Padraig, I was thinking that people who are praying, taking the sacraments, and living a charitable Catholic life may be more "in tune" to the signs of the times....I for one feel this is important because many people are just blindly going through their lives with no reflection. MOG is a place of reflection and sharing our wealth of knowledge or experience. I believe Our Lady brought us together here to trouble shoot, reflect, support and love one another in horrific times. I am most grateful for everyone's perspective here....everyone's
So who to believe? Fatima Fakery at EWTN by Christopher A. Ferrara For the past 17 years the Fatima revisionists have been asking us to believe that Russia is converting as Our Lady of Fatima promised, because Russia was“consecrated” to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in a ceremony at the Vatican in 1984 — a ceremony which made no mention of Russia. Of course, Russia is not converting, as anyone who is not comatose can see. But the Fatima revisionists are not about to let reality get in the way. If reality won’t support their interpretation of the Message of Fatima, they will simply rewrite the Message. So, according to the “faith experts” who dispense theological advice at EWTN, Sister Lucy is now speaking of Our Lady’s request for the consecration of the world, not Russia. And EWTN even has a “letter from Sister Lucy” to back up its claims. Here is the pertinent part of the letter, the whole of which can be found at EWTN’s website under the category of“Frequently Asked Faith Questions”: Letter 1: To Sr. Mary of Bethlehem J.+ M. Pax ChristiDear Sister Mary of Bethlehem: Received your letter and, although I have very little time at my disposal I will answer your question which is: Is the Consecration of the world (!), according to the request of Our Lady, made? . . . On May 13, 1982, His Holiness John Paul II made the Consecration. I was asked if it was made. I responded "NO." It was not made in union with all the bishops of the world . . . Then this same Supreme Pontiff, John Paul II wrote to all the bishops of the world asking them to unite with him. He sent for the statute (sic) of Our Lady of Fatima — the one from the little Chapel to be taken to Rome and on March 25, 1984 — publicly — with the bishops who wanted to unite with His Holiness, made the Consecration as Our Lady requested. They then asked me if it was made as Our Lady requested, and I said, "YES." Now it was made. In reply to the obvious objection that the “letter from Sister Lucy” says nothing about Russia, the EWTN commentary has this to say: “Those who say Sr. Lucy mentions only the ‘world’ above but not ‘Russia’ and was therefore not writing of the Collegial Consecration requested by heaven are not being realistic.” Ah, yes. You see, it is not “realistic” to mention Russia in the consecration of Russia — evidently because Vatican diplomats deem it impolitic to do so. That is, according to EWTN, the Mother of God made an unrealistic request. But EWTN has a major problem with this “letter from Sister Lucy.” Apparently EWTN’s “experts” are unaware that in 1982 Sister Lucy went on record in L’Osservatore Romano to declare that Our Lady had never asked for the consecration of the world, but only Russia. On May 12, 1982, the day before the attempted 1982 consecration, L’Osservatore Romano published an interview of Sister Lucy by Father Umberto Maria Pasquale, a Salesian priest, during which she told Father Umberto that Our Lady had never requested the consecration of the world, but only the consecration of Russia: At a certain moment I said to her : “Sister, I should like to ask you a question. If you cannot answer me, let it be. But if you can answer it, I would be most grateful to you . . . Has Our Lady ever spoken to you about the consecration of the world to Her Immaculate Heart?” — “No, Father Umberto! Never! At the Cova da Iria in 1917 Our Lady had promised: I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia . . . In 1929, at Tuy, as She had promised, Our Lady came back to tell me that the moment had come to ask the Holy Father for the consecration of that country (Russia). A handwritten note from Sister Lucy containing the same advice was also published in L’Osservatore Romano in a later edition. Whoever wrote the “letter from Sister Lucy” so proudly on display at EWTN’s website has some serious explaining to do. One thing seems clear enough: the author isn’t the same cloistered nun whose remarks to Father Pasquale were published to the world in L’Osservatore Romano 19 years ago. Either that or Sister Lucy is suffering from amnesia and has forgotten what Our Lady told her. There is an old saying in the law: false in one, false in all. If a witness is shown to lack credibility on one point, his entire testimony may be doubted. EWTN’s“letter from Sister Lucy” is simply not worthy of belief. And neither is the rest of EWTN’s “expert” advice on Fatima. My suggestion? Stick with fatima.org. Here the Message of Fatima remains the same, and“Sister Lucy” does not change her story to suit a revisionist agenda. As for the folks at EWTN, there is this advice: Before you publish “letters from Sister Lucy” which radically alter the Message of Fatima, it would be wise to acquaint yourselves with what Sister Lucy has said before in such obscure places as the Pope’s own newspaper. The stuff coming out of Coimbra lately is just not very reliable. But I suppose EWTN is not too picky about the quality of the “evidence” it receives concerning the Message of Fatima. No, it seems that for the folks at EWTN the most important thing is to bash Father Nicholas Gruner. For that purpose, any stick will do.
