Maria Divine Mercy, Schism! Official Negative Decision By Church - And Updates

This article, originally published on February 2, 2013, generated so many comments that the limit was reached. After continuing to study the MDM messages to compare them with Catholic beliefs and Sacred Scripture, I am even more convinced now than ever that they are false and dangerous to the soul.  Followers are encouraged to reject Pope Francis and hoard food and supplies to prepare for the "Warning" and the second coming of Christ.  A religious nun who is a follower has even encouraged people to stock up on unconsecrated hosts so that the "Remnant Army" can conduct masses in secret bunkers.  What many Catholics don't know is that by publicly rejecting the Pope and looking for fault in his every word, gesture, apparel, and action, they are violating Canon Law and placing themselves in a state of excommunication from the church. If you are a Catholic "on the fence" about these messages, run fast! THERE IS NO SIN IN REJECTING THESE MESSAGES. However, there is tremendous and dangerous sin in embracing them.  ~ Lovey

THE ARTICLE:
The Maria Divine Mercy messages are fomenting SCHISM and they are a deception of Satan! The messages started in 2010, and I discovered them on the Internet early in 2012. Being unsure of the messages coupled with my love of the Holy Catholic Church, I began a long journey of discovery through prayer, reading and listening especially to clergy and theologians, and comparing messages to Catholic doctrine. The list below continues to grow as I have bullet pointed solid arguments against the truth of these messages below.

OFFICIAL WORD ON MARIA DIVINE MERCY BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN under whose jurisdiction Maria Divine Mercy resides:

The Archbishop of Dublin has spoken out that the MDM messages are to be avoided by Catholics.  Her messages are officially condemned! 

The statement:

STATEMENT OF ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBLIN

ON THE ALLEGED VISIONARY “MARIA DIVINE MERCY”

Requests for clarification have been coming to the Archdiocese of Dublin concerning the authenticity of alleged visions and messages received by a person who calls herself “Maria Divine Mercy” and who may live in the Archdiocese of Dublin.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin wishes to state that these messages and alleged visions have no ecclesiastical approval and many of the texts are in contradiction with Catholic theology.

These messages should not be promoted or made use of within Catholic Church associations.

 The source:  Click here: Statement against MDM by the Archbishop of Dublin

Opinions of other bishops, priests, and theologians: 

• The Slovakian Conference of Bishops has condemned the Maria Divine Mercy messages as heretical. To read the full letter and an English translation, click HERE.
• Bishop Andreas Laun, Auxiliary Bishop of Salzburg, Austria warns Catholics against the MDM messages. English translation, original text, and link to original article are HERE
• Archbishop Coleridge of Brisbane in Australia has put out a letter warning Catholics against following or distributing the false messages of MDM. View the letter HERE
• The Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia has issued a warning to the faithful to its parishes about the Maria Divine Mercy messages. Article posting inquiry of full text HERE
• Bishop Fabbro of the London diocese, (ON) Canada put out a warning against MDM in all local church bulletins. Here is the text:
  “Bishop Fabbro has been asked concerning a meeting about Maria Divine Mercy which is to take place at a house in Corunna on August 15, 2013.”
  
  “Maria of Divine Mercy is a woman who chooses to remain anonymous and has made claims of alleged privation revelations. Bishop Fabbro warns Catholics of the diocese that Maria of Divine Mercy has not received the Church’s approval. Indeed, Catholic bishops who have studied her teachings have declared that they are heretical and have forbidden priests to be involved with or cooperate in matters associated with Maria of Divine Mercy. Her prophecies contain material that is both false and contrary to Catholic teaching. The faithful should know that adhering to her teachings can result in grave sin.”
  
  “Bishop Fabbro warns Catholics that they should not be involved with Maria of Divine Mercy nor should they give credence to her messages.”  
• Archbishop Jan Graubner of Olomouc, Czech Republic, warned that the consequences of messages can be 'devilish' and speculates that the person who writes the messages might be someone who 'is very clever and evil, someone who wants to harm the Church." Full text in Czech http://ow.ly/Hy32X
• "On 13 December last, Bishop Anthony Fisher, of Parramatta, issued the following statement: “Many of you might have received email or other communications from a woman who goes by the name of ‘Maria Divine Mercy’.
  
  Supposedly, she is a seer in receipt of private revelations from the Holy Trinity, Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary. She runs a website called ‘The Warning’, the subject matter of which relates to the end of the world and Christ’s Second Coming.
  
