Yes. Everything will become apparent in time to those whose eyes are truly open. Sadly as we see all around us very few people ever have their eyes open these days.
23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance.… I think the million-dollar question is. Is this prophecy from Our Lord behind us and we’re out of the woods so to speak? Or does it still lie some time in the future? Or is it happening right now around us as we speak?
I didn't know this quote. But at first and second glance, it's really difficult for me to understand. What does obedience mean? Catherine certainly had a nuanced understanding of what obedience entails. I would like to talk to her about it and understand her thoughts behind this statement. Perhaps she wanted to emphasise her point by exaggerating. Perhaps Catherine meant above all to always love the Pope and the priests. To pray for them. To follow their instructions and serve them - as long as we don't sin in the process. The divine law is at the top of the hierarchy of holy obedience. Next in line is the hierarchy of the church. If Satan were a priest or pope, we would be obliged to obey as long as they themselves did not disobey the divine law. Catherine lived in the time of the Avignon papacy. She wrote personal letters to popes to give them a sisterly correction. Contradiction is not the same as disobedience. In the history of the church, there have been many popes who were very serious sinners. At this point we would be obliged to distinguish between person and office and to remain obedient to the office bearer. But what Catherine never experienced and probably could never have imagined, and what none of the ‘sinner popes’ would ever have dared to do, was to attack the doctrine of the church.
It's a balanced calm discernment. If we were not happy with Westen's premature and overly political judgement we should definitely take a wait and see approach. No one has presented any evidence that would lead us to condemn him as some arch heretic. We need remember that both Benedict and certainly JP II consecrated many evil men to episcopal office etc.
