"England will find her way back to me"

Many years ago, an Anglo-Catholic friend gave me as a birthday present a book which contains all the messages of Our Lady of All Nations. The book has the nihil obstat and imprimatur of the Archdiocese of Westminster. It is known that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a Dutch woman, Ms. Ida Peerdeman, just as the Second World War was ending in 1945. Her visions of the Virgin lasted until 1959 and from that time on, she had inner locutions and Eucharistic experiences which lasted until 1984. Ms Peerdeman died in 1996 and throughout these years was under the care of a Catholic priest as her spiritual director. The Diocese of Haarlem in the Netherlands declared the visions as worthy of belief

The messages of Our Lady of All Nations focused on forming a human community and brotherhood that we may have peace. It is only in this manifestation that the Holy Virgin Mary specifically mentioned the Anglican Church that she may remain a communion while being drawn into unity by the Pope of Rome. The Virgin did not say that the Anglican communion (in the visions shown as the spires of the churches of England) must be absorbed but that it must be drawn closer to Rome for it to be saved. Ms. Peerdeman had visions showing the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope in Westminster Abbey with the Pope extending a blessing to the Anglican bishops. But the Virgin said that much change will befall the Anglican Church and that Rome must be forewarned. She did not say what these changes are.

When I first read the book in the 1990s, these messages did not make sense, but with the disintegration of Anglicanism and  Anglicanorum  coetibus it now does and the prophecy has been fulfilled. In September 2010, Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury prayed at Westminster Abbey and the Pope gave his blessing to the clergy of the Church of England. At that moment the Anglican Communion was being drawn closer to Rome, who first sent the missioners to convert the English.

It appears that the Blessed Virgin Mary will restore what was lost at the Reformation through the Anglicans and this has started with Lutherans beginning to follow the Anglicans to communion with Rome.

The prophecies also allude to the non humanist secularism that has engulfed Europe and now is in the Philippines. They also allude to a pontiff that would lead the struggle against it. This is no one but Benedict XVI. And this may be the reason why the Blessed Virgin has specifically challenged England, who by her Christian foundations nurtured and guaranteed liberty which we in the Philippines too enjoy though our inheritance from the United States.

The Lady said referring to the Anglican Church and England " Religion will have a hard struggle and they want to tread it under foot. This will be done so cunningly that scarcely anyone will notice it."  I believe this is a warning of the non secular humanism and relativistic humanism that has engulfed Europe, America and even the Philippines. The visions also refer to the Anglican churches which the Blessed Virgin encloses in an iron hoop and writes above them the words " Brotherly Love", "Justice" and "Truth". The Lady said that this has not yet come about and then points at Rome reminding the See of Rome that the Anglicans should practice these virtues in the fullest sense. In these visions it appears that the Anglicans must be brought nearer to the Roman See if they are to remain a communion.

The Virgin commands in English "England, you must return to the Highest!, the Highest!".

The prophecies are fulfilled for Pope Benedict XVI sounded his battle call at the birthplace of English liberties at Westminster Hall. England must return to its Christian foundations or else we lose our liberties. This is something I have blogged about and some people didn't get what I mean.

[Is Benedict XVI the elderly German archbishop alluded to in this struggle? He as head of the CDF has staunchly resisted moral relativism. It is now beginning to make sense!]

In this whole story, the Anglicans will definitely at the centre. The  Church of England has the obligation to defend the Christian foundation of England from non humanistic secularism which has affected it. The Church of England will have to return to its Biblical foundations. The Anglican Church too must return to the Highest!

The Blessed Virgin is traditionally known as the Queen of Prophets. She in this way has been for us the Prophet of the Anglican Ordinariates.

The prayer for the intercession of Our Lady of All Nations is

Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of the Father,
send now Your Spirit over the earth.
Let the Holy Spirit live
in the heart of all nations,
that they may be preserved from
degeneration,disaster and war.
May the Lady of All Nations,who once was Mary,
be our Advocate.
Amen.

The Pope and the condom

I suppose the Anglican Use Philippines blog has to say its opinion on this condom conundrum!


Much fuss has been made about the Pope's latest published statement on whether the use of condoms are morally allowable or not. The fact is that  Pope Benedict XVI never said it was "allowed" but he made it clear that condom use is not the real or moral solution to the problem of HIV infections.


However I cannot but notice that the Pope cites a hypothetical example where in order to reduce risk of infection, the use of a condom may be considered.


These are the juiciest parts of the Papal interview that has had many choking  on and indigestion from misinterpretation!


"There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.”


and


"She [Catholic Church] of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality."


