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MHFM Comment: Certainly, what's being imposed upon the 'Little Sisters of the Poor' is outrageous, evil, and unconstitutional (see the article below). However, true Catholics know that one must adhere to the Catholic faith over anything else. Without the true Catholic faith it's impossible to please God. That's the teaching of God and the Church.
Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, Sess. 8, Nov. 22, 1439, ex cathedra: “Whoever wishes to be saved, needs before all else to hold the Catholic faith; unless each one preserves this whole and inviolate, he will without a doubt perish in eternity.”
Yet, the 'Little Sisters' don't feel this way. According to them, they "can't choose" between "the faith" and the poor. Their response is heretical. It reveals, sadly, that they are not true Catholics. That shouldn't be a surprise, however, as the 'Little Sisters' adhere to the false Vatican II religion, in which religious indifferentism, humanism, and naturalism have replaced Catholic teaching.
The video above is also revealing. It explains that the 'Litter Sisters' welcome people "of any faith persuasion". Obviously that's because they don't believe the Catholic faith is necessary for salvation. They accept heresy, paganism, unbelief, etc. They even stress how they hold the hands of (and "comfort") the people they work with at their deaths. Of course, that would include people "of any faith persuasion". Do they tell those non-Catholics that, if they die without the true faith, they are headed for an eternal death? Do they charitably inform them that dying without the true faith and/or in mortal sin is infinitely worse than any suffering here on Earth? Obviously they don't. Since they don't manifest a concern for what's most important (the eternal salvation of the people they work with - see Mt. 16:26), they sadly serve as deceivers of the poor and the elderly rather than as their true friends.
Pope Pius X: “As a matter of fact, however, merely naturally good acts are only a counterfeit of virtue since they are neither permanent nor sufficient for salvation.” (Editae Saepe # 28, May 26, 1910)
The apostasy and indifferentism of the 'Little Sisters' is another tragic result of the false religion of Vatican II and the Vatican II sect's antipopes. It's also a consequence of the denial of Outside the Church There is No Salvation that began even before Vatican II.
The national debate over the Affordable Care Act appears nowhere near over, as the Little Sisters of the Poor — a Roman Catholic group of nuns who run nursing homes around the globe — continue their battle against the law’s contentious contraceptive mandate.
The Colorado-based religious order announced on Thursday that it will once again petition the Supreme Court for protection against the government’s requirement that contraceptives be made available to all employees free-of-charge through insurance plans.
“We perform this loving ministry because of our faith and simply cannot choose between our care for the elderly poor and our faith, and we shouldn’t have to,” Sister Loraine Marie Maguire said in a statement on Thursday. “We hope the Supreme Court will hear our case and ensure that people from diverse faiths can freely follow God’s calling in their lives.”
According to a press release from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a conservative legal firm, the Obama administration refuses to exempt the nuns from a “regulation that makes them choose between their faith — which prohibits them from providing contraceptives — and continuing to pursue their religious mission of serving the elderly poor.”
At the center of the battle is a government “accommodation” that was offered through the Department of Health and Human Services last year — a provision that allows closely held corporations as well as religious groups to sign EBSA Form 700, a document that passes the responsibility off to the government, which then finds a third-party to provide contraceptives, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
But the Little Sisters still object to the accommodation based on religious principle.
Daniel Blomberg, an attorney with the Becket Fund — the same firm that secured a win against the contraceptive mandate for Hobby Lobby, the popular craft stow chain — recently told TheBlaze that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit “got it wrong” when it ruled on July 14 that the Little Sisters of the Poor must comply with the mandate by using the accommodation’s opt-out form.
“The Tenth Circuit got it wrong again, just like it got it wrong the first time,” he said, saying that it is likely that yet another Obamacare battle could be heading back up to the Supreme Court. “The government has been too aggressive … it insists on setting up what really is a parasite plan that attaches to religious ministry plans.”
Blomberg said that the Little Sisters of the Poor, among other religious groups, will need to rely on the Supreme Court to try and remedy the ongoing dispute and potentially obtain permanent relief...
The Little Sisters could face fines of up to $2.5 million per year if they refuse to comply and are not granted a permanent relief from the rules...
Catholicnewsagency.com reports:
... Fr. Robert Barron will have a new responsibility: auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, one of the cultural capitals of the world.
“It was with enormous surprise that I heard the word of my appointment last week, but it is with a humble and joyful heart that I have accepted it,” said the Chicago-native in a July 21 statement.
“I am grateful to Pope Francis for his confidence in me and to Archbishop Gomez for his willingness to allow me to minister in this beautiful, richly diverse, and spiritually vibrant Church.”
A priest for the diocese of Chicago, the bishop-elect said he has visited California on various occasions for different speaking engagements.
“So although I cannot say that I know this Archdiocese well, I have indeed been able to taste and see some of its goodness.”... Since 2012, Fr. Barron has served as the rector and president of the Chicago Archdiocese's Mundelein seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake.
MHFM Comment: 'Fr.' Robert Barron is a well-known and influential heretic in the Vatican II sect. As the video below shows, he denies (among other things) that Adam and Eve actually existed and holds that no one may be in Hell. He is a total apostate. The fact that he is now an auxiliary 'Bishop' of Los Angeles, and that he previously was in charge of Chicago's Mundelein Seminary, reveals what a pack of apostates run the Vatican II sect. The quotes from Barron denying the existence of Adam, the first man (a dogmatic fact), come in the first few minutes of this video. Starting at the 27.30 minute mark, Barron says he doesn't know if anyone goes to Hell. That is a total denial of Jesus Christ, the Bible, and Catholic dogma. He is a wicked unbeliever.
News.yahoo.com reports:
... Francis says he wasn't offended by the "Communist crucifix" given to him by Bolivian President Evo Morales during his South American pilgrimage.
Morales surprised the pontiff with the unusual gift, a crucifix attached to a hammer and sickle, when Francis arrived in La Paz on Wednesday.
The crucifix was a replica of one designed by a Jesuit priest, the Rev. Luis Espinal, who was tortured and killed by Bolivian paramilitary squads in 1980. Francis prayed at the site of Espinal's assassination upon his arrival in Bolivia.
The modified crucifix immediately raised eyebrows, with some questioning whether Morales, whose socialist and anti-church rhetoric is well-known, was trying to score a questionable political point with a questionable, and possibly sacrilegious, melding of faith and ideology....
After taking into consideration the time in which he lived, Francis said: "I understand this work. For me it wasn't an offense."
Francis added that he brought the crucifix home with him.
Ibtimes.co.uk reports:
Pope Francis has received a rather unusual gift from Bolivia's first indigenous president Evo Morales during his visit to Latin America: a crucifix carved into a wooden hammer and sickle, the Communist symbol of the union of labour and peasants.
The 78-year-old pontiff drank the trimate – a tea of coca leaves, camomile and anise seeds – on the flight to Bolivia from Ecuador to alleviate altitude sickness. La Paz airport sits at 4,000m above sea level and for health reasons the Argentinian pope will be in the city for about four hours only. The pontiff lost part of one lung to disease when he was younger.
Pope Francis praised Bolivia for taking "important steps" in social security and to include the poor in the political and economic life of South American poorest country.
Morales, an anti-clerical champion of indigenous rights, has taken decisive steps to empower Bolivia's 36 native groups and embed their rights in the country's constitution. The president has also acted to change the constitution in 2009, making the Catholic nation a secular country and removed the bible and cross from the presidential palace when he took office in 2006...
MHFM Comment: There’s more shock and wonder as Antipope Francis just received a totally blasphemous Communist hammer and sickle ‘crucifix’ from the wicked President of Bolivia.
Apocalypse 17:8 Fulfilled (video)
While it’s certainly just to be outraged by such a thing and to comment on it (since the antipope did not - contrary to reports - rebuke the president, of course), it’s pathetic that so many false traditionalists and false conservatives get worked up about something like this yet they aren’t fazed basically at all by Antipope Francis’ blatant denial of Outside the Church There is No Salvation and numerous other defined dogmas. His denial of those dogmas more clearly proves that he’s a heretic and not the pope than something such as receiving the Communist crucifix. Yet, they hardly care about the former and go ballistic about the latter. It’s another example of how they value externals and impressions over substance. God rejects such people. A true Catholic, of course, recognizes the problem with both.
Billboard, Outreach
I really appreciate the new DVDs. If you buy them in bulk it is so easy to evangelize. You can just set them on people's doorstep and pretty soon many more people have been exposed to the information. It is important for people to hand out those DVDs.
