Catholic Knights: Retreat to Hell, or Advance to Heaven

By Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

Imagine the Knights Templar. The Templars asked Saint Bernard to write their Rule and he did. One of the principles he laid down was: never retreat in battle, under pain of mortal sin. Never retreat, in other words, not even a strategic retreat, nothing of the sort. No retreat and that’s the end of it.

And since a Templar does not retreat, he is placed in this situation: If he retreats, he commits a mortal sin, but the battle continues and death comes after him anyway. And if he fails to make an act of perfect contrition, he goes to hell.

Now, none of us can be sure he made an act of perfect contrition, as it is very difficult to make; so the knight either retreats and goes to hell or advances and gains heaven.

I can see from your reaction that you perceive how extreme this is! It is to go to the ultimate consequences, to the greatest danger, the most difficult situation and say: Here I stake my lance! For God and for the Virgin I will fight! This is the spirit of a knight.

Therefore, in the final analysis, it is the spirit of faith taken to its last consequences especially regarding the sublime, the good order of things, the dignity of things, seriousness and combativeness.

(Excerpt from a Chá of Tuesday, October 3, 1989.)

(Nobility.org translation.)

Why we don’t celebrate Halloween

Halloween, celebrated in various Western countries, and with particular emphasis in America, originated with the Christian feast of All Saints, or All Halos. The old English expression, All Hallows’ Eve, eventually evolved into Halloween.

The feast of All Saints is an ancient feast in the Catholic Church dating back to the time of the first martyrs of the Roman Empire. The first Christians greatly venerated those who, refusing to offer incense to the pagan deities of the time, heroically upheld their belief in Christ to the point of shedding their blood.

As martyrdoms increased, local dioceses established a common feast day ensuring that all martyrs were properly honored. Pope Gregory III who reigned from 731 to 741 instituted the present feast of All Saints on November I, and consecrated a chapel in honor of all martyrs in St. Peter’s Basilica.

At first the feast of All Saints was celebrated locally but Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration to the whole church. The feast also honors all those canonized saints who did not shed blood for their Faith, and all holy souls who died in the Lord–in short, all saints known and unknown.

Hallow’s Eve or the vigil of the feast of All Saints is as ancient as the feast of All Saints, and contrary to what some believe, did not have pagan origins.

Hallow’s Eve high-jacked

Nevertheless, the feast has, undoubtedly, been paganized and demonized. Halloween, as we know it today, increasingly promotes “horns” over “halos".

Not only have harvest pumpkins and Casper ghosts evolved into ghastly ghouls, but the demonic is no longer even masked. Driving down St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans a few days ago, I was taken aback by the horrific displays on the front lawns of the beautiful mansions. One house had a ten foot luciferian demon complete with glaring eyes, menacing claws, fangs and horns blocking the path up to the front door. Flanking this central demon were two others just as huge and hideous.

I’m always reminded of a program on TV years ago in which a practicing witch was interviewed. She said that if people only knew what sort of spirits they attract with such displays, they would not put them up.

Reclaiming the “Halos”

On the other hand, a new practice is slowly rising, true to the original celebration of All Hollows’ Eve.

Church groups and groups of parents promote “saints parties” in which the children dress as saints and put on skits and games such as “guess which saint I am”. The children either read or relate a short bio of the saint they represent, and a prize goes to the one who first guesses the saint’s name.

The town of Loretto, PA puts on a yearly Candlelight Saints Tour that is a must see. This year, for two days on October 25 and 26, starting at 6PM, visitors were treated to several skits representing the lives of the saints at several stations throughout the grounds of the historic Basilica of St. Michael.

Marie Kopp, a resident of the area who represented St. Maryanne Cope a newly canonized Australian saint, said the tours last about an hour and a half each and go until 11:30pm. Among the saints represented this year were St. Isaac Jogues, St. Frances Cabrini, St. Catherine Drexel, and St. Elizabeth Seton.

“I grew up going to saints parties,” said Marie, “we played games, rode hay-rides, collected candy and had as much fun as in any other Halloween party.”

A growing movement, saints’ parties, parades and candlelight tours aim to celebrate light over darkness and to reclaim the halo in Halloween.

---

References: Catholic Encyclopedia Online, Catholic Online, Marie Kopp, Loretto, PA

November 1 - All Saints Day: How many saints were noble?

All Saint’s Day: Is Being Noble and Leading a Noble’s Life Incompatible with Sanctity?

The current misunderstanding of nobility and the analogous traditional elites results largely from the adroit but biased propaganda spread against them by the French Revolution. Such propaganda, continuously disseminated throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by ideological and political currents spawned by the French Revolution, has been challenged by serious historiography with growing efficacy. This propaganda, however, still clings to life in certain sectors of opinion. It is relevant, therefore, to say something about this.

According to the revolutionaries of 1789, the nobility was essentially constituted of pleasure seekers. Holding honorific and economic privileges, the nobles allegedly lived extravagantly off the merit and credit acquired by distant ancestors. This allowed them the luxury of enjoying earthly life, especially the delights of idleness and voluptuousness. This class of pleasure seekers was also highly burdensome to the nation and harmful to the poorer classes, which were hard-working, temperate, and beneficial to the common good. According to d’Argenson, “La Cour était le tombeau de la nation” (the Court was the nation’s tomb).

This led to the notion that the life of a noble, with the station and wealth that normally accompany it, induces a moral negligence that sharply contrasts with Christian asceticism. This perception contains some measure of truth. The first signs of the terrible moral crisis of our day were already visible among the nobility and the analogous elites of the late eighteenth century. It is necessary, however, to stress that this perception is much more false than true and is harmful to the good reputation of the noble class.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard has noted that “the Church annals show that a large number of saints, and the most illustrious ones, had a blazon, a name, an illustrious family; some were even of royal blood”

Many aspects of the Church’s history prove this, including the fact that she has raised a great number of nobles to the honors of the altar. She thus affirms that they followed the Commandments and the evangelical counsels to a heroic degree.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard has noted that “the Church annals show that a large number of saints, and the most illustrious ones, had a blazon, a name, an illustrious family; some were even of royal blood” (1). While several of these saints abandoned the world to more securely attain heroic virtue, others, such as the kings Saint Louis of France and Saint Ferdinand of Castile, remained amid the splendor of their lofty noble stations and therein attained heroic virtue.

To complete the refutation of this perception, which seeks to degrade the nobility, its customs and lifestyles, we thought it advisable to enquire about the proportion of nobles who were canonized by the Church.