  “The messages and ‘revelations’ of Maria Divine Mercy contain theological positions that do not conform to the Catholic Church’s teachings, Scripture or Tradition. There are also historical errors. There is also a persistent animus towards various aspects of Church leadership, for example, the messages and ‘revelations’ regarding the supposedly illegitimate papal ministry of Pope Francis."
  
  “Maria Divine Mercy’s messages enjoy no ecclesiastical support or approval. The faithful should not take seriously the messages of Maria Divine Mercy. No support should be given to the dissemination of these messages or ‘revelations’ or associated material in the diocese of Parramatta.”  Source: The Catholic Weekly, Australia
• Karl Keating, founder and President of the reputable organization, "Catholic Answers" says, "I have taken a look at the Maria Divine Mercy’s website, and it didn’t take but a minute to discover that this seer is fake and her messages contrary to the Church." He adds, "You need to back away from this spurious seer--and pronto." Read his opinion HERE: Catholic.com Blog
• Dr. Mark Miravalle, Professor of Theology and Mariology at Franciscan University of Steubenville says, "Ironically, the alleged message predicts an upcoming schism in the Church. This could well become a self-fulfilling prophecy, a Satanic goal and strategy, which could result, in some part, from the following of extremely dangerous and materially schismatic messages such as those promulgated by 'Maria Divine Mercy.'" Read his full analysis of the messages HERE: New Advent Blog
• Jimmy Akin, journalist for the National Catholic Register, says of Maria Divine Mercy, "[Maria Divine Mercy] is an anonymous, unapproved seer whose prophecies contain material that is both demonstrably false and contrary to Catholic teaching regarding the future. Furthermore, to adhere to her prophecies can result in the grave sin and canonical crime of schism." Read the rest of his opinion HERE: National Catholic Register
• According to an article in the Irish magazine "Alive!", Catholic priest Father Owen Gorman writes why this cannot be an apparition from God. Scroll down (pdf) to page 10: Alive! Magazine, March 2012 OR click on the image of the article at the bottom of this posting and magnify to read it. Thank you to "Anonymous" commenter for finding this article.
• Father John Hogan OCDS has written an article warning against these messages, "I would ask all Catholics to stay clear of this woman and her 'messages'.  For one thing we cannot establish her credentials.  When the Church examines the authenticity of any supernatural events or revelations she examines the alleged seers because their lives and integrity are part of the investigation." Read the rest of his article HERE: Ex Umbris Et Imaginibus Blog
• Father John Corrigan of Ballarat, Australia warns about Maria Divine Mercy HERE and a second article HERE 
• Father Angel Sotelo of the Diocese of Fresno states, "For the reasons listed...and not even counting the theological errors which are said to exist in her messages, they should in my opinion be dismissed and not given even the pious or human faith given to an approved private revelation." He outlines his full opinion HERE and a second part HERE.
• According to the Eternal Word Television Network, "The judgment that an alleged apparition has been shown to be not supernatural means it is either clearly not miraculous or lacks sufficient signs of the miraculous. Private revelation, for example, which is doctrinally dangerous or which manifests hostility to lawful authority could not come from God. It could even be demonic, especially if there are extraordinary signs accompanying it. The devil gladly mingles truth and lie to deceive the faithful, dazzling them with signs and wonders to give credence to his message. His purpose is to separate them from the Church, either by getting them to believe things contrary to the deposit of the faith or to act contemptuously of Church authority. An attitude of pride and judgment toward the Church is a clear sign of his presence.
• According to Richard Salbato of Unity Publishing, "A sure sign of a demonically-inspired seer is their seeking self-profit, glory and power over GOD's." On her website, "Maria" is selling volumes of the messages. The second volume is set to come out and they are presently taking pre-orders. There is no bishop approval on these writings. Where is the money going? Richard Salbato has an excellent article on discerning the spirits. This is a good, long checklist by which all supposed apparitions can be measured: Testing The Spirit
• OTHER DISCUSSION:
• 
  
