By the way, the fact that Russia is no longer an atheist country does not make it exempt from the guilt of any restriction on the Catholic faith; after all, a large part of the Jews who killed Jesus and persecuted the primitive church were people who deeply believed in God, although, obviously, by rejecting the Son, they rejected the Father.
Yes, we're in trouble. We're being prepped for war. I don't believe there's a single believing Christian, let alone faithful Catholic, leading a country in what once was Christendom. Instead, we have a selection of grifters and war mongers bereft of any kind of morality spouting about moral values. With no faith, what's the source and authority of their so-called morality? I watched a video recently (posted in the comments of Larry Johnson's blogpost) where the playwright and journalist Harold Pinter pinpointed power to be the source. He might not have been right about a whole lot else but you couldn't find a better description of today's leaders. The war won't come until the leaders of the "Five Eyes" are fairly confident they can win. Their failure to achieve a swift victory in Ukraine set them back but they haven't given up. Now, they have to condition their own youth to go all-in. The propaganda will increase, a magnifying glass brought to all religious differences, ever more pressure on religious leaders to "soften" their beliefs, and the fear porn escalated until all "reasonable" people accept security and surveillance measures the Stasi could only have dreamed of. Love of neighbour will change to spy and report thy neighbour's non compliance. We'll be expected to hate on demand. I'll stick with loving my neighbour as best I can because that's what Jesus wants. Thanks but no thanks to anything that contravenes my God given right and duty to do as Jesus commanded.
let us wait until any remaining freedom in the West is pulverized in the name of human dignity that is manifested even in the “quick and non-liturgical blessings” for sodomy promoted by Cardinal Fernández; this with the direct support of Western governments and indirect support from some Christians who label resistance to this abomination as a Schism. Furthermore, the same Western governments that ignored Erdorgan's offensive against the Kurds in 2022, perhaps because they feared someone worse would take his place after his fall, will certainly try to formalize their own version of the Church after the October Synod.
How old are the prophecies about the conversion of France? Do they pre-date Charles deGaulle. I recall reading a couple of years ago a theory that DeGaulle was the great Catholic monarch. France now sure doesn't look remotely Catholic, despite Michael Matt's confidence of a resurgence of faith because of the Chartre pilgrimage and thr Latin Mass being permitted there. "Catholic" Macron, seeing the writing on the wall signalling the imminent demise of his own period in power has proudly made some provision to copperfasten abortion in French law. That's what passes for bravery in what once prided itself as the eldest daughter of the Church. And that's what passes for bravery in our Western political class. It tells us all we need to know about the morality of his Western political peers. The French (and all Europeans) would have less to fear from a Muslim invasion (often from their former colonies) if they had let or would let their own children be born, Instead, they pride themselves on their sterile sex while complaining about Muslims breeding like rabbits - a derisive criticism once aimed at Catholics in an attempt at dehumanising us. I'll have more sympathy for the Catholics in Ukraine if you can show me evidence of a single Catholic leader condemning the burning of the trade union building in Odessa, the water supply being cut off while people were inside, and the people jumping for their lives being battered and shot at as crowds cheered. Can you show me anything where the Church leaders condemned Nuland's coup-de-tat and the violence by pagan neo Nazi groups in the Maidan? Anything defending the rights of ethnic Russians to speak, educate their children and conduct official business with the State in their own language? Anything condemning years of shelling civilian areas in the Donbas? Anything condemning Poroshenko's statement about "their" children hiding in basements while "our" children go to school? Anything about Zelensky demanding regime change in Moscow? Anything about Zelensky saying he wanted Nukes in Ukraine? Anything to show that the Ukrainian Catholics distanced themselves from the Pagan ideology of Ukraine's neo nazis marching and running indoctrination camps for children? Anything to show sympathy for the harassment of people who didn't want to switch from the Russian Orthodox to whatever Church was acceptable to Jewish Victoria Nuland? Any evidence that they voiced disapproval of the Ukrainians breaking one peace deal after another? Probably not, but I can show you an interview with a Canadian priest, introduced as Ukrainian and who has an Ukrainian wife, urging what effectively would have been WW3. His question "What more can Putin do?" is seared in my memory. Getting close to a million dead later and the country destroyed, I think he has partly an answer to his question. And Putin can do more. A lot more. It would have been more beneficial to everyone had he reflected on the part of Catholic just war doctrine where one of the requirements is a possibility of winning the war. Everybody with half a brain knew that Ukraine couldn't win that war because NATO with its