A specific study on this subject could not be found. Some investigators have broached the subject without undertaking specific and exhaustive research. They based their calculations on registers that they themselves present as incomplete. University of Rouen professor André Vauchez published a study, La Sainteté en l’Occident aux Dernieres Siècles du Moyen Age (2), based on the processes of canonization and on medieval hagiographic documents, that merits particular attention. He analyzes the investigations de vita, miraculis et fama ordered by popes between 1198 and 1431. Of a total of 71 investigations, 35 concluded that the persons examined deserved to be elevated to the honors of the altar, which the Church did in the Middle Ages.(3)

The statistics furnished by Vauchez follow:

Processes of canonization ordered between 1198 and 1431

(71 cases)

Nobles                                  62.0%

Middle Class                       15.5%

People                                    8.4%

Social origin unknown       14.1%

Saints canonized by Popes of the Middle Ages (35 cases)

Nobles                                     60.0%

Middle Class                          17.1%

People                                       8.6%

Social origin unknown          14.3%

Even if very interesting, this data does not offer a complete picture, since it relates to a very small number of people and to a relatively short period. An investigation encompassing a larger number of people over a longer period was necessary—not that it would exhaust the subject. Nevertheless, some weighty difficulties arose.

Some of the Noble Saints Canonized between 1198 and 1431; Top, L to R: St. Robert of Molesme, St. Dominic de Guzmán, St. Lawrence O’Toole. Bottom Row: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Elisabeth of Hungary & St. Hugh of Lincoln

First, there is no official list of the saints venerated in the Catholic Church. This is explicable and is related to the very history of the Church and the gradual perfecting of Her institutions. The veneration of saints had its start in the Catholic Church with the homage paid to the martyrs. Local communities honored some of their members who were victims of persecutions. Of the thousands of those who shed their blood in testimony of the Faith in the first centuries of the Church, only a few hundred names have come down to us. We know them through the acts of the Roman tribunals, which transcribed the oral processes, and through reports made by eye-witnesses of the martyrdoms. Many records of the martyrs were simply lacking. Of those that had existed—whose reading inflamed the souls of the first Christians and gave them the strength to bear new tribulations—many were destroyed during the persecutions, especially that of Diocletian.(4) Thus it is impossible to know all the martyrs venerated by the faithful in the first centuries.

During the persecution of the early martyrs, one of the delights of Nero was to make the Christians into human torches, so his garden would be lit up at night.

After the persecutions, and for a long time, saints were venerated by restricted groups of faithful without prior investigation and pronouncement of an ecclesiastical authority. As the authority’s participation in the organization of the Catholic communities grew, its role in deciding who should receive veneration also grew. The bishops began to sanction this or that cultus, and often ratified it at the request of the faithful. They even made the exhumation and translation of a new saint’s relics.

Only at the end of the first millennium did the popes begin to intervene occasionally in the official recognition of a saint. As the Roman Pontiff’s power was affirmed and the contacts with Rome became more frequent, the bishops began to solicit the pope’s sanction of these cults. This occurred for the first time in 993. Between 993 and 1234 many bishops continued to translate relics and to confirm cults according to the ancient customs. Later, recourse to the Holy See was made compulsory by the 1234 Decretals, and the right of canonization was reserved to the Pontiff. From 1234 on, the processes for determining the veneration of a saint were gradually perfected.

Translation of the relics of St. Elizabeth of Hungary with Emperor Frederick II and his Court.

From the end of the thirteenth century, the pontifical decisions were based on a prior investigation carried out by a college of three cardinals especially entrusted with this task. This remained the case until 1588, when the causes were confided to the Congregation of Rites, established the previous year by Pope Sixtus V. In the seventeenth century this development reached its term. In 1634, Urban VIII’s briefCoelestis Jerusalem cives established the standards for canonization, which remain essentially the same to our day. The Constitutions of Urban VIII established the confirmation of cult, or equipollent canonization, for those servants of God whose public veneration had been tolerated after the pontificate of Alexander III (1159-1181). An equipollent canonization is a “decision by which the Sovereign Pontiff orders that a servant of God who is found in public venerations from time immemorial be honored in the Universal Church even though a regular process has not been introduced.”(5) This procedure was valid also for similar cases occurring after the Constitutions of Urban VIII.

From 993 on (the date of the first papal canonization) it is possible to establish a list of saints designated by the Holy See. This list, however, is still not complete. Documents of extensive periods are missing. Furthermore, the list does not contain all the saints, for between 993 and 1234, as noted, the bishops continued to ratify cultus. For this reason, many individuals were objects of public veneration independently of Rome’s intervention, which was often—but not always—requested only some centuries later.

Only with the beginning of the sixteenth century can one be certain that the list of saints and blessed (a distinction established by the legislation of Urban VIII) is complete.(6)

Photo of the Canonization of St. Joan of Arc on May 16, 1920.

Apart from the difficulty in compiling a complete list of the saints, there is the problem of determining who among them belonged to the nobility. The certainty of a person’s noble origin is not always easy to establish. On the one hand, the concept of nobility developed progressively and organically, conditioned by local characteristics. On the other hand, it is sometimes difficult to determine with precision the ancestry of a person, and thus to determine the social origin of a saint.

Having these difficulties in mind, we had to choose the most complete and trustworthy sources possible in order to determine the approximate number of nobles among the saints. The Index ac Status Causorum (7) was chosen because it is an “extraordinary and most ample edition” made to commemorate the fourth centennial of the Congregation and “contains all the causes that came before the Congregation from 1588 to 1988, even the rather ancient ones preserved in the Vatican’s Secret Archives.”

Top row, L to R: St. Joan of Arc, St. Nuno Álvares Pereira, St. Katherine Drexel. Bottom Row: St. Jadwiga of Poland, St. Norbert of Xanten & St. Ivo of Kermartin (also called St. Yves).

The work includes several appendices of which three are of special interest to this study. The first contains confirmations of veneration, some names of the blessed that were added, and those that were removed but later included in the catalogue of the saints. This appendix is based on the Index ac Status Causorum written by Father Beaudoin in 1975. The second appendix enumerates only those beatified since the institution of the Sacred Congregation of Rites but still not canonized. Lastly, the third appendix enumerates the saints whose causes were considered by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, including the cases of equipollent canonization.

St Elizabeth Ann Seton, the 5th American Saint.

With this list of names in hand, we consulted the respective biographies in theBibliotheca Sanctorum (8) to discover which saints were nobles. This work, supervised by Pietro Cardinal Palazzini, former prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, is considered the most complete catalogue of persons who have received veneration since the beginning of the Church.

The Bibliotheca Sanctorum does not focus its principal attention on the social origin of the listed persons, but rather on the problems related to their veneration. Thus, it is frequently impossible to know who was noble. To follow a strict criterion, we counted as nobles only those whom the work identifies as nobles or descendants thereof. Those whom the text merely depicts as belonging to “important,” “known,” “old,” “powerful,” or similarly-designated families were not included. In order to avoid doubtful cases, we further excluded persons who noble origin could reasonably be presumed or even established with certainty through sources other than the Bibliotheca Sanctorum.

