentine Latin Mass as the one and only Latin rite and until it is willing to either radically correct or totally reject the Second Vatican Council, the Russian Orthodox should have nothing to do with the conciliar church based in Rome.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Will the "Third Rome" Reunite With the "First Rome"?
Recent Meeting Could Mark Turning Point
By Robert Moynihan
WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org)- Sometimes there are no fireworks. Turning points can pass in silence, almost unobserved.
It may be that way with the "Great Schism," the most serious division in the history of the Church. The end of the schism may come more quickly and more unexpectedly than most imagine.
On Sept. 18, inside Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer palace about 30 miles outside Rome, a Russian Orthodox Archbishop named Hilarion Alfeyev, 43 (a scholar, theologian, expert on the liturgy, composer and lover of music), met with Benedict XVI, 82 (also a scholar, theologian, expert on the liturgy and lover of music), for almost two hours, according to informed sources. (There are as yet no "official" sources about this meeting -- the Holy See has still not released an official communiqué about the meeting.)
The silence suggests that what transpired was important -- perhaps so important that the Holy See thinks it isn't yet prudent to reveal publicly what was discussed.
But there are numerous "signs" that the meeting was remarkably harmonious.
If so, this Sept. 18 meeting may have marked a turning point in relations between the "Third Rome" (Moscow) and the "First Rome" (Rome) -- divided since 1054.
Archbishop Hilarion was in Rome for five days last week as the representative of the new Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
One key person Archbishop Hilarion met with was Cardinal Walter Kasper. On Sept. 17, the cardinal told Vatican Radio that he and Archbishop Hilarion had a "very calm conversation."
Cardinal Kasper also revealed something astonishing: that he had suggested to the archbishop that the Orthodox Churches form some kind of "bishops' conference at the European level" that would constitute a "direct partner of cooperation" in future meetings.
This would be a revolutionary step in the organization of the Orthodox Churches.
Papal-Patriarch encounter?
Cardinal Kasper said a Pope-Patriarch meeting was not on the immediate agenda, and would probably not take place in Moscow or Rome, but in some "neutral" place (Hungary, Austria and Belarus are possibilities).
Archbishop Hilarion himself revealed much about how his Rome visit was proceeding when he met on the evening of Sept. 17 (before his meeting with the Pope) with the Community of Sant'Egidio, an Italian Catholic group known for its work with the poor in Rome.
"We live in a de-Christianized world, in a time that some define -- mistakenly -- as post-Christian," Archbishop Hilarion said. "Contemporary society, with its practical materialism and moral relativism, is a challenge to us all. The future of humanity depends on our response… More than ever before, we Christians must stand together."
A report from Interfax, the news service of the Moscow Patriarchate, on Sept. 18 revealed that Archbishop Hilarion spoke to the Pope about "cooperation between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in the area of moral values and of culture" -- in particular during the "Days of Russian Spiritual Culture," a type of exhibit with lectures scheduled for spring 2010 in Rome. (One might imagine that the Pope himself could attend such an exhibition).
In memory of the visit, Archbishop Hilarion gave the Pope a pectoral cross, made in workshops of Russian Orthodox Church, the report said, Interfax reported.
Today, an Interfax report supplied details of Hilarion's remarks this morning in the catacombs of St. Callixtus.
"Denied by the world, far from human eyes, deep under ground in caves, the first Roman Christians performed the feat of prayer," Hilarion said. "Their life brought the fruit of holiness and martyr heroism. The Holy Church was built on their blood shed for Christ."
Then the Church came out of the catacombs, but Christian unity was lost, the archbishop said.
Archbishop Hilarion said that human sin is the cause of all divisions, while Christian unity can be restored only in the way of sanctity.
"Each of us, conscientiously fulfilling a task the Church has given him or her, is called to personally contribute to the treasury of Christian sanctity and work to achieve God-commanded Christian unity," the archbishop said.
A second Interfax report today added further information about the meeting with the Pope.
Growing influence
"During a talk with Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk pointed out the status of Orthodox believers in Western Ukraine where three Orthodox dioceses had been almost eliminated as a result of coercive actions of Greek Catholics in late 1980s and early 1990s," Interfax reported.
Archbishop Hilarion "stated the need to take practical steps to improve the situation in Western Ukraine," within the territories of Lvov, Ternopol and Invano-Frankovsk Dioceses, the report said.
Meanwhile, in Russia itself, the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Patriarch Kirill, seems to be growing, though not without opposition.
The rise in Russia of Kirill and his increasing influence in legislative matters seems to be arousing opposition from the "siloviki," forces connected with the old KGB.
In an article in the current issue of Argumenty Nedeli, Andrey Uglanov says that Kirill's extraordinary activity has attracted attention from some who do not like to have their positions questioned, let alone challenged. And that has become Kirill's "big problem."
These "siloviki," Uglanov says, have been offended by Kirill's "anti-Stalinist and anti-Bolshevik actions," including his appearance at the Solovetsky stone in Moscow's Lubyanka Square on the very Day of the Memory of the Victims of Political Repression.
In this context, Hilarion's visit to Rome takes on even more importance.
The Russian Orthodox Church is a power in Russia, but it faces opposition and needs allies.
What is occurring in Hilarion's visit to Rome, then, may have ramifications not only for the overcoming of the "Great Schism," but also for the cultural, religious and political future of Russia, and of Europe as a whole.
It is especially significant, in this context, that Hilarion, Kirill's "Foreign Minister," has some of the same deep interests as Benedict XVI: the liturgy, and music.
"As a 15-year-old boy I first entered the sanctuary of the Lord, the Holy of Holies of the Orthodox Church,” Hilarion once wrote about the Orthodox liturgy. “But it was only after my entrance into the altar that the 'theourgia,' the mystery, and 'feast of faith' began, which continues to this very day.
"After my ordination, I saw my destiny and main calling in serving the Divine Liturgy. Indeed, everything else, such as sermons, pastoral care and theological scholarship were centered around the main focal point of my life -- the liturgy."
Liturgy
These words seem to echo the feelings and experiences of Benedict XVI, who has written that the liturgies of Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday in Bavaria when he was a child were formative for his entire being, and that his writing on the liturgy (one of his books is entitled "Feast of Faith") is the most important to him of all his scholarly endeavors.
"Orthodox divine services are a priceless treasure that we must carefully guard," Hilarion has written. "I have had the opportunity to be present at both Protestant and Catholic services, which were, with rare exceptions, quite disappointing… Since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, services in some Catholic churches have become little different from Protestant ones."
Again, these words of Hilarion seem to echo Benedict XVI's own concerns. The Pope has made it clear that he wishes to reform the Catholic Church's liturgy, and preserve what was contained in the old liturgy and now risks being lost.
Hilarion has cited the Orthodox St. John of Kronstadt approvingly. St. John of Kronstadt wrote: "The Church and its divine services are an embodiment and realization of everything in Christianity... It is the divine wisdom, accessible to simple, loving hearts."
These words echo words written by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, who often said that the liturgy is a "school" for the simple Christian, imparting the deep truths of the faith even to the unlearned through its prayers, gestures and hymns.
Hilarion in recent years has become known for his musical compositions, especially for Christmas and for Good Friday, celebrating the birth and the Passion of Jesus Christ. These works have been performed in Moscow and in the West, in Rome in March 2007 and in Washington DC in December 2007.
Closer relations between Rome and Moscow, then, could have profound implications also for the cultural and liturgical life of the Church in the West. There could be a renewal of Christian art and culture, as well as of faith.
All of this was at stake in the quiet meeting between Archbishop Hilarion and Benedict XVI on Friday afternoon, in the castle overlooking Lake Albano.
This Zenit article if true would represent the exact opposite of what Our Lady called for at Fatima in which she indicated that if Russia were consecrated to her Immaculate Heart by the Pope and all of the Bishops of the world on the same day, Russia would be converted to Roman Catholicism and would cease perpetrating its errors throughout the world--the worst of which is atheism.
There is no evidence that Benedict XVI intends to consecrate Russia according to the wishes of Our Lady. Moreover, there is evidence that he has participated in falsifying and de-legitimizing the Fatima apparitions. It is extremely unlikely barring a complete change of mind and heart that Benedict would push the Russian Orthodox (Moscow) Patriarch (Kirill) to return the Orthodox church to the one True Faith of Roman Catholicism, accept the Filioque clause of the Nicene Creed and accept the papal primacy of the Bishop of Rome.
