“His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (John 10, 3-5)
Brief Summary of the Main Point of this Article
Various substantial arguments have been put forth explaining why it is that Benedict XVI remains the only valid pope. This article suggests the same conclusion proposing a complimentary thesis:
Heaven requested reparation for five types of blasphemies against the Blessed Mother. “Pope” Francis can be shown to be responsible for encouraging the very blasphemies which Our Lady said were the cause of souls being condemned. The popes should speak the mind of Christ so it is not conceivable that Jesus Christ who loves His Mother above all creatures would by His ordaining will or by His permissive will allow that a legitimate pope be installed who would affront His Most Holy Mother. Therefore, how can Francis be the legitimate pope? Is Pope Benedict XVI the real pope, whose “silence” symbolizes the “Church in eclipse” as predicted by Our Lady of LaSalette?
How long O Lord? Defend Your Mother!
Dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
I have a serious problem and I am asking for your help. It is impossible for me to hear/recognize Your Voice in the teaching of the “bishop dressed in white” who the world calls “Pope Francis.”
Various people have written clearly and compellingly providing convincing evidence as to why, according to Church law, the election of Jorge Bergoglio was invalid. Some explain how the resignation of Pope Benedict was invalid because it did not conform to the norms of canon 332.2 of the code of canon law which even the pope would be bound to – if he did not first change the law. Some others argue that the conclave did not conform to the precise rules written by John Paul II that articulated the norms for the papal election under pain of excommunication, and invalidity of the election, if they were to be violated.
Also, it is intriguing that Francis, at Fatima on May 12, 1917, recited prepared prayers at the Chapel of Apparitions in which he presented himself as “a bishop dressed in white” whereas the portion of the Third Secret of Fatima, revealed by the Vatican in June, 2000, told of “a bishop dressed in white who gave the appearance of being the Holy Father.”
However, as substantial and persuasive as the canonical arguments are, especially when considered in the light of the reference to the “bishop in white,” there is an even far more disturbing difficulty with “Pope” Francis.
Francis has been shockingly disrespectful to Our Blessed Mother. Whereas great saints such as Saint Louis de Montfort, and Maximillian Kolbe, gave their entire lives to make the Immaculata known and loved because they recognized that this was the only way to bring the world to Jesus Christ, Francis constantly insults and demeans the Queen of Heaven. Instead of recognizing Our Lady as the one that You have delegated to “crush the head of the ancient serpent” and to bring peace in our age, Francis repeatedly insults, belittles and “trashes” our Blessed Mother.
Is it possible to recognize the voice of a Shepherd who dishonors Our Lady? This is inconceivable.
The Old Testament Second Book of Samuel tells us of Uzzah who was struck dead from touching the Ark of the Covenant to steady it when it was tipping. (2 Samuel 6, 6-7 or 2 Kings 6, 6-7, Douay Version) The Church has always understood the Ark of the Covenant as a foreshadowing, or representation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If Uzzah was struck dead on the spot for not even intending disrespect to the Ark which was but the prefiguration of Our Lady, how much more will You be angry at those who deliberately treat Your actual Mother with contempt?
Is it possible that in Your Divine Providence You would have allowed for any successor of St. Peter who would demean Your Most Holy Mother? This is especially urgent when You, Yourself, (on December 10, 1925) requested that reparation be made to Our Lady for “blasphemies” against her Immaculate Heart.”
Sister Lucy saw you, as a boy, standing beside Your Mother, whose hand was placed on Your shoulder. Sister Lucy heard you say,
“Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother which is covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment with no one to make an act of reparation to pull them out.”
Even recalcitrant boys have great zeal for the honor of their mothers. A public-school teacher recalled how on one occasion the principal of the school became so exasperated with the behavior of a twelve-year-old boy that he called the city police. When the policeman arrived, the boy was not in the least bit intimidated by the officer’s admonition and hurled the most vulgar word in English at the surprised man. However, even hardened boys such as this could be brought to bitter tears. What could cause this? On more than one occasion a completely disconsolate lad was seen sobbing copious tears while fist-fighting with another boy. Previous experience told the teacher that there could only one cause of such anguish. In breaking up one rough and tumble brawl, the aggressor was asked what was the matter to which the boy blurted out, between sobs, “He called my mother a prostitute” (The boy had used to the more vulgar term).”