• Without the approval of the Holy See, the handlers of the Maria Divine Mercy messages held "Book of Truth Seminars" to, in their words, "give a broad overview of what the messages are telling us about the direction of our Church and our world. help the establishment of centres of prayer and distribution, with a view to an even more important role in difficult times ahead." They have done tours of Australia and the United States to spread their propaganda It appears the promoters are actively moving toward a SCHISM.
• The compiled messages are claimed to be "The Book of Truth", an addition to the Book of Revelations in Sacred Scripture. This is patently false! Catholics are to follow the Magisterium of the church which has as its source the completed, sealed Gospel and Sacred Tradition. Sacred Tradition is Catholic doctrine based on prayerful discernment of the Gospel by the Pope, cardinals, and bishops throughout generations ever since the founding of the Holy Catholic Church by Jesus Christ Himself. It is heresy to claim a private revelation can add to or complete Sacred Scripture. Maria Divine Mercy and her followers often refer to her book of false messages called, "The Book of Truth" as his Sacred Words, the Word or Scripture. This is heresy!
• In an audio interview from 2011, the seer claims to have seen God the Father, and says she was surprised to see there were three beings because she didn't know about the Blessed Trinity. How can this be, since nobody is allowed to be in the Beatific Vision (able to see God), unless their soul has been completely purified whether here on earth (a saint!) or through the fires of Purgatory. A person who isn't even aware of the basic doctrine of Trinity certainly has not yet achieved saint status and therefore can NOT see God.
• "Maria Divine Mercy" says these messages are URGENT. If they are urgent, she'd be anxious for her local Bishop to approve them. In her radio interview she claims her bishop "dismissed" the messages. Should this be enough for her not to promote them as she does?
• Before the election of Pope Francis in the valid Conclave of Cardinals, Maria Divine Mercy's messages referred to the next pope after Benedict as the coming "false prophet."  Before as well as after his election, he has also been also referred to as, "imposter," "false prophet,"  "evil" who infiltrated the church, the one who "stole the seat (sic)  of Peter,"  "abomination," and worse.  This is to cause Catholics to mistrust the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which is  a sure sign that Satan is in the works. Now that Pope Francis is our Holy Father, MDM followers on social media sites like Facebook are going out of their way to find twisted and skewed articles about his words from less-than-trustworthy news sources to try and "prove" he is the false prophet.  They have expressed a desire for his short pontificate and even for his death.  For a Catholic to actively and persistently reject an acting Pontiff is to violate the Code of Canon Law # 751 which leads to automatic excommunication.  An added note: Although the church has had her ups and downs, the Holy Catholic Church was instituted by Jesus Himself and He promised us, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it!" The messages want people to break away from the Holy Catholic Church which is the fount of truth and light.
• Here are actual Maria Divine Mercy messages from right after the election of Pope Francis in the valid Conclave of Cardinals.  3/13/13 "I have not appointed this person, who claims to come in My Name," 3/14/13 "...the imposter, who sits on the throne in My Church on earth, does not come from Me," "The time for the schism to be laid bare is close, and already, a terrible unease is being felt in Rome," 3/15/13, "You must pray for all those who run the Catholic Church. Please include the man who sits in the Chair of Peter...Pray that he will accept the Truth of the death of my Son on the Cross," (How insulting and brash that this message claims Pope Francis does not accept the death of Jesus!), "So infested are they, those who roam the corridors of Rome, that the biggest sign will be seen in the chaos, which will ensue, as they adhere to the command of the imposter," 3/19/13, "Masonic sects infiltrate the Church in Rome. Make no mistake – there can only be one pope in one lifetime, "...soon, all will see the subtle acts and the sly gestures of those false imposters who preside over My Throne in Rome, for they amount to sacrilege," 3/21/13 "The time for the division is soon and you must prepare." -~-All of these messages are encouraging a schism. The targets for these messages appear to be traditional Catholics . There have already been traditionalist schisms in past decades since Vatican II, and Satan seems to be encouraging another one. Adding fuel to the fire is the mainstream media that has written articles based on bad translations of his homilies, and exaggerated comments that he has made, for example, claiming that Pope Francis said atheists are "saved,"  which is a complete misunderstanding of what he actually said. (For those of you still curious, Pope Francis said that all mankind is REDEEMED, even atheists.  Redemption does not mean salvation. They are different words with different meanings. Jesus did redeem all of mankind when He suffered and died on the cross. However, it is up to each and every one of us to work toward salvation by following the ways of Christ.)