What is being described here is a false ecumenism the same as what the conciliar church has advocated since the close of the Second Vatican Council. Russian Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev is certainly correct about the Novus Ordo liturgy being Protestant. It would be completely ridiculous for the Russian Orthodox to reject their liturgy in favor of the conciliar Novus Ordo Missae. It is much closer to the Traditional Roman Catholic Latin Liturgy which must be reinstated (by order of Quo Primum it has never been abrogated) than it is to the Novus Ordo which should be promptly discarded.
Until the current Vatican hierarchy is willing to reinstate the Tridentine Latin Mass as the one and only Latin rite and until it is willing to either radically correct or totally reject the Second Vatican Council, the Russian Orthodox should have nothing to do with the conciliar church based in Rome.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Will the "Third Rome" Reunite With the "First Rome"?
Recent Meeting Could Mark Turning Point
By Robert Moynihan
WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org)- Sometimes there are no fireworks. Turning points can pass in silence, almost unobserved.
It may be that way with the "Great Schism," the most serious division in the history of the Church. The end of the schism may come more quickly and more unexpectedly than most imagine.
On Sept. 18, inside Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer palace about 30 miles outside Rome, a Russian Orthodox Archbishop named Hilarion Alfeyev, 43 (a scholar, theologian, expert on the liturgy, composer and lover of music), met with Benedict XVI, 82 (also a scholar, theologian, expert on the liturgy and lover of music), for almost two hours, according to informed sources. (There are as yet no "official" sources about this meeting -- the Holy See has still not released an official communiqué about the meeting.)
The silence suggests that what transpired was important -- perhaps so important that the Holy See thinks it isn't yet prudent to reveal publicly what was discussed.
But there are numerous "signs" that the meeting was remarkably harmonious.
If so, this Sept. 18 meeting may have marked a turning point in relations between the "Third Rome" (Moscow) and the "First Rome" (Rome) -- divided since 1054.
Archbishop Hilarion was in Rome for five days last week as the representative of the new Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
One key person Archbishop Hilarion met with was Cardinal Walter Kasper. On Sept. 17, the cardinal told Vatican Radio that he and Archbishop Hilarion had a "very calm conversation."
Cardinal Kasper also revealed something astonishing: that he had suggested to the archbishop that the Orthodox Churches form some kind of "bishops' conference at the European level" that would constitute a "direct partner of cooperation" in future meetings.
This would be a revolutionary step in the organization of the Orthodox Churches.
Papal-Patriarch encounter?
Cardinal Kasper said a Pope-Patriarch meeting was not on the immediate agenda, and would probably not take place in Moscow or Rome, but in some "neutral" place (Hungary, Austria and Belarus are possibilities).
Archbishop Hilarion himself revealed much about how his Rome visit was proceeding when he met on the evening of Sept. 17 (before his meeting with the Pope) with the Community of Sant'Egidio, an Italian Catholic group known for its work with the poor in Rome.
"We live in a de-Christianized world, in a time that some define -- mistakenly -- as post-Christian," Archbishop Hilarion said. "Contemporary society, with its practical materialism and moral relativism, is a challenge to us all. The future of humanity depends on our response… More than ever before, we Christians must stand together."
A report from Interfax, the news service of the Moscow Patriarchate, on Sept. 18 revealed that Archbishop Hilarion spoke to the Pope about "cooperation between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in the area of moral values and of culture" -- in particular during the "Days of Russian Spiritual Culture," a type of exhibit with lectures scheduled for spring 2010 in Rome. (One might imagine that the Pope himself could attend such an exhibition).
In memory of the visit, Archbishop Hilarion gave the Pope a pectoral cross, made in workshops of Russian Orthodox Church, the report said, Interfax reported.
Today, an Interfax report supplied details of Hilarion's remarks this morning in the catacombs of St. Callixtus.
"Denied by the world, far from human eyes, deep under ground in caves, the first Roman Christians performed the feat of prayer," Hilarion said. "Their life brought the fruit of holiness and martyr heroism. The Holy Church was built on their blood shed for Christ."
Then the Church came out of the catacombs, but Christian unity was lost, the archbishop said.
Archbishop Hilarion said that human sin is the cause of all divisions, while Christian unity can be restored only in the way of sanctity.
"Each of us, conscientiously fulfilling a task the Church has given him or her, is called to personally contribute to the treasury of Christian sanctity and work to achieve God-commanded Christian unity," the archbishop said.
A second Interfax report today added further information about the meeting with the Pope.
Growing influence
"During a talk with Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk pointed out the status of Orthodox believers in Western Ukraine where three Orthodox dioceses had been almost eliminated as a result of coercive actions of Greek Catholics in late 1980s and early 1990s," Interfax reported.
Archbishop Hilarion "stated the need to take practical steps to improve the situation in Western Ukraine," within the territories of Lvov, Ternopol and Invano-Frankovsk Dioceses, the report said.
Meanwhile, in Russia itself, the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Patriarch Kirill, seems to be growing, though not without opposition.
The rise in Russia of Kirill and his increasing influence in legislative matters seems to be arousing opposition from the "siloviki," forces connected with the old KGB.
In an article in the current issue of Argumenty Nedeli, Andrey Uglanov says that Kirill's extraordinary activity has attracted attention from some who do not like to have their positions questioned, let alone challenged. And that has become Kirill's "big problem."
These "siloviki," Uglanov says, have been offended by Kirill's "anti-Stalinist and anti-Bolshevik actions," including his appearance at the Solovetsky stone in Moscow's Lubyanka Square on the very Day of the Memory of the Victims of Political Repression.
In this context, Hilarion's visit to Rome takes on even more importance.
The Russian Orthodox Church is a power in Russia, but it faces opposition and needs allies.
What is occurring in Hilarion's visit to Rome, then, may have ramifications not only for the overcoming of the "Great Schism," but also for the cultural, religious and political future of Russia, and of Europe as a whole.
It is especially significant, in this context, that Hilarion, Kirill's "Foreign Minister," has some of the same deep interests as Benedict XVI: the liturgy, and music.
"As a 15-year-old boy I first entered the sanctuary of the Lord, the Holy of Holies of the Orthodox Church,” Hilarion once wrote about the Orthodox liturgy. “But it was only after my entrance into the altar that the 'theourgia,' the mystery, and 'feast of faith' began, which continues to this very day.
"After my ordination, I saw my destiny and main calling in serving the Divine Liturgy. Indeed, everything else, such as sermons, pastoral care and theological scholarship were centered around the main focal point of my life -- the liturgy."
Liturgy
These words seem to echo the feelings and experiences of Benedict XVI, who has written that the liturgies of Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday in Bavaria when he was a child were formative for his entire being, and that his writing on the liturgy (one of his books is entitled "Feast of Faith") is the most important to him of all his scholarly endeavors.
"Orthodox divine services are a priceless treasure that we must carefully guard," Hilarion has written. "I have had the opportunity to be present at both Protestant and Catholic services, which were, with rare exceptions, quite disappointing… Since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, services in some Catholic churches have become little different from Protestant ones."
Again, these words of Hilarion seem to echo Benedict XVI's own concerns. The Pope has made it clear that he wishes to reform the Catholic Church's liturgy, and preserve what was contained in the old liturgy and now risks being lost.
Hilarion has cited the Orthodox St. John of Kronstadt approvingly. St. John of Kronstadt wrote: "The Church and its divine services are an embodiment and realization of everything in Christianity... It is the divine wisdom, accessible to simple, loving hearts."
These words echo words written by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, who often said that the liturgy is a "school" for the simple Christian, imparting the deep truths of the faith even to the unlearned through its prayers, gestures and hymns.
Hilarion in recent years has become known for his musical compositions, especially for Christmas and for Good Friday, celebrating the birth and the Passion of Jesus Christ. These works have been performed in Moscow and in the West, in Rome in March 2007 and in Washington DC in December 2007.
Closer relations between Rome and Moscow, then, could have profound implications also for the cultural and liturgical life of the Church in the West. There could be a renewal of Christian art and culture, as well as of faith.
All of this was at stake in the quiet meeting between Archbishop Hilarion and Benedict XVI on Friday afternoon, in the castle overlooking Lake Albano.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Roman Curia Redesigned in 1967 by Paul VI: Changes helped Conciliar Church Deviate from Traditional Catholic Faith
Few people are aware that in the wake of the second Vatican Council Paul VI asked an individual who is now known to have been a Free Mason (Cardinal Jean Villot) to engineer an overhaul of the Roman Curia (administration). Prior to that time the Pope was not only supreme head of the Church but of the entire Roman Curia as well.
In addition to heading up the Roman Curia, the Pope was also the ultimate authority (Prefect) over the Holy Office (which insured Catholic orthodoxy) the foremost among the Roman Congregations. Prior to the Papacy of Paul VI, the primary papal duty had been eternal vigilance concerning the preservation of Catholic orthodoxy--in response to any and all attacks against the faith.
