Recently the news ran headlines that Pope Francis called for the Fatima Statue of Mary to be brought to the Vatican — in their words “to consecrate the world.” I have to laugh because that phrase activates all the Grunerites into a brainwashed knee-jerk reaction “what about Russia?” Russia was done.
Digressing into Consecration of Russia is useless, but in order to put the matter to sleep…
On May 13, 1984, right after John Paul II consecrated Russia on March 25, 1984, the Soviet Union experienced an inexplicable military disaster of no rival, dubbed in Russian “the greatest military disaster of all time.” The naval stockpiles in Severomorsk blew up. It was a freak accident that the New York Times reported as being “crippling” and “the destruction represents the greatest disaster to occur in the Soviet Navy since World War II. It is conservatively estimated that it will be two years before the facility is fully operational again.”
Those who would like to see pictures and read the uncanny events of this event that is never reported in print can check this post out. (note your author’s anonymous comment made in 2008 as the first comment). It didn’t end there, though, Defense Minister (among this man’s many other titles) Dmitriy Ustinov contracts pneumonia in mid-October that year and after a series of surgical mishaps, dies in December. Then in the following March, both Konstantin Chernenko dies and Mikhail Gorbachev is appointed a day later. Russia was totally changed.
Today, Russia has a flat tax of 14% or so, no property taxes (because the Duma ruled in 2003 that property taxes work against private property ownership), has built and rebuilt with federal money Russian Orthodox churches (most notably the Cathedral of Christ Our Savior, which Lenin had destroyed), and I could go on and on and on.
Yet, the Grunerites and the news headlines have to frame Pope Francis in terms that will cause people to divide and fight over the most stupid things. To put the matter in deeper perspective, the Gruner argument includes a message that Russia was supposed to be consecrated by 1960 and the third secret revealed. It wasn’t revealed. Various events occurred in the sixties that put real heft on the meaning of “Russia will spread her errors throughout the world.” (I will cover those in the Fatima series).
Since Our Lady Spilled the Third Secret beans at Akita in 1971, and She didn’t mention Russia…
But, in 1971, Our Lady appeared to a cloistered nun in Akita, Japan. Mary didn’t say “consecrate Russia or else…” If all of Heaven hinged on the consecration of Russia as the Gruner people say, and that was supposed to happen by 1960, then you’d think Mary would have brought it up in 1971. She didn’t. She did say “pray and offer reparation or fire will fall from heaven.” So, Mary revealed the third secret in 1971 on her own — since she was the owner of the secret, she had the power to disclose what she wished of it. Since she did that, if she thought Russia was an issue, she’d have mentioned it. She didn’t. She left the explanation of the occult and overpopulation mess for the eventual third secret revelation, too. However, by 1971, it was obvious that the occult and overpopulation lies were rampant, so it’s not like the third secret was necessary by then, either — it’s just more confirmation of the obvious. Pope Francis, in my opinion, sees it similarly, and has something specific in mind by bringing Our Lady of Fatima to the Vatican.
Pope Francis has a Plan
I’ve made no guesswork that I was a fan of Pope Francis before he even finished taking his office as the Vicar of Christ. DeJak and I have been exchanging observation and observation that we expected a lot from him, and so far he’s exceeded, but I have to admit that I’m dumbfounded that people don’t see what this Pope is about, and I continually see people saying such things. Just the other day, on Rorate Coeli, I read a comment, “I cant get the slightest read on him, and everything he does, even the good things, don[’]t make any sense to me.” DeJak says it is because he is too traditional. I agree, because seeing the literary meaning of things about us, using the eyes of faith, as it were, is a traditional thing that people have forgotten and Pope Francis is hell bent on getting people to see again.
Perhaps it is a Jesuit thing, or I’d like to believe it is just a sacramental, seeing the literary, thing, but Pope Francis has been predictable and unswerving: he is steadily and progressively calling down the powers of Heaven to destroy the bad works of the enemies of the Church, even those encamped within. That’s not speculation. He says it himself. Just last week, he was speaking of the Blessed Mother after the feast of the Assumption, and he makes it a point to say that the Blessed Mother guides the Church in the “inherent struggle between good and evil.”
He continues, “Mary joins us, she fights at our side. She supports Christians in the fight against the forces of evil. Especially through prayer, through the rosary.” We’ve discussed over and over on the Forum that the weapons of prayer are found in devotions to Mary, and particularly the Rosary. But Pope Francis is determined to repeat this message. His full homily on the feast of the Assumption says very clearly how Pope Francis views things — he sees Mary as assisting the Church in its battle against Satan, and we, the Church as needing to pray to conquer evil:
“The passage from Revelation presents the vision of the struggle between the woman and the dragon. The figure of the woman, representing the Church, is, on the one hand, glorious and triumphant and yet, on the other, still in travail. And the Church is like that: if in heaven she is already associated in some way with the glory of her Lord, in history she continually lives through the trials and challenges which the conflict between God and the evil one, the perennial enemy, brings. And in the struggle which the disciples must confront – all of us, all the disciples of Jesus, we must face this struggle – Mary does not leave them alone: the Mother of Christ and of the Church is always with us. She walks with us always, she is with us. And in a way, Mary shares this dual condition. She has of course already entered, once and for all, into heavenly glory. But this does not mean that she is distant or detached from us; rather Mary accompanies us, struggles with us, sustains Christians in their fight against the forces of evil. Prayer with Mary, especially the rosary – but listen carefully: the Rosary. Do you pray the Rosary every day? But I’m not sure you do [the people shout “Yes!”]… Really? Well, prayer with Mary, especially the Rosary, has this “suffering” dimension, that is of struggle, a sustaining prayer in the battle against the evil one and his accomplices. The Rosary also sustains us in the battle.”