nukes and other weapons of mass destruction including possible biological weapon situated on what is effectively Moscow's doorstep would be an existential threat to Russia. We want a converted Russia, not a destroyed Russia. We want a return to Communion with us the Orthodox churches which have Apostolic succession. The Russians have the biggest number of Eastern Orthodox. It looked like we were making progress prior to the Ukrainian conflict. Then, Catholics in former Soviet countries seizing what looked like an opportunity to exact vengeance on the Russians have probably set that back by decades. Yes, Catholics have been persecuted and discriminated against in Russia and by Russia for centuries. From a Catholic perspective, there was nothing great about Catherine. But forgiveness isn't an optional extra for us. Seeking vengeance through secular powers isn't the way forward. Demanding the return of seized churches won't build bridges. We Catholics can offer Mass anywhere the priest and people are gathered. Divine Liturgies offered in stolen churches won't win favour with God. Ukraine's Catholics know that from experience. We either trust that God will reward our faithfulness and our willingness to suffer or we don't. We will always be disappointed if we put our trust in men and it looks like that's what Ukraine's Catholics are doing now. Meanwhile, we should pray that the Vatican's diplomats will find a way to mend fences and negotiate more freedom for our Catholic brothers and sisters in Ukraine, Russia and all the other Orthodox countries while we wait for the guaranteed conversion of Russia. Throwing our weight behind corrupt, warmongering politicians does nobody any good.
Firstly there are several prophecies about the conversion of France and its relationship with the great monarch, you should be less selective about the prophecy you want to believe in, in fact I would like you to show me any post of mine in which I defended Macron or any western leader as you do with Putin, who would nip the evil in the bud when it comes to separatist movements, just as he does with most of his opponents. The Ukrainian Church preferred to support the 2014 revolution precisely because it knew how difficult it would be to live under the interference of the Russian state Church, as is the case in Russia. Accusations of fascism, of Nazism against any opponent of communism are nothing new, there were those who condemned the beatification of martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, who today are labeled Nazis for supporting Franco against communism.
Prophecies concerning France French mystic and stigmatist Marthe Robin thought that France would fall lower than other nations, but that the Blessed Virgin would come to raise her up, which seems logical and natural, since that nation is consecrated to the Mother of God, who will not abandon her no matter how much France denies God and falls from grace. This is what Marthe said to some of her visitors and to her confessor Father Finet on February 10, 1936: "France will fall low, very low, lower than other nations, because of her pride and the bad leaders she has chosen for herself. She will hit the dust. Then only will she cry out to God, and it is the Blessed Virgin who will come to save her. France will return to her mission as the eldest daughter of the Church and will again send missionaries everywhere in the world." Many other prophecies or intuitions point to the same future revival. For instance, Pope Saint Pius X said on November 27, 1911: The people that made a covenant with God when they became Christian in Rheims will repent and return to their first vocation... Faults will not go unpunished, but the daughter of so many merits, of so many sighs and of so many tears will never perish. A day will come and we hope that it is not far away when France, like Saul on the road to Damascus, will be enveloped in a celestial light and will hear a voice repeating to her: "My daughter, why do you persecute me?" And as she answers: "Who are you, Lord?" The Voice will reply, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. You find it hard to accept the spurs but in your obstinacy you are ruining yourself." And she, trembling and astonished will say: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" And He will answer: "Rise up, wash away the defilements that have disfigured you, awaken in your soul the dormant feelings and the pact of our covenant, and go, eldest daughter of the Church, predestined nation, vessel of election, go and, as in the past, carry my Name before all the peoples and all the kings of the earth." And Leo XIII, for his part, said: "A nation that has Sacred Heart of Montmartre and Lourdes cannot perish: it will become again the glorious nation it once was."
The Russian state church with its nationalism that overrides true religion is one of the biggest obstacles to reunification with Orthodoxy, imagine living under the yoke of a church that glorifies the psychopath Stalin and even the leader who is alive, it is not something very different from the Pachamama idolatry that took place in the Vatican in October 2019, and I still run the risk of being called a schismatic for remembering it.
If we follow a Marxist line of thought, I suppose we should expect something that is the synthesis of the confrontation between the communist thesis and the liberal antithesis...
Praying for religious freedom in Russia and Ukraine does not mean criticizing those who condemn the violation of this freedom as if they were vassals of Western elites.