As a result of the radical changes in the Roman Curia the Holy Office became the CDF (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) which was given its own supreme authority in the form of a Cardinal Prefect separate and apart from the Pope. Moreover, the Vatican Secretary of State was promoted to the new and powerful position of ruling over the entire Roman Curia allowing political considerations to gain primacy over those of faith and morals. In a sense, the result was to render the Pope a kind of conciliar figure-head devoid of power consistent with the new collegiality of the second Vatican Council.
The new Curial arrangement quickly resulted in a diplomatic change from the Traditional Catholic opposition to Communism--to the new Vatican Ostpolitik which called for a constructive engagement through dialogue with the Communist nations of both the USSR and China. Recall, by mutual agreement between John XXIII and the Moscow Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow would send representatives to Rome if in exchange the Second Vatican Council refrained from mentioning Communism in a negative light. Prior to 1958 such an arrangement would have been inconceivable!
In the view of the contributors to The Devil's Final Battle compiled by Fr. Paul Kramer, the dramatic changes which were made to the Roman Curia had a negative effect on the acceptance of the Fatima apparitions (including the call for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the publication of the Third Secret which was to have occurred no later than 1960 by order of Our Lady). Recall that it was John XXIII who refused to reveal the third secret after becoming Pope in 1958 alleging that the message had no relevance to his Papacy.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican Secretary of State according to Fr. Kramer in The Devil’s Final Battle was allegedly heavily involved in the attempts to de-legitimize the Fatima apparitions as was the Cardinal Prefect of the CDF (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI) and the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos. This and the infamous press conference of June 26, 2000 have contributed to the doubts which still exist regarding whether or not the complete text of the Third Secret has been revealed. Note that Sr. Lucy (the last remaining living Fatima seer) consistently maintained up until her death that the consecration of Russia to Our Lady had not been properly accomplished. (The Blessed Virgin Mary stated clearly at Fatima her intention that Russia specifically was to be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart by the Pope in concert with all the Bishops of the world on the same day. This has not been done). It is important to note that all of the Fatima content is completely orthodox in contradistinction to much of the teaching of Vatican II, the post-Vatican conciliar church and the Novus Ordo Missae which are heterodox.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
In addition to heading up the Roman Curia, the Pope was also the ultimate authority (Prefect) over the Holy Office (which insured Catholic orthodoxy) the foremost among the Roman Congregations. Prior to the Papacy of Paul VI, the primary papal duty had been eternal vigilance concerning the preservation of Catholic orthodoxy--in response to any and all attacks against the faith.
As a result of the radical changes in the Roman Curia the Holy Office became the CDF (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) which was given its own supreme authority in the form of a Cardinal Prefect separate and apart from the Pope. Moreover, the Vatican Secretary of State was promoted to the new and powerful position of ruling over the entire Roman Curia allowing political considerations to gain primacy over those of faith and morals. In a sense, the result was to render the Pope a kind of conciliar figure-head devoid of power consistent with the new collegiality of the second Vatican Council.
The new Curial arrangement quickly resulted in a diplomatic change from the Traditional Catholic opposition to Communism--to the new Vatican Ostpolitik which called for a constructive engagement through dialogue with the Communist nations of both the USSR and China. Recall, by mutual agreement between John XXIII and the Moscow Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow would send representatives to Rome if in exchange the Second Vatican Council refrained from mentioning Communism in a negative light. Prior to 1958 such an arrangement would have been inconceivable!
In the view of the contributors to The Devil's Final Battle compiled by Fr. Paul Kramer, the dramatic changes which were made to the Roman Curia had a negative effect on the acceptance of the Fatima apparitions (including the call for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the publication of the Third Secret which was to have occurred no later than 1960 by order of Our Lady). Recall that it was John XXIII who refused to reveal the third secret after becoming Pope in 1958 alleging that the message had no relevance to his Papacy.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican Secretary of State according to Fr. Kramer in The Devil’s Final Battle was allegedly heavily involved in the attempts to de-legitimize the Fatima apparitions as was the Cardinal Prefect of the CDF (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI) and the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos. This and the infamous press conference of June 26, 2000 have contributed to the doubts which still exist regarding whether or not the complete text of the Third Secret has been revealed. Note that Sr. Lucy (the last remaining living Fatima seer) consistently maintained up until her death that the consecration of Russia to Our Lady had not been properly accomplished. (The Blessed Virgin Mary stated clearly at Fatima her intention that Russia specifically was to be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart by the Pope in concert with all the Bishops of the world on the same day. This has not been done). It is important to note that all of the Fatima content is completely orthodox in contradistinction to much of the teaching of Vatican II, the post-Vatican conciliar church and the Novus Ordo Missae which are heterodox.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
"The Secret" Warned Against Vatican Council II and the New Mass
An Exclusive Fatima Crusader Interview with Fr. Paul Kramer
For a short piece which provides some background information about the Third Secret of Fatima and its relationship to the Second Vatican Council and the Novus Ordo Missae
See THIS...
For a short piece which provides some background information about the Third Secret of Fatima and its relationship to the Second Vatican Council and the Novus Ordo Missae
See THIS...
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Edward Henry Cardinal Manning: Christendom Hinders the Appearance of Antichrist
In his book The Pope and the Antichrist: The Present Crisis of the Holy See Tested by Prophecy, (2007), Cardinal Manning teaches that it is the Pope and the remnants of Christendom through the power of the Holy Spirit which together hinder the appearance of Antichrist in the world, (pp.37-56). Writing in 1861 he could already see that the once great artifice which was Christendom had begun to disintegrate.
Manning notes that by the 7th century the Gospel ruled not only the spiritual powers on earth but the civil temporal powers as well--bringing the entire created realm under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The idea that not only individuals but ethnic groups and nations must submit to the Divine Law is known as the social/political Kingship of Christ. This is what Christ meant when he said:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew, 28: 18-20)
Since the Masonically motivated French Revolution of 1789, the social Kingship of Christ has been progressively denied such that at present the temporal powers have usurped the role of Jesus Christ in ruling the nations through their embracing of various Enlightenment philosophies e.g "radical individual autonomy" which has replaced a concern for the "common good" and "the separation of church and state." Through a wide application of the latter, the Divine Law of Christ is being abrogated. If observed at all, it has been limited to individuals only--as the civil law increasingly deviates from the message and principles of the Gospel.
The result of losing the social Kingship of Christ--and with it Christendom's hindering effect over evil--has been the creation of a plethora of civil laws throughout the formerly Christian world which are antithetical to the Divine Law of Christ (abortion, contraception, in-vitro fertilization, surrogate pregnancy, physician assisted suicide, destructive embryo research, legalized sodomy, gay "marriage" etc). Is it any wonder then that there exists almost complete moral anarchy where once there was the great Judeo-Christian ethic? Unfortunately, the conciliar popes through their embrace of neo-modernism have facilitated rather than help retard the emergence of global evil and the eventual appearance of Antichrist.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Manning notes that by the 7th century the Gospel ruled not only the spiritual powers on earth but the civil temporal powers as well--bringing the entire created realm under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The idea that not only individuals but ethnic groups and nations must submit to the Divine Law is known as the social/political Kingship of Christ. This is what Christ meant when he said:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew, 28: 18-20)
Since the Masonically motivated French Revolution of 1789, the social Kingship of Christ has been progressively denied such that at present the temporal powers have usurped the role of Jesus Christ in ruling the nations through their embracing of various Enlightenment philosophies e.g "radical individual autonomy" which has replaced a concern for the "common good" and "the separation of church and state." Through a wide application of the latter, the Divine Law of Christ is being abrogated. If observed at all, it has been limited to individuals only--as the civil law increasingly deviates from the message and principles of the Gospel.
The result of losing the social Kingship of Christ--and with it Christendom's hindering effect over evil--has been the creation of a plethora of civil laws throughout the formerly Christian world which are antithetical to the Divine Law of Christ (abortion, contraception, in-vitro fertilization, surrogate pregnancy, physician assisted suicide, destructive embryo research, legalized sodomy, gay "marriage" etc). Is it any wonder then that there exists almost complete moral anarchy where once there was the great Judeo-Christian ethic? Unfortunately, the conciliar popes through their embrace of neo-modernism have facilitated rather than help retard the emergence of global evil and the eventual appearance of Antichrist.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Signs of the Antichristic Abound
Missing Infant, Toddler Found in Trash Bin
MORE...
Baby Found in Sewer Dies
MORE...