Photograph of St. Théodore Guérin, the eighth American Saint

For yet greater precision, it also seemed convenient to distinguish the following categories, in accord with the Index ac Status Causorum:

• Saints canonized after a regular process;
• Those beatified after a regular process;
• Those whose venerability was confirmed;
• Servants of God whose processes of beatification are under way.

In the percentages presented in the table which follows, care was taken to discriminate, in each category, between those who were the object of an individual investigation and those who were part of a group, such as, for example, the Japanese, English, and Vietnamese martyrs.(9)

Cruxifixion of 26 Catholics in Nagasaki, Japan on February 5, 1597.

To correctly asses the appreciable percentage of nobles in these various categories, we must consider the percentage of nobles in relation to their respective country’s population. We limit ourselves to two quite diverse and significant examples. According the renowned Austrian historian J. B. Weiss, who drew on Taine’s data, the nobility in France before the French Revolution comprised less than 1.5% of the population.(10) In his treatise on universal geography, La Terra,(11) G. Marinelli furnishes statistics on the nobility in Russia, basing himself on the work of Peschel-Krümel, Das Russische Reich (Leipzig, 1880). According to Marinelli, the sum of the hereditary nobility and personal nobility did not exceed 1.15% of the population. He also states that Rèclus, in 1879, and van Lëhen, in 1881, presented similar statistics, both arriving at the figure of 1.3%. Obviously these percentages varied slightly depending on time and place, but the variations are not significant.

CANONIZATIONS
Total Number of persons
Number of Nobles
%

Individual Processes
         184
             40
             21.7

Collective Processes
         364
             12
               3.3

Total
         548
             52
               9.5

BEATIFICATIONS

Individual Processes
         182
             22
              12.1

Collective Processes
       1074
             46
                4.3

Total
       1256
             68
                5.4

CONFIRMATIONS

OF CULTUS

Individual Processes
         336
            107
              31.8

Collective Processes
       1087
             10
                0.9

Total
       1423
            117
                8.2

BEATIFICATION

PROCESSES UNDERWAY

Individual Processes
       1331
            149
              11.2

Collective Processes
       2671
              13
                0.5

Total
       4002
            162
                4.0

The data presented above shows that in each of the categories (canonizations, beatifications, confirmations of cultus, and beatification processes underway) the percentage of nobles is considerably greater than in the total population of the country.(12) This contradicts the revolutionary calumnies about the supposed incompatibility between practicing virtue and being and living as a noble.

Footnotes:

(1) Mois de Saint Joseph, p. 62.

(2) André Vauchez, La Sainteté en l’Occident aux Derniers Siècles du Moyen Age(Rome: Ecole Française de Rome, Palais Farnese, 1981), 765 pp.

(3) Several others were canonized later.

(4) Cf. Daniel Ruiz Bueno, Actas de los Martires (Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1951).

(5) T. Ortolan, “Canonisation,” in Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique (Paris: Letouzey et Ané, 1923), Vol. 2, part 2, col. 1636.

(6) Cf. André Vauchez, La Sainteté en l’Occident; John F. Broderick, S.J., “A Census of the Saints (993-1955),” The American Ecclesiastical Review, August 1956; Pierre Delooz, Sociologie et Canonisations (La Haye: Martinus Nijhoff, 1969); Ruiz Bueno, Actas de los Martires; Archives de Sociologie des Religions, published by the Group of Sociology of the Religions (Paris: Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, January-June 1962).

(7) Città del Vaticano: Congregatio pro Causis Sanctorum, 1988, 556 pp.

(8) John XIII Institute of the Pontifical Lateran University, 12 vols., 1960-1970; Appendix, 1987.

(9) The Index ac Status Causarum does not have the precise number of persons considered in some of these group processes, thus making it impossible to give an exact number. Our figures are, therefore, approximate.

(10) Weiss, Historia Universal, Vol. 15, p. 212.

(11) G. Marinelli, La Terra—Trattato popolare di Geografia Universale (Milan: Casa Editrice Francesco Vallardi), 7 vols.

(12) We notice, in the several categories, an appreciable difference between the percentage of nobles in the individual processes of beatification and in the collective processes. This can be explained by two main reasons. In many cases, the Biblioteca Sanctorum only mentions the names without furnishing the biographical data that would permit one to know if they were nobles or not. Also, most of the collective processes refer to groups of martyrs. Persecutions are usually directed against the whole Catholic population, regardless of social class. Thus, it is to be expected that among the martyrs the proportion of nobles would be similar to that within the population.

Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, Nobility and Analogous Traditional Elites in the Allocutions of Pius XII: A Theme Illuminating American Social History (York, Penn.: The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property, 1993), Documents XII, pp. 519-523.

This Is The Loving Hand of Divine Providence

by Norman Fulkerson

It is not uncommon for people, beset by problems that appear to have no human solution, to beseech God for help. Those who do so often perceive His loving hand providing for their needs. This is where the concept ofDivine Providence comes from.

This is but one example of the contrast between our secularist society which relies solely on human efforts and anorganic society, described so well in the book Return to Order, that recognizes and rejoices in God’s help.

We saw such a secularist humanist mindset during the April 15 Boston bombing. Of all the disturbing details, one fact went largely unreported. The severely maimed and dying victims of the terrorists were callously denied the consolation of the sacraments because Catholic priests were not allowed to approach. Two priests from nearby Saint Clement’s actually heard the explosion and gathered sacramental oils for anointing the sick but were not permitted to use them.^[1]

This makes the story of Katie Lentz, a 19-year-old college student, who was nearly killed in a car accident all the more interesting. Human help had utterly failed as she lay trapped inside her mangled Mercedes on a lonely back road in Missouri.

Those at the crash scene — and anyone who has heard her story — clearly saw the hand of God come to her assistance in the form of a mysterious man who was quickly dubbed the “angel priest.” He showed up out of nowhere to comfort the dying girl and then just as quickly disappeared.

Trapped in a Mangled Mercedes
Katie Lentz had just left her parent’s home in Quincy, Illinois on the morning of Sunday August 4^[2] and was on her way to Jefferson City, Missouri where she was working as an intern.
Near the town of Center, Missouri on a stretch of secluded highway, a driver coming in the opposite direction crossed the center lane and struck her head-on.

The force of impact crushed Katie’s vehicle and left it lying on its side. Police arrived and set up a roadblock for two miles in both directions. Seeing the seriousness of the situation a helicopter was brought in to evacuate the girl to a nearby hospital.
New London, Missouri Fire Chief Raymond Reed describes how they worked in vain for over forty-five minutes to extricate the young lady. Their tools were simply unable to cut through the multiple layers of twisted metal. An already impossible situation quickly appeared hopeless when a member of the helicopter evacuation team approached Mr. Reed with disturbing news. Although Katie continued to talk during the entire ordeal, her vital signs were fading quickly and if she did not get immediate medical attention she might not pull through.

