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| Sermons of St. Vincent Ferrer |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-05-2022, 09:34 AM - Forum: Resources Online
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Sermons of St. Vincent Ferrer
Found here.
![[Image: proxy-image?piurl=http%3A%2F%2Farchive.w...83df497553]](https://www.startpage.com/av/proxy-image?piurl=http%3A%2F%2Farchive.wf-f.org%2FWFFResource%2FStVincentFerrer.jpg&sp=1649165623Tc4a23b04f6fc551bac32c3c6b7041b75312131f18055d4191c5aab83df497553)
Sermon on the Last Judgment – Mt 25:33 Sheep and goats
First Sunday of Advent. Sermon 1 – Part one -The theme
Second Sunday of Advent- Sermon on the Last Judgment
Third Sunday of Advent — The Voice of One Crying Out in the Wilderness
Sermon on the Incarnation
Sermon for Christmas Eve
On Christmas — “This day is born to you a Savior,” (Lk 2:11)
On Epiphany — “And falling down they adored him,” (Mt 2:11)
On the Baptism of Christ — “I ought to be baptized by you,” (Mt 3:14)
On the Six Jugs of Cana — “Now there were set there six…” (Jn 2:6)
On the Conversion of St. Paul — “…a vessel of election,” (Acts 9:15)
On the Purification of the BVM (Presentation of the Lord) — (Lk 2:22)
On St. Blaise (Feb. 3) — (Jn 12:24)
On the Cure of the Centurion’s Servant — (Mt 8:7)
Ash Wednesday (Mt 6:16-18)
On Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving (Mt 6)
1st Sunday of Lent: Jesus is Tempted in the Desert (Mt 4:1-11)
2nd Sunday of Lent: The Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-9)
3rd Sunday of Lent: The Samaritan Woman at the Well (Jn 14:5-42)
4th Sunday of Lent: The Cure of the Man Born Blind (Jn 9:1-38)
5th Sunday of Lent: The Raising of Lazarus (Jn 11:1-46)
Palm Sunday (Mt 21:1-9)
Holy Thursday: The Lord’s Supper
Good Friday: The Passion of the Lord (Jn 18-19)
Holy Saturday (Col 3)
Easter Sunday: Sermon 1
Easter Sunday: Sermon 2
Easter Octave (Jn 20:26-29)
The Good Shepherd (Jn 10:12-16)
The Ascension (Acts 1:9-11)
Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
Pentecost 2 (Jn 14:27-29)
Holy Trinity 1 (Jn 3:9-11, 1 Jn 5:7)
Holy Trinity 2 (Jn 3:1-3)
Corpus Christi 1 (1 Cor 11:23-27)
Corpus Christi 2 (1 Cor 11:24)
Ninth Sunday in OT (Mt 7:21)
Tenth Sunday in OT (Mt 9:9-13, The call of Matthew)
Eleventh Sunday in OT (Mt 9:18-26, Daughter is raised, woman healed)
June 24 On St. John the Baptist 3 (Lk 1:66)
June 29 On St. Peter (Mt 16:17)
On St. James, Apostle (Eph 2:1)
On St. Ann, Mother of the BVM (Rom 6:22)
On St. Dominic (Mt 5:13)
On the Assumption of the BVM Sermon I (Lk 10:38-42)
On Perseverance (Mt 10:22)
On Predestination (Jn 15:4)
On Aging (Eph 4:23)
Sept. 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Letter to Benedict XIII on the Last Judgment
Treatise on the Spiritual Life: Chapters 1-3
The Life of Christ As Seen in the Parts of the Mass
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| Colorado legalizes abortion until the moment of birth |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-05-2022, 09:13 AM - Forum: Abortion
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Colorado legalizes abortion until the moment of birth
'A fertilized egg, embryo or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state,' states Colorado's new bill.
![[Image: Gov.-Jared-Polis-810x500.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Gov.-Jared-Polis-810x500.jpg)
Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado's Democrat governor, in a December 2021 interview with NBC.
Apr 4, 2022
DENVER (LifeSiteNews) — Democrat Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado signed a bill into law on Monday that allows babies to be killed in the womb up until the moment of birth.
“No matter what the Supreme Court does in the future, people in Colorado will be able to choose when and if they have children,” Polis said at the signing ceremony in downtown Denver, referencing the possible reversal of Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks.
“We want to make sure that our state is a place where everyone can live and work and thrive and raise a family on their own terms,” the pro-abortion politician added.
The bill itself states that it will be illegal in Colorado to “deny, restrict, interfere with or discriminate against an individual’s fundamental right to use or refuse contraception or to continue a pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion,” while adding that “a fertilized egg, embryo or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state.”
“Besides the all-out war against children in-utero, because it defines abortion as a right, the law could also be used to attempt to force medical professionals to commit or participate in abortions. There are zero conscience protections in the law,” reacted pro-life advocate Lila Rose on social media.
“Abortion at 9 months?!” added musician Flint Bedrock, “That’s murder!”
The signing of the bill comes just ahead of the highly anticipated U.S. Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization expected in June, which pro-lifers hope could reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent that legalized abortion countrywide.
While many Republican states such as Wyoming, Arizona, and Florida are seeking to ban or limit abortion following a possible reversal of Roe v. Wade, Democrats have also gone on the offensive, seeking to radically expand abortion.
AB 2223, for example, a gruesome pro-abortion bill proposed in California in February, could legalize infanticide for weeks, months, or even years after a child is born, an attorney with the Thomas More Society told LifeSiteNews.
Under AB 2223’s language, a “person shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or penalty, or otherwise deprived of their rights, based on their actions or omissions with respect to their pregnancy or actual, potential, or alleged pregnancy outcome, including miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion, or perinatal death.”
According to Thomas More Society special counsel Charles LiMandri, the proposal “exposes the false narrative that the abortion lobby has been peddling for over half a century: That no one knows when life begins, and babies in their mothers’ wombs feel no pain. No sane person can deny that a newborn infant is a fully developed human being, one that is capable of feeling intense pain. Yet, by including ‘perinatal’ in its provisions, [the bill] would authorize the brutal murder of these infants even after they are born.”
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| World Government Summit pushes for digital ‘financial system’ to underpin ‘world order’ |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-03-2022, 02:38 PM - Forum: Socialism & Communism
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World Government Summit pushes for digital ‘financial system’ to underpin ‘world order’
The implementation of a digital currency and digital identity is not a conspiracy theory, these 'global leaders' are explaining it to us out loud.
![[Image: world-government-summit-810x500.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/world-government-summit-810x500.jpg)
Dr. Malmgren at the World Government Summit, 2022.
YouTube screenshot
Fri Apr 1, 2022
(Conservative Treehouse) – The World Government Summit 2022 took place on March 29 and 30 in Dubai, hosting more than 4,000 individuals from 190 countries, including senior government officials, heads of international organizations, and global “experts.”
The invited participants presented ideas and worldviews from within their various fields of specialty.
One presentation that needs to be highlighted was from Dr. Pippa Malmgren, an American economist who served as special advisor on Economic Policy to President George W. Bush. Her father, Harald Malmgren, served as a senior aide to U.S. presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford.
In this segment, Mrs. Malmgren says the quiet part out loud. Yes, they are no longer hiding the construct; indeed, as you will hear they are saying quite openly what the future will look like.
[Full six hour video found here, with the internal segment at 18:30.]
Quote:Transcript – Dr. Malmgren: “What underpins a world order is always the financial system. I was very privileged. My father was an adviser to Nixon when they came off the gold standard in 71. And so, I was brought up with a kind of inside view of how very important the financial structure is to absolutely everything else.
And what we’re seeing in the world today, I think, is we are on the brink of a dramatic change where we are about to, and I’ll say this boldly, we’re about to abandon the traditional system of money and accounting and introduce a new one. And the new one. The new accounting is what we call blockchain.
It means digital, it means having a almost perfect record of every single transaction that happens in the economy, which will give us far greater clarity over what’s going on. It also raises huge dangers in terms of the balance of power between states and citizens.
In my opinion, we’re going to need a digital constitution of human rights if we’re going to have digital money. But also this new money will be sovereign in nature. Most people think that digital money is crypto, and private. But what I see our superpowers introducing digital currency, the Chinese were the first the US is on the brink, I think of moving in the same direction the Europeans have committed to that as well.
And the question is, will that new system of digital money and digital accounting accommodate the competing needs of the citizens of all these locations, so that every human being has a chance to have a better life? Because that’s the only measure of whether a world order really serves!”
The entry into a digital currency, needs a digital identity.
The end goal of a digital currency is why western political leaders have not been worried about following the COVID-19 spending demands from the World Economic Forum.
When the global trade currency does not need to be pegged to anything to determine value, it is completely fiat. This is the current problem with global trade and transactions taking place in U.S. dollars, which arbitrarily lifts the standard of life for Americans while providing no similar benefit to other nations.
A digital currency allows ultimate control on a global basis by a one world government, or western system of collective governments, that can assign value. No other mechanism will have as much control over the life of a person than a digital currency that will create a system of transactional credits and debits, perhaps also influenced by your social credit score.
The digital currency requires a digital identity in order for apportionment based on your value to society. This is essentially an extension of the Fabian mindset into the world of financial transactions and monetary evaluations.
Fabians believed that some form of socioeconomic tribunal would be needed in order for each citizen to be quantified according to their “worth” to society. The Chinese social credit score is a variant of that same concept.
The phrase “you didn’t build that,” when espoused by former President Obama and current Senator Elizabeth Warren is also based on this collective worldview. Both believe that individuals do not succeed independently, but rather gain their ability to grow wealth by using the resources of the larger society, infrastructure, labor and education.
The phrase “it takes a village” to raise a child, as espoused by Hillary Clinton is another variant of the same collective advocacy.
The implementation of a digital currency and digital identity is not a conspiracy theory, these “global leaders” are explaining it to us out loud. However, I am concerned that most will not hear it, or understand it, until it is too late.
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| Frontline doctor says fetal deaths up nearly 2,000 percent since COVID jab rollout |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-03-2022, 06:14 AM - Forum: Against the Children
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Frontline doctor says fetal deaths up nearly 2,000 percent since COVID jab rollout
Dr. Peterson Pierre is warning expecting mothers to “look out” for their own kids, since the CDC is not changing their COVID shot recommendations, despite the spike in preborn deaths.
Apr 2, 2022
(LifeSiteNews) — One of America’s Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) is warning pregnant women that the COVID jab rollout has coincided with a nearly 2,000 percent increase in fetal deaths, as compared to the rate during previous vaccines.
In a “Frontline Flash” segment entitled “Huge Preborn Death Spike” released Monday, Dr. Peterson Pierre presented statistics showing that the rate of fetal death per vaccine administered in the U.S. had, in fact, massively increased since the COVID shots were made available.
Pierre noted that according to the CDC, since the COVID shot rollout, there have been 550,000,000 shots administered, and 3,725 fetal deaths. This means, he pointed out, that for every 147,651 shots, there has been one fetal death.
He contrasted this with statistics from the period between 2006 and 2019. During this time, there were reportedly “4 billion shots administered,” and “1,369 fetal deaths, which equals to” one fetal death for about every 3 million shots.
“So if you do the math, you realize that since the COVID shots have been available, there’s been a 1,925 percent increase in fetal deaths,” he continued.
Pierre then urged expecting mothers to take heed of these numbers, for the sake of their children.
“Now, expecting moms, it doesn’t matter what the FDA or the CDC says. It doesn’t even matter what your doctor says,” he went on. “Because in spite of this data, the recommendation to get [COVID] shots has not changed.”
“You need to look out for your own kids. You are their protector. You have a lot to think about. That decision rests with you, not with anyone else.”
A stunning 23 of 32 pregnancies during which mothers received a Pfizer COVID shot resulted in “spontaneous abortions” (miscarriages), according to Pfizer and the FDA’s forced response to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request (32 is the number of pregnancies with known outcomes according to reports given to Pfizer), as was reported last year.
Regarding the effect of the COVID shots on “fertility problems,” the CDC has acknowledged that “results from ongoing long-term studies are not yet available.”
Medical experts have warned expecting mothers against receiving the mRNA shots, including vaccine expert Pamela Acker, and former Pfizer vice president Dr. Michael Yeadon, who told LifeSite that women of childbearing age, especially pregnant and nursing women, should entirely reject the COVID-19 gene therapy vaccines.
“You never ever give inadequately tested medicines, medicinal products, to a pregnant woman,” he stated.
Despite all this evidence of the danger the mRNA shot poses to the unborn, CDC guidelines currently recommend that “people aged 18-49 years with certain medical conditions, including pregnancy … may receive” an RNA COVID-19 shots, including a third booster dose, “based on their individual benefits and risks.”
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| Pope Frances For 1st Time Denounces Putin As "Potentate" Fomenting "Savage War" - Mulls Ukraine Trip |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-03-2022, 06:10 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
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Pope Frances For 1st Time Denounces Putin As "Potentate" Fomenting "Savage War" - Mulls Ukraine Trip
![[Image: francisukr.png?itok=Jr8-pPki]](https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/francisukr.png?itok=Jr8-pPki)
ZH | APR 02, 2022
Pope Francis on Saturday for the first time rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching a "savage" war on Ukraine, but stopped short of naming him directly.
"We had thought that invasions of other countries, savage street fighting and atomic threats were grim memories of a distant past," the Pope said during a weekend visit to the Mediterranean, largely Catholic island of Malta.
Yet it was clear precisely the world leader the Pope was referencing, given he immediately followed by saying, "Once again, some potentate, sadly caught up in anachronistic claims of nationalist interest, is provoking and fomenting conflicts, whereas ordinary people sense the need to build a future that will either be shared or not be at all."
In prior statements he's made on the conflict, he denounced the war but did not personalize it in the sense of calling out a specific "potentate" who is "fomenting conflicts".
Last month, for example, he had urged the "massacre" to stop, which he called an "unacceptable armed aggression" - yet without naming Russia.
"Faced with the barbarity of killing of children, of innocents and unarmed civilians, no strategic reasons can hold up," Francis said on March 19.
However, he's previously only named Russia while offering prayers, and after Roman Catholic groups issued requests for him to "consecrate" Russia to the Virgin Mary.
Francis also for the first time confirmed that a potential trip to Ukraine's capital of Kiev is "on the table" - this after last month offering to mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. According to The Associated Press:
Francis told reporters en route to Malta that a possible visit to Kyiv was "on the table," but no dates have been set or trip confirmed. The mayor of the Ukrainian capital had invited Francis to come as a messenger of peace along with other religious figures.
Another possibility is that the pontiff could simply go to Poland or another neighboring or adjacent Catholic-majority country, also akin to Biden speaking from Warsaw. While the vast majority of Ukraine adheres to the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Catholic minority in the country is commonly estimated at 3-4 million.
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| Canadian senators ‘bombarded’ with accusations that basic income bill is part of the Great Reset |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-02-2022, 06:37 AM - Forum: Great Reset
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Canadian senators ‘bombarded’ with accusations that basic income bill is part of the Great Reset
'This is a thing that happens when people go through manic or schizophrenic episodes,' claimed the senator.
Apr 1, 2022
OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – Canadian Senators claim to be overwhelmed with emails and calls from people concerned that a proposed “basic income” bill is part of the globalist “Great Reset” agenda.
The “Great Reset” is a far-left initiative to “to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies.”
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Alberta Senator Paula Simons and other senators have reportedly received tens of thousands of emails and calls accusing them of using Bill S-233 as the groundwork for the installation of a “new world order” totalitarian system similar to the vision of the World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset.”
“Since the trucker convoy ended we’ve been bombarded,” Simons said.
“There’s been just a really sudden, dramatic spike in letters and many of them are from people who are deep into a conspiracy theory spiral,” added the senator.