The heart of Mr. Ferrara's argument is that "Russia is not converting" THEREFORE the Church authorities are lying and not trustworthy in telling us that the 1984 Consecration was accepted by Heaven. This is not only bad logic but his initial premise that "Russia is not converting" is entirely subjective. What is not subjective and entirely objective is the Church's statements on the 1984 Consecration, statements that depsite the best efforts of the Fatima conspiracy theorists have never been PROVEN untrustworthy or suspect, statements that require our assent as obedient Catholics. I never heard of this Ferrara character before but I find his tone towards the Church authorities rather arrogant and disrespectful. I'll have to look into him at little further to see who he is and why he has taken this stance.
I think I have learnt two things from the Fatima argument. Firstly that it will continue to the end of the world. I recall reading all this as a child. Secondly the more I read the more confused I get. People like myself will believe what ever they want to. There are such very good arguments on both sides.
I agree Padraig....completely agree....that's why I love it here....so much information to share but in the end we will have our own beliefs and hold true to them, and that is okay.
I was watching a life of St Faustina there. A soul from Purgatory who had been dead a year came visiting Faustina during the night begging prayers. The saint went rushing of to the Chapel to pray for her, but the Mother Superior caught her at it and gave of to her for breaking the rules. It reminded me of what Pope Francis said lately about legalism making the heart smaller. I notice in her life it was the small ones who were most ready to believe in her. Like a old sister who was doing heavy manual labour and was getting bored to death with it all. It was the small ones who embraced Divine Mercy, just as it is the very small ones who embrace this forum. Small forum, small souls. Being able to read the Signs of the Times is a very great grace in itself, not given to all. A child could read them; but then we are not all children. It would have taken a child to see St Faustina and her message for what it was, but there weren't all that many children knocking about at the time.
and I have been reading Story of a Soul....her little ways, teach me to live and love in little ways!
No Richard. This is just one article By Chris F, If you can provide first hand evidence from a Pope ,please bring it forward. If you have not heard of Chris Ferrara, Then you know little about the problem .Please address the issues instead of doing a Cardinal Bertone and dodging real issues...Otherwise you are guilty of Diabolical disorientation.
Since visiting Liseux In September my new/old best friend is St Therese. She was born into a very holy and prayerful family but she was so childlike, so little, so restricted by the social milieu she was part of but out of these restrictions was born a great saint. Her little way is all about love in our everyday dealings and always searching for the pearl of great price. So simple but so profound.
One thing about St Therese I always remember. When she entered the Carmel at Liseaux as a 15 girl ; one of the things she admitted she missed was the flowers she so enjoyed in the fields near her home. She metioned one time that her dreams were always about bunny rabbits and flowers and she said that when she dies she would unleash a rain of flowers from heaven. Every time I see a statue of Therese in a Church I am always delighted by the wonderful flowers left at her feet. There is a statue of her in a side chapel I pass through on the way to the sacristy every morning at mass. Always the most beautiful expensive flowers in a wonderful variety of exotic colours. Then I think to myself how wonderfully God rewarded and paid back the little girl for her sacrifice in that French Carmel. View attachment 2475
IMHO, this video should be watched by all who have an arguement for or against their position on whether the 3rd secret of Fatima has been revealed or whether the consecration of Russia has been satisfied. One cannot deny the facts presented in this video, without being abstract to the truth of the matter. Very articulately laid out.
It will be interesting when we get to heaven , to find out the truth of the matter. I wish Padre Pio was alive it would be wonderful to ask him. I must check and see if he ever had an opinion, one way or the other whilst he was alive.
The economic pressure cooker is still being heated!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30558502 The more I think about it and analyse what is really going on I am convinced God's restraining hand has for the moment prevented conflict spilling over into Europe. This time so, so reminds me of 1914. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ted-wwi-says-a-leading-historian-9039184.html The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the unexpected trigger event that led to the Great War. It has that feeling today - tension is building, it is like an elastic band is being stretched to capacity and then ----- trigger event ---- snap ----- war!
sometimes, I take a big step back and think....I wonder if God is laughing at us all with our conjecture and theory....He's probably saying.....simple souls, just pray, pray, pray......
the sides are being laid out before us, US befriending Cuba at just the right time, Putin wanting North Korea leader in Russia....North Korea accused of Sony Hack but everybody suspects China is behind the whole thing....the world currency is in a free fall.....it's a house of cards ready to fall....but where first?
I am assuming that all members do pray, pray, pray? I especially recommend the Rosary as the prayer for peace and the weapon to defeat satan. I am pleased to say I have prayed the Rosary every day for the last ten years since my 'St Stephen's day of purification' in 2004. In the last six years I have prayed the entire Rosary daily (all 4 mysteries) without fail ( and on many days several full Rosaries). This has been an umerited grace given to me & so prayer has become the sustenance and rhythm of my daily existence. I really believe I would die without prayer it is so important to my life. I just cannot not pray (if that makes sense?). And yet despite this I am a weak and sinful human being. But how much worse would I be without prayer? It is the spirit that leads us to read the signs of the times through prayer not our natural curiosity. Our Blessed Lord specifically asked us to read the signs of the times in order to be awake at His Coming. And thank God for Bethlehem and the birth of Christ - without it all the light would be extinguished and we would be living in utter, utter darkness.
Maria Esperanza, the stigmatic and visionary said of Venezuala: 'It will begin here!' View attachment 2478