The full homily is here at the vatican. So, is what Pope Francis is saying so hard to figure out? It sounds like the things I’ve heard all my life. It’s nice to see such active and clear statements and activity by the Pope to confront evil. From his first act, when he calmed that crowd from a meaningless and empty frenzy of cheering into praying with him as he undertook to begin being Pope, Pope Francis has been focused and certain. He began his Papacy with an AMDG, and a BVMH. That part about Mary hasn’t been vestigial — he means it.
Leo XIII tied Mary, Joseph, St. Michael, and Sts. Peter and Paul together to protect the Church
Pope Francis and Benedict bless the Saint Michael statue in the vatican this year
So, where is this going? I think Pope Francis is following an outline given to him by Pope Leo XIII. Recall, earlier this year, on July 4th or 5th, Pope Benedict AND Pope Francis blessed a statue of St. Michael the Archangel in the Vatican gardens and consecrated the Vatican to St. Michael. Then, about a month ago, Pope Francis put the mention of St. Joseph into all canons of the Roman rite (not just the Roman Canon, the so-called Eucharistic Prayer I, but all of them). As I wrote on May 1, St. Joseph is terror of demons. Pope Leo XIII gave him that title… well, he did more than that.
Says Pope Leo XIII in Quamquam Pluries, “During periods of stress and trial – chiefly when every lawlessness of act seems permitted to the powers of darkness – it has been the custom in the Church to plead with special fervour and perseverance to God, her author and protector, by recourse to the intercession of the saints – and chiefly of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God – whose patronage has ever been the most efficacious.” He notes that Joseph of the old testament was called “savior of the world” prefigured St. Joseph, who by Divine appointment shared through marriage in the sublimity of Mary’s extraordinary grace. St Joseph, is therefore “destined to be the guardian of the Christian religion, should be regarded as the protector and defender of the Church, which is truly the house of the Lord and the kingdom of God on earth. These are the reasons why men of every rank and country should fly to the trust and guard of the blessed Joseph.” This encyclical ends with attaching prayers to St. Joseph to the rosary for the month of October (with a generous indulgence).
Later, though, in Humanum Genus, Pope Leo XIII concludes his explanation of the evil fruit of the sons of Balaam, the Freemasons and allied organizations, with the imploring the protection of the Blessed Mother Mary, St. Michael, St. Joseph, and Sts. Peter and Paul. “Let us take our helper and intercessor the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so that she, who from the moment of her conception overcame Satan may show her power over these evil sects, in which is revived the contumacious spirit of the demon, together with his unsubdued perfidy and deceit. Let us beseech Michael, the prince of the heavenly angels, who drove out the infernal foe; and Joseph, the spouse of the most holy Virgin, and heavenly patron of the Catholic Church; and the great Apostles, Peter and Paul, the fathers and victorious champions of the Christian faith.”
So, St. Joseph? added him to the Mass again. check.
St. Michael? consecrated vatican to him, and had another pope with him to do it. check.
Blessed Mother Mary? constant, but bringing her Fatima statue to Vatican. check.
Sts. Peter and Paul?
I found this to be a very interesting tidbit of Pope Francis’s plans for the Marian Day at which the Fatima statue is to appear. The page on the Year of Faith website lists the events of October 12 and 13 as a marian day, “for the purpose of expressing how the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is the icon of faith for every believer and that in her trusting obedience to the will of the Father was able to work genuine wonders” Miracles. Genuine wonders are miracles.
How does this Marian day start? The first event on Saturday October 12 is “8.00 – 12.00 Pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Apostle Peter.” Interesting — there’s a direct connection to St. Peter there. Granted, I don’t see St. Paul prominently figuring into this, but there does seem to be a clear tie between Pope Francis’s words and actions and those of Pope Leo XIII.
By the way, both days of that Marian day event have the rosary, too.
Perhaps I am too naive, but I think Pope Francis is cleaning house — by calling Heaven down to do it. He appears, however, to be calling on all those who are called on in old exorcisms… even bringing the statue from Fatima to the Vatican. The news says he is going to consecrate the world — I can’t wait to hear what he actually says when he does this. So far, he’s been plain speaking and clear every where else. I can’t wait to see what happens. Whatever else he’s doing, he’s not acting without a plan!
This article, Exorcising the Vatican? Pope Francis style. With Fatima, St. Michael, and Leo XIII is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/exorcising-the-vatican-pope-francis-style-with-fatima-st-michael-and-leo-xiii/
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