• The Maria Divine Mercy messages are rife with doctrinal errors, Scritpural contradictions, self-contradictions, and simply stated, bad grammar.  An example of an error is the message on 3/22/13, the Friday before Holy Week, MDM followers were requested to fast all week, and END the fast at 3:30 on Good Friday, "My dearly beloved daughter, I desire that all of My followers conduct a time of fasting from next Monday until 15:30 hours (03:30 PM) on Good Friday." However, our faith teaches that we are required to fast all day on Good Friday!  Here, MDM has Catholics breaking their fast on the very day we commemorate and mourn Jesus's suffering and death! Satan is laughing.
• Would a visionary have to retract or revise a message?  Thank you to a Miraculous Rosary Blog commenter who noticed this new MDM message retracting the previous fasting message, "please (sic) note that there was a typographical error in the message dated 22 March 2013 entitled 'I desire that all of My Followers conduct a time of fasting from next Monday until 15.30 hours on Good Friday' The last line should read 'If you do not wish to endure this suffering, I will grant you great blessings and ask that you continue with Me on My journey to awaken the world from its slumber and so I can lift the veil of deceit which covers it.' admin team" My blog commenter amusingly added, "I guess Jesus realized that he went too far this time."       I have seen MDM messages edited, changed, and even deleted.  In one example, I distinctly remember reading "jesus" telling his followers to "hoard" food.  Later, I went back to find that message to demonstrate why the messages are false, and the word "hoard" was gone.  No approved seer in history has made mistakes in grammar or semantics. How could he or she?  The messages come directly from heaven and are infused not only into the ears of the seer, but also the hearts and souls! 
• On the website you can download a paper certificate called, "Seal of the Living God" which promises God's protection for your entire family from now up until Jesus comes again if you accept the seal by praying a particular prayer. The certificate was designed from a stock photo image of a seal by commercial artist who admits he had no divine inspiration when he created it.  On a social media site, he even admitted to getting paid for it!  God's divine plan for the salvation of mankind through His Son Jesus Christ was clearly laid out in the Gospels. There are no "new" revelations.  Second, it is explained quite clearly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that the "Seal" being referred to in Sacred Scripture is the seal of our BAPTISM!  This is a seal that can't smear if it gets wet, blow away in the wind, or get lost on a messy desk. Once Catholics are baptised, our souls carry the indelible Seal of God forever. 
• In her 2011 audio interview, she called 2011 the year of purification, and said that the chastisement would come in about a year. Right now it is February, 2013 and we haven't even had the "Warning" yet, which is supposed to come before the "Chastisement". This inaccuracy alone proves false the messages. Plus, Our Lord and Our Holy Mother have never, in any approved apparition, set a date for a future apocalyptic event.
• Early in the messages, "Maria Divine Mercy" claims she was being awakened by God at 3 a.m. In her own words, she asked him not to wake her up at 3 anymore. Nobody who has the privilege of being in the presence of God, Jesus, or Mary would desire or even DARE to change heaven's schedule! Nor would he or she want to! 
• Maria Divine Mercy states that she felt tired and drained after the apparitions.  The only ones who claim to feel "drained" are occult mediums after they perform "healings" or communications with the "spirit world."  
• At the time of her apparitions, she says she was a lapsed Catholic, bordering on agnostic. She was a very busy career woman who had no time for God. In her words, a "high flyer." I understand that God can chose whoever He wants, but Jesus warned us that Satan will deceive even the elect. Many great saints lived in fear of being deceived by Satan. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes wasn't sure if the apparition of Mary was a deception, and she threw holy water at her to make sure! Satan appeared to other saints looking exactly like Jesus, and each had their own way of discerning the deception. If these holy people couldn't always tell the difference, then how in the world does a lapsed Catholic, agnostic, who wasn't even aware of the Holy Trinity "know" this is really Jesus speaking and not just Satan in disguise?
• In the messages, there is a constant current of Jesus and Mary complaining about the messages not being believed by people. Did Mary complain when the Bishop of Lourdes didn't believe Bernadette? Did she complain when the Bishop of Fatima didn't believe Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco? No. She encouraged their obedience to the church, even if it meant they weren't allowed to come out to the apparition sites during her planned visits. God is always in control.