Man Slays entire Family Then Calls 911
MORE...
Man Who Maliciously Strangled Wife and Kids Worked for Televangelist Joyce Meyer
MORE...
Famous Rampage Killings of 15 or More People during the Past Century
MORE...
Man Murders 10 People in Alabama Killing Rampage
MORE...
"...and because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." Matt. 24: 12
MORE...
Baby Found in Sewer Dies
MORE...
Man Slays entire Family Then Calls 911
MORE...
Man Who Maliciously Strangled Wife and Kids Worked for Televangelist Joyce Meyer
MORE...
Famous Rampage Killings of 15 or More People during the Past Century
MORE...
Man Murders 10 People in Alabama Killing Rampage
MORE...
"...and because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." Matt. 24: 12
Reading Update
I have finished reading Ives DuPont's book Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement 1973, Henry Edward Cardinal Manning's book The Pope and the Antichrist: The Present Crisis of the Holy See Tested by Prophecy, 2007 and am currently studying Fr. Paul Kramer's book The Devil's Final Battle: How the Current Rejection of the Message of Fatima Causes the Present Crisis in the Church and the World, 2002, all of which provide interesting insights into the now 45+ year Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church. Readers will find more details including contact information in the "Recommended Works" section on the right-hand side of the site by scrolling roughly half-way down the page.
These works primarily refer to private revelation many details of which are not technically part of General Revelation or the Deposit of the Faith. However none of the contents of these books are incompatible with it either. In general they provide more detailed information about what is already known from General Revelation or a compelling explanation for the events through which the Catholic faithful have lived since the death of Pope Pius XII.
For example, The Devil's Final Battle documents how since 1960 certain forces within the Vatican hierarchy have sought to marginalize the Fatima message and prevent the third secret of Our Lady of Fatima from being known to the public. Had the information contained in the third secret been properly revealed, the disastrous consequences--resultant from the Second Vatican Council in which many Traditional Roman Catholic dogmas/doctrines were either contradicted or ignored--might have prevented. Moreover, the tragic and negative changes which were made in the liturgy of the Mass would likely never have occurred.
I personally recommend all "3" of the above mentioned books.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
These works primarily refer to private revelation many details of which are not technically part of General Revelation or the Deposit of the Faith. However none of the contents of these books are incompatible with it either. In general they provide more detailed information about what is already known from General Revelation or a compelling explanation for the events through which the Catholic faithful have lived since the death of Pope Pius XII.
For example, The Devil's Final Battle documents how since 1960 certain forces within the Vatican hierarchy have sought to marginalize the Fatima message and prevent the third secret of Our Lady of Fatima from being known to the public. Had the information contained in the third secret been properly revealed, the disastrous consequences--resultant from the Second Vatican Council in which many Traditional Roman Catholic dogmas/doctrines were either contradicted or ignored--might have prevented. Moreover, the tragic and negative changes which were made in the liturgy of the Mass would likely never have occurred.
I personally recommend all "3" of the above mentioned books.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
ELCA Lutherans Join Episcopalians in Perfidy: Fr. Richard Mc Brien Denounces Eucharistic Adoration
The largest Lutheran denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) through its “Churchwide Assembly,” last month, adopted multiple resolutions which; affirmed the moral goodness of stable same-sex relationships, validated cohabitation as an acceptable Christian lifestyle and removed any impediments for homosexual persons in same-sex relationships in order that they might freely exercise the pastoral ministry within the ELCA. As many readers are aware the Protestant Episcopal Church has already appointed an openly homosexual (one who lives with another man as a homosexual couple) male Bishop.
These Protestant heretical sects continue to devolve further away from the one True Faith of Jesus Christ at an ever increasing rate of speed. Unfortunately, the conciliar church has many adherents who are actively pushing in the same direction not a small number of whom advocate normalizing homosexual relationships/unions, non-marital heterosexual activity/unions and in so-doing demonstrate their utter contempt for Traditional Catholic moral precepts.
It is clear that Christianity is in deep trouble particularly Protestant "Christianity" but not exclusively so. The conciliar church in many ways has apostatized from the true faith. For a recent example of the kinds of heresies which are openly tolerated by the conciliar Vatican, Fr. Richard Mc Brien now claims that Eucharistic Devotion is anachronistic:
"...Notwithstanding Pope Benedict XVI's personal endorsement of eucharistic adoration and the sporadic restoration of the practice in the archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere, it is difficult to speak favorably about the devotion today.
Now that most Catholics are literate and even well-educated, the Mass is in the language of the people (i.e, the vernacular), and its rituals are relatively easy to understand and follow, there is little or no need for extraneous eucharistic devotions. The Mass itself provides all that a Catholic needs sacramentally and spiritually.
Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward."
----National Catholic Reporter, "Perpetual eucharistic adoration" by Richard McBrien, Sep. 08, 2009. available HERE...
Better if he had said that Eucharistic Adoration is idolatrous so his true intentions might be readily appreciated--it would have been intellectually more honest.
In typical conciliar fashion, Fr. Mc Brien makes either contradictory or ambiguous statements. For example,
"Now that most Catholics are literate and even well-educated, the Mass is in the language of the people (i.e, the vernacular), and its rituals are relatively easy to understand and follow, there is little or no need for extraneous eucharistic devotions."
Without explaining exactly what he means by "extraneous" Eucharistic devotions he implies that non-extraneous Eucharistic devotions may be acceptable, whatever they might be. Moreover he strongly suggests that the reason for the popularity of Eucharistic devotion in the past was primarily due to the illiteracy of the people including their lack of education and inability to understand the Latin language of the Mass. This is absolutely preposterous.
Prior to Vatican II, virtually all Catholics believed in the "real presence of Christ" in the Eucharist--the Traditional Catholic Dogma, now when people are supposedly so well-educated and literate, well less than 50% do. If the difference is a matter of education, literacy and or the vernacular "mass", please let us return to the Latin Mass before no one is left in the conciliar church who believes in the "real presence." The main reason for Eucharistic devotion of course is because Christ is actually present there in a way which is not the case anywhere else in this world. Faithful Catholics who wish to adore Him can do so in no more efficacious way. For Fr. Mc Brien to allege that Eucharistic devotion was a pious anachronism practiced by the uneducated and illiterate who could not understand the Latin Mass is not only false but extremely insulting to the generations of faithful Catholics and Saints who embraced the devotion.
Perhaps the most egregious statement made by Fr. Mc Brien is his assertion that Eucharistic devotion "perpetual or not is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward." This demonstrates as clearly as anything else his utter disgust for the idea that Christ is substantially present; body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. Anyone who believed what the Church has always taught on this crucial doctrine could not possibly make such a statement. In the days of Pope Pius V and Pope Pius X when Pontiff's protected the flock from ravenous wolves, Fr. Mc Brien would have been accused of heresy forthwith for writing what he did. Not now.
Moreover, nowhere in his article which also discusses the nature of Eucharistic consecration does Fr. Mc Brien utilize the actual wording which the Roman Catholic Church taught for centuries--that the bread and wine become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in substance, while the accidents of bread and wine remain in form. The term transubstantiation is the word which describes the fact that the substance of bread and the substance of wine are transformed into the substance of our Lord Jesus Christ's body and blood. This is the classical Thomistic formulation which the Church has taught for almost 1000 years, was codified at the Council of Trent and held sway until Vatican II. In it's wake, St. Thomas Aquinas who had been the most celebrated Doctor of the Church was relegated to the dustbin of Church History by the conciliar church. It is therefore not surprising that Fr. Mc Brien who is an enthusiastic supporter of all things heterodox would fail to use the Traditional Catholic terminology.
It is actually a Protestant belief which states that in consecrating the bread and wine there is a "sacramental" change or "union" only; rather than a "substantial" change hence the term--consubstantiation by which many Lutheran's mean the presence of the bread, the wine and sacramentally, but not substantially the body and blood of Christ all together The Lutheran doctrine specifically rejects a physical presence of Christ's body and blood in order presumably to avoid the charge of cannibalism. For that reason in fact some Lutheran's object to the term consubstantiation which according to one definition technically refers to a physical presence of Christ's body and blood along with the bread and wine.
In any case, all Lutherans appear to accept the terms "sacramental union" which they see as a theological rather than philosophical explanation. This helps explain why Protestants believe it is sacrilegious to adore the consecrated host as in perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. In the above referenced article Fr. Mc Brien utilizing the Protestant formulation states that in the Catholic Eucharistic consecration a "sacramental change" occurs and not a physical change. He is correct that no physical change occurs but a substantial change occurs nonetheless according to Traditional Catholic teaching, a term which he judiciously avoided.