“Her condition looked grim for her coming out of that vehicle alive,” they informed Mr. Reed. “She was facing major problems.”^[3]

They decided to take a “life-threatening chance” to save the girl by turning the vehicle upright. Such a move was considered dangerous because the sudden change of pressure could kill a person in her condition. They were clearly out of options, but Katie was not and that’s when things got really interesting.

“Pray with Me, Out Loud”
Perhaps seeing the hopelessness of her situation, Katie asked someone to do that which is forbidden in our public school system: “Pray with me, out loud.” To the surprise of everyone in the immediate area, a lone voice responded, “I will.” Those at the scene were shocked when they turned around and saw a Catholic priest who just happened to have the necessary oils for the anointing of the sick.

His presence was odd for many reasons. First of all, the road had been blocked in both directions and absolutely no one was allowed to approach the scene. As they scanned the miles of crop fields that surrounded them, they could not help ask the logical question: “How did he get here?” Secondly, there was only one church in the nearby town and everyone knew the priest and the man standing before them was not he. Lastly, a question they perhaps did not raise but could cross the reader’s mind; how could such a priest, wandering the back roads of Missouri, know to carry the necessary elements to anoint the sick if he had no foreknowledge that he would happen upon the scene of someone in need of such a sacrament?

Our Lady protects the navigators through their   
long and often perilous voyages.  

When the mysterious priest expressed his desire to anoint the girl, Ralls County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Adair didn’t think it was a good idea. He thought it might send a negative message to the girl that they had given up hope of saving her.^[4]

The priest, who was described as being 6 feet tall and “silver-haired” said, “I just want to anoint her.” It was a request they could not refuse. “So we just let him come up to the scene,”^[5] Sheriff Adair explained.

A Message Full of Confidence and Hope
“Reed and the other emergency workers were on their knees,” as the priest, “stood above them.”^[6] He then approached the girl and after anointing and praying with Katie, Mr. Reed clearly recalled “a sense of calmness came over her, and it did us as well.”^[7] Another firefighter who had witnessed the scene describes, perhaps inaccurately, how the priest sprinkled Reed and two other emergency workers with the oil also. It was more likely Holy Water which has an exorcistic effect and is commonly used by Catholic priests and the laity to drive away devils and attracts angels.

It was then that Mr. Reed distinctly recalls hearing a soothing voice that transmitted a message full of confidence and hope.

“I can’t be for certain how it was said”, explained Mr. Reed with a puzzled look, “but myself and another firefighter, we very plainly heard that we should remain calm, that our tools would now work and that we would get her out of that vehicle.”^[8] Everything began to happen quickly after that.

Twenty crew members pulled together and sat the car upright and, much to the relief of paramedics, Katie’s vital signs actually improved. Moments later, another emergency crew arrived from Hannibal, Missouri with the necessary tools to free the girl. It was only after Katie had been placed in the helicopter and flown out of harm’s way that the emergency workers turned to thank the priest for his help and discovered, much to their dismay, he was nowhere to be found. Over seventy photos were taken at the crash site and he appears in none.

Was it an Angel or a Priest?
While the major print media have largely ignored this story, it would continue to send spine-tingling shock waves throughout the blogosphere and leave many, who are spiritually suffocating in our secularist word, grappling with one single question: Was it an angel of God or just a priest who acted like an angel?

This question caused no small amount of a marvelous sense of wonder in many and utter disdain in a few. At the center of these opposing reactions is the belief, or lack of, in angels, and the watchful hand of Divine Providence that is capable of solving problems that reach far beyond human providence.
Angels do exist and no amount of ridicule on the part of skeptics will change that fact. They were created by a loving and unselfish God to govern the Universe. The most striking example of this was the Angel Raphael, who appeared as a marvelous young man in the Old Testament to solve the problems of Tobias.^[9]

Their assistance towards men in need has also been seen in our own days as in the case of a young Marine during the Korean War, who always had a strong devotion to Saint Michael. During a firefight he was wounded and lay dying on a battlefield but was saved by a mysterious man in his unit that neither he nor anyone else had ever met. That fellow Marine simply identified himself as Michael.^[10]

Those with Faith can always find help in the loving hand of Divine Providence.

The Mystery of the Soothing Voice
Such stories cannot help but enchant those who truly believe in angels. They also help to strengthen our Faith in God and belief in the supernatural. It is for this reason that some are disappointed that we now know the identity of the mysterious “angel priest” and find he was actually clothed in flesh and blood.

Fr. Patrick Dowling is the parish priest at a church in Jefferson City, Missouri. While he may not be quite six feet tall, he does have silver hair. It turns out that he had just said Mass for a fellow priest in Ewing, Missouri who was sick. He just happened to be driving back to his home parish, in Jefferson City when his path crossed that of Katie Lentz who had, just moments before, suffered what could have been a life-ending-accident.

His version of the events which took place at the scene of the accident matches the details swirling around the Internet. However, he very candidly admits being unable to explain “other mysterious events that coincided with his ministering at the accident scene.” He was alluding to the soothing voice which Mr. Reed admits not knowing from where it came.

“I did not say anything like the machinery would begin to work,” he said, “or they would succeed in getting [Katie] out of the car. That did not come from my lips, though two people heard it.”^[11]
No, he was not an angel but the inexplicable and fortuitous turn of events in the case of Katie Lentz were clearly the work of Someone more powerful than the human tools. This is a story which brings a refreshing ray of supernatural sunshine in our secularist, socialist world that dares to think man is indomitable and can solve all our problems. When all else fails, those with Faith, can always find help in the loving hand of Divine Providence.

1.

“Faith at the Finish Line in Boston,” by Jennifer Grahamhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323335404578444984225461250.html ^↑

2.

August 4 is the feast of the Curé d’Ars, the patron saint of parish priests who was known for his special solicitude for his parishoners. ^↑

3.

http://therightscoop.com/nothing-short-of-a-miracle-mysterious-angelpriest-performs-miracle-at-site-of-mercedes-crash/ ^↑

4.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/08/10/small-town-searching-for-identity-mysterious-angel-priest-who-appeared-at-crash/ ^↑

5.

IBID ^↑

6.

http://therightscoop.com/nothing-short-of-a-miracle-mysterious-angelpriest-performs-miracle-at-site-of-mercedes-crash/ ^↑

7.

http://www.webpronews.com/angel-priest-in-missouri-car-crash-2013-08 ^↑

8.

IBID ^↑

9.