2011 audio interview of "Maria Divine Mercy". Thank you to my sister-in-law for finding this: Radio Interview with "seer" Maria Divine Mercy

Update:  MDM's radio interview transcribed into writing; read while you listen


There are many references from approved seers throughout history about being cautious of anything that attempts to make Catholics turn away from the Catholic Church. For example, here are the words of the amazing seer Hildegard regarding the Minor Chastisement, "After the birth of Antichrist heretics will preach their false doctrines undisturbed, resulting in Christians having doubts about their holy Catholic faith...at that period when antichrist shall be born, there will be many wars and right order shall be destroyed on earth. Heresy will be rampant and the heretics will preach their errors openly without restraint. Even among Christians doubt and scepticism will be entertained concerning the beliefs of Catholicism."

Jesus warned us that in these days there would be numerous false prophets, some so clever as to deceive even the elect. One thing is certain, it doesn't hurt us to ignore private revelations altogether, and instead immerse ourselves in the truth of the Gospel and the rich teachings of the Church. If we follow the blueprint Jesus laid out for us before He ascended into heaven, we have no need of further "revelations".

We should try not to chase butterflies in the tangled forest while neglecting the beautiful ones we already have in our own gardens! And while you're there....Plant a rosary every day!  

Stop chasing apparitions and embrace the profundity of the mundane!

Article in March 2012 "Alive!" Magazine. Click on the photo and magnify on your computer to read.

Updates:

Important update, May 12, 2013: The MDM fake message writers saw the post above and put out a new message TODAY but dated May 10 that begins, "Those who have not been given My Holy Word, including those countries where I Am condemned, are the first souls I must reach out to. Through no fault of their own, they have been reared from birth to deny God, the Maker and Creator of all that is. I will strive to convert them through this Mission and promise that once they are shown the Truth, during The Warning, that they will be drawn into My Mercy quickly. I will never forsake those who have been deceived, through false doctrines, for they are helpless and are in need of My Love and Mercy." ~~~Here is their big mistake, and PROOF their messages are being written by PEOPLE trying to start a new schism church: THE LETTER FROM THE SLOVAKIAN BISHOPS IS DATED FROM NOVEMBER, 2012 - A FULL SIX MONTHS AGO! Why didn't the "message from jesus" come out back in November or December? Instead, their message "coincidentally" comes out on the third day after my May 9th update and other postings (on this blog and Facebook page "Maria Divine Mercy - True or False") that presented the Letter of Condemnation of the MDM movement by the Conference of Slovakian Bishops. RUN from this false movement! They are also trying to indoctrinate children with a youth group Facebook page. In addition, they are calling out for people in the U.S. to volunteer as leaders to start prayer groups in their areas. Please be aware to tell your parish priests and bishops to NOT allow this false movement to grow!

Pope Francis: Spirit Above Legality

By: Michael Brown
There's concern in some circles that Pope Francis is taking aim at Church traditionalism (scoring those who obsessively count prayers, reminding pre-Cana instructors not to be overly harsh, accenting the poor, and warning the rich), but as basically traditional types ourselves, we see nothing to fear. The Pope is not taking aim at traditionalists but at legalism. That's when we put man-made laws ahead of spiritual ones and operate religion in a way that's mechanical, oriented toward technicalities, and judgmental. An example: marching through a litany of rituals and prayers and genuflections while looking upon others with superiority instead of  love. Living the faith by technicalities instead of its Spirit contradicts Christianity. It's what the Sadducees and Pharisees were about ("you can't heal on Sundays!"). Though they have a place, the fact is that canonical strictures are mentioned nowhere by Jesus, not in the way we know them today,   READ MORE:  Spirit Daily

St. Joseph Added to Eucharistic Prayer

Adding the name of St Joseph to the Eucharistic Prayer

By

Paul Zalonski

 on June 18, 2013 2:06 PM

 

The Prefect and Secretary of Congregation for Divine Worship have prepared a decree, Paternas vices (Prot. N. 215/11/L), indicating that in praying Eucharistic prayers II-IV, the priest is to insert the name of Saint Joseph. The decree states: "henceforth" and "... by virtue of the faculties granted by the Supreme Pontiff FRANCIS, is pleased to decree that the name of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary is henceforth to be added to Eucharistic Prayers II, III, IV...."

Blessed John XXIII added the name of Saint Joseph to the Roman Canon in 1962.

At this point, no effective date has been determined for usage (See CIC 8). However, the cover letter from the USCCB General Secretary mentions that it is to be done "as soon as possible." There is, however, a significant question as to when the priest can legitimately make the change in the Eucharistic Prayer.

The Latin:

II: "ut cum beáta Dei Genetríce Vírgine María, beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, beátis Apóstolis"
III: "cum beatissíma Vírgine, Dei Genetríce, María, cum beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, cum beátis Apóstolis"
IV: "cum beáta Vírgine, Dei Genetríce, María, cum beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, cum Apóstolis"

The English:

II: that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the blessed Apostles

III: with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs

IV: with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, and with your Apostles

The Spanish:

II: con María, la Virgen Madre de Dios, su esposo san José, los apóstoles y...

