FROM THE WEBSITE : UNVEILING THE APOCALYPSE--COMMENTS SECTION ...On your other points I agree with you and I look forward to more widespread acceptance of the approved apparition of Our Lady of All Nations. Dr. Mark Miravalle has written extensively on this approved apparition and has noted that historically great graces have accompanied the Church and the world with the formal proclamation of a Dogma. In one article, "Mary's Role in the New Evangelization," Dr. Miravalle writes about a situation that has parallels to today's interior trial of the Church and the Holy Father: "In 1848, hostile secular forces attacked the Vatican causing Bl. Pius IX to flee to Gaeta. Common word on the streets of Rome was that the "Church was now over" and the papacy "finished." Two Franciscan cardinals, Cardinal Antonio Orioli and Cardinal Luigi Lambruschini (former Secretary of State under Gregory XVI), approached the Holy Father in exile with the following argument: that everything possible which the "Church human" could try had been tried for the protection of the Church and respect for papacy. It was now time to turn to Mary through the solemn definition of her Immaculate Conception. She, in turn, would then lead a new renewal for the Church and the papacy through her powerful intercession. Bl. Pius IX therefore made the decision, while in exile in Gaeta, to define the Immaculate Conception. In 1849, while still in exile, he issued Ubi Primum in papal communications to the world’s bishops which expressed his consideration to define the Immaculate Conception. Soon after in 1851, the secular forces hostile to the pope were defeated in Rome and Pius IX returned to the Vatican. On December 8, 1854, the Immaculate Conception was solemnly defined, which led soon after to the decision to call the First Vatican Council and make the declaration on papal infallibility. Both Vatican I and the definition on papal infallibility led to a great reunification of the Church under the newly strengthened papacy, and a spiritual renewal of various means throughout Italy and beyond. The parallels between the mid-nineteenth century Church and our present twenty-first century Church in crisis are significant. A papal definition of Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood today, in the midst of our present state of ecclesial crisis would have the same effect as the one experienced in the mid-nineteenth century: a renewed Church, fortified and united under a strengthened papacy through the powerful intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church. The Church of today will grow in strength, unity and purification to the degree that she fights for and subsequently proclaims this Marian truth. Our contemporary Church in crisis needs the full activation of the roles of Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood through a public proclamation of its truth more than ever."
{interesting in light of the messages at locutions.org and the election of the new Pope} Sr. Lorraine said... Hello again Emmett, Today I was reading Fr Herman Kramer's Book of Destiny. I don't know what you think of his interpretation. But I came across something interesting in light of the Worthy Shepherd prophecy. In discussing ch. 12, the woman clothed with the sun, he thinks as many others do that the woman primary represents the Church (though not excluding a secondary Marian interpretation). About verse 2, he says that it can't just be about the Church's travail in giving birth to Christians, but "in that travail, she gives birth to some definite 'person' who is to RULE the Church with a rod of iron. It then points to a conflict waged wtihin the Church to elect one who was to 'rule all nations' in the manner clearly stated.....this is unmistakable a PAPAL ELECTION [caps in book] for only Christ and his Vicar have the divine right to all ALL NATIONS. Furthermore, the Church does not travail in anguish at EVERY papal election, which can be held without trouble or danger." Do you think this is a plausible interpretation? It startled me in light of present events.
Emmett O'Regan said... Hi Sr. Lorraine, Thanks for pointing this out - this could be very important. Fr. Kramer's Book of Destiny was the first commentary on the Apocalypse I ever bought. However I never managed to read it all, because I was put off by some of the anti-semiticism. I know this was a widespread attitude in Fr. Kramer's time, so I'll have to try and get past this and attempt to read it again. The eschatological component of the Child being caught up to heaven was always something which eluded me. But yes, this makes perfect sense to equate the Child with a pope, because the Woman definitely represents the Church as well as the Virgin Mary. The Apocalypse has so many layers of interpretation... The travail the Woman is in would then correspond to Akita - "cardinal against cardinal", and the current conflict within the Curia which has been publicly confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI. The Woman is also in travail because the Devil has spewed forth a flood of apostasy which is threatening to sweep her away. "The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood." (Rev 12:15) But this will not succeed, because the Woman's house is built on the rock of St. Peter: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (Matt 7:24-25) The earth will come to the aid of the Woman, and this flood will be swallowed up by the fruits of the Second Pentecost: "But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth." (Rev 12:16) We do need a pope at this time who will rule with a rod of iron. And there could be another connection here with the Two Witnesses. The child being caught up to heaven to God's throne parallels some other passages in the Apocalypse: "She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne" (Rev 12:5) "The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. (Rev 2:26-28) We've already discussed a possible papal connection with this verse, and how it may relate to John Paul II. (I've discovered some more connections which seem to confirm this). But I suppose every pope has the keys to heaven and hell, and therefore all can rule with a rod of iron if they make the right actions. "The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Rev 3:21) Most importantly, just as the Child was caught up to God's throne - so are the Two Witnesses: "But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them." (Rev 11:11-12)
An interesting read on The Lady of All Nations: "Why We Should Listen", By: Dr. Richard Russell http://sign.org/the-lady-of-all-nations-why-we-should-listen
Fatima, I read this too the other day and thought it was a great article on Our Lady of Nations, by Dr Russell.