See Book of Tobias. ^↑

10.

http://www.tfp.org/tfp-home/articles/incredible-miracle-us-marine-saved-by-saint-michael.html ^↑

11.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/mystery-priest-in-missouri-rescue-revealed/#ixzz2bsGpxgK0 ^↑

Satanism in America

by Rex Teodosio

This article-report is based on studies by the author as well as an interview with ex-Satanist Zachary King. It is meant to raise awareness regarding the growing popularity of the occult and Satanism in America, its threat to our children and how society is being transformed to be more accepting of the devil.

Few Americans took notice that in the last U.S. census of 2010, witchcraft had become the fourth largest religion in the United States. As shocking as that may be, Satanism has become just as popular. So says Zachary King, one of the most renowned former Satanists who converted to the Catholic Church, in an interview he gave to Crusade Magazine.

Does the Devil Exist?
When we speak of the occult and Satanism, many readers may have the impression that we are talking about the fabled bogeyman. The bogeyman is in everyone’s nightmares, but it doesn’t really exist. According to a Gallup poll in 2003, only 70% of Catholics believe in the existence of the devil, which is only 2% higher than the average American.^[1]

Most Catholics do believe that the devil exists, but is largely absent from their lives. Or perhaps, for our peace of mind, we would like to think he is only distantly involved. Some would rather not talk about it. After all, one of the maxims of the American way of life is “Live and let live.” Let the devil be and hopefully, with a wing but no prayer, he will leave us be.

In a four-hour interview with former Satanist Zachary King, a lot was revealed about the activities and growing popularity of Satanism in America. The interview also showed that children are at a high risk of getting involved in the occult and how much the world is becoming more accepting of the devil. Far from sleeping, the devil has been awake and quite active.

Zachary King, a former Satanist high wizard, converted to Catholicism in 2008.

A Former Satanist Converts
Zachary King converted to the Catholic Church in 2008. His conversion story, which involves the miraculous medal, is a fantastic story in itself, but it is not the focus of this article. He was a former Satanist who reached the degree of high wizard in the World Church of Satan. A high wizard is hand selected by the top leaders. If a satanic high priest is more or less equivalent to a Catholic priest, a high wizard is more or less equivalent to a mystic saint. In this position, he traveled extensively to perform satanic rituals for politicians, CEOs, TV producers and artists. His more than twenty-six years of deep involvement in Satanism has given him insight into this secretive world.

A Blurry Line
The occult and Satanism are nothing new. Many times the distinction between the two is blurred even by authorities who have studied both, since, by their very nature, both deal with the devil, though occultists may not always perceive it as such. This is evident in the book written by Mr. Luis Solimeo and Mr. Gustavo Solimeo, Angels and Demons. Mr. King himself first dabbled in the occult before being recruited into Satanism.

Defining the Occult
The occult is as old as the first temptation in the Garden of Eden when the serpent tempted Eve to become like God by merely eating a fruit. Mr. James R. Lewis, the second most prolific writer on the occult, has a long list of occult movements which includes Wicca, Druids, Voodoo, Brujeria/Santeria, the garden variety of New Age religions, astrologers, psychic readers, spirit mediums, among other less known sects. The terms “witchcraft” and the “occult” are synonymous. Occultism can be defined as the movement of people who believe in harnessing the power of spirits or nature through the use of herbs, crystals, amulets, incantations, symbols and spells for either “good” or “bad” effect.

The practice of the occult has always been popular and public throughout history. We see the practice in different forms like the priests of the Pharaoh whom Moses fought, Simon the Magus whom Saint Peter confronted, or the druids Saint Patrick challenged. Occultism was universally prevalent in pre-Christian times.

Ever since Saint Michael the Archangel expelled the fallen angels from heaven, they seek to destroy God’s creation by turning man away from God to the point of worshiping Satan himself, the ultimate enemy of God.
“Michael Casts out all of the Fallen Angels” by Gustave Doré.)

Defining Satanism
Satanism can be considered as ancient as the revolt of Lucifer and his angels against God. The former light bearer, as the name Lucifer signifies, deceived a third of the heavenly host and led a revolt against God. There are many variations of Satanism according to Alfred E. Waite, the most published authority on the occult and Satanism. In his book, Devil Worship in France, he defines Satanism as the movement of people who imitate the fallen angels and declare allegiance to Lucifer as a form of defiance to God.

Whereas the occult is an indirect, albeit sometimes unsuspecting, worship of the devil, Satanism is its unabashed counterpart. As Mr. King noted, “the occult dabbles with the power of the devil many times not knowing it.” “Satanists, on the other hand,” he continues, “embrace it fully and openly.”

The presence of Satanism has not been as obvious as that of the occult throughout history. “All the gods of the gentiles are devils (Ps. 96:5),” say the Scriptures. However, Satanism, per se, is the open worship of the devil, and, as such, if it did exist as a movement, was completely secretive in the past.

The Shift in the Soul of Western and Christian Man
The practice of the occult began to diminish markedly as Christianity spread, especially in the lands where it took root. Superstitions were replaced by the true Faith. Pagan rituals were replaced by prayers and the sacraments. The paranormal activities worked by invoking spirits were replaced by miracles wrought by novenas, prayers and devotion to Mary, the angels and the saints. Miracles abounded during the Middle Ages, a period when saints, imbibed by a true Christian spirit, walked the land.

Something changed in the lands where Christianity once flourished. Today, the influence of the Christian faith is much diminished in society. The appeal of witchcraft and, consequently, devil worship returned.

Bishop Fulton Sheen made the saying popular that the greatest trick the devil played on mankind was to make us believe he doesn’t exist. The trick seems to have changed. The devil is now playing a new and improved trick on mankind.

The Resurgence of the Occult and Satanism
According to the above-mentioned 2010 census, there are more people involved in the occult in America than there are Muslims or Jehovah’s Witness. Compare this to polls in 1980 when the people who affiliated themselves with the occult were so statistically small, no specific data was assigned to them. They were grouped with Muslims, Buddhists, Unitarians, and others, which altogether was only 2% of Americans.^[2]

The tally of the number of Satanists is harder to come by. According to Zachary King, his conservative estimate is about 4 million in the United States and about 10 million worldwide.

One reason why it’s impossible to have hard figures on the number of Satanists in America is because of the secrecy. The Church of Satan, founded by Anton La Vey, was the first of its kind to officially establish itself as a non-profit religious organization with the U.S. government on September 20, 1971 in California.

The Church of Satan ironically professes to be atheistic. In their belief system, the only god is oneself. The only sacraments are to pleasure oneself in any way imaginable. The only commandment is to do whatever makes you happy. Curiously, however, in their private rituals, they constantly invoke Satan’s name.^[3]

A symptom of the dechristianization of society can be seen in the multiple controversies and lawsuits against the erection of monuments to the Ten Commandments which occur in cities all across America.

The Black “Mass”
Perhaps another mark of their increased popularity is the controversy they have generated in the news lately. The Satanists especially have been demanding public acceptance by trying to distribute books about the devil to school kids, putting up a public monument of Satan in Oklahoma Cityor setting up a “holiday” satanic display next to a nativity scene in the Florida state capitol.