A real but gradual process, I think. Dear Lady, wrap us in your Mantle and keep us alert to the subtleties of the enemy.
To the servant of God nothing should be displeasing save sin. And no matter in what way any one may sin, if the servant of God is troubled or angered—except this be through charity—he treasures up guilt to himself. The servant of God who does not trouble himself or get angry about anything lives uprightly and without sin. And blessed is he who keeps nothing for himself, rendering "to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's and to God the things that are God's." - The Counsels of the Holy Father St. Francis, Admonition 11 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." They are truly peacemakers who amidst all they suffer in this world maintain peace in soul and body for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. - The Counsels of the Holy Father St. Francis, Admonition 15
Pointing out the obvious is not defending Putin. Yes, the Russian Orthodox is nationalistic as are all the Orthodox churches where Orthodoxy is the majority religion. That's one of the major flaws in Orthodoxy. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon in Catholicism and is becoming more noticeable especially in recent years although it shows up in various forms. I think that the Copts in Egypt are an example of how their faith may gradually take precedence over nationalistic fervour once they become a tiny, persecuted minority. What's imperative for us in looming difficult times is that the Church will be better able to withstand those pressures if it is unified or, as St. Johm Paul described it, breathing with both lungs. We need to set aside tribal differences and aim for unity. Of course that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be praying for freedom for our fellow Catholics in Russia and Ukraine. There's nothing wrong with urging less beating of the war drums and more diplomacy while we pray. We have to cope with the world as it is while praying for the grace to stay true to the faith. Burying our heads in the sand or letting ourselves be manipulated by propaganda is no solution. Now, Britain has an appalling colonial record. Over time, its political leaders have been a mixed bag, latterly ranging from bad to useless. Britain has, however, a record of producing very astute people in their diplomatic service. Pay attention to what a former member of their diplomatic service is saying in this interview: I believe that he may be under-estimating the American military because I believe they may be withholding some of their more effective weapons. For example, I read something about an American weapon (possibly a missile) that fries all electronics wherever it flies. Something like that may render many air defence and weapons systems useless but I don't know enough about weapons to be sure of that. What I do know is that war that will kill millions does nobody any good. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Blessed are the peacemakers is the message He left us. Where are our peacemakers? Praying for peace should be a priority for us.
The two lungs of a body are both within that same body. The Catholic Church is made up of 24 sui juris Churches, the Latin and the 23 others that are of the Eastern rite in union with the Catholic Church. The true Orthodox Church is the Uniate Church in communion with Rome. Outside the Church there is no salvation. Russian Orthodox Church/Putinist ideology are not any lungs of the Church, they are an alien and harmful body to the True Church of Christ and we must pray for them to convert to the Catholic Faith.
The week before last was Good Shepherd Sunday. There is an interesting segment when Jesus says the good shepherd stays with his sheep and defends them with his life from the wolves, and the hireling when he sees the wolf runs away and leaves his sheep. It is quite clear what Jesus means here and that the Good Shepherd refers to Him alone who defends people... However, I would interpret this parable to our political system. That is, why I believe that monarchies and kingdoms are from God, and not democracy, presidents and parliaments. A democracy requires a majority of honest, just and moral people in the parliament who will defend the constitution, protect the state and its people. They will not be prone to corruption and blackmail. They are chosen in such a way that they are chosen by a large mass of people who must first of all have such moral and virtuous characteristics themselves, and yet be very well informed about the qualities of politicians, the ideas they represent. Also, a large segment is the media that carry out indoctrination, people from the background that finance certain political ideas and impose ideologies. When you look at politicians today, most of them are classic bureaucrats educated at WEF universities, financed by those who own the media, mega-companies, our financial system and who keep them in power with blackmail. When they come to power, they do the will of their sponsors, not the people. Then the people themselves pay for the destruction of their nation, tradition, history and culture, and in the end, the replacement of the population through mass migration in favor of the powerful behind the shadows. There is not a single historical system that has destroyed the West as much as the democracies of the last 50 years or so with the attack on the institutions of family, nationality, religion, borders, and even common sense. If someone appears who is not in the mold of a classic politician, which was the case with Trump, who gained popularity precisely because he said what people think, then they will quickly find a way to cheat the system, they will be under attack from the media non-stop and indoctrination will be carried out as long as it is impossible for him to come to power. Today, it is difficult for me to list about 10 quality politicians, and in every system we need a majority that will work in the interest of the