Sincerely, William
… thank you for sending me a copy of the new DVD. I'm sure it will accomplish much good and I hope to purchase more copies to give away in the future. The amount of effort your monastery puts out to spread the True Faith puts all of the other 'traditionalist' groups out there to shame. What you have managed to accomplish in the way of evangelizing is more than these others have done COMBINED! That's a fact, and it says a lot when you consider the size of groups such as the SSPX and the amount of funds they receive from their supporters. And yet your monastery, though small in comparison, has been consistent in running ads, erecting billboards, distributing large amounts of material practically for free, creating videos on YouTube, etc. It shows that your priorities are definitely in the right place while the false traditionalists seem to really care less about their fellow man, just as long as they have chapels, vestments, etc. Of course, that's not a bad thing in itself, but when we live in times of such spiritual desolation of countless millions from the traditional Catholic faith, our main priority should be trying to truly convert people to it. All else is secondary. God bless you, Brothers.
L.
Thanks for the interest. Some people were very excited about the billboard we recently put up last summer in California (picture and description). Well, we were able to purchase that billboard for more than an entire month for only $3,500. That’s a tremendous deal when one considers that it’s on one of the most congested spots of one of the busiest highways in the country (the 405), where an estimated 723,000 people see the billboard each week. That deal (or one that’s essentially equivalent) might be available to us in the future as well. There are unsold remnant billboard spots available all over the country that can be purchased. It was the first time we ever ran a billboard. However, almost all of our outreach has been in other areas. Over the last around nine years we have run numerous national TV ads, national radio ads, internet ads, and direct mailings. Many people have found the true faith as a result of these and similar efforts. (In fact, many of the people reading this probably found our material as a result of one of those things.) We have also offered our material for extremely low prices so that people can easily give out free copies to others. For example, there are approximately 380,000 copies of the Padre Pio book in circulation. We only have about 20,000 copies left. We will need to do another large run of those books soon. We only have 5,000 copies left of the book on UFOs. That’s another book we will need to reprint.
We also want to thank those few true Catholics who have zeal to distribute our information and contribute in the most critical mission to help save souls. We continue (on a daily basis) to reach people with internet ads. In fact, millions have come to our website from our internet ads alone. We would like to run more national TV and radio ads, as well as billboards. Unfortunately, due to the amount of funding we receive (if something doesn't change this year), we will have to focus our advertising outreach only to certain areas. Therefore, the number of those who will find out about the crucial information we make available will be limited. Many people who have discovered our material are happy and satisfied that they have seen the truth. They like the information, but unfortunately they lack the zeal and the true charity to evangelize their family members, friends, people they run into, etc. Many of them don't distribute free DVDs (the 9 in 1 DVD is recommended for distribution to random individuals), give out the website or help us financially so that we could give others the opportunity to come to the knowledge of the truth. In other words, they use the information themselves but don't really do much or anything to help the cause. They are hearers of the word, not doers of the word (James 1:22). That's a primary reason that very few are saved (Matthew 7:13): i.e. they don’t really care about other people, but mainly about themselves. (Also, as we've mentioned numerous times in the past, if people are supporting any of the other groups which unfortunately embrace false positions or teach heresies - which is basically all of them - they will lose their souls.) So, we don't ask people who are struggling or in debt to help us, but people who have the financial ability and stability to do so. But if something doesn’t change dramatically in the very near future, we may be shutting down one of our 24 hour answering services. That's the answering service we have been using for our national TV and radio ads. If that happens, all possible future national TV and radio ads will end. And if that happens, we will most likely not be running any more billboards either.
Bro. Michael Dimond
Related: The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to receive 40 million dollars for their heretical seminary project
The following article is our personal opinion on this subject. If there is a decision by the Magisterium in the future on this issue, or one from the past we have overlooked, we subject ourselves to it. Based upon papal teachings that MHFM has researched, we are not aware of any magisterial teaching on whether any animals can go to Heaven. It is our opinion that, at the very least, certain animals do go to Heaven.
In Apocalypse 19, we are given a vision of Heaven. Jesus Christ is seen on a horse and the armies of the Word of God follow Christ on horses.
Apocalypse 19:11-17- “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and with justice doth he judge and fight. And his eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many diadems, and he had a name written, which no man knoweth but himself. And he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood; and his name is called, THE WORD OF GOD. And the armies that are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean…. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that did fly through the midst of heaven: Come, gather yourselves together to the great supper of God.”
The word translated as “Heaven” in many passages of the New Testament, including Apoc. 19:11, is from the Greek word ouranos. It can refer to the sky or the region in which God dwells. The context of this chapter, which speaks of God sitting on His throne (Apoc. 19:4), makes it clear that “Heaven” in this passage refers to the region in which God dwells. St. John describes the opening of God’s region, as Christ comes to Earth. Animals are said to be there, with Christ and His armies riding on horses.
One might assert that the horses on which Christ and His armies ride are simply symbolic. But would God give us a symbolic picture of animals in Heaven, if the very concept of animals in the next world is repugnant to the ultimate reality? Moreover, the supposition that these descriptions are purely symbolic is no more definitive than the position that they provide us with an actual picture of what will occur.
The early Church father St. Irenaeus (2nd century) seemed to believe that the description of Apoc. 19 constitutes an actual representation of the future reality.
St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book IV, Chap. 20, #11, A.D. 180: “And again, he says, speaking of this very same Lamb: And behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness does He judge and make war… And the armies of heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in pure white linen. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword… And He has upon His vesture and upon His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:11-17). Thus does the Word of God always preserve the outlines, as it were, of things to come, and points out to men the various forms (species), as it were, of the dispensations of the Father, teaching us the things pertaining to God.”[1]
The Lord Jesus Christ stated: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?” (Luke 12:6)
Apocalypse 5:13: “And every creature, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them: I heard all saying: To him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, benediction, and honor, and glory, and power, for ever and ever.”
St. Francis Paola (1416-1507) was one of the greatest miracle workers in the history of the Catholic Church. He had a special interest in animals. He had a pet lamb and a pet fish. He raised his pet fish to life after it had been killed, cooked and smashed to pieces by another priest.
“Francis had a favorite trout that he called ‘Antonella.’ One day one of the priests, who provided religious services, saw the trout swimming about in his pool. To him it was just a delicious dish, so he caught it and took it home, tossing it into the frying pan. Francis missed ‘Antonella’ and realized what had happened. He asked one of his followers to go to the priest to get it back. The priest, annoyed by this great concern for a mere fish, threw the cooked trout on the ground, shattering it into several pieces. The hermit sent by Francis gathered up the broken pieces in his hands and brought them back to Francis. Francis placed the pieces back in the pool and, looking up to Heaven, praying, said: ‘Antonella, in the name of Charity, return to life.’ The trout immediately became whole and swam joyously around his pool as if nothing had happened. The friars and the workers who witnessed this miracle were deeply impressed at the saint’s amazing powers.”[2]
St. Francis also raised his pet lamb, Martinello, from the dead after it had been eaten by workmen.
“Being in need of food, the workmen caught and slaughtered Francis’ pet lamb, Martinello, roasting it in their lime kiln. They were eating when the Saint approached them, looking for his lamb. They told him they had eaten it, having no other food. He asked what they had done with the fleece and the bones. They told him they had thrown them into the furnace. Francis walked over to the furnace, looked into the fire and called ‘Martinello, come out!’ The lamb jumped out, completely untouched, bleating happily on seeing his master.”[3]
It’s noteworthy that St. Francis Paola called the animals by their names even after their lives had ended. He apparently believed they continued to exist after their deaths.
Blessed Martin De Porres (1579-1639) was a saintly brother of the Dominican Order. He was beatified in the 19th century. He also had a special interest in animals. After a dog had been uncharitably killed by its master, Martin raised the dog from the dead. He also spoke to the dog and instructed it not to return to its ungrateful master.