These are the kinds of statements ("Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward") which are currently left unchallenged by the conciliar Vatican. They are not uncommon. To the contrary, they occur frequently without a proper response from Rome. Fr. Mc Brien is a full professor of Theology at a "Catholic" University and despite a plethora of heretical pronouncements over the years continues to teach Theology there. He has never been formally disciplined by the Church.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
These Protestant heretical sects continue to devolve further away from the one True Faith of Jesus Christ at an ever increasing rate of speed. Unfortunately, the conciliar church has many adherents who are actively pushing in the same direction not a small number of whom advocate normalizing homosexual relationships/unions, non-marital heterosexual activity/unions and in so-doing demonstrate their utter contempt for Traditional Catholic moral precepts.
It is clear that Christianity is in deep trouble particularly Protestant "Christianity" but not exclusively so. The conciliar church in many ways has apostatized from the true faith. For a recent example of the kinds of heresies which are openly tolerated by the conciliar Vatican, Fr. Richard Mc Brien now claims that Eucharistic Devotion is anachronistic:
"...Notwithstanding Pope Benedict XVI's personal endorsement of eucharistic adoration and the sporadic restoration of the practice in the archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere, it is difficult to speak favorably about the devotion today.
Now that most Catholics are literate and even well-educated, the Mass is in the language of the people (i.e, the vernacular), and its rituals are relatively easy to understand and follow, there is little or no need for extraneous eucharistic devotions. The Mass itself provides all that a Catholic needs sacramentally and spiritually.
Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward."
----National Catholic Reporter, "Perpetual eucharistic adoration" by Richard McBrien, Sep. 08, 2009. available HERE...
Better if he had said that Eucharistic Adoration is idolatrous so his true intentions might be readily appreciated--it would have been intellectually more honest.
In typical conciliar fashion, Fr. Mc Brien makes either contradictory or ambiguous statements. For example,
"Now that most Catholics are literate and even well-educated, the Mass is in the language of the people (i.e, the vernacular), and its rituals are relatively easy to understand and follow, there is little or no need for extraneous eucharistic devotions."
Without explaining exactly what he means by "extraneous" Eucharistic devotions he implies that non-extraneous Eucharistic devotions may be acceptable, whatever they might be. Moreover he strongly suggests that the reason for the popularity of Eucharistic devotion in the past was primarily due to the illiteracy of the people including their lack of education and inability to understand the Latin language of the Mass. This is absolutely preposterous.
Prior to Vatican II, virtually all Catholics believed in the "real presence of Christ" in the Eucharist--the Traditional Catholic Dogma, now when people are supposedly so well-educated and literate, well less than 50% do. If the difference is a matter of education, literacy and or the vernacular "mass", please let us return to the Latin Mass before no one is left in the conciliar church who believes in the "real presence." The main reason for Eucharistic devotion of course is because Christ is actually present there in a way which is not the case anywhere else in this world. Faithful Catholics who wish to adore Him can do so in no more efficacious way. For Fr. Mc Brien to allege that Eucharistic devotion was a pious anachronism practiced by the uneducated and illiterate who could not understand the Latin Mass is not only false but extremely insulting to the generations of faithful Catholics and Saints who embraced the devotion.
Perhaps the most egregious statement made by Fr. Mc Brien is his assertion that Eucharistic devotion "perpetual or not is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward." This demonstrates as clearly as anything else his utter disgust for the idea that Christ is substantially present; body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. Anyone who believed what the Church has always taught on this crucial doctrine could not possibly make such a statement. In the days of Pope Pius V and Pope Pius X when Pontiff's protected the flock from ravenous wolves, Fr. Mc Brien would have been accused of heresy forthwith for writing what he did. Not now.
Moreover, nowhere in his article which also discusses the nature of Eucharistic consecration does Fr. Mc Brien utilize the actual wording which the Roman Catholic Church taught for centuries--that the bread and wine become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in substance, while the accidents of bread and wine remain in form. The term transubstantiation is the word which describes the fact that the substance of bread and the substance of wine are transformed into the substance of our Lord Jesus Christ's body and blood. This is the classical Thomistic formulation which the Church has taught for almost 1000 years, was codified at the Council of Trent and held sway until Vatican II. In it's wake, St. Thomas Aquinas who had been the most celebrated Doctor of the Church was relegated to the dustbin of Church History by the conciliar church. It is therefore not surprising that Fr. Mc Brien who is an enthusiastic supporter of all things heterodox would fail to use the Traditional Catholic terminology.
It is actually a Protestant belief which states that in consecrating the bread and wine there is a "sacramental" change or "union" only; rather than a "substantial" change hence the term--consubstantiation by which many Lutheran's mean the presence of the bread, the wine and sacramentally, but not substantially the body and blood of Christ all together The Lutheran doctrine specifically rejects a physical presence of Christ's body and blood in order presumably to avoid the charge of cannibalism. For that reason in fact some Lutheran's object to the term consubstantiation which according to one definition technically refers to a physical presence of Christ's body and blood along with the bread and wine.
In any case, all Lutherans appear to accept the terms "sacramental union" which they see as a theological rather than philosophical explanation. This helps explain why Protestants believe it is sacrilegious to adore the consecrated host as in perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. In the above referenced article Fr. Mc Brien utilizing the Protestant formulation states that in the Catholic Eucharistic consecration a "sacramental change" occurs and not a physical change. He is correct that no physical change occurs but a substantial change occurs nonetheless according to Traditional Catholic teaching, a term which he judiciously avoided.
These are the kinds of statements ("Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward") which are currently left unchallenged by the conciliar Vatican. They are not uncommon. To the contrary, they occur frequently without a proper response from Rome. Fr. Mc Brien is a full professor of Theology at a "Catholic" University and despite a plethora of heretical pronouncements over the years continues to teach Theology there. He has never been formally disciplined by the Church.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
5 Characteristics of Antichrist
From: Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, The Pope and the Antichrist, (Saint Croix du Mont France: Tradibooks, 2007), first published in 1861 under the title of: The Current Crisis of the Holy See Tested by Prophecy.
The Antichrist who will make an appearance at the end of time will have the following 5 characteristics:
1.) The Antichrist will be an individual male.
2.) The Antichrist will be a Jew.
3.) The Antichrist will deny the Incarnation of Christ, the whole Christian Faith and the Church. He will not simply be an antagonist but the substitute or supplanter of the true Messiah in every way.
4.) The Antichrist will perform false "miracles." His coming is "according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish." (2 Thess. 2: 9,10)
5.) The Antichrist will claim to be Divine. St. Paul describes him as "the man of sin the son of perdition, who opposeth, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God showing himself as if he were God." (2 Thess. 2: 4) Cardinal Manning taught that the Church Fathers were in agreement that the Antichrist as here described by St. Paul will "call himself God" (St. Jerome) "will affirm himself to be God" (St. Ambrose) and "profess himself to be the God of all" (St. John Chrysostom). He will demand to be worshiped as God.
For those readers who have become concerned that the appearance of the Antichrist is immanent, it is useful to review these criteria provided by Cardinal Manning who nicely summarized the statements from Sacred Scripture and from the Church Fathers with regard to the characteristics of Antichrist. Obviously no such individual is currently on the world stage. Whether he could be alive is of course not knowable at this time.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
The Antichrist who will make an appearance at the end of time will have the following 5 characteristics:
1.) The Antichrist will be an individual male.
2.) The Antichrist will be a Jew.
3.) The Antichrist will deny the Incarnation of Christ, the whole Christian Faith and the Church. He will not simply be an antagonist but the substitute or supplanter of the true Messiah in every way.
4.) The Antichrist will perform false "miracles." His coming is "according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish." (2 Thess. 2: 9,10)
5.) The Antichrist will claim to be Divine. St. Paul describes him as "the man of sin the son of perdition, who opposeth, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God showing himself as if he were God." (2 Thess. 2: 4) Cardinal Manning taught that the Church Fathers were in agreement that the Antichrist as here described by St. Paul will "call himself God" (St. Jerome) "will affirm himself to be God" (St. Ambrose) and "profess himself to be the God of all" (St. John Chrysostom). He will demand to be worshiped as God.
For those readers who have become concerned that the appearance of the Antichrist is immanent, it is useful to review these criteria provided by Cardinal Manning who nicely summarized the statements from Sacred Scripture and from the Church Fathers with regard to the characteristics of Antichrist. Obviously no such individual is currently on the world stage. Whether he could be alive is of course not knowable at this time.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Vatican-Pius X Society Talks Set for October: Reveals Names of Holy See Delegation
VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See will hold talks with the Society of St. Pius X in October, according to a Vatican spokesman, and not "in a few days," as earlier reported by an Austrian cardinal.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, confirmed today that the meeting will take place during the last two weeks of October.