III: con María, la Virgen Madre de Dios, su esposo san José, los apóstoles y los mártires...

IV: con María, la Vigen Madre de Dios, con su esposo san José, con los apóstoles y los santos...

Ite ad Ioseph

SOURCE:  Communio

Year of Faith: Pray Rosary

Rosary key to evangelization, helping families, says Marian expert

Father Phalan (CNS/Paul Haring)

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- As the church is set to begin the Year of Faith and a synod on the new evangelization, the rosary can play a key role in strengthening and spreading the word of God, said a leading American expert in Marian studies.

"This Year of Faith is a call for evangelization, a new evangelization that's to start with ourselves" in reawakening one's love for Christ and then reaching out to those who have become distanced from the church, said Holy Cross Father James Phalan, director of Family Rosary International.

October is the month the church dedicates to the rosary, and the world Synod of Bishops will start Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Pope Benedict XVI entrusted the synod to Mary's intercession, and he has said the rosary can stimulate missionary activity by leading Christians to meditate on the life of Jesus.

"During this Year of Faith we're to take up the rosary in our hands again," Father Phalan told Catholic News Service during a visit to Rome in mid-September.

"Mary has always been the mother of evangelization," he said, because "she's always been the one who shows us Jesus."

Blessed John Paul II said the rosary is "contemplating the face of Christ with Mary."

By praying the rosary, people are led to listen more deeply to God's word, to contemplate events in Christ's life, to see what his life means and to find Christ's presence in one's own life, Father Phalan said. "It's a way of identifying ourselves with Christ, so it's a profound path to holiness."

Praying the rosary together, especially for a family, has added beauty and power, he said.

"It opens up areas of sensitivity, areas of intimacy" because "prayer is one of the most intimate things we do," he said.

When couples or families pray the rosary together, "there's a real intimacy that's bonded in faith" that then fortifies relationships and solidifies the wider Christian community, he said.

The rosary has been "a tried and true" way to strengthen Christian life in the home and to pass on the faith from generation to generation, he said.

"I'm convinced that when we talk about the new evangelization, we need to talk about evangelization in the home," because unless one's prayer life and faith are reignited there, "it 'ain't gonna' work, frankly," he said.

Reawakening the faith in the home is not only a very effective way to develop a solid base for evangelization, it also helps families during troubled times, he said.

Family Rosary International was started by the late Holy Cross Father Patrick Peyton, who coined the phrase "A family that prays together stays together," as part of his mission to build family unity through the daily recitation of the rosary.

"He knew that something really simple" like prayer in the home could make a big difference in facing problems that seem so complex and difficult, Father Phalan said.

"Our work continues on his simple but profound insight, which is more important than ever, that family prayer can do so much in the face of the apparently chaotic situations of so many families," he said.

END

Source:  Catholic News Service

Pope F: Global Pro-Life Conference June 16

Pope Francis to Hold Global Pro-Life Conference, Pro-Life Mass on June 16

by Austin Ruse | LifeNews.com | 5/16/13 4:45 PM
The Vatican (CFAM/LifeNews) –Pro-lifers held their breath the day the world received a new Pope. They did not question his pro-life credentials but wondered if he would speak forcefully.
An old quote soon surfaced and concerns faded. “Defend the unborn against abortion even if they persecute you, calumniate you, set traps for you, take you to court or kill you. No child should be deprived of the right to be born, the right to be fed, the right to go to school.”
This June the Pope also will play a central role in the Vatican’s annual celebration of the Gospel of Life, the papal teaching published by Pope John Paul II in 1995. His successor, Benedict XVI, started the annual celebration a few years ago that features a papal mass for pro-life leaders. The new Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, established by Benedict to encourage a reawakening of the faith in traditionally Christian countries, leads an expanded celebration this year.

Read the rest of the article HERE: Life Site News

Valedictorian Prays; Defies School Board!

Liberty, South Carolina

Video was recorded by Brian Dismukes"

By Logan Gibson

June 3, 2013 

"The school district of Pickens County has been under attack over prayer in the past few months, for years a student or community member has prayed before the the Pickens County School Board meetings. However, recently they have been contacted and lawsuits have been threatened by a group against prayer, 'Freedom From Religion,' if they did not stop. The school district voted not to have prayer in school or at events, including graduation after consulting with their Attorneys.

"At the 2013 LHS Graduation, on June 1, the prayer was replaced with a moment of silence.