Nothing cuts a boy to the heart more than his mother being disrespected. It is the nature of a boy to defend his mother. When even boys with behavioral problems and bad habits are so passionate in defending the honor of their mothers, we can well imagine how the Boy Jesus, Who is God in the Flesh will be all the more zealous for the honor of His Mother?
Our Lord is a very good Son. He will not permit that we offend and despise His Blessed Mother.”
Sister Lucy of Fatima, December 26, 1956 in an interview with Fr. Augustin Fuentes
History provides various examples of how you defended the honor of Your Blessed Mother. An especially memorable event involves the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, painted by St. Luke, which is as much a symbol of Poland as Our Lady of Guadalupe is a symbol of Mexico.
In 1430, when the Hussites looted the monastery of Jasna Gora where the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa was venerated one of the raiders slashed at it with sabers.
Having cut twice into the right cheek of Mary, he prepared to strike it for a third time — and fell dead. The other raiders fled for fear of Divine Retribution.
Not everyone who dishonors Our Lady is struck dead on the spot, as was the case with the soldier who slashed Our Lady’s face on her icon, but they do risk the penalty of eternal ruin.
Dear Lord, please help me to understand the response that you expect of all of us who have such great love for Our Lady. This great contradiction of facts is not possible to resolve.
You requested that reparation be made for blasphemies committed against Your Mother’s Immaculate Heart while at the very same time Your putative representative is guilty of the identical offenses which You, Yourself, asked to be repaired. In speaking of the devil, you said that “If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” It is too incredible to consider the prospect of division in the Kingdom of Heaven! How could one imagine that You would request reparation for the same offenses that your “vicar” is guilty of perpetrating? Is it significant that “Pope” Francis dropped the title “Vicar of Christ” from the 2020 Pontifical Yearbook?
O God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.
Sincerely Yours, in Your Mother’s Immaculate Heart,
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Francis is Responsible for Dishonoring Our Lady for Each of the Five Kinds of Offenses that Heaven Requests Reparation for Blasphemies Against Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
On December 10, 1925 Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia at the Convent of the Dorothean Sisters where the Blessed Mother made the announcement of the Five First Saturday Devotion.
“See, my daughter, My Heart surrounded with thorns with which ingrates pierce me at every moment with blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, make sure to console me and announce that all those who for five months, on the first Saturdays, go to confession, receive Communion, say five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for 15 minutes meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making reparation to Me, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls.”
On June 13, 1929, Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia, in Tuy, Spain, telling Sister Lucia: “Souls are so numerous whom the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me that I come to request reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.”
Our Lord explained to Sister Lucia that the Five First Saturday Devotion which has been requested by Heaven to make reparation to the blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart consisted of five Saturdays to correspond to the five types of offenses against the Immaculate Heart.
- The blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
- Blasphemies against her Perpetual virginity
- Blasphemies against the Divine Maternity, refusing at the same time to accept her as the Mother of all mankind
- The blasphemies of those who try publicly to implant in the children’s hearts indifference, contempt, and even hatred against this Immaculate Mother
- Blasphemies of those who insult her directly in her sacred images
1) Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception.
The Immaculate Conception is the Dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary from the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior of Mankind, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.
Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception is the immeasurable privilege which Christ merited on Our Lady’s behalf in preparation for Her greatest honor which is in Her being the God Bearer, The Theotokos, The Mother of God.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe spent his entire life meditating and marveling on Our Lady’s self-disclosure at Lourdes when she said to St. Bernadette, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Leon Bloy the French writer, in contemplating these words, said that it was like a mountain saying, “I am height,” as if to say that Immaculate purity and perfection is constitutive to her created nature.
Saint Francis of Assisi and the Order which he founded were ardent in their dedication, devotion and promulgation of this Truth eight-hundred years before it was declared an official dogma of the Catholic Faith. (Dogmas are not new inventions but rather are clear articulations of what has been believed by Catholics from the Apostolic age.) Every Catholic should understand and appreciate how important this dogma is and how we should be grateful that it has been formally defined by the Church.
It is necessary to understand that Our Lady’s privileges redound to the honor and glory of God. It was necessary that Holy Mary be always Immaculate. How unthinkable and unfitting it would have been for Christ to have been born of a Woman who had ever had the slightest association with sin or imperfection.