He also revealed the three Vatican representatives: Dominican Father Charles Morerod, secretary-general of the International Theological Commission, Jesuit Josef Becker, and the vicar general of Opus Dei, Father Ocariz Brana.
The archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, told the Passauer Neue Presse on Saturday that the talks would begin this week.
He also said "the SSPX will be told very clearly what is not negotiable for the Holy See. This includes such fundamental conclusions of the Second Vatican Council as its positions on Judaism, other non-Christian religions, other Christian churches and on religious freedom as a basic human right."
In July, Benedict XVI restructured the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, uniting it more closely to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The commission was formed in 1988 for those communities and persons who, coming from the Society of St. Pius X or from similar groups, wish to return to full communion with the Successor of Peter.
The president of the commission is the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, currently Cardinal William Levada. The Holy Father appointed as secretary Monsignor Guido Pozzo, who is currently assistant secretary of the International Theological Commission and official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In March, Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of four Lefebvrite bishops who were excommunicated in 1988 when they received episcopal ordination illicitly at the hands of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who ordained them without papal permission.
The decree to lift the excommunications was made public days after one of the four -- Bishop Richard Williamson -- appeared on Swedish television in a previously taped interview in which he refuted the extent of Holocaust. A furor ensued which led Vatican-Jewish relations to the breaking point.
In a March letter to the world's bishops, explaining why he had lifted the excommunications, Benedict XVI announced his intention to place the commission under the guidance of the doctrinal congregation.
He said it "will make it clear that the problems now to be addressed are essentially doctrinal in nature and concern primarily the acceptance of the Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar magisterium of the popes."
NOTE:
This is very problematic. Just when Benedict started to make some moves in the direction of orthodoxy, we have this statement from Cardinal Schönborn who explicitly states that "3" of the most troublesome doctrinal heresies of the Second Vatican Council will be non-negotiable when the Vatican meets with representatives of the SSPX. The conciliar and post-conciliar teaching on "religious liberty" contradicts all prior Catholic teaching on the subject as do the pronouncements on Judaism and other non-Christian religions. This alone should serve to establish that Benedict has no intention of radically correcting or rejecting Vatican II or the post-Conciliar teaching which is incompatible with the Deposit of the Faith. What is given with one hand is taken away by the other.
The current Vatican continues to insist through its advocacy of HISTORICISM that Catholics suspend all rational belief including the existence of "first principles of being" specifically, the law of non-contradiction. According to St. Thomas the soul is composed of the intellect and the will. The conciliar Vatican asks that Catholics adulterate their intellect by accepting contradictions as if they were compatible. This is to make the soul the captive of an unguided will and an improperly formed conscience which is the very definition of heresy. Virtually any aberrant and outlandish idea or practice can be foisted upon one who lacks the intellect to properly discipline their will.
The hierarchy of the conciliar church demands that Catholics accept patent falsehoods. This means that anyone who is capable of recognizing them is automatically excluded from their company. How is it possible that faith and reason complement each other--as traditionally taught by the Church--if reason must be discarded in order to accept the conciliar churches pronouncements?
The real question is who has departed from the Traditional Faith, the conciliar church or those Catholics who have tried to maintain the faith of the Apostles, Church Father's, Martyrs, and Saints?
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, confirmed today that the meeting will take place during the last two weeks of October.
He also revealed the three Vatican representatives: Dominican Father Charles Morerod, secretary-general of the International Theological Commission, Jesuit Josef Becker, and the vicar general of Opus Dei, Father Ocariz Brana.
The archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, told the Passauer Neue Presse on Saturday that the talks would begin this week.
He also said "the SSPX will be told very clearly what is not negotiable for the Holy See. This includes such fundamental conclusions of the Second Vatican Council as its positions on Judaism, other non-Christian religions, other Christian churches and on religious freedom as a basic human right."
In July, Benedict XVI restructured the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, uniting it more closely to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The commission was formed in 1988 for those communities and persons who, coming from the Society of St. Pius X or from similar groups, wish to return to full communion with the Successor of Peter.
The president of the commission is the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, currently Cardinal William Levada. The Holy Father appointed as secretary Monsignor Guido Pozzo, who is currently assistant secretary of the International Theological Commission and official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In March, Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of four Lefebvrite bishops who were excommunicated in 1988 when they received episcopal ordination illicitly at the hands of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who ordained them without papal permission.
The decree to lift the excommunications was made public days after one of the four -- Bishop Richard Williamson -- appeared on Swedish television in a previously taped interview in which he refuted the extent of Holocaust. A furor ensued which led Vatican-Jewish relations to the breaking point.
In a March letter to the world's bishops, explaining why he had lifted the excommunications, Benedict XVI announced his intention to place the commission under the guidance of the doctrinal congregation.
He said it "will make it clear that the problems now to be addressed are essentially doctrinal in nature and concern primarily the acceptance of the Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar magisterium of the popes."
NOTE:
This is very problematic. Just when Benedict started to make some moves in the direction of orthodoxy, we have this statement from Cardinal Schönborn who explicitly states that "3" of the most troublesome doctrinal heresies of the Second Vatican Council will be non-negotiable when the Vatican meets with representatives of the SSPX. The conciliar and post-conciliar teaching on "religious liberty" contradicts all prior Catholic teaching on the subject as do the pronouncements on Judaism and other non-Christian religions. This alone should serve to establish that Benedict has no intention of radically correcting or rejecting Vatican II or the post-Conciliar teaching which is incompatible with the Deposit of the Faith. What is given with one hand is taken away by the other.
The current Vatican continues to insist through its advocacy of HISTORICISM that Catholics suspend all rational belief including the existence of "first principles of being" specifically, the law of non-contradiction. According to St. Thomas the soul is composed of the intellect and the will. The conciliar Vatican asks that Catholics adulterate their intellect by accepting contradictions as if they were compatible. This is to make the soul the captive of an unguided will and an improperly formed conscience which is the very definition of heresy. Virtually any aberrant and outlandish idea or practice can be foisted upon one who lacks the intellect to properly discipline their will.
The hierarchy of the conciliar church demands that Catholics accept patent falsehoods. This means that anyone who is capable of recognizing them is automatically excluded from their company. How is it possible that faith and reason complement each other--as traditionally taught by the Church--if reason must be discarded in order to accept the conciliar churches pronouncements?
The real question is who has departed from the Traditional Faith, the conciliar church or those Catholics who have tried to maintain the faith of the Apostles, Church Father's, Martyrs, and Saints?
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Cardinal Says Pope Isn't "Undoing" Vatican II
Denies Media Rumors About Reversal Documents
VATICAN CITY, AUG. 28, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's closest collaborator is denying media rumors that the Pontiff is working to gradually "undo" the changes implemented after the Second Vatican Council.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's secretary of state, stated this in an interview with L'Osservatore Romano published Thursday.
He addressed the debate surrounding false rumors in the Italian media about supposed documents that would reverse changes in the Church since Vatican II, especially regarding the liturgy.MORE...
NOTE:
Recently there have been some developments which suggest that a move toward orthodox Tradition is underway in the Vatican. Benedict XVI seems to have admitted that Vatican II and its subsequent implementation (in retrospect) represented to some extent a rupture with the Traditional Roman Catholic Church See THIS.... He also reversed the excommunications of certain SSPX clergy and through his Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum July 2007, made the Latin Mass of John XXIII available without indult, correctly stating that the Latin Mass has never been juridically abrogated.
Unfortunately, in the same document he upheld the conciliar and post conciliar liturgical changes as the norm while labeling the Latin Mass an extraordinary form ("the missal published by Paul VI and then republished in two subsequent editions by John Paul II obviously is and continues to be the normal form -- the 'forma ordinaria' -- of the Eucharistic liturgy... As for the use of the 1962 'missale' as a 'forma extraordinaria' of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.")
It is certainly possible that all of these movements in the direction of Tradition are genuine attempts on the part of Benedict XVI to move the Church back to pre-Vatican II orthodoxy. However, they could also be nothing but head-fakes designed to pacify conservative Catholic's who while preferring the Latin Mass are willing to accept the Novus Ordo Missae and the conciliar New Theology. The preponderance of the evidence to date from my perspective is that Benedict has not made the monumental decision to either radically correct the conciliar church and or to reinstate the Tridentine Latin Mass of Pope St. Pius V both of which are required if there is to be a return to Traditional orthodox Roman Catholicism--the True Faith of Jesus Christ.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
VATICAN CITY, AUG. 28, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's closest collaborator is denying media rumors that the Pontiff is working to gradually "undo" the changes implemented after the Second Vatican Council.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's secretary of state, stated this in an interview with L'Osservatore Romano published Thursday.
He addressed the debate surrounding false rumors in the Italian media about supposed documents that would reverse changes in the Church since Vatican II, especially regarding the liturgy.MORE...
NOTE:
Recently there have been some developments which suggest that a move toward orthodox Tradition is underway in the Vatican. Benedict XVI seems to have admitted that Vatican II and its subsequent implementation (in retrospect) represented to some extent a rupture with the Traditional Roman Catholic Church See THIS.... He also reversed the excommunications of certain SSPX clergy and through his Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum July 2007, made the Latin Mass of John XXIII available without indult, correctly stating that the Latin Mass has never been juridically abrogated.
Unfortunately, in the same document he upheld the conciliar and post conciliar liturgical changes as the norm while labeling the Latin Mass an extraordinary form ("the missal published by Paul VI and then republished in two subsequent editions by John Paul II obviously is and continues to be the normal form -- the 'forma ordinaria' -- of the Eucharistic liturgy... As for the use of the 1962 'missale' as a 'forma extraordinaria' of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.")
It is certainly possible that all of these movements in the direction of Tradition are genuine attempts on the part of Benedict XVI to move the Church back to pre-Vatican II orthodoxy. However, they could also be nothing but head-fakes designed to pacify conservative Catholic's who while preferring the Latin Mass are willing to accept the Novus Ordo Missae and the conciliar New Theology. The preponderance of the evidence to date from my perspective is that Benedict has not made the monumental decision to either radically correct the conciliar church and or to reinstate the Tridentine Latin Mass of Pope St. Pius V both of which are required if there is to be a return to Traditional orthodox Roman Catholicism--the True Faith of Jesus Christ.
--Dr. J. P. Hubert
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Male Suspect Raped Wheelchair-Bound Man
TREDYFFRIN, Pa. (CBS 3) ―
Sep 11, 2009
A suspect is in police custody after the indecent assault of a handicapped man in a Paoli restroom in August.
Investigators in Chester County say they apprehended a suspect who allegedly raped a wheelchair-bound man in a supermarket bathroom.
Investigators said they arrested suspect Brian Parks Thursday evening at a Center City homeless shelter in connection to the August 8 incident.
According to investigators, the 54-year-old Parks stands accused of raping a man who was confined to a wheelchair inside the bathroom of a Paoli ACME.
"We feel totally comfortable that this is the individual who is responsible for the heinous crime at the ACME," Sgt. Jack Bailey of the Tredyffrin Police Department explained.
Investigators said Parks allegedly locked his victim in a bathroom stall during the assault.
According to an arrest warrant, Parks "pulled his wheelchair backwards … forcefully remove the victim … and throw him to the floor."
While being led into a police cruiser with a sweatshirt over his head, Parks said to reporters: "Find yourself some real crime to deal with."
Investigators said Parks has an arrest record that spans through several states.
He is being at the Chester County Prison in lieu of $225,000 bail.
"...and because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." Matt. 24: 12
Sep 11, 2009
A suspect is in police custody after the indecent assault of a handicapped man in a Paoli restroom in August.
Investigators in Chester County say they apprehended a suspect who allegedly raped a wheelchair-bound man in a supermarket bathroom.
Investigators said they arrested suspect Brian Parks Thursday evening at a Center City homeless shelter in connection to the August 8 incident.
According to investigators, the 54-year-old Parks stands accused of raping a man who was confined to a wheelchair inside the bathroom of a Paoli ACME.
"We feel totally comfortable that this is the individual who is responsible for the heinous crime at the ACME," Sgt. Jack Bailey of the Tredyffrin Police Department explained.
Investigators said Parks allegedly locked his victim in a bathroom stall during the assault.
According to an arrest warrant, Parks "pulled his wheelchair backwards … forcefully remove the victim … and throw him to the floor."
While being led into a police cruiser with a sweatshirt over his head, Parks said to reporters: "Find yourself some real crime to deal with."
Investigators said Parks has an arrest record that spans through several states.
He is being at the Chester County Prison in lieu of $225,000 bail.
"...and because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold." Matt. 24: 12
Signs of the "Birth Pains" of Matthew 24: 8
By: Dr. J. P. Hubert
In my previous post in which I discussed the increasing incidence of earthquakes HERE..., I suggested that the other signs (based on Sacred Scripture alone) which must precede the appearance of Antichrist are present as well. I also indicated that depending on how one interprets the severity of the required "signs" and those of the current age, it is possible to derive varying conclusions. In that regard it is noteworthy that Yves DuPont in his Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement, (Rockford Ill. Tan Books and Publishers Inc.: 1973) came to a different conclusion than mine regarding the eschatological sequence. His interpretation was arrived at after a detailed analysis of the many statements on this topic made by Catholic "seers'" throughout history (note however that Catholics are not required to accept any of these as they are private revelations and not part of General Revelation and the Deposit of the Faith).
In any case, DuPont's view is that there will be 2 stages (the first less severe than the last which brings about the final consummation of the world) involved in the final sequence of events discussed in Matt. 24: 4-44. The first stage will begin after the preaching of the gospel throughout the world (although imperfectly) and with a universal Apostasy (world-wide but incomplete) also involving wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, tidal waves, astronomical events, epidemics etc. including a 3-day darkness covering the whole earth which will constitute a minor (serious but less severe than the Great Tribulation) Chastisement of the Earth as a punishment for its Apostasy, (DuPont, 1973, pp. 89-91). He asserts that these events will be followed by the appearance of a final saintly Pope (whose reign could last decades) and a great ruler/king of Europe who will together re-establish the Catholic Church along Traditional orthodox lines. This will apparently be followed by a "reign of peace" in which many Protestants, Jews, Muslims and non-believer's will convert to Catholicism. At that time the whole world will presumably be Catholic which is to constitute the final "sign" or fulfillment of Christ's words in scripture: "this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testament to all nations..." (Matt. 24: 14) the occurrence of which serves as (the first sign) of the second stage of the final eschatological sequence.
According to DuPont, toward the end of the great ruler's reign, there will again be a severe (final) Apostasy (the second sign) after which (the third sign) the destruction of the reconstituted Holy Roman Empire will usher in the appearance of Antichrist (the fourth sign). After that point Enoch and Elias will appear to battle the Antichrist (the fifth sign), the Jews will convert returning to Palestine (the sixth sign) and many new severe disturbances will take place (the seventh, eight, and ninth signs) culminating finally in the glorious return of Jesus Christ in glory.
The latter set of "signs" starting with the appearance of Antichrist begins the worst of the Great Tribulation (Major Chastisement). In many respects this outline is compatible with Sacred Scripture except perhaps for the extended "period of peace" (e.g. the "age of peace" is not mentioned in Mathew 24 or Mark 13 both of which appear to describe in some detail what must occur before the appearance of Antichrist) after what DuPont describes as the more minor chastisement of the first stage. DuPont further asserts that the Antichrist will not appear until the last saintly Pope and the final good ruler/king of the Holy Roman Empire have restored the faith and until a "period of peace" occurs. For a slightly different view with respect to the "period of peace" and the necessary occurrences prior to the appearance of Antichrist see Desmond A Birch, Trial, Tribulation and Triumph: Before, During and After Antichrist, (Goleta, Calif.: Queenship Publishing, 1996).
The major difference between what I have suggested and what DuPont described is that based on my reading of scripture (admittedly limited) I have not been able detect a division of the signs in Matt. 24: 4-44 into 2 separate stages as he has done. I am unaware of whether or not the Church Father's specifically did this either, although many referred to the universal Apostasy which must precede the appearance of Antichrist. At least one, St. Ephraem, the Syrian Father and Doctor of the Church apparently predicted that in the future before the appearance of Antichrist:
"The Lord from his glorious heaven shall set up his peace . . . and (after that) coming forth from perdition, the man of iniquity shall be revealed upon the earth, the Seducer of men, and the Disturber of the whole earth" (Birch,1996, p.547).
Presumably, DuPont's opinion that a "period of peace" would precede the advent of Antichrist was largely a result of relying on the testimonies of many private Catholic seer's rather than on Sacred Scripture and the Traditional teachings of the Church Father's.
DuPont's point is that these private prophesies are extremely consistent about the prolonged period of peace between the first stage of the final eschatological sequence and the appearance of Antichrist. In this he specifically appeals to the Blessed Virgin Mary's words to the children of Fatima along with other private prophecies. For support regarding the details of the first Apostasy he refers to Sr. Anne Catherine Emmerick (DuPont pp. 60-72) and others who provided a large number of details about the lack of faith especially with regard to the episcopacy and Priests.
In 1970 according to DuPont, we had just entered the period of the first stage in which an Apostasy had appeared in the Roman Catholic Church related to Vatican II (note that [Birch, 1996 p. LIX] argued that the post-Vatican II Apostasy had not been geographically universal enough to constitute the eschatological Apostasy). Now almost 40 years after DuPont wrote, we would presumably be well into and perhaps nearing the end of the first stage and yet the good Pope who purportedly would restore the Traditional Catholic faith and the good European ruler have not yet appeared. Under DuPont's scheme these further signs are necessary (including further cosmic and natural disasters) before the Antichrist arrives. One can hope and pray that he is correct. If so, the world is yet to experience the extended "period of peace." Unfortunately, the private prophesies of those who DuPont quotes are not strictly speaking part of the Deposit of the Faith. Each one must make their own decision about the current circumstances and proceed accordingly.
Whether DuPont's view is correct or whether the current signs are more suggestive of the imminent appearance of Antichrist--based as they are on Sacred Scripture not private revelation and admittedly less detailed--is anyone's guess. What DuPont has outlined is not incompatible with scripture however since it is consistent with it where the same topics are addressed and more detailed where scripture is silent.
The "take-away" here would seem to be that we are currently living in a unique era which could well represent the unfolding of the eschatological sequence. For those who are extremely confused by the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church and the situation in the world which appears to be moving toward a "one-world" government, it may be of some consolation to know that these events have been predicted by Jesus Christ himself and that no matter what is in store for the immediate future, the final result is victory for those who remain completely faithful to the True (orthodox) Catholic Faith. Doing so of course has become extremely challenging but not impossible. Readers will find links on this site to the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the Challoner Edition of the Douay-Rheims Bible and the Dogmas of the faith for easy access to orthodox Catholic teaching.
In my previous post in which I discussed the increasing incidence of earthquakes HERE..., I suggested that the other signs (based on Sacred Scripture alone) which must precede the appearance of Antichrist are present as well. I also indicated that depending on how one interprets the severity of the required "signs" and those of the current age, it is possible to derive varying conclusions. In that regard it is noteworthy that Yves DuPont in his Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement, (Rockford Ill. Tan Books and Publishers Inc.: 1973) came to a different conclusion than mine regarding the eschatological sequence. His interpretation was arrived at after a detailed analysis of the many statements on this topic made by Catholic "seers'" throughout history (note however that Catholics are not required to accept any of these as they are private revelations and not part of General Revelation and the Deposit of the Faith).
In any case, DuPont's view is that there will be 2 stages (the first less severe than the last which brings about the final consummation of the world) involved in the final sequence of events discussed in Matt. 24: 4-44. The first stage will begin after the preaching of the gospel throughout the world (although imperfectly) and with a universal Apostasy (world-wide but incomplete) also involving wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, tidal waves, astronomical events, epidemics etc. including a 3-day darkness covering the whole earth which will constitute a minor (serious but less severe than the Great Tribulation) Chastisement of the Earth as a punishment for its Apostasy, (DuPont, 1973, pp. 89-91). He asserts that these events will be followed by the appearance of a final saintly Pope (whose reign could last decades) and a great ruler/king of Europe who will together re-establish the Catholic Church along Traditional orthodox lines. This will apparently be followed by a "reign of peace" in which many Protestants, Jews, Muslims and non-believer's will convert to Catholicism. At that time the whole world will presumably be Catholic which is to constitute the final "sign" or fulfillment of Christ's words in scripture: "this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testament to all nations..." (Matt. 24: 14) the occurrence of which serves as (the first sign) of the second stage of the final eschatological sequence.
According to DuPont, toward the end of the great ruler's reign, there will again be a severe (final) Apostasy (the second sign) after which (the third sign) the destruction of the reconstituted Holy Roman Empire will usher in the appearance of Antichrist (the fourth sign). After that point Enoch and Elias will appear to battle the Antichrist (the fifth sign), the Jews will convert returning to Palestine (the sixth sign) and many new severe disturbances will take place (the seventh, eight, and ninth signs) culminating finally in the glorious return of Jesus Christ in glory.
The latter set of "signs" starting with the appearance of Antichrist begins the worst of the Great Tribulation (Major Chastisement). In many respects this outline is compatible with Sacred Scripture except perhaps for the extended "period of peace" (e.g. the "age of peace" is not mentioned in Mathew 24 or Mark 13 both of which appear to describe in some detail what must occur before the appearance of Antichrist) after what DuPont describes as the more minor chastisement of the first stage. DuPont further asserts that the Antichrist will not appear until the last saintly Pope and the final good ruler/king of the Holy Roman Empire have restored the faith and until a "period of peace" occurs. For a slightly different view with respect to the "period of peace" and the necessary occurrences prior to the appearance of Antichrist see Desmond A Birch, Trial, Tribulation and Triumph: Before, During and After Antichrist, (Goleta, Calif.: Queenship Publishing, 1996).
The major difference between what I have suggested and what DuPont described is that based on my reading of scripture (admittedly limited) I have not been able detect a division of the signs in Matt. 24: 4-44 into 2 separate stages as he has done. I am unaware of whether or not the Church Father's specifically did this either, although many referred to the universal Apostasy which must precede the appearance of Antichrist. At least one, St. Ephraem, the Syrian Father and Doctor of the Church apparently predicted that in the future before the appearance of Antichrist:
"The Lord from his glorious heaven shall set up his peace . . . and (after that) coming forth from perdition, the man of iniquity shall be revealed upon the earth, the Seducer of men, and the Disturber of the whole earth" (Birch,1996, p.547).
Presumably, DuPont's opinion that a "period of peace" would precede the advent of Antichrist was largely a result of relying on the testimonies of many private Catholic seer's rather than on Sacred Scripture and the Traditional teachings of the Church Father's.
DuPont's point is that these private prophesies are extremely consistent about the prolonged period of peace between the first stage of the final eschatological sequence and the appearance of Antichrist. In this he specifically appeals to the Blessed Virgin Mary's words to the children of Fatima along with other private prophecies. For support regarding the details of the first Apostasy he refers to Sr. Anne Catherine Emmerick (DuPont pp. 60-72) and others who provided a large number of details about the lack of faith especially with regard to the episcopacy and Priests.
In 1970 according to DuPont, we had just entered the period of the first stage in which an Apostasy had appeared in the Roman Catholic Church related to Vatican II (note that [Birch, 1996 p. LIX] argued that the post-Vatican II Apostasy had not been geographically universal enough to constitute the eschatological Apostasy). Now almost 40 years after DuPont wrote, we would presumably be well into and perhaps nearing the end of the first stage and yet the good Pope who purportedly would restore the Traditional Catholic faith and the good European ruler have not yet appeared. Under DuPont's scheme these further signs are necessary (including further cosmic and natural disasters) before the Antichrist arrives. One can hope and pray that he is correct. If so, the world is yet to experience the extended "period of peace." Unfortunately, the private prophesies of those who DuPont quotes are not strictly speaking part of the Deposit of the Faith. Each one must make their own decision about the current circumstances and proceed accordingly.
Whether DuPont's view is correct or whether the current signs are more suggestive of the imminent appearance of Antichrist--based as they are on Sacred Scripture not private revelation and admittedly less detailed--is anyone's guess. What DuPont has outlined is not incompatible with scripture however since it is consistent with it where the same topics are addressed and more detailed where scripture is silent.
The "take-away" here would seem to be that we are currently living in a unique era which could well represent the unfolding of the eschatological sequence. For those who are extremely confused by the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church and the situation in the world which appears to be moving toward a "one-world" government, it may be of some consolation to know that these events have been predicted by Jesus Christ himself and that no matter what is in store for the immediate future, the final result is victory for those who remain completely faithful to the True (orthodox) Catholic Faith. Doing so of course has become extremely challenging but not impossible. Readers will find links on this site to the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the Challoner Edition of the Douay-Rheims Bible and the Dogmas of the faith for easy access to orthodox Catholic teaching.
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What/Where is the Roman Catholic Church?
In light of Traditional Catholic dogma/doctrine, how should the Second Vatican Council be viewed ? Is it consistent with Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and prior Magisterial teaching?What explains the tremendous amount of "bad fruit" which has been forthcoming since the close of the Council in 1965? “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16)
This site explores these questions and more in an attempt to place the Second Vatican Council in proper perspective.