people. Also, politicians are like hirelings, they serve their mandate and then disappear. They have no obligations and loyalty, especially if they are morally corrupt. The monarch treats his kingdom as his property. He does not have a term for which he is elected, he is there through his blood inheritance and as a monarch he answers to God for his people and his governance. It is in his interest that his kingdom and monarchy be as strong as possible because this reflects on his strength and power. The interests of certain groups behind the shadow are weak in such a society because the institutions answer to him at the head. Attacks on fundamental institutions are also prevented because they are the foundation of any orderly society. It would practically be the suicide of the monarchy if it implemented the same measures as today's democracies. So that you don't misunderstand me. I know that monarchy has a thousand disadvantages. It is the first because it depends on what kind of monarch/king he is. If it is good everyone can benefit, bad brings a lot of suffering. We, as the Kingdom of Croatia, were part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and for centuries they tried to destroy us to the benefit of the Austrians and Hungarians, and the Italians in the south. That is, to impose language and culture, and we were often a cannon place in battles with the Turks, French and other nations... We have battles for supremacy, wars that demonstrate dominance, not to mention the arrogance of the rulers themselves, who consider themselves more valuable than the people themselves and lead kingdoms to ruin. However, there is a clear reason why the French Revolution, which was deeply financed by the same elite as communism, and the First World War were then focused primarily on overthrowing monarchs from France, Austria-Hungary to Russia. Setting up hirelings (modern politicians) who can be bribed, blackmailed and where they can manipulate entire nations through the media through various ideologies that lead to their destruction. I know there are people here from Ireland, India and other countries who have suffered under monarchies like mine, but democracy as a system of government has been manipulated and cheated. The people are deeply immoral as well as the politicians, there are very few honest people and it is practically impossible to gather a majority, and if it is gathered we have an organization (EU, UN, WEF, etc.) that will work to overthrow those governments as in the case of Poland, Hungary. ..We have secret societies, the elite and the media that tear down and install their chosen and educated. Most importantly, democracies functioned because they often emerged from monarchies and societies with a homogeneous society based on justice, morality and faith in God. As the democracies progressed, they collapsed and this happened in a very short time, and people lost the characteristics of nobility and morality that were deliberately destroyed. Simply, original sin and the fall of man is too great for the masses to decide. To me, the best representation of democracy and the corruption of man is when Pilate let the Jews choose who they would release Jesus the righteous or Barabbas the robber. Influenced by the religious and political leaders of the Jews, they shouted what they were told, just like the masses today. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, rulers should be limited by parliament, but the only way to maintain natural and moral laws is through the firm hand of governance...
The form of government does not matter when it comes to protecting Catholic religious freedom; we could even support monarchies if they supported religious freedom to fulfill the requests made by Our Lady at the beginning of the 20th century: the apostolate of the rosary and devotion to the immaculate heart of Mary. Orthodox churches are not subject to restrictions on their activity in the West, so I think it would be fair to allow Catholicism to operate freely in Russia, regardless of whether or not Putin allows fair elections to be held in his lifetime. It is a Catholic teaching that error has no rights and what is happening today in Russia is the opposite, error defining that truth has no rights.
You put a lot of effort in your post and I appreciate that. Unfortunately even when Popes governed the land often there was still much corruption. It seems that positions of power attract a lot of people who don't always hold everyone's best intentions. But I think you nailed it on the head the other day when you said that as long as people are supplicating to God changes do happen, be it in government or society. When good kings or politicians come into leadership, it is a grace of God. Never strictly a function of the actions of people. To me, the belief that politics affect positive change is somewhat misleading. Yes we need an authority structure to live within, but how will there be positive outcomes without the hand of God since everything good comes from God? On the surface it seems like if we just get rid of the baddies and replace them with good guys everything will be fine. Yet this is the promise that communism has held out since its inception, and we know the outcome of it. Often the baddies get replaced with something far worse. St. Francis never wanted his brothers to go to school for priesthood, because he didn't want them focusing on authority or titles. Because the heart's focus on God can become misguided by vanity. He wanted them to live the gospels. His movement of the friars minor exploded and reformed the Church. God is far more powerful than any titles or positions within the world. Jesus wants to live in our hearts, to be the king in our hearts. When this happens it doesn't matter what power WEF or Monarchs hold because God is acting.
https://www.vatican.va/content/john...ments/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint.html https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=3700 Satan is the great divider.