“The procurator of the convent had a dog that served him faithfully for eighteen years. But now, as the animal was old and loathsome, he ordered him to be cast out. However, the faithful beast always came back, looking for his master. Then orders were given that the dog be taken off some distance and killed. This was done, and Blessed Martin on discovering such ingratitude, as it seemed in his eyes, was moved to compassion and asked that the dead dog be carried to his cell. He then sought out the procurator and said to him: ‘My Father, why did you order them to kill that animal? Is that the reward you give him after he has served you for so many years?’ Then shutting himself up in the cell where the dead animal had been placed, Martin knelt for some time in prayer, begging God to restore life to the unfortunate animal if He so willed, and God did not turn a deaf ear to this humble petition. On the following day Martin’s brethren saw him leave his cell, accompanied by the faithful dog, alive and perfectly well. While feeding him in the kitchen, Martin was heard to utter these words of sober advice to the dog: ‘Now, be sure not to return to your ungrateful master’s service, for you have experienced only too clearly how little your long years of faithful service have been appreciated.’ It is said that the dog survived for many years, but that he always followed Martin’s warning, fleeing from his old master whenever he saw him approach.”[4]
In another case, rats were causing problems for a man Blessed Martin had assisted. The problem increased to the point that rats began to invade the sacristy. Martin thought the problem could be solved without killing the rats, but the man decided to set traps. After a rat was caught in one of the traps, Martin urged that it not be destroyed. Instead, Martin spoke to the rat. He told the rat that he and his companions should leave the monastery and go to the garden. To the amazement of many, the rats obeyed.
“When Martin saw the little prisoner, his heart was touched and he would not permit its destruction. Instead, he gave him [the rat] his liberty, saying: ‘Go along, little brother, and tell your companions not to do any more harm. Tell your whole tribe to vacate this holy monastery and to go back into the garden, where I will bring you food each day.’ To the astonishment of all, the mice and rats came flocking out of the convent, finding a refuge in an old shed; and there Martin saw to it that they were provided with daily sustenance.”[5]
The interactions of St. Francis of Assisi with animals are well-chronicled. One of the most famous stories concerns St. Francis and the wolf. A large wolf was terrifying the people of Gubbio. The wolf devoured people and animals. Despite warnings to avoid him, St. Francis decided to approach the wolf, as many watched from a distance.
“The wolf, seeing all this multitude, ran towards Saint Francis with his jaws wide open. As he approached, the saint, making the sign of the cross, cried out: “Come hither, brother wolf; I command thee, in the name of Christ, neither to harm me nor anybody else.” Marvelous to tell, no sooner had Saint Francis made the sign of the cross, than the terrible wolf, closing his jaws, stopped running, and coming up to Saint Francis, lay down at his feet as meekly as a lamb.
And the saint thus addressed him: “Brother wolf, thou hast done much evil in this land, destroying and killing the creatures of God without his permission; yea, not animals only hast thou destroyed, but thou hast even dared to devour men, made after the image of God; for which thing thou art worthy of being hanged like a robber and a murderer. All men cry out against thee, the dogs pursue thee, and all the inhabitants of this city are thy enemies; but I will make peace between them and thee, O brother wolf, if so be thou no more offend them, and they shall forgive thee all thy past offences, and neither men nor dogs shall pursue thee anymore.”
Having listened to these words, the wolf bowed his head, and, by the movements of his body, his tail, and his eyes, made signs that he agreed to what Saint Francis said.
On this Saint Francis added: “As thou art willing to make this peace, I promise thee that thou shalt be fed every day by the inhabitants of this land so long as thou shalt live among them; thou shalt no longer suffer hunger, as it is hunger which has made thee do so much evil; but if I obtain all this for thee, thou must promise, on thy side, never again to attack any animal or any human being; dost thou make this promise?” Then the wolf, bowing his head, made a sign that he consented.
Said Saint Francis again: “Brother wolf, wilt thou pledge thy faith that I may trust to this thy promise?” and putting out his hand he received the pledge of the wolf; for the latter lifted up his paw and placed it familiarly in the hand of Saint Francis, giving him thereby the only pledge which was in his power.
Then said Saint Francis, addressing him again: “Brother wolf, I command thee, in the name of Christ, to follow me immediately, without hesitation or doubting, that we may go together to ratify this peace which we have concluded in the name of God”; and the wolf, obeying him, walked by his side as meekly as a lamb, to the great astonishment of all the people.
Now, the news of this most wonderful miracle spreading quickly through the town, all the inhabitants, both men and women, small and great, young and old, flocked to the market-place to see Saint Francis and the wolf… Then all the people promised with one voice to feed the wolf to the end of his days… Then Saint Francis continued: “Brother wolf, as thou gavest me a pledge of this thy promise when we were outside the town, so now I will that thou renew it in the sight of all this people, and assure me that I have done well to promise in thy name”; and the wolf lifting up his paw placed it in the hand of Saint Francis.”[6]
A mysterious dog also played a role in the life of St. John Bosco.
“God gave to Saint John Bosco a mysterious dog that became the protector of this great saint for much of his life. Where the dog came from and where it went was of no consequence to the saint; he genuinely accepted the friendship of the dog as part of divine providence.
Saint John Bosco did so much good saving the young boys of his time that I am sure it was the influence of the devil that riled up people against him, sometimes to the point that jealousy and hatred led men to try to kill the saint on more than one occasion. It was in response to that danger that a huge gray dog appeared one day when Saint John Bosco was being threatened by murderers. The dog, fearsome to behold, was described as a German shepherd standing three feet tall. Grigio, as he was named by Saint John Bosco, would always appear where trouble waited for the saint. When these ne’er-do-wells finally stopped trying to hurt Saint John Bosco, the dog disappeared. He appeared only one other time, when the saint was lost, to lead him safely to a Salesian home.”[7]
St. Paul of the Cross (d. 1775) once rebuked a farmer who uttered blasphemies in frustration at his oxen. Upset by the admonition, the farmer pointed his gun at St. Paul. “More horrified at the blasphemies than he was at his present danger, the Saint held up the crucifix he always wore around his neck and announced fearlessly, ‘Since you will not respect this crucifix, these oxen will.’ As though they understood, the oxen immediately fell to their knees.”[8] Afterwards the farmer repented.
In the life of St. Anthony of Padua (d. 1231) we read that many heretics resided at Rimini. “But they, not only consenting not to his holy words, but even, like hardened and obstinate sinners, refusing to hearken unto him, the Saint one day, by divine inspiration, went forth to the banks of the river close beside the sea; and, standing thus upon the shore betwixt sea and stream, he began to speak in the guise of a sermon in the name of God unto the fishes. ‘Hear the word of God, ye fishes of the sea and of the stream, since heretics and infidels are loathe to listen to it.’ And having uttered these words, suddenly there came toward him so great a multitude of fishes – great, small, and middle-sized – as had never been seen in that sea or in that stream… all turned their heads out of the water, and all turned attentively toward the face of Anthony.”[9]
In the life of St. Anthony of Padua, we also learn that an Albigensian heretic challenged Catholic teaching on the Eucharist. As a test, the two men agreed to allow the heretic’s mule to choose between its typical food and the Eucharist. The mule was deprived of food for three days. After three days, in the presence of a great crowd, the heretic attempted to feed the mule oats and hay, while St. Anthony held the consecrated Host before the animal. The mule ignored the food, and fell to its knees before the Blessed Sacrament. As a result, the unbelievers were thrown into great confusion and some of them were converted.[10]
Consider the following story from the Old Testament Book of Numbers, Chapter 22:21-35:
“Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his went with them. And God was angry. And an angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who sat on the , and had two servants with him. The seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way, the angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed. And the seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again: And nevertheless the angel going on to a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left, stood to meet him. And when the saw the angel standing, she fell under the feet of the rider: who being angry beat her sides more vehemently with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the , and she said: What have I done to thee? Why strikest thou me, lo, now this third time? Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee. The said: Am not I thy beast, on which thou hast been always accustomed to ride until this present day? Tell me if I ever did the like thing to thee. But he said: Never. Forthwith the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he worshipped him falling flat on the ground. And the angel said to him: Why beatest thou thy these three times? I am come to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse, and contrary to me: And unless the had turned out of the way, giving place to me who stood against thee, I had slain thee, and she should have lived. Balaam said: I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me: and now if it displease thee that I go, I will return. The angel said: Go with these men, and see thou speak no other thing than what I shall command thee. He went therefore with the princes.”
This passage tells us that an animal could see an angel and was given the ability to speak. When the angel finally appeared to Balaam, he rebuked him for beating the animal. The angel also said that he almost killed Balaam and spared the animal. Balaam had to have his eyes opened in order to see the angel, but the animal did not.
It was based on the reasoning of St. Thomas Aquinas that many Catholics came to think that animals do not possess souls that exist after their deaths. While St. Thomas’ views are always worthy of consideration, they are not infallible or definitive. In some cases, his views have been rejected by the Magisterium. St. Thomas taught that the human embryo proceeded through three stages of soul. He believed that the embryo began with the vegetative soul (anima vegetabilis , which he believed plants possess), then proceeded to the sensitive soul (anima sensitiva, which he believed animals possess), and, after 40 or 80 days, God infused the rational or intellectual soul (anima intellectiva, the human soul).