"In reaction to the change LHS Class of 2013 Valedictorian Roy Costner added The Lord’s prayer into his speech after ripping up his old speech on stage saying, 'Mrs. Gwinn had somehow approved his speech (the one ripped), so I will have to use a different one!' When he arrived to The Lord’s prayer into his speech, this received a huge cheer/excitement and emotion from the crowd.

"It was such an amazing moment! Looking out and seeing all of the family, friends, and mentors in the coliseum clapping and some even standing.

"'We serve an amazing God and I can promise everyone there was absolutely nothing special I did! God chose to show out and without his courage I don’t think I could have made it through His prayer from the overwhelming reaction the crowd gave bringing tears to my eyes.'"
-Roy"

Source: LHS Valedictorian Takes A Bold Stand For Prayer 

May God bless you for standing up for faith, Roy! Thank you!  ~ Lovey 

Caution MDMers!

 

Wisdom by PocketSketch:
 

"Unguarded souls willing throw caution to the wind because many books of prophecy they read are all prefaced with a guarantee from Pope Urban of reward to believers regardless of the bishop’s decision to approve a seer or not. Well, here is another quotation from an even more recent pope and one highly esteemed by many good Catholics even today. In point of fact, he is a saint. This should strike fear into your hearts for he makes a pronouncement which is most explicit.
 
"'The gates of hell will not prevail over this [Peter's] confession, the chains of death will not bind it: for these words are words of life. And AS THEY RAISE TO HEAVEN THOSE WHO CONFESS THEM, THEY PLUNGE TO HELL THOSE WHO DENY THEM. For this reason it is said to blessed Peter: I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.' St. Leo the Great

"Dare anyone continue to read, repeat or propagate the prophecies of MDM now? Why not take the traditional Jesus of Sacred Scripture at His word when He prophesied, “the gates of hell will not prevail”? (Mat.16:18) After all, isn’t He the one who proved His love by exposing Himself to die naked on the Cross? What has MDM done to prove herself? She won’t even come out of hiding.

"Her power and influence is zealously concealed behind a powerful web service designed to conceal, protect and monitor all Internet criticism. Is it just possible, she is conducting a huge experiment just to see how many, how fast and how furiously she can command little people to run around like mice and nibble at all the rewards she so carefully lays out in her labyrinth stations only to deliver electrical shocks when they don’t behave according to her dictates? Apostles of MDM, do you really want to be her helpless little rodents to play with? Put on the cloak of Christ and burn the cloak of MDM. It is infested."

Humor: Millions To Miss Pope's Global Hour Of Adoration

Source: Eye of the Tiber

Millions To Miss Pope’s Global Hour Of Adoration Due To Super Busy Schedules

Posted on May 30, 2013

"Citing “super busy” schedules, millions from around the globe are reporting that they unfortunately are not going to be able to make it to the first-ever Worldwide Eucharistic Adoration led by Pope Francis this Sunday. The news comes as a shock to many in the Vatican who were counting on the millions of Catholics from around the world to show up so that Pope Francis would not have to cover their hour. Millions, who originally planned to attend, and were reportedly telling their friends just the other day that they really needed to start making it out to adoration more often, were it not for the overwhelming amount of stuff on their plate at the moment, told reporters that they simply couldn’t find the time in the day just yet, with work being how it is this time of the year and all. ”I’m just absolutely swamped right now,” millions said in unison. “I hardly have time to breathe. I mean, I know that’s a bad excuse and all, but it’s just…you know.” Millions of Catholics, located everywhere from Rome to Venezuela, went on to say that they felt bad leaving the Pope “hanging” like that, but it was just that they had these files due in on Monday, and that there was also that one thing that their significant others had been harping them about for months that they just had to take care of after Mass on Sunday.” At press time, millions have planned to make it up by saying an Our Father and Hail Mary before they go to bed sometime next week."

What MDM Followers and Bill Maher Have in Common

 

Bill Maher: The Pope's an Atheist and The Vatican Will Likely Poison Him

by Matthew Archbold Sunday, June 02, 2013 8:37 PM                            
 

When children are desperate for attention they scream and cry, talk show hosts in need of attention make fun of Catholics. Actually "make fun" isn't the proper term. They hurl hate at Catholics with a smile on their face so they can accuse anyone who's offended of being humorless.

Television host Bill Maher has long lost the power to shock because he's so consistently misinformed and hateful about religious people. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't take note of what is said by him and others like him. Sometimes when I write about anti-Catholic screeds from the media some see it as akin to reporting that the sun came up that morning. My thinking, however, is that someone might just take to the Google and look up what Maher said and I just want to make sure there's something out there informing them he's dead wrong.