The greatest controversy in 2014 was regarding the satanic black “mass.” On May 12, 2014, Harvard University scheduled a “reenactment” of a black mass. It was canceled by the school due to overwhelming protests. It would have been the first black mass offered to the public in the world.

In September of 2014, a satanic black mass was performed in OklahomaCity’s Civic Center where the admission was opened to the general public. In that sense, it was the first public satanic black mass celebrated in history. It was a public act in a public venue offered to the general public. It was the first time in history that Satan could be worshipped in broad daylight before the whole world. Previously, all satanic activities were done as privately as possible, in basements or in rooms with covered windows, and in the middle of the night.

Shockingly, Zachary King notes that a black mass is much more common than people think. Many high priests will perform it every night starting at midnight, the witching hour, and conclude at 3:00 a.m., the inverse time of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.

What is a satanic black mass? Mr. Alfred E. Waite, author of Devil Worship in France (1886), described it as a ritual based on the Catholic Mass. It is not based on Jewish or Muslim services, nor Buddhist or Hindu rituals, not even Protestant services.

The following is a list of rituals done in a satanic black mass compiled from the writings of Mr. Waite and confirmed by Mr. King.

Just as the Holy Mass is celebrated on top of an altar containing a relic of a martyr, Satanists perform theirs on top of an undressed woman of ill repute. Just as we humble ourselves repeatedly invoking God’s mercy, they offer their acts of constant revolt in imitation of the devil. Just as Jesus is offered as a sacrifice, they offer human or animal sacrifices. Just as we lift our hearts and minds to God asking His presence, Satanists repeatedly implore and demand the presence of demons. Just as we fill our naves with sacred music and chants, they fill theirs with weird music, a gong sounding every time the name of Satan is invoked. Just as we direct our prayers to God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels and saints, they direct theirs to Satan, the demons in hell and the damned souls in hell, especially those who committed particularly heinous sins on earth, like Cain and Judas. In addition, Mr. King added that he even witnessed some Satanists pray the rosary completely in reverse, starting from the last word, “Amen,” and ending with “Hail.”

Three Reasons the Church’s Enemies Hate the Immaculate Conception

Litmus Test: the Sacrilege with Consecrated Hosts
Here is the worst part and what seems to be the main point of their ritual. Just as we receive Holy Communion, believing the consecrated host to be the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ and are encouraged to offer acts of faith, adoration, love, thanksgiving, reparation and petition, the Satanists, too, receive “communion.” Real Satanists insist on using a real consecrated host. They then spit Our Lord on the ground, trample all over Him, all the while screaming blasphemies and profanities at Him.

In his book, Alfred E. Waite writes that in order to form a partnership with the “lost angels” one must please Satan. Since Christ is the enemy of Satan, the sorcerer must outrage Christ, especially in His sacraments. Because of this they insist on using a consecrated host and they obtain this by stealing It.

A priest in France wrote last year about a former Satanist who claimed he could tell a consecrated host from an unconsecrated one. This convert claimed that if you put a consecrated host on a table along with ten unconsecrated ones, he could pick out the consecrated one without hesitation. When the priest asked how that was possible since there is no physical difference, the former Satanist said he could do this because of the intense hatred he felt towards that one species.^[4]

Although not all pro-abortionists are Satanists, the connection between abortion and Satanism is not surprising. During satanic rituals, aborted babies are offered as human sacrifices to the devil.

Satanism and Abortion
Another shocking aspect of a black mass is the use of abortion. A common image used to portray abortion is that of the false god Moloch whose statue’s mouth is shaped like a burning furnace where babies are thrown in as a sacrifice.

Done completely under the protection of the law, satanic high priests today will assist in an abortion and offer the killing of the baby to the devil. Lawyers are consulted to make sure everything is done according to the law. In addition, many high priests dedicate all the abortions in the world to the devil every night during the witching hour.

Explaining the Shift in the Soul of Western and Christian Man
How did this shift happen? How can society today accept or be indifferent to such heinous acts?

In his masterful book, Revolution and Counter-Revolution, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira analyzes the modern-day crisis and explains the changes in the soul of Western and Christian man.^[5]

Prof. Corrêa de Oliveira explains how society was transformed in five stages. The historical reference point of his analysis is the High Medieval Ages when the Gospel of Christ pervaded all of culture and society. During this time, the practice of the occult existed, but it was extremely unpopular and it was never public.

Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, author of Revolution and Counter-Revolution, prognosticated that the Fifth Revolution would be the Satanic Revolution. This revolutionary process attempts to reverse the fruit of Our Lord’s death on the Cross, namely Christian civilization.

The first changes started with humanism and Protestantism in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. We see during that time the resurgence of the Greek and Roman deities. As Prof. Corrêa de Oliveira says, “The thirst for earthly pleasures became a burning desire. Diversions became more and more frequent and sumptuous, increasingly engrossing men… Hearts began to shy away from the love of sacrifice, from true devotion to the Cross, and from the aspiration to sanctity and eternal life.” He called this the First Revolution.

The Second Revolution is the French Revolution. In this period we see the proclamation of the goddess of reason. Mr. Waite noted the growth of popularity of the occult and devil worship during this period.

The Third Revolution is the Communist Revolution. Though communism never promoted witchcraft and devil worship, it tried to abolish religion and establish materialism. In all the nations where the errors of communism spread, as predicted by Our Lady at Fatima, the role of God diminished and the role of atheistic materialism increased.

The Fourth Revolution, as defined by Prof. Corrêa de Oliveira, is the Cultural Revolution. During this phase we begin to see the rise of New Age religions and the occult.

All the previous four stages progressed towards one finality: the end of Western and Christian civilization.

What shifted in the soul of Western and Christian man is the influence of Jesus Christ and His cross in the hearts of modern men. The whole revolutionary process attempts to reverse the fruit of Our Lord’s death on the cross which inspired and is the foundation for Christian civilization. We now live in a civilization where more and more Christian values are being eroded and persecuted, and anti-Christian values are being promoted.

Before the author of Revolution and Counter-Revolution died in 1995, he prognosticated that the Fifth Revolution would be the Satanic Revolution.

Hope in Face of the Advancing Satanic Revolution
Within the context of the struggle with the devil, sometimes we are tempted to think that God is an “equal opportunity employer.” God set an enmity between the woman and the serpent in the book of Genesis. There is a “competition” between the two factions. Sometimes we have the impression that God abides by the rule of fair play. There are rules in this “competition” and both sides are given equal opportunity to make their play. Or, so, some may think.

TFP Members in TFP Ceremonial Habits carry a statue of Our Lady of Fatima during the 2009 Public Square Rosary Rally in New York City.