“Pope” Francis chose his papal name, ostensibly to illustrate his supposed intention to imitate the virtues of the beloved Saint Francis of Assisi. Though “Pope” Francis frequently calls our attention to the poverty of the Saint of Assisi, he does not imitate the fervor of St. Francis in gaining converts to the Church. We might recall how St. Francis was willing to be martyred in his attempts to convert the Islamic Sultan of Egypt, whereas Bergoglio incredibility teaches that “proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense.”
In particular, “Pope” Francis fails to imitate the love of Saint Francis for the Blessed Virgin Immaculately conceived. The Franciscan Order from its foundation was devoted to promoting the truth of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is important to remember that Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception does not only mean that she was free from Original Sin and from any personal sin from the first moment of her conception but, also, as a consequence of this that she was never subject to the slightest disordered affection or inclination. That is why St. John Damascene correctly noted that There is an infinite difference between the Mother of God and the servants of God. Our Lady was conceived and born full of grace while we were born as slaves to the devil. There is an infinite distance between eternal life and eternal death.
Francis Demonstrates Contempt for Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception
In his Christmas greeting to Employees on December 21, 2018, Francis wrote, “Our Lady and Saint Joseph are full of joy: they look at the Child Jesus and they are happy because, after a thousand worries, they have accepted this gift of God, with so much faith and so much love. They are “overflowing” with holiness and therefore with joy. And you will tell me: of course! They are Our Lady and Saint Joseph! Yes, but let us not think it was easy for them: saints are not born, they become thus, and this is true for them too.
This is the opposite of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The common understanding of the Church is that at the very instant of her Immaculate Conception Our Blessed Mother exceeded in holiness all of the angels and saints combined. She was a saint from the first instant of her life.
Francis insults Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception in hosting a New Age Style extravaganza in place of honoring Her Solemnity
On Our Lady’s great Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2015 Francis had little to say in honor of Our Lady. Instead at St. Peter’s in Rome was an extravagant three-hour long laser light show titled “Fiat Lux” (Let there be light”) which consisted of images of the earth and various creatures projected on the facade of the Basilica. The words “Fiat Lux” are the words from the very beginning of the Bible where God, by His Word, calls creation into existence out of nothingness. The Vatican light show was totally naturalistic and pagan with no reference to the world of grace and certainly no reference to Blessed Mary, Full of Grace.
The event, which claimed to have drawn approximately 1.5 million people to St. Peter’s Square, featured larger-than-life photographs and footage of a variety of animals, wildlife and humans from across the globe. It marked the first-time images have been projected onto the papal basilica. The event was rightly criticized by many for its lack of any Catholic theme, other than for a few vague references such as candles and doves.
At least these digital doves could not be attacked. One can’t help but remember Francis, on Sunday January 29, 2014, in a photo op with two children. Francis released two white “peace doves” from the window of St. Peters only to have them immediately attacked by a sea gull and a crow. Does this say something?
The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception is seen by progressives in the Church to be an obstacle to ecumenical relations with the Protestants including the Orthodox. It would be bad enough to ignore the import of this dogma but to deliberately choose the liturgical observance of the Solemnity to replace it with a neo-pagan extravagance is unforgivable. A tactic of churchmen who reject Truths of the Faith is not so much to preach against them but rather to ignore them as if they do not exist. This was the case in Rome on December 8, 2015. Was it by “chance” that this day was chosen?
2) Blasphemies against her Perpetual Virginity.
The perpetual virginity of Mary is the doctrine that Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, was a virgin ante partum, in partu, et post partum—before, during and after the birth of Christ. The Catechism of the Counsel of Trent teaches that at His birth, Christ passed through Our Lady’s womb like light through a glass and that Our Lady’s body, after the Birth of Christ remained that of a virgin.
On October 8, 2018, LaStampa, the Italian journal, reported words credited to Francis in a new book length interview with Marco Pozza. Francis in speaking of Our Lady is reported to have said,
“I imagine her as a normal girl, a girl of today, open to getting married, to having a family. From the moment she was born until the Annunciation, to the moment she encountered the angel of God, I imagine her as a normal girl, a girl of today, I can’t say she a city-girl, because she is from a small town, but normal, educated normally, open to marrying, to starting a family. One thing I imagine is that she loved the Scriptures: she knew the Scriptures, she had done catechesis in a family environment, from the heart. Then, after the conception of Jesus, she was still a normal woman: Mary is normal, she is a woman that any woman in this world can imitate. No strange things in life, a normal mother: even in her virginal marriage, chaste in that frame of virginity, Mary was normal. She worked, went shopping, helped her Son, helped her husband: normal.”