In order to appreciate the Pope's statement, we have to recall what is plainly written in the CCC. The Pope's example is about prostitution which in paragraph 2355 of the CCC is considered as a grave "injury to the dignity of the person". In no way does the Church nor the Pope considers prostitution acceptable. But the Church out of pastoral concern says that while the sex worker is in a sinful state of life, the graveness and imputability of the offence can be attenuated by destitution, blackmail or social pressure. In short the Church doesn't put sinful people in the same category. Sinners are loved and capable of love and there is always a way out!


Thus even an object such as a condom may be the start of the way out. But even then this is premised on repentance even if one is in such a hell as prostitution. The sex worker has to be raised from being considered as an object to that of being considered as a human being. Repentance is the first step. The Gospels tell of people in sinful lives immediately seeing their way out upon encountering the Christ.  The Christ pulled them out of their hells!


Thus the Pope's statement must be taken in the context of the Gospel teaching and not just moral theological interpretations. As for some traditionalists who keep on emphasizing that Benedict XVI's statement is "non-magisterial" there is a danger in doing this. We cannot in good measure nit pick on every papal statement as magisterial or not, unless the Pope declares so. The Pope is the Vicar of Christ. He has the grace of teaching from the Apostles. We have to seriously consider his teachings on morals without undue doubt.


As for people who misinterpreted the Pope's statements on condoms. My only take is perhaps they have forgotten how to love the sinners. The Pope's statements must be taken in the light of a serious pastoral concern.


PS: I'm no moral theologian. The Jesuits taught me a bit of moral theology something our good friend Mr Pinoy Catholic may find hard to digest!

The culture wars have finally reached the Philippines

Tourist guide Carlos Celdran's heckling protest stunt (protesting the Catholic Church stance on the Reproductive health (RH) bill) during an ecumenical prayer service at the Manila Cathedral brought home the fact that the secularist culture vs Catholic culture wars has finally come to the Philippines. Mr Celdran, who is a member of a group of freethinkers and is a most sought heritage tour guide in Manila, shouted to the bishops to stop "getting involved in politics".  He raised a sign with the name "Damaso". Padre Damaso is a fictional friar in Dr Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" and has become a culture icon of what is  most despised and hypocritical in Catholic clergy.

Observers noted that Celdran was dressed up like Dr Rizal himself. It appears that was done for more propaganda impact. The ecumenical service was attended by Protestant clergy too as it was to celebrate efforts between the churches to distribute millions of bibles for indigent families. When Celdran disrupted the service, a Protestant bishop was at the lectern delivering his address.

Celdran was immediately removed from the cathedral by police officers, arrested on orders of the Mayor, handcuffed and was placed in custody in the nearby Ermita police station. He was booked on the basis of an archaic provision in the Penal Code, which penalizes "acts offending religious feelings".

Many lawyers have told me that this is the first time they know of  anyone being charged of violating this provision. In fact religious ministers of certain sects bash each other's doctrines in prayer rallies and no one has been arrested for doing so.

Celdran should have been thrown out of the Cathedral and onto Plaza Roma on his butt and that should have been it. Celdran deserves that.  But the Manila Cathedral dean pressed on with filing charges.  Celdran doesn't deserve to gain media mileage when photos of him in Dr Rizal's trademark suit and bowler's hat inside a jail cell is found everywhere!

Unfortunately some in the Catholic hierarchy were simply unprepared to deal with such issues. Some bishops threatened civil disobedience if the RH bill is passed. The bishops conference president Bishop Nereo Odchimar even mentioned the "e" word (excommunication) in an interview with a blurb whose "balanced and fearless" views is open to question!  Odchimar speculated on the canonical grounds by which President Benigno Aquino III could be excommunicated if he insists in promoting the bill. This is downright silly and irresponsible. This has been flashed in the international press and even in international Catholic news websites. It has made the Philippine church a laughingstock the world over.

This of course fanned the latent anti-clericalism in Filipino society especially in the elite and intellectual class. The CBCP has released a statement that it never considered excommunicating the President. Gee! The CBCP should seriously consider putting a gag order on its president! If it can't do that, Catholics should ask the Pope to do so. The damage to the credibility of the Catholic bishops has been severe!

The Philippine bishops have still a lot to learn in dealing with secularism. They can take a good cue from Pope Benedict XVI, who never appeared to be condemning of secularism as long as it respects faith (this was grudgingly accepted even by the Protest the Pope people in England). The Church has to dialogue with secularists of every stripe.  A siege mentality will make a fool of the Church hierarchy. The bishops have to listen to the laity and here catechism is somewhat lacking. Instead of talking about excommunicating anyone, the Church should aggressively promote its pro life stance in catechesis of the young.

In this tale, it's 1 for the secularists and 0 for the Catholic traditionalists.