As the 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia article on “Soul” explains:
“St. Thomas’s doctrine is … In the first stage of embryonic development, the vital principle has merely vegetative powers; then a sensitive soul comes into being, educed from the evolving potencies of the organism — later yet, this is replaced by the perfect rational soul, which is essentially immaterial and so postulates a special creative act. Many modern theologians have abandoned this last point of St. Thomas's teaching, and maintain that a fully rational soul is infused into the embryo at the first moment of its existence.”[11]
In other words, those who claim to adhere to St. Thomas’ view on animation and ensoulment must believe that an embryo begins with a plant soul; it is then replaced by an animal soul, which in turn is replaced by the infusion of the human (rational) soul 40 or 80 days after the initial formation of the embryo. St. Thomas also taught that the soul of Mary did incur the stain of original sin – an idea contradicted by later infallible teaching on the Immaculate Conception.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Pt. III, Q. 27, A. 2, Reply to Objection 2: “If the soul of the Blessed Virgin had never incurred the stain of original sin, this would be derogatory to the dignity of Christ, by reason of His being the universal Saviour of all. Consequently after Christ, who, as the universal Saviour of all, needed not to be saved, the purity of the Blessed Virgin holds the highest place.”[12]
As an aside, while we’ve mentioned St. Thomas’ erroneous view on the Immaculate Conception in the past (and this quote in particular), it’s remarkable that many in the traditional movement, including prominent individuals and priests, after being presented with this evidence still wrongly and dishonestly insist that St. Thomas did not contradict the Immaculate Conception! To put it simply, St. Thomas’ views on the soul are not infallible.
While we are not asserting that animals possess rational or intellectual souls (or that they can experience the Beatific Vision) – these are unique to human beings, who alone are created in the image of God – we do not agree with the assertion that the souls of all animals are necessarily mortal and cannot continue after death. We believe that, at least with some animals, they have souls/spirits that can experience Heaven in a manner proper to an animal.
Anyone who has been around certain animals knows that certain animals demonstrate individuality, an ability to learn and reason, and even personalities. Two animals of the same species will have different proclivities and interests. Their mode of operation is not completely instinctive or based purely on sensory response and reaction. For example, some cats are very curious, while others are not. Some dogs like a certain activity, while others do not. St. Gregory Nazianzen said the following about animals.
St. Gregory Nazianzen, Second Theological Oration (Oration 28), #’s 23-26, A.D. 381: “Shall I reckon up for you the differences of the other animals, both from us and from each other – differences of nature, and of production, and of region, and of temper, and as it were of social life? How is it that some are gregarious and others solitary, some herbivorous and others carnivorous, some fierce and others tame, some fond of man and domesticated, others untamable and free? And some we might call bordering on reason and power of learning, while others are altogether destitute of reason… some strong, others weak, some apt at self-defense, others timid and crafty… some attached to one spot, some amphibious; some delight in beauty and others are unadorned… Is this not the clearest proof of the majestic working of God?”[13]
In the original paradise (prior to the fall of Adam and Eve), God created the whales, the birds, and every moving creature on earth and in the sea. Having placed animals of all kinds in the original, uncursed and sinless paradise, “God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:25).
Before Adam and Eve’s capitulation to the serpent brought sin and death into the world, God brought all beasts of the Earth and the fowls of the air to Adam so that he could name them.
Genesis 2:19- “And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature the same is its name.”
When God destroyed the Earth at the time of Noah, all things “wherein there is the breath of life” died (Gen. 7:22). The same word for the souls or breath of life of animals is used to describe the soul of man, even though man’s soul is very different from that of animals.
The flood of Noah’s day is described by St. Peter as the end of the original world: “And [God] spared not the original world” (2 Peter 2:5). Yet, when God warned Noah about what he must do to successfully transition from the original world, through the flood, to the new, God also told him to bring animals into the Ark.
Genesis 7:1-5- “And the Lord said to him: Go in thou and all thy house into the ark: for thee I have seen just before me in this generation. Of all clean beasts take seven and seven, the male and the female. But of the beasts that are unclean two and two, the male and the female. Of the fowls also of the air seven and seven, the male and the female: that seed may be saved upon the face of the whole earth. For yet a while, and after seven days, I will rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will destroy every substance that I have made, from the face of the earth. And Noe did all things which the Lord had commanded him… And of beasts clean and unclean, and of fowls, and of every thing that moveth upon the earth, two and two went in to Noe into the ark, male and female, as the Lord had commanded Noe. And after the seven days were passed, the waters of the flood overflowed the earth.”
God wanted the animals from “the original world” to be present in the next world, and He commanded Noah to go to extraordinary lengths to make it happen.
After the flood, God established His covenant with Noah and with all the animals/creatures on Earth.
Genesis 9:11-17- “I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth. And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me, and between the earth. And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds: And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow shall be in the clouds, and I shall see it, and shall remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between God and every living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth. And God said to Noe: This shall be the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh upon the earth.”
The Haydock commentary on Genesis 9:10 acknowledges that God made His covenant also with the animals.
God created animals for the original, spiritually pristine Earth. Is it unthinkable that He would have animals in the new Heaven and the new Earth at the end of time? In fact, the Apocalypse clearly portrays the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as the restoration of the original paradise on Earth.
The first Earth featured the “the tree of life… in the midst of paradise” (Genesis 2:9). The Apocalypse repeatedly tells us that Christ will restore the tree of life.
Apocalypse 22:2- “In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Doesn’t it seem consistent that as there were animals of various kinds in the original paradise, there will be animals in the new paradise – in the new Heaven and new Earth? In this regard we should consider a prophecy of Isaiah.
Isaiah 65 contains a prophecy about the new Heaven and the new Earth. While a similar prophecy made in Isaiah chapter 11:1-9 finds fulfillment in the coming of Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant Church, the passage in Isaiah 65 seems to have application to the end of time, the Second Coming of Christ and the Apocalypse. Numerous early Church fathers applied Isaiah 65 to the end of time, including St. Justin Martyr.
The prophecy of Isaiah 65 is relevant to this topic because it says that in the new Heaven and new Earth, “the wolves and the lambs feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent [shall eat] earth as bread. They shall not hurt or maltreat each other on the holy mountain…”
Here are the comments of St. Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-165) on the prophecy of Isaiah 65.
St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Chap. 81, 2nd century:
CHAPTER LXXXI -- HE ENDEAVOURS TO PROVE THIS OPINION FROM ISAIAH AND THE APOCALYPSE.
“For Isaiah spake thus concerning this space of a thousand years: 'For there shall be the new heaven and the new earth… For according to the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people… Then shall the wolves and the lambs feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent [shall eat] earth as bread. They shall not hurt or maltreat each other on the holy mountain, i saith the Lord.' Now we have understood that the expression used among these words, 'According to the days of the tree [of life] shall be the days of my people; the works of their toil shall abound' obscurely predicts a thousand years… And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem; and that thereafter the general, and, in short, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men would likewise take place.’”[14]
We are told that in the new Heaven and the New Earth, the lion, the ox and other animals will live in harmony. Some might argue that this is a metaphor for how Christ’s elect will be comprised of people with different temperaments. Individuals of all types will have found conversion and peace with their incorporation into Christ. However, that is not certain. This passage could speak to the actual working of the future Heaven and Earth. The statement in Isaiah 65:19, that there will be no more “weeping” or “crying” in the new Heaven and Earth, closely parallels Apocalypse 21:4:
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.”
This strongly suggests that the prophecy of Isaiah 65, concerning the lion, ox, etc. has application to the new Heaven and the new Earth at the end of time. Other than the dogmas of divine revelation, which tell us how humans are to get to Heaven and which humans will be excluded, we know very little about what Heaven actually is or will be like.
1 Cor. 2:9- “But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him.”
In fact, in the original paradise, animals did not kill or eat each other. In God’s original design, the herbs and the trees which bear seed were the food or “meat” of both man and land creatures (Gen. 1:29-30). It was only after the sin of Adam, the changes in the Earth that resulted from the flood, the introduction of various seasons, and the consequent reduction of the tree and herb supply at various times of the year, that animals became carnivores. There is a fascinating lecture on this point by a professor of zoology. He explains that creatures we typically consider hunters and carnivores were not so from the beginning. He shows how their natural equipment is perfectly consistent with this conclusion and an original design as vegetarians.[15]
Therefore, if animals lived in peaceful harmony in the original paradise, it would make sense that they would do so in the new Heaven and the new Earth. The words of Isaiah, which foretell such a situation, would thus be consistent with a more literal understanding of the prophecy. But even if one grants that the description in Isaiah 65 is a symbol or a metaphor, one must ask once again why God would provide us with a symbol of animals in the new Heaven and new Earth if the concept is repugnant to reality.
Of course it needs to be affirmed that the worship of animals is an abominable heresy that plagued people in the Old Testament and still exists among some today. Animals are not God, and they are different from human beings. They do not possess rational souls. However, they have the special form of existence which God gave them; and it’s simply remarkable to consider the amazing abilities and characteristics they continually display. These abilities clearly disprove the assertion that animals are simply beings that function only on instinct and sensory response.
For example, there is an amazing YouTube video called, Hero Dog Tries to Help Wounded Dog – Chile.[16] It has been viewed almost two million times. In an attempt to cross a busy highway, a dog was hit by a car and left helpless in the midst of heavy oncoming traffic. A second dog some distance away spotted him. The second dog decided to venture into heavy traffic and save the wounded one. The second dog evaded oncoming cars, grabbed the wounded dog with its teeth and paws, and pulled it inch by inch to safety on the side of the road. The wounded dog survived. The footage is simply incredible. Stories of this type could be multiplied many times.
There is a fascinating three-part video series called Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution. This video series, which we sell on our online store, is an astounding documentary about the full capabilities of God’s creatures.
“There are animals that save human beings; animals that manifest extraordinary courage; animals that exhibit an uncanny ability to show emotion, and even to cry, animals that can communicate, some with hierarchical methods and some with sign language; animals that know when a tornado or an earthquake is coming; animals that can smell cancer, drugs, termites…”[17]
“John and Michele Helfrich of Justin, Texas, had a bovine longhorn calf named Beanie that watched John repair a water line that had sprung a leak. To repair the pipe he first had to dig a trench on both sides of the pipe. The heifer stood beside him the entire day, observing his actions. Then, to his amazement, when he started filling the trench back in, she would stand beside him and push the dirt in. Finally, he jumped in the trench, and when he did, Beanie jumped in with him and started stomping the dirt down. When he got back out to shove more dirt in, she would get out and push the dirt with her head.”[18]
“A young girl was abducted by a stranger in a van, driven about twelve miles away, and held captive in the van on a deserted road. It was later learned that the van did not stop once while traveling from the point of abduction to the deserted road twelve miles away.
Several hours after the abduction, the local authorities gave their bloodhound a piece of the child’s clothing for reference and put the dog on the trail. It took several more hours, but the dog led police on foot down the same twelve miles of highway transited by the van, off the same exit ramp, and down the same deserted road. The bloodhound led them right to the van and the victim was rescued unharmed.”[19]
“Mrs. Jensen stayed with the mare and her foal all day long. That evening, the baby horse simply stopped breathing. At that instant, the Jensen’s five other horses, which had over the past few hours gathered themselves as close to the barn as possible, reared up on their hind legs and gave several piercing screams. They could not have seen the foal because it was in the barn when it died – yet they knew. It was an experience Mrs. Jensen will never forget and, in this earthly life, she will never fully understand.”[20]
“A farmer in Australia who suffered serious head injuries after being struck by a falling tree branch was rescued by a partially blind kangaroo who was hailed as a hero. Lulu the kangaroo banged on the door of the family’s home in Morwell, Gippsland in southeast Australia after discovering the farmer lying unconscious in a field.”[21]
By playing music from a harp, animals have seen dramatic health benefits.[22] One music therapist decided to find out how other creatures might respond to music. “She decided to conduct an experiment at a small dairy farm in Sidney, Indiana, where forty-two Holsteins [cows] who had never been exposed to music were treated to measured doses of Classical, Hard Rock, and Country & Western over a thirteen-day period. The results suggested that cows are a sophisticated audience. Milk production rose almost six percent when classical music was being aired (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in C Major) but fell by the same amount when the stereo played the rock band Kiss.”[23]
A Personal Story
We would like to share a personal story. For many years the monastery had a small dog. Around 2003 or 2004, the dog was suffering from old age and had cataracts in her eye. She was very weak and almost blind. The dog was clearly near the end of its life. We decided that it was best to have the dog put to sleep (something that’s morally permissible with animals but not with humans). On the very day we reached the decision, that the dog would sadly have to be put to sleep, we discovered that the dog was spending her time in the monastery’s chapel, on the floor, in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The chapel is accessible from one of the rooms. Prior to that day, the dog never slept at length in the chapel. We do not believe it’s an accident or merely a coincidence that, just before the dog’s life had ended, something drew her into the presence of the One who created her. In fact, when she was picked up to be taken away for the last time of her life, she was picked up from the chapel floor. Something motivated her, in her weakest hour and when she was near her end, to enter the presence of God.
Equally interesting is the fact that the same thing occurred with one of our cats. We currently have two cats. In the Spring of 2008, one of our cats became extremely ill with a stomach infection and would not stop vomiting for an extended period of time. We thought it was probable that the cat would die. As the cat was suffering and in clearly the worst hours of its life, the cat spent almost all day sleeping on the floor of the chapel, just as the dog had years before. When healthy, the cat would very rarely wander into the chapel for short periods of time; but the cat would not sleep there at length, and it certainly would not spend most or all of the day in the chapel. Yet, when it was about to die, the cat spent basically the entire day in the chapel, right near the Blessed Sacrament, for a period of several days. We do not believe it was an accident that in its extreme sickness, the cat entered into the presence of God. Thank God, the cat eventually recovered and is in excellent health today.
In closing, the message of the Gospel and God’s redemption is for human beings, not animals. All animals are innocent. God decided to be born around innocent animals instead of human beings. Animals were required in the Old Testament for a sacrifice covering sin because they are sinless creatures, as well as to destroy the Israelites’ evil propensity to worship animals.
It is our opinion that at least some animals continue to exist after their lives on Earth, as part of God’s design.
Job 12:10- “[The Lord] In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”
Hosea 2:18- “And in that day I will make a covenant with them, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air, and with the creeping things of the earth: and I will destroy the bow, and the sword, and war out of the land: and I will make them sleep secure.”
Colossians 1:17- “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Proverbs 12:10- “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 14-15- “All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven… I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue forever: we cannot add anything, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared. That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.”
© Copyright 2012: Most Holy Family Monastery.
NOTES:
[1] St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book IV, Chap. 20, #11, A.D. 180.
[2] Simi & Segreti, St. Francis of Paola, Rockford, IL: Tan Books, 1977, p. 26.
[3] Simi & Segreti, St. Francis of Paola, p. 26.
[4] J.C. Kearns, O.P., The Life of Blessed Martin De Porres, New York, NY: P.J. Kennedy & Sons, 1937, pp. 113-114.
[5] J.C. Kearns, O.P., The Life of Blessed Martin De Porres, p. 111.
[6] The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi, Chapter XXI.
[7] Susi Pittman, Animals in Heaven?, Bloomington, IN: IUniverse, 2009, pp. 79-80.
[8] Joan Carroll Cruz, Mysteries, Marvels, Miracles in the Lives of the Saints, Tan Books, 1997, p. 480.
[9] Charles Warren Stoddard, St. Anthony – The Wonder Worker of Padua, Tan Books, 1971, pp. 61-62.
[10] Joan Carroll Cruz, Eucharistic Miracles, Tan Books, 1987, p. 207.
[11] Catholic Encyclopedia, “Soul,” 1907.
[12] St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Pt. III, Q. 27, A. 2, Reply to Objection 2.
[13] St. Gregory Nazienzen, Second Theological Oration (Oration 28), #’s 23-26, A.D. 381.
[14] St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Chap. 81, 2nd century.
[15] Walter J. Veith, The Genesis Conflict – Creation to Restoration, Amazing Discoveries, Blaine, WA (DVD).
[16] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofpYRITtLSg
[17] Susi Pittman, Animals in Heaven?, p. 5.
[18] Mary Buddenmeyer-Porter, Animals, Immortal Beings, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2005, p. 36.
[19] Gary Kurz, Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates, New York, NY: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2008, p. 98.
[20] Mary Buddenmeyer-Porter, Will I See Fido in Heaven?, Manchester, MO: Eden Publications, LLC, 2006, p. 23.
[21] Niki Behrikis Shanahan, The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss is Heaven’s Gain, Tyngsborough, MA: Pete Publishing, 2007, p. 29.
[22] Susi Pittman, Animals in Heaven?, p. 5.
[23] Gary Kowalski, The Souls of Animals?, Novato, CA: New World Library, 1999,p. 56.
This video contains absolute proof that the votes are not being used.
This is an extremely interesting video about an ‘autistic savant’ named Daniel Tammet. (The video also contains a section on Kim Peek, the man whose life served as the basis for the film Rain Man.)
Among other things, Tammet can learn an entirely new language in a week and rapidly perform massive calculations in his head (including division out to more than 100 decimal places) without even consciously doing math. The answers come to him as images and pictures (more on this below). This story is fascinating for a number of reasons:
1) It’s an example of the amazing power and potential God has given to the mind (the intellect that belongs to the rational soul). However, God only allows men to access the powers of the mind to a greater or lesser degree, in accordance with His will. If God wanted to, He could allow a wider access to its abilities. It’s a testament to the amazing powers He has created. The story is thus a reminder of the unfathomable wisdom and knowledge God possesses.
The video is also a sobering reminder of how millions waste what God has bestowed upon them. Men were created to know, love and serve the all-wise and all-powerful God. Yet, countless men fritter away their lives on evil and foolishness, never arriving at a knowledge of the truth.
2) The existence of people like Tammet refutes evolution.
If evolution were true (and it’s not), why haven’t those who lack such abilities been phased out in the process of evolution? In the natural sense, it would obviously be advantageous for all men to possess some of Tammet’s abilities. For example, why can’t everyone remember things, perform mathematical calculations, and learn languages the way he can?
Despite his extraordinary abilities in the areas of math and languages, Tammet says (in a different interview) that he does not remember faces very well. Even though he is probably unique with some of his abilities in math and languages, there are others who are on his level in terms of all around memory. (He actually finished fourth in a world memory championship years ago.) He is also unable to drive a car safely because his mind acquires so much information during the process. But why do certain people so far surpass everyone else in certain areas or ways? Why is there such an incredible diversity and disparity among men and their abilities, at this point in man’s history? The answer is only found in the creative act of God. He gives human beings access to the powers of the intellect (and other gifts) in accordance with His design.
In fact, it’s very interesting that Tammet’s way of reasoning and doing math is unknown to almost all men. Tammet claims that since the age of four, he could do massive calculations and that he experienced numbers as images and shapes. When he multiplies or divides (and when he memorizes things), he sees the numbers as images that gradually crystallize. He then reads the answer to the problem as if he’s looking at a picture. That’s how he was able to memorize the nonrepeating number π (3.14159 etc.) out to 22,000 decimal places. (He could have gone further if he wanted to.) He said that he only had to look at it one time. Once he saw it, the image remained with him. When he recited the number π (3.14159 etc.) out to 22,000 decimal places, he was simply reading the picture.
His way of reasoning is akin to seeing things on a supernatural or preternatural level. This does ring true on a number of levels. As numbers appear in his mind as diverse images and shapes, the number he likes least is the number “6”. He says:
“6 is the number I find hardest to experience in any sort of meaningful visual way. It’s often the absence of anything. It’s like a hole, or a chasm, like a black hole.”
That’s very interesting because ‘6’ is the number in the Bible that represents incompletion. It’s one short of ‘7,’ the biblical number for completion or perfection. 666 is also the number of the Beast. If God has allowed Tammet, for one reason or another, to remember things and perform mathematical operations on a preternatural or supernatural level, it’s not a surprise that 6 would represent a black hole or an abyss (like Hell). Tammet also says (in a different interview) that 333 is a beautiful number.
It’s possible that Tammet was demonically possessed at a young age and sees things on a different dimension as a result. In fact, he claims to have received his abilities after a series of seizures at the age of four. Seizures can be associated with possession. Might Tammet have reached the age of reason in infancy, rebelled against God, and become possessed? His mother did say that he was constantly crying as a child. Was he given a choice, at a very young age, to rebel against God? Is that the reason for his amazing abilities? It’s possible, although there’s no need to attribute his abilities to demonic possession. The abilities of Tammet can simply be the result of God’s decision to unleash the power of the human mind in particular respects. They can be explained by the fact that God will sometimes create people with unique and extraordinary abilities and talents in order to diversify His creation and manifest His power. Whether they use them for good or evil is their choice.
Whether one attributes Tammet’s abilities to God’s natural gift or demonic possession, what he is able to do further refutes evolution. According to evolution, the brain began simply as a blob in one’s head. (It is actually the bodily instrument of the rational soul – the soul created out of nothing by God and infused into a human body at the moment of conception.) Tammet’s ability to use this “blob in one’s head” to acquire information in the way that he does proves the existence of a supernatural world governed by an infinite intelligence. That infinitely intelligent Creator bestows abilities on His creatures in various forms and to varying degrees.
Although it’s not mentioned in this documentary, Tammet is also a homosexual. That’s not a surprise either. For the powers of mind that he possesses, and the things he sees, point clearly to the existence of God and a supernatural world. If a person fails to use those powers of the mind to seek the truth, he not only sins mortally but might be given over to an unnatural attraction as a part of the punishment for having misused such profound natural abilities.
The documentary is very interesting and worth watching.
Bro. Peter Dimond
The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) recently sent out a newsletter that came to our attention. The newsletter discusses the SSPX’s new seminary project in Virginia. It’s a striking example of the point we made in the recent post on Mel Gibson: i.e., the appalling and diabolical waste of money on heretical groups that is endemic among so-called ‘traditionalists’. The SSPX’s new seminary is being built in Dillwyn, Virginia. Just for the construction of the ‘outer shell’ of the seminary, the SSPX will need (and plans to receive) about seven million dollars! Here’s what they say:
“To reach this point [the completion of the outer shell] within this time frame is an ambitious undertaking, as it will require nearly $7,000,000 to finance, but to put the Seminary ‘under roof’ before the most inclement period of the year would greatly facilitate the project’s advance.” (Ad Orientem, Feb. 2014)
Their heretical and obstinately schismatic group will receive $7,000,000 just for one project (and that won’t even be the completion of the project). It’s amazing. Under their new $7,000,000 ‘outer shell’ – and they apparently plan to receive a total of $40 million to actually complete the building – the SSPX will be teaching their heretical seminarians the following:
That’s what the Society of St. Pius X obstinately believes and promotes. That’s what they teach their faithless seminarians. Their positions are heretical, schismatic, absurd and diabolical. However, since they offer the external feel and a sense of community, people nevertheless join them in large numbers and support them to an astounding degree. The waste is incalculable. The obstinate supporters of the SSPX (which is basically everyone who supports them at this point) don’t care about the content of the SSPX’s positions or whether they conform to Catholic teaching. No, they are just bad-willed, faithless club members who are more concerned with ‘feeling Catholic’ than actually being Catholic. Faith doesn’t matter to them at all. They are heretics. What they care about are externals, rituals, rite and community. As a result, they are propagating heresy and following heretical false traditionalist guides on the path to Hell. It’s a striking example of Our Lord’s prophetic indication that there will be hardly any actual faith when He returns (Luke 18:8). The bad will is remarkable. It’s also interesting to note that on April 26, 2014, Bishop Fellay of the SSPX will host a lunch at the seminary site. He will discuss and promote the SSPX’s heretical position on ‘the current situation in the Church’. That will no doubt include his presentation of a number of the aforementioned heretical positions. They will exult over their new ‘outer shell.’ But that’s all it is: a shell, under which resides nothing but the emptiness and darkness of heretical positions, false doctrines and lies; for on the very next day, their antipope (Francis) will ‘canonize’ John Paul II as just the latest (and perhaps the crowning) example of the falsity of their position. Below are some materials which carefully document, expose and refute in detail the heretical, anti-Catholic positions of the Society of St. Pius X. With the actions of Antipope Francis, and the availability of true information and arguments on the internet, the positions of the SSPX have never been more obviously ridiculous and absurd. Their positions are a theological joke. Yet, there are still enough heretical suckers and bad-willed people in the ‘traditional’ movement for the SSPX to take in millions upon millions of dollars and waste those funds promoting heresies, lies and false doctrines. The same could be said of many other groups. Be not deceived: the people who obstinately embrace the positions of such groups – or financially support them in any way – will lose their souls.
This video is an absolute must-see for anyone familiar with the SSPX.
Why Francis Must Not Be Considered The Pope
This video (Why Francis Must Not Be Considered the Pope) proves that the Society of St. Pius X professes that promoting false ecumenism, practicing Judaism, rejecting the conversion of non-Catholics, teaching that schismatics are in the Church, and more is the true faith.
What Francis Really Believes (3rd edition)
This video (What Francis Really Believes) covers the many astounding acts of heresy and apostasy committed by Francis – a man who, according to the SSPX's profession of faith, has the true faith.
The Society of St. Pius X [Link to Section]
This file contains many quotes, articles and facts exposing the heretical positions of the SSPX.
This is a very interesting 5-minute video clip from the documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed by Ben Stein. We recommend this interesting documentary. In this short clip, we see that Richard Dawkins, the notorious atheist and promoter of evolution, admits that scientific evidence could suggest intelligent design. However, Dawkins says that the evidences of design might have come from some “evolved” alien civilization which did the designing. Okay, so the evidence might show intelligent design, according to Dawkins, as long one doesn’t think that God is the designer… very interesting. This is quite an admission by the notorious atheist.
Despite his learning and his pretension to intellectual sophistication, Richard Dawkins is actually a wicked fool (see Psalm 52:1). In one simple five-minute interview, his arguments against the existence of God (the Intelligent Designer) crumble as he contradicts himself. Sadly, this reminds us of some in the traditionalist movement. Like Dawkins (though perhaps not to the same decree), they savor the things of intellectual pride rather than the truth. Examples of this would be credentialists and pedants. As a result, God blinds them to the simple truths; and, in the final analysis, they are actually dumb like Dawkins. Just as Dawkins is so sophisticated, yet so dumb that he cannot figure out that God exists – and he completely contradicts himself in making his arguments – these people cannot see that Benedict XVI is not Catholic or the simple truths on salvation or on some other issue; for they savor the things of intellectual pride and not the things of God.
Some of our readers might recall that in 2001 John Paul II attended the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. As part of this act of apostasy, John Paul II took off his shoes before entering the mosque. Well, the “Omayyad” caliphate (a line of Muslim rulers), after which that particular mosque he attended is named, was a line of Muslims rulers that was hugely involved in waging war on Catholic Spain in the 700-year war of Muslims vs. Christians in Spain.
“Abdurrahman the last survivor of the Omayyads had become the ruler of Muslim Spain about the time that Fruela became the ruler of Christian Spain; by 759 the two kings clashed in Galicia.” (Warren H. Carroll, A History of Christendom, Vol. 2, p. 298.)The fact that the mosque he attended was named after a group that is so representative of anti-Christianity just adds insult to his apostasy. The blood of all the faithful Catholics who died fighting the Omayyads for the very survival of Christian Spain cries out against him.
Apocalypse 17:6- "And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered when I had seen her…"You can see pictures of John Paul II in the Omayyad Mosque here:
Not very long after the birth of the false religion of Islam, the militant Muslims had overtaken Christian Armenia. In the 10th century the Byzantine Emperor Romanus Lecapenus took up the cause of the resisting Christian Armenians and gave them his best general, John Gourgen [a.k.a. Courcouas], to aid them. Courcouas was tremendously successful in retaking Armenia from the Muslims. (more…)
In the Heresy of the Week, some comments are made about the Jewish domination of the media. Those who doubt this fact simply need to do more research. To give just a tiny example, here is a link to some of the most prominent anchors featured on the website of CNN – “the most trusted name in news.”
Pictured (from left to right and then down) are only four anchors that CNN chose to picture at the link above: Larry King, Paula Zahn, Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper.
Many of our readers are familiar with some of our past articles which have refuted a certain Bob. S. – a defender of Vatican II and the New Mass. Since he has been thoroughly refuted, there really hasn’t been much point in bringing him up again. We do so now because he recently stated that souls can be saved in any religion.
Bob S., Q and A, August 2006, Question 1: “So it's not the religion of the Jew or Moslem or Protetant that will save him. If any Jew, Moslem or Protestant IS saved, it will be in spite of their "religion" or "faith-line" and it will only be because they have submitted, in part, to Catholic doctrine and practice. That's why even Protestants can be saved if they submit to the Catholic understanding of baptism. “In addition, one of those Catholic "practices" is leading a moral and worshipful life. If, for example, a non-Catholic, by the laws of God written on his heart, obeys them to the best of his ability (without committing mortal sin), he at least has a chance of making it to heaven. This all comes under the teaching of "invincible ignorance" as taught by even the early Church, and reitereated specifically by Pius IX. It has nothing to do with whether he is "Protestant, Jew or Moslem." He could be of any religion, but as long as he worships and obeys God in invincible ignorance, he too can be saved. But if he, knowing that the Catholic Church is the true Church, deliberate refuses to join her, he will be condemned, whether he is Protestant, Jew or Moslem, or any religion. The big problem with EWTN's statement is that they imply that God will save them precisely because they are "Protestant, Jew or Moslem," and that is highly erroneous.”This shows, once again, that Bob S. is not remotely a believer in Catholic Faith or dogma (such as Outside the Church There is No Salvation), but a manifest heretic. His words are not only blatantly heretical (condemned by many popes, such as Eugene IV), but when he says “He [the person saved] could be of any religion,” his words are basically word for word condemned by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors.
Pope Pius IX- Syllabus of Modern Errors- Proposition 16, Dec. 8, 1854: “Man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation, and arrive at eternal salvation.” – Condemned Pope Gregory XVI, Summo Iugiter Studio (# 2), May 27, 1832: “Finally some of these misguided people attempt to persuade themselves and others that men are not saved only in the Catholic religion, but that even heretics may attain eternal life.” Pope Gregory XVI, Mirari Vos (# 13), Aug. 15, 1832: “With the admonition of the apostle, that ‘there is one God, one faith, one baptism’ (Eph. 4:5), may those fear who contrive the notion that the safe harbor of salvation is open to persons of any religion whatever. They should consider the testimony of Christ Himself that ‘those who are not with Christ are against Him,’ (Lk. 11:23) and that they disperse unhappily who do not gather with Him. Therefore, ‘without a doubt, they will perish forever, unless they hold the Catholic faith whole and inviolate (Athanasian Creed).’”
We recently received a call from a woman in Anchorage, Alaska who had been attending the New Mass (the Novus Ordo). She was recommended to our website by a friend. She is now convinced of the fullness of the Catholic Faith and has come up to speed on the evils of the New Mass and the post-Vatican II apostasy. What we wanted to share with our readers is that this woman informed us that at her parish in Anchorage, the Novus Ordo “priest” Fr. Patrick Fletcher uses muppets at every 10:30 Sunday Mass for many months during the year. “Fr. Kermit” and “Sr. Piggy” emerge from a box on the altar and carry on a dialogue in their distinctive voices in order to instruct the people. Wow… just when one thinks that the Vatican II sect has reached the full depths of its sacrilegious aberrations and apostasy, there’s always something new. It truly is a new religion.
Since some have desperately attempted to defend Vatican II’s teaching that Muslims and Catholics worship the same God, we will offer some further brief thoughts on this matter in light of the definition of Islam. We and others have made similar points before, but when one reads the definition of Islam it really should strike one how false and heretical this teaching of Vatican II is. Catholics and Muslims don’t have the same God.
“Muhammad’s religion is called Islam, meaning submission to the will of God. Its adherents are Muslims. Their creed is utterly simple, stark and hard-lined as mountains against a desert sunset, proclaimed five times every day from the minarets in every Muslim city: la ilaha illa-l-Lah, Muhammadun rasulul-Lah (‘There is no God whatsoever but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of God.’) Merely to pronounce this creed makes a man a Muslim. Thereafter the penalty for apostasy is death, with no questions asked and no exceptions granted.” (Warren H. Carroll, A History of Christendom, Vol. 2, p. 217)
Let’s think about this: “There is no God whatsoever but Allah,” according to the Muslims. And Muhammad is his messenger. This means, therefore, that according to the Muslims the “God” for whom Muhammad is the messenger is the only God. As they say, “There is no other God whatsoever” except the one for whom Muhammad was messenger. Muhammad said that God had no Son (Koran, Surah XIX, “Mary”), and denied the Trinity. Therefore, it is an undeniable fact that the Muslims worship no God “whatsoever” except the one who has no Son and is not a Trinity – the one for whom Muhammad spoke. Vatican II worships the same “God.”
Our Lord tells us in Matthew 10 that one’s enemies will be those of one’s own house. We see this clearly in the case of St. Thomas Aquinas. His family was so opposed to his decision to pursue a vocation that they locked him up in a castle, and sent him a prostitute in the hope that it would destroy his vocation:
“… Thomas was abducted by his brother Rinaldo… and taken to the second family castle… Thomas… vehemently resisted attempts to tear the Dominican habit from his back, and in a famous episode which probably occurred on the night of his capture or the following night, drove away with a firebrand a prostitute who had been sent to his room to seduce him from his vocation.” (Carroll, The Glory of Christendom, Vol. 3, p. 260.)
St. Hermenegild was a 6th century martyr who was put to death for refusing to receive Holy Communion from his father’s Arian priest:
“During Eastertime the Arian father sent to his son a bishop of his sect, offering to receive him into his favor if he would receive Holy Communion from the hands of that prelate. St. Hermenegild refused. The father, enraged, sent soldiers to put him to death. The barbarous order was executed in 586, and St. Hermenegild died rather than renounce his Faith.” (Lives of the Saints, Rev. Hugo Hoever, p. 150.)
Some have argued that – or wondered whether – this case proves that a Catholic can never receive Communion from a heretic, including a heretical priest who purports to be Catholic and is not notorious or imposing about his heresy. If one digs into the history of St. Hermenegild’s case, the context of his refusal becomes clear, and so does the answer to our question.
By Bro. Peter Dimond, O.S.B. -9/01/06- [Link: Protestant pastor dies trying to walk on water] This story is very sad, yet very instructive. It is instructive because many traditional Catholics have a hard time accepting that men who think they are so dedicated to God could actually not be dedicated to Him at all. Many have a hard time accepting that people who seem to put out so much effort to please God could actually be His enemies. We’ve pointed to this hard truth many times, when it has been necessary to expose certain heretics who claim to be traditional Catholics (or traditional Catholic priests), but who aren’t. It’s significant to note that the Protestant pastor mentioned above claimed to have a revelation from God encouraging him to walk on water. This is another striking example of the fact that many people today from various parts of the world and from various persuasions of “Christianity” – ranging from those who claim to be Catholic to those who are professed Protestants – are receiving revelations which appear to be from Jesus or Mary, but which are actually from the Devil.
Matthew 24:24-25: "Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it to you, before hand."The sad story about the Protestant who died trying to walk on water also sheds light on the grim reality of spiritual blindness, which is one of the biggest problems today. Spiritual blindness afflicts almost the entire world; it afflicts heretics; it afflicts complete pagans who live without God and are too blind in the vanity of their own world to consider their obligations to their Creator; and it afflicts many of those who claim to be traditional Catholics. Spiritual blindness is the inability to accurately perceive the truth of God or the truth about one’s true state before God or others. Spiritual blindness, which is a result of sins and primarily of pride, is one of the scariest realities to consider; for those afflicted by it don’t know they are spiritually blind. Such people think they are spiritually rich, and cannot perceive that they are spiritually bankrupt. They think that they are clothed in the graces of God, and cannot see that they are spiritually naked. They are blind and cannot truly see themselves:
“Because thou sayest: I am rich, and made wealthy, and have need of nothing; and knowest not, that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” (Apocalypse 3:17)We all must be on guard against spiritual blindness. This is why in his book, True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis De Montfort prescribes that the first week of the consecration to Mary should be dedicated to self-knowledge:
St. Louis De Montfort, True Devotion to Mary (#228): “During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and pious actions to ask for knowledge of themselves and contrition for sins… They should pray our Lord and the Holy Ghost to enlighten them… ‘Lord, that I may see!’; or ‘May I know myself!’… They should have recourse to the Blessed Virgin to grant them this immense grace, which must be the foundation of all the others…”St. Louis De Montfort declares the knowledge of self to be the grace which must be the foundation of the others. (He is speaking in the context of building one’s spiritual life, of course, for faith is the foundation of all justification.) The Protestant pastor described above is just one of vast millions who are afflicted by spiritual blindness. An obvious case of spiritual blindness is a person who makes it very difficult to speak in a telephone conversation because he consistently does all the talking, even on a matter about which the other party knows as much or more (not on a matter about which he must instruct the other person). That person is blinded by his pride, and cannot see how unjust and selfish it is to carry on a conversation while making it extremely difficult for the other person to say some things. He is consumed in the vanity of his own mind. Another example: we hear from people who come right out and tell us that they commit clear-cut mortal sins of the flesh (they look at pornography, etc.), and yet these same people have the audacity to direct, criticize, comment and/or instruct others on traditional Catholic matters as if they possess wisdom (while they give their souls to the Devil by mortal sin). They are despicably blinded by the vanity of their own mind. We hear from people who, while adhering to all the dogmas of the Catholic Faith, admittedly pray fewer than five minutes each day; and, when told that they cannot save their souls doing such – and that such a consistent lack of prayer proves that one is in mortal sin – adamantly insist that they are not guilty of any mortal sin. We hear from traditional Catholic women who are live-at-home moms, and make no effort to home-school their children and just ship them off to the public school when they could home-school them. They don’t see a problem with shipping them off, when they could be making an effort in this area, because they are spiritually blind. We hear from traditional Catholic men who think they are strong, uncompromising Catholics, but allow their children to listen to rock music. Then there are more subtle forms of spiritual blindness, which afflict heretics and those in certain traditionalist cliques. These people are hit with truths which their positions deny and contradict, but they are so consumed by the fact that people whom they admire and consider sincere hold their positions that they block those truths out and eventually become blind to them and to their obligation to stand for them.
Ephesians 4:17-18: “…the vanity of their mind. Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.”Perhaps the clearest proof in Sacred Scripture that souls who think they are very much dedicated to God can be spiritually blind and God’s enemies is found in Matthew, chapter 7:
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.”
In 1858, the Mother of God appeared 18 times to St. Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France. The miraculous spring which resulted from those apparitions is famous all over the world.
On the day when St. Bernadette expected to receive the 14th visit from Our Lady, a crowd of thousands had gathered to watch as Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette. (The crowd of thousands couldn’t see Our Lady, but they had gathered because at past apparitions they had sensed the reality of the supernatural and had seen the appearance of the miraculous spring at Lourdes after the 9th apparition.)
On this particular morning, however, Our Lady didn’t appear to St. Bernadette. Bernadette was disappointed, but later in the day she felt impelled to travel back to the grotto where Our Lady usually appeared to her. Bernadette was only accompanied by a few people when she went back to the grotto (unlike in the morning), and she saw Our Lady again. Later on Bernadette explained to her cousin Jeanne-Marie why Our Lady didn’t appear to her in the morning. Jeanne-Marie relates their conversation:
Jeanne-Marie: “‘I have heard that you did not see the Lady this morning. It’s possible that you will not see her tomorrow either.’ She answered me: ‘But I did see her during the day.’ I asked her: ‘Why did you not see her this morning?’ She replied that the Lady had told her: ‘You did not see me this morning because there were some people there who wished to see what you look like in my presence, and they are unworthy of it: they spent the night at the grotto and they dishonored it.’” (Abbe Francois Trochu, St. Bernadette Soubirous, Tan Books, pp. 134-135)
Dear Brother Michael,
After hearing you on Coast to Coast a few nights ago, I have been compelled to re-think some things. I have been struggling with my Catholic faith for most of my life. 1) Which version of the Bible do you consider the one to study and follow?
Sincerely,
Susie
The Douay-Rheims bible is a good Catholic bible to have. The Douay-Rheims with the Haydock Catholic Commentary is even better (it’s a big, red 3-volume set). However, it’s not enough to just study the bible. One must know the basic Catholic dogmas, and especially those which pertain to the current crisis. As the bible teaches, there are many passages in Sacred Scripture which are hard to understand, and which people twist to their own damnation. (more…)
The 1917 Code of Canon Law has a very interesting canon on adulterers which people should be aware of:
Canon 1129- “1. Because of the adultery of a spouse, the other spouse, the bond remaining, has the right of dissolving, even in perpetuity, the communion of life, unless he consented to the crime, or gave cause for it, or otherwise expressly or tacitly condoned it, or indeed himself committed the same crime.
2. Tacit condonation is considered [to have occurred] if the innocent spouse, after being made certain of the crime of adultery, freely engages in marital affection with the other spouse; but it is presumed unless, within six months, he expels or abandons the adulterous spouse, or makes legitimate accusation against the other.”
In other words, a spouse who continues marital affections with a spouse whom he or she knows to be committing adultery thereby condones his or her adultery and is also guilty, even if that spouse did not commit adultery. This fact, which is probably very little known but which makes perfect sense, shows us, once again, how those who fail to oppose evil become guilty of it.
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