At the command of Mary all obey, even God.”
– St. Bernadine of Siena
I imagine her as a normal girl.”
– Francis
The name of Mary is the key of the gates of Heaven.”
– St. Ephraem of Edessa
She is from a small town, but normal . . .”
– Francis
The evil done by Eve’s incredulity was remedied by Mary’s faith.”
– St. Irenaeus
After the conception of Jesus she was still a normal woman.”
– Francis
The greatness and dignity of the Virgin are such, that God alone can comprehend it.”
– St. Bernadine of Siena 1444
Mary is normal.”
– Francis
There is an infinite difference between the Mother of God and the servants of God.”
– St. John Damascene
No strange things in life, a normal mother.”
– Francis
No created mind, no created heart, no human force is capable of knowing how much love the Heart of Mary had for Our Lord.”
– St. Jerome
Mary was normal.”
– Francis
She is the dispentarix of the graces that Jesus Christ has merited for us by His Blood and His death.”
– Pope St. Pius X
She worked, went shopping, helped her Son, helped her husband: normal.”
– Francis
Even the secular Breitbart news reported that the Francis interview was “sending shock-waves through the Catholic Church.” The Breitbart report continued to explain the teaching of St. Gregory of Nyssa and of St. Augustine of Hippo that the exchange of words between Our Lady and Saint Gabriel, at the Annunciation, make no sense unless we understand Our Lady having made a promise of virginity. What a strange world we are in living in when Catholic doctrine is clearly explained in a secular journal but not explained by the one generally believed to be the pope.
So here, Francis contradicts the constant truth of the matter by introducing the preposterous notion that Our Lady was open to raising a family. The Bishop of Rome disregards the teaching of the saints that Our Lady had made a vow of virginity from her earliest days so that her intention was never to “raise a family.” When Our Lady told the Angel Gabriel, “How can this be? I do not know man,” The Greek verb which St. Luke used implies an ongoing state. It was only when the Blessed Mother was told that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit that she said, “Let it be done unto me according your word.”
“A Normal Girl”?
The Tradition of the Church based on St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:2–4) is that St. Paul, even before he died, was graced with an experience of the Beatific Vision – the direct vision of God that the Holy Angels and Saints have in Heaven. Saints and mystics are of the opinion that the Blessed Virgin also had such singular graces during the time that she was living on earth. It would only be fitting. Our Lady had no imperfection which have precluded her from the privilege of beholding the vision of God. In either case, there was nothing “normal” about the Blessed Virgin who the Church testifies exceeded in holiness at the instant of Her Conception all of the Holy Angels and Saints combined!
It could be argued that Francis, in repeatedly using the term “normal” could have intended to demonstrate how our lady was approachable and that her splendor was hidden. However, this is a hollow defense because the protestations of Francis completely undermine and bury the fact that the privilege of the Immaculate Conception is such a singular and extraordinary grace that it is impossible to link “normal” with “Immaculate Conception.” In fact, it is an oxymoron – a combination of contradictory or incongruous words.
3) Blasphemies against her Divine Maternity and at the same time the refusal to recognize her as the Mother of all mankind.
The Divine Maternity is the Dogma that the same Person Who is the Son of God the Eternal Father in His Divine nature is also the Child of the Virgin Mary in His human nature. The Child that Holy Mary bore in Her womb is God incarnate. God Who exists from all eternity is born in time.
“She is first of all Mother of the Faithful, of those who believe in her Son and receive through Him the life of grace. But she is also Mother of all men since she united herself to the oblation of her Son Who offered His precious blood for all. This is what has been affirmed by Pope Leo XIII, Benedict XV and Pius XI. (The Mother of the Saviour and Our Interior Life, Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. O.P.)
At the Cross Christ entrusted His Mother to Saint John. “Woman behold thy son,” and to St. John, “Behold thy mother.” Tradition has always understood that the words did not pertain to St. John, alone, but go beyond to all who are regenerated by the Cross.
St. Augustine, as far back as the 4th century called Mary the mold of God because as she formed Christ in her womb, so too she also forms all of the elect mystically in her womb.
One year (nearly to the day) after Francis presented Our Lady as a “normal” woman in the LaStampa interview with Marco Pozza another controversial interview was reported. LifeSite News posted:
“Pope’s favored interviewer claims Francis denies Christ’s divinity.”