This is not the case. There is no parity between the devil and Our Lady. She was given a super abundance of graces, supernatural gifts and spiritual qualities. She is superior in every spiritual sense to the devil. She has proven this to us again and again.

This is one of the reasons whyThe American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property always makes the effort to spread devotion to her Immaculate Heart through ourAmerica Needs Fatimacampaign. It is also one of the main reasons why we promote the Public Square Rosary Ralliesevery year. Even as the occult and Satanism grow in popularity and Christianity is increasingly being persecuted, we are confident in the fulfillment of her prophecy at Fatima that her Immaculate Heart will triumph.

Where is the hope in face of the resurgence of the occult and the coming Fifth Revolution, the Satanic Revolution? Even though the media and Hollywood do not give it much notice, the signs of Our Lady’s actions are out there.

A big sign is the 12,269 Public Square Rosary Rallies held in 2014. Crowds from 10 to 500 gathered in public squares all across the country praying the rosary for the conversion of America. This movement has grown from 2,000 rallies to over 12,000 within less than ten years. This is a big sign that Our Lady is active.

Another sign is the increasingly warm reception given to America Needs Fatima Custodians who take replicas of the most famous statue of Our Lady of Fatima to homes around the country. About 2,000 talks were scheduled in 2014. America Needs Fatima members host the statue in their homes, inviting family, friends, neighbors, parishioners and, sometimes, complete strangers for a presentation about the prophecies of Our Lady of Fatima and how to pray a rosary. Here, too, we see the Blessed Virgin Mary very active.

Other signs of hope are the conversions. Zachary King converted in 2008 by an extraordinary grace from Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. He and his wife now spend their time giving talks about the dangers of the occult and Satanism. His main devotions now are to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady.

Another prominent convert is Blessed Bartolo Longo (1841-1926) who became a model of piety. At his conversion from Satanism, he dedicated the rest of his life to expiating for his sins. At one point, he was tormented by doubts that the devil still owned his soul and that nothing he could do would save him from that.

Our Lady of the Apocalypse chains the old serpent who is the devil and Satan. “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” Gen. 3:15

At the height of this temptation, he heard in his ear a promise that said, “One who propagates my rosary shall be saved.”From then on, his mission became clear: to spread devotion to the Holy Rosary. He restored a painting of The Virgin of the Rosary which became the focus of this devotion in the region of Pompeii. The church that houses this painting was raised to a minor basilica.^[6]

My Hope With This Article
I pray that this article acts as a warning siren to America. It is not meant to be sensational. It is meant to warn America that the storm is here. The Satanic Revolution, the fifth and final stage of the process of the Revolution, is here and attracting a following. We need to be aware of its dangers. We need to be spiritually prepared for it as best we can.

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
I pray that America does not forget the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in this onslaught. As Mary said at Fatima, to convert the world, “God wants to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart.”

1.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/7858/Devil-Demographic-Details.aspx. ^↑

2.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx. ^↑

3.

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Satanism:_An_interview_with_Church_of_Satan_High_Priest_Peter_Gilmore. ^↑

4.

http://saintfactory.com/satanism-theeucharist. ^↑

5.

http://www.tfp.org/books/rcr.pdf. ^↑

6.

http://www.santuario.it/fondatore/bioafia.html. ^↑

Catholics On the Right Side of History–PHOTOS

by Vincent Gorre

Members, supporters and friends of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) gathered for its 2015 National Conference on October 24 and 25 in Spring Grove, Penn. This year’s theme, “On the Right Side of History: Our Role Inside the Storm,” was fittingly designed to address key topics of concern to all those in attendance.

Many who traveled from all over the country, not only looked forward to being with old friends and meet new ones, but also gain much needed insights, valuable information and inspiration to continue their part in the struggle for the traditional values of Christian civilization which they all hold so dear.

Mr. Michael Chad Shibler gives a meeting on “Secrets of Grace that Spell Big Trouble for the Revolution.”

Blessed with pleasant fall weather, the talks were interspersed with friendly discussions, delightful cuisine and most importantly, the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Eucharist. The first day of talks was capped by a traditional candle-lit Rosary Procession graced by a life-sized statue of Our Lady of Hope, Macarena. The second day ended with the customary High Mass at the historic Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in nearby Hanover, Penn., followed by a closing address by HIRH Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza during the medieval banquet.

HIRH Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza delivers the TFP National Conference closing address during the medieval banquet.

The speakers this year were all members ofThe American TFP and addressed the following topics: “The Battle for Marriage Continues” by Ben Broussard; “The Benedict Option and a Return to Order” by TFP vice president John Horvat II; “What Have We Done? Overview of Recent TFP Activities” by Michael Gorre; “Dealing with the Synod and the Crisis in the Church” by Luiz Solimeo; “Semper Fidelis: A Means to Weather Future Storms” by Norman Fulkerson; “The Libertarian Temptation to Go at It Alone” by Michael Whitcraft; “Countering the Environmental Offensive” by James Bascom; “Secrets of Grace That Spell Big Trouble for the Revolution” by Michael Chad Shibler and “Transgenderism and Other Deviations: The Cutting Edge of the Revolution” by Rex Teodosio.

Much as Saint Augustine saw history as the work of man united with Divine Providenceas in his City of God, the overarching theme of this year’s talks reminded everyone that indeed, the right side of history is with Our Lady, for she declared the certainty of her victory when she said at Fatima, “Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!”

TFP 2015 National Conference
Conversations


TFP 2015 National Conference
Meetings


TFP 2015 National Conference
Rosary Procession


TFP 2015 National Conference
High Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus



TFP 2015 National Conference
Medieval Banquet

Pro-homosexual activists stood there in shock -- Same-Sex “Marriage” Is Still Wrong! -- About the Campaign in Cincinnati, Ohio

By William Gossett

Report from Cincinnati, Ohio
October 25, 2015
Wrapping up our weeklong caravan for traditional marriage, we joined forces today on the Feast of Christ the King with a second team of TFP members for a final day of campaigning in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.  In total, we were 16 TFP Student Action volunteers.

After attending a beautiful Latin Mass at Sacred Heart parish, we assembled at a busy intersection near a shopping center on Beechmont Ave.  The message -- God’s marriage = one man and one woman -- was warmly welcomed.

There was one notable exception.  A couple with face piercings and tattoos approached yelling insults and profanities.  The woman was more vocal:  “You lost already! We won!" she screamed.  "Blacks can vote.  Women can get abortions, and gays can marry!”   The curses and insults continued.

A TFP volunteer inquired, "Why are you displaying so much intolerance?" to which she replied, “Yes, I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”

Campaign near Eastgate Mall
The second and final campaign ended on Eastgate Boulevard. Unable to find a sidewalk, the members stationed themselves with banners, signs, and standard on a grassy incline bordering a major intersection.  The reception here was excellent.  Honks, waves, thumbs up, applause, smiles -- all forms of approval for God's marriage were received.

All was well until four police cruisers arrived with lights flashing.  The sight of the policemen elicited even more support from passing vehicles.  A more senior police informed us that he did not intend to infringe on our 1st Amendment Right but only requested that we adjust our placement at the intersection in order to make sure that passing traffic could read the various signs and have the "right of way."  We complied and the campaign continued.

Then we noticed a small pro-homosexual counter-protest form across the road.  Their three signs read: It’s Legal, Get over it; God doesn’t judge; and more inappropriately, Honk if you watch gay porn.

This last sign reveals how same-sex "marriage" advocates not only lack basic moral standards, but hold morality and common decency in contempt.  In order to oppose the vulgarity, we sang God Bless America, St. Louis de Montfort’s We Want God, and Hail Holy Queen.

This all lasted about an hour.

At the end, the opposition shouted, “It’s legal! Get over it!”
We replied, “It’s still wrong! Get over it!” and "An unjust law is no law at all" and "purity is the answer."

The pro-homosexual activists stood there in shock.

Once again, TFP Student Action volunteers were happy to be able to defend the sacred institution of marriage which is being torn apart and destroyed by the homosexual agenda. Though the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin Mary, we renew our unyielding certainty in God's final victory:  "True marriage will endure; counterfeit unions will not."

Saint Michael, pray for us.

WE REJECT LUCIFER AND HIS WORKS - PROTEST NOW

Since Lucifer is the fallen, revolted angel, one can expect that a “church” dedicated to him will promote his (un)values, and these are the opposite of the Christian understanding of America as “one nation under God.”

Tell the leaders in Texas to do everything in their power to legally safeguard the people of Spring, Texas, from the influence of Lucifer and this “church.”

God’s right to our love and honor demand that we resist this affront to Him.

SIGN PETITION

WE REJECT LUCIFER AND HIS WORKS - PROTEST NOW

Pro-Homosexual Activist Says “You’ll burn in hell…”

By William Gossett

TFP promotes moral values at "Berkeley of the Midwest," sees spiritual combat first hand

The strange myth that permeates liberal campuses goes something like this:  To believe in the sacred and natural institution of marriage between a man and a woman is an act of unforgivable "bigotry" which cannot be tolerated in 2015. 

At the University of Wisconsin -- Madison (UWM), also known as the Berkeley of the Midwest, the liberal myth is widespread.  The famous marketplace of ideas now offers a single product -- the acceptance of homosexual behavior otherwise known as equality.

That liberal consensus was shattered, however, when a team of young TFP Student Action volunteers arrived on campus on Friday, Oct. 23 to promote God's marriage.  Their large banner in the middle of campus emblazoned with "God's marriage = 1 man + 1 woman" attracted attention.  Lots of students would look at the banner, continue on their way, then stop and turn back to get a second glance of the banner.  Those who missed the sight could easily pick up the sound of patriotic bagpipe music wafting across campus, courtesy of TFP bagpipers. 

Spiritual Combat
After reciting three Hail Marys aloud, TFP Student Action volunteers began to distribute their rebuttal to same-sex unions: 10 Reasons Why Homosexual 'Marriage' is Harmful and Must be Opposed.

The first student to be offered a flyer responded “NO!" followed by "Hail Satan!,” revealing his allegiance to the father of lies.   One cannot serve two masters.  While those who proclaim the truth about God's marriage between husband and wife have the name of the Virgin Mary on their lips, the advocates of same-sex "marriage" utter the dark name of Satan in the open.  What a spiritual battle this is.

Seconds later, a woman with the airs of a professor blurted: "You don't have permission to be here.  Oh, I'll make sure you get removed from this university." She grabbed her cell phone and started making phone calls that never amounted to anything.  The campaign continued.  But as you can tell, UWC is hostile territory, a tough place to promote moral values.

Three young women unleashed a barrage of profanities and insults at TFP volunteers.  It was common to see students ripping up and slapping flyers out of TFP volunteer’s hands.   Despite the constant curses and middle fingers, TFP volunteers kept their courteous composure and focus.

But the pro-homosexuals went further. On one occasion, two men began to kiss shamelessly in front of the banner. On another, two different men began to perform lewd and immoral gestures with each other. Upon ending the campaign, a man on his bike said, “I’m very tempted to make violent threats to you.”

"This is very encouraging."
Although the opposition may have been vocal, it did not intimidate the good students who supported us.

Calmly walking up to the banner with a flyer in her hand, one young woman thanked us for what we were doing and said, “This is very encouraging. Very encouraging. People get persecuted here on campus for their belief in the biblical definition of marriage.” Another student commented with much enthusiasm, “You guys are ticking off a lot of people, and it’s good!”

“This is great,” exclaimed one man walking by. He added, “Same-sex ‘marriage’ is crazy.  What will be next? Will people be able to marry a goat if they want?!”

While a heated campaign was unfolding on campus, an equally intense controversy was growing on social media.  An older man came up and informed TFP volunteers that, “[you are] causing quite a stir among the university community on Yik Yak.”

Yik Yak is a social media cell phone application which allows users in their immediate location to anonymously post comments on a public online forum for all to see.  One such post read, “Protesting gay marriage on one of the most liberal college campuses in America? That’s a bold move Cotton…”
Comments about the TFP pro-family campaign ranged from supportive to hostile, and even threatening. 

Examples of Opposition
-- “Protesters right now: You’ll burn in hell…”
-- “I felt a strong urge to vomit while passing the protesters.”
-- “Where are they? I want to pick a fight!”
-- “I’m half-tempted to punch them in the #### so they won’t spread their bigotry.”
-- "Where is this happening? Can we throw rocks at them?”

Examples of Support
-- “Ah, so physical violence is okay when you don’t agree with someone’s beliefs?”
-- “What happened to free speech?”
-- “They have a right to share their beliefs, even if you don’t agree with them.”

All in all, the radical malcontents were challenged and those who remain faithful to tradition were encouraged and strengthened in their resolve to continue fighting for true marriage.  For those who want to see, the pro-homosexual "bigotry" argument melts away faster than ice cream on a hot frying pan because the name calling and cursing was only coming from the anti-family camp, not from pro-family advocates.  The "bigotry" myth was shattered.

Fight to Honor God
God’s marriage was once again proclaimed on yet another notoriously leftist university. In spite of all opposition, TFP volunteers remain firmly committed to continue standing up for moral values on college campuses.

Yes, it is a tough battle.  Unjust laws may be handed down. 

Supreme courts may attempt to normalize sin, but as long as the American people refuse to buckle and bend to the ungodly dictatorship of the homosexual revolution, there will be hope for our nation.  As long as we fight to honor God and family there will be hope for our future.  The grace of God will assist us and give us the courage to persevere and overcome evil.