Remember the time that the media reported that The Vatican said there was no Hell? Yeah, I still hear about that one in the comboxes. Remember when Pope Benedict XVI supposedly endorsed condom usage? I know some well intentioned people who actually believed that one. We owe it to everyone to report the truth, even in the face of misinformed hatred, intentional or otherwise.

In this case, Bill Maher, the atheist host of HBO's "Real Time," show announced that he believed that Pope Francis is an atheist and because of that, it's likely that the Vatican will attempt to kill the Pope first chance they get.

The Daily Caller reported that Maher was surprised that Pope Francis said Jesus died for all, even atheists. What people choose to do with His love is up to them. This, of course, is not a new teaching. In fact, it's not surprising in the least to anyone except to those who know nothing about the Church and would be surprised by any actual belief of the Church.

Maher said, "You know people always say when somebody says something obvious, ‘Oh is the pope Catholic?’ I think he might not be. I think the pope might be an atheist like I think Obama is." "And I think ‘Pope Frank,’ you know, what’s his real name — his or Argentinian name? Its [Mario Bergoglio]. It sounds like a real expensive rare of shoes. And he’s a sophisticated guy from that era," said Maher. "And I think he’s — I’m telling you, I think the pope’s an atheist.”

Maher doesn't believe in God. And he seems to think anyone with a "sophisticated" brain must not actually really believe in God either. He sees belief as a teddy bear or a pacifier for existential angst much like weekends at the Playboy mansion are for him. Perversely, Maher's way of showing respect for Pope Francis is labeling him a secret atheist. By saying that the Church up until this moment had damned all atheists to Hell is just not true. On this he is misinformed. The Catechism states plainly:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

But as with all things Maher, you don't just get misinformation, you get hatred. Maher later added that because of what the Pope said, "You could almost see them (The Vatican) preparing the poison. Luckily we’ve got a spare pope. You know, one of the key things in this religion and most religions is monopoly only through us. Even hippie Jesus said that. Only through me. So this guy is saying everybody gets to heaven. So then they had to walk it back.”

The Vatican didn't walk anything back. The Vatican gave the whole truth, not just the parts some people like. It's likely Maher was referring to a statement from Vatican spokesman Rev. Thomas Rosica who said that those who "truly know the Catholic Church cannot be saved if they refuse to enter her or remain in her." I do believe there are many who do not "truly know" the Catholic Church. Getting your theology from Bill Maher will not change that.

Source: National Catholic Register

Pope Francis, "...enter into communion with Him in the Eucharist..."

Pope Francis leads eucharistic procession

Pope Francis led the Corpus Christi procession through the streets of Rome on May 30, after celebrating Mass at the basilica of St. John Lateran and telling the congregation that the Eucharist should nourish an attitude of solidarity.

The feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated as a holy day in Rome, and Vatican offices were closed. The Pope celebrated an outdoor Mass on the plaza outside the Lateran basilica for a congregation of about 20,000 people, then joined in the candlelight procession to the basilica of St. Mary Major for Benediction.

The tradition of a Corpus Christi procession through Rome, with the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on a platform truck, was revived by Blessed John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. In a concession to their age, these last two Pontiffs had knelt before the Eucharist. But Pope Francis walked the route: a distance of about 1.5 miles.

In his homily for the Mass at the Lateran basilica, the Pope commented on the day’s reading from the Gospel of St. Luke, which recounted how Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. He remarked that the disciples had advised Jesus to send away the people who had come to hear him speak, because they did not have enough food for them. He said:

"Dismiss the crowd!". How many times do we Christians have this temptation! We do not care for the needs of others, dismissing them with a pitiful, "God help you." Jesus' solution, on the other hand, goes in another direction, a direction that surprises the disciples: "You give them something to eat.”

What the disciples had, the Pope observed, seemed pitifully inadequate. “But it is precisely those loaves and fishes that in God’s hands feed the whole crowd.” The lesson, Pope Francis said, is that the faithful can count on God’s help when they set out to help others.

“This evening we are the crowd of the Gospel, we also strive to follow Jesus to listen to Him, to enter into communion with Him in the Eucharist, to accompany Him and find why He accompanies us,” the Pope said. He urged the congregation to look upon their lives not as their own possessions, “but a gift to Him and to others.”

Source: Catholic Culture