“Eugenio Scalfari claims that Pope Francis said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, once he became a man, even if he was a man of exceptional virtue, was not God at all. ‘ ”
Scalfari is the nonagenarian atheist friend and favored journalist of Francis who is reported not to use a tape recorder nor to take notes. However, after such a scandalous report the Vatican was not forthcoming in denying or correcting the report. It would not be surprising if these were the true sentiments of Francis because a denial of Our Lady’s prerogatives most always leads to a denial of the Divinity of Christ. We have seen ample evidence of this many Protestant sects. In any case why didn’t “Pope” Francis climb to the highest proverbial rooftop to shout to the world with all of his strength the Truth that Jesus Christ is Divine? The non-response of Francis defies the imagination. The denial of the divinity of Christ even by many pew sitting Catholics has contributed to the implosion of the church. NOT TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IS TO DENY THE TRUTH.
The alleged position of Francis, as reported by Scalfari is the same as the arch heretic Arius, who denied the divinity of Christ bringing great turmoil to the Church in the 4th Century. Arius died in a horrible manner when his bowels burst open and his intestines and blood and feces poured out. His death recalls the similar fate of Judas Iscariot whose bowels burst asunder after the traitor hanged himself.
Francis does not acknowledge Our Lady as Mother of all Mankind
TFP (Tradition Family Property) posted on October 18, 2020
This October 16, 2020, in a late commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day, the Vatican issued a coin representing a young pregnant woman carrying the world in her womb and having wheat in her hair.
The engraving strongly recalls the representation of both the goddess of fertility and Gaia or Mother Earth. It also unavoidably brings to mind the figure referred to by Pope Francis as Pachamama, the fertility goddess of the Peruvian Indians. Francis shamelessly brought the Pachamama to the Vatican to be venerated and preside over the Amazon Synod in October 2019.
We see, then, that far from regretting his idolatrous worship in the various events at the Vatican, Francis is pertinacious in promoting paganism.
If more evidence of the complete apostasy of the Conciliar Church were necessary, this coin would be decisive.
It is a grave scandal that Francis would promote a pagan goddess who carries the world in her womb thus in effect putting this idol in place of the real Mother of all mankind.
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Why does Francis refuse to honor the Mother of God? It is for the same reason that he refuses to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament? Is it disbelief or a deliberate affront?
4. Blasphemies of those who try publicly to implant in the children’s hearts indifference, contempt, and even hatred against this Immaculate Mother
Although the “children’s hearts” refer to those who are young in chronological age, all of us are children of Our Lady, in the order of grace. From the cross, Our Lord, in saying to St. John, “Behold your Mother,” spoke to us all.
Sometimes indifference can be more damaging than direct hatred or attack. Bishop Sheen was fond of quoting the poem by Studdert Kennedy, “When Jesus Came to Birmingham [England]” in which we read the words,
When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed Him by, They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die; For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain, They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.
Still Jesus cried, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do,” And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched Him through and through; The crowds went home, and left the streets without a soul to see, And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.
Bishop Sheen in his customary dramatic delivery would conclude the poem last line with a deep sigh. “And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.” The poem expressed the horror of indifference, which, according to the poem, was more painful to Christ than the nails and crown of thorns.
We might recall, as well, that in the Prayer of Reparation taught by the Angel of Portugal to the Fatima children where we are taught to ask pardon of the Blessed Trinity for all of the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which Christ is offended in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
The “indifference” of Francis toward Our Lady seems almost purposeful. He chooses particular days and events that are associated with Our Lady to snub her by ignoring her. On Nov. 23, 2017 (weeks after the 100th anniversary observance of the Fatima Apparitions) the Vatican’s Philatelic and Numismatic Office released a postage stamp featuring Martin Luther, the Father of the Protestant revolt, and one of his closest collaborators, Philip Melanchthon, who with Luther was one of the founders of Lutheranism. In the image, Luther holds a Bible, and Melanchthon holds a copy of the Augsburg Confession, the primary confession of faith for the Lutheran church. The two men are depicted kneeling in front of Jesus on the cross.
Francis “Cancels” the Blessed Mother
The design of this stamp is truly malicious. In Catholic art, when figures are depicted at the Foot of the Cross Our Lady is always included – often with St. John or Our Lady is shown with St. John and Mary Magdalen. The Vatican chose to commemorate, on a Vatican stamp, the very man that caused incalculable damage by destroying Christendom and leading to many subsequent errors and atrocities in society. The stamp was in observance of the 500th anniversary of the so-called Protestant Reformation.
Why is the Blessed Mother “cancelled” from the scene and replaced with two arch heretics? This seems less like indifference than it does contempt.
Francis ridicules the notion of Our Lady as co-redemptrix
VATICAN CITY, March 25, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis has launched yet another attack on Our Lady, as he used his weekly general audience to undermine Catholic teaching on her Divine Motherhood, as well as the understanding of her role as Co-Redemptrix, suggesting that such a title was the fruit of exaggerations.
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Before the Second Vatican Council there was a great movement in the Catholic Church toward the official definition of Our Lady’s co-redemption being solemnly defined as a dogma. The exaggerated ecumenism of the Council derailed these expectations. Many saints and popes even until and including Pope John Paul II used the term which in no way denies that Christ is the sole mediator between God and Man but rather affirms that Our Lady cooperated with Christ in a unique and singular way. After all Our Lord willed to bring about the Redemption through the help of His Mother who provided Him with the Body that He offered in sacrifice. God made the Incarnation dependent upon Our Lady’s consent. The “YES” of Our Lady was a necessity if the Incarnation was to occur.
Francis, again, goes out of his way to deny Our Lady the honor of a title that has been used on her behalf for generations. Our Lady’s marvelous cooperation with the Passion of Christ is exemplified in her standing at the Foot of the Cross. In the Vatican stamp, referred to above, Our Lady is removed from the foot of the Cross and replaced with the image of a heretic.
5. Blasphemies of those who insult her directly in her sacred images.
On October 4, 2019, Pope Francis blessed the controversial pagan “Pachamama” statue in the Vatican gardens, as a special prelude to the opening of the Amazon Synod. Numerous bishops, cardinals and theologians condemned the ceremony.
Defenders of the event, in a frantic attempt to mitigate the scandal of idols being venerated in the Vatican Gardens, grasped for justifications and even, initially, claimed that the two Pachamama images (above) represented the event of the Visitation of the Blessed Mother to her cousin Elizabeth as reported in St. Luke’s Gospel.
However, in short order apologies or justifications were no longer required. An organization belonging to the Franciscan Order depicted Our Lady and a Pachamama idol together in a Christmas portrait! When being called out for it by conservative Catholics who consider the Pachamama to be idolatrous, the Franciscans vigorously defended it. In Rome, when a zealous Catholic man threw the Pachamama idols into the Tiber River, Francis apologized. He did not apologize to Jesus Christ, nor to the Mother of God, nor to Catholics but he “asked forgiveness from those who have been offended by this gesture”.
The Blasphemy Spreads Throughout the World
It is not uncommon to see a monstrance in which the Sacred Host is enclosed in an image of Our Lady. This illustrates that Our Lady carried the same Jesus Christ in her womb that is adored in the Most Blessed Sacrament. To replace an image of Our Lady with a pagan idol is the kind of offense that would think would merit fire falling from heaven as a punishment.
Tota pulchra es, Maria et macula originalis non est in te.
You are all beautiful, Mary, there is no stain of Original Sin in you.
The beauty of the Blessed Virgin is unsurpassable and for this reason it is only correct that she always be depicted in the most honorable and stately manner worthy of her high status. Bad religious art had caused much damage to the faith. Much has been written about this. It goes beyond imaginings why Francis created a situation which allowed for his defenders to claim that an impure pagan idol was a representation of the All Pure and Holy Virgin Mary.
Our Lady is attacked by crass depictions of her in Vatican Nativity Scenes
Observers have commented on the large, manly hands depicted on Our Lady in the 2017 Vatican Christmas Nativity display (above). Notice, too, how our lady is represented with a heavy frame.
The story (below in bold text) was posted by Forbes on Line, December 20, 2020 by Suzanne Rowan Kelleher.
The Vatican’s nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square is always one of Rome’s biggest tourist attractions. But in keeping with the worst trends of 2020, this year’s nativity scene is being mocked, belittled and roundly panned.
The primary sin, it appears, is that the scene features an astronaut.
“The Christmas presepio in St. Peter’s Square contains 20 modernistic ceramic objects, including the main figures in the story of the Nativity but with toy-like faces alongside the presence of an astronaut and a morbid, satanic-looking executioner — but no manger,” complained the National Catholic Register.
“Vatican ‘Darth Vader’ nativity scene gets earthly thumbs down,” dismissed Reuters. “It is absolutely terrifying,” tweeted Tim Stanley, a contributor to the Daily Telegraph and Catholic Herald.“
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What a tragedy it is to use such an opportunity – when large numbers of tourists and pilgrims come to Rome. Instead of providing a Nativity that builds up faith, one was displayed that seems to be a mockery.
One of the most famous paintings by an American artist, is popularly referred to as Whistler’s Mother . The story is told that the artist, James McNeill Whistler was asked why he had spent so much time on the painting to which he replied, “You can never spend too much time painting your Mum.” Wouldn’t any loving son want to depict his mother in the best possible light? You cannot defend Francis by saying that he, personally, had nothing to do with the Nativity displays. St. Bernard (“Of Mary you can never say too much.”), St. Maximilian Kolbe or Saint Louis de Montford would have been sure to supervise such an important project. They would have personally overseen the display to be sure that it was worthy of its subject.
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Yet, an Additional Blasphemy Against Our Lady.
Frances Accuses Our Lady of Railing against God.
In a homily delivered on December 20, 2013 Francis said:
Our Lady was human! And perhaps she even had the desire to say: ‘Lies! I was deceived!’ John Paul II would say this, speaking about Our Lady in that moment. [HE DID NOT.] But she, with her silence, hid the mystery that she did not understand and with this silence allowed for this mystery to grow and blossom in hope.”
The idea that the Blessed Mother might possibly have desired to accuse God of a lie—making God a liar—is utterly contrary to Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, Marian piety and Catholic theology.
Even apart from the egregious error regarding Mary, there is another error by Pope Francis, regarding Pope John Paul II, whom he alleges—falsely—to have said the same thing about the Mother of God:
The Actual Words of Pope John Paul II:
“And now, standing at the foot of the Cross, Mary is the witness of the complete negation of these words. On that wood of the Cross her Son hangs in agony as one condemned…How great, how heroic then is the obedience of faith shown by Mary in the face of God’s “unsearchable judgments”! How completely she “abandons herself to God” without reserve, offering the full assent of the intellect and the will” to him whose “ways are inscrutable” And how powerful too is the action of grace in her soul, how all-pervading is the influence of the Holy Spirit and of his light and power! Through this faith Mary is perfectly united with Christ in his self- emptying. At the foot of the Cross Mary shares through faith in the shocking mystery of this self-emptying.” (Redemptoris Mater, 18)
In fact, it is readily apparent that Pope John Paul wrote just the opposite of Pope Francis, namely, that Mary had a heroic obedience of faith, not the deep-down doubt suggested by Pope Francis. (The Remnant on line, January 2, 2014)
Conclusion: The Elephant in the Room
It is shocking to liberal sensibilities to accept that affronting Our Lady in any of the five ways explained by Christ to Sister Lucia is alone sufficient matter for a soul to be damned! Yet, that is exactly what Our Lady told Sister Lucia in 1929, in Tuy, Spain: “Souls are so numerous whom the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me that I come to request reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.” Our Lady affirmed with sadness that many souls are lost because of their scorn and blasphemies toward Her and yet she is attempting to rescue them by asking sacrifices on their behalf.
It is easy to believe that the account of this request, by Sister Lucy, is credible. Her reliability as a witness was proven by the Miracle of the Sun, which she predicted three months in advance, as to the exact day, time and place: the only time in the history of the world that a miracle has been predicted. The great miracle occurred and was witnessed by 70,000 people on October 13, 1917. Even the anti-clerical, masonic press who had been in attendance to mock what they maintained would be a nonevent reported accurately on the miracle in the Lisbon newspapers.
We also recall how Sister Lucia and her two cousins were willing to die rather than to lie when they were threatened to be boiled in oil by the administrator of the town of Ourém.
So, here we have the proverbial Elephant in the room. The prospect of a soul being eternally lost for blasphemies against Our Lady is not in conformity with today’s post conciliar mindset which would have us believe that nothing is necessary to be saved because God will accept us exactly as we are – even to the point of blaspheming His Mother.
ADDENDUM
On July 16, 2021 Francis chose the liturgical observance of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to supress the Traditional Latin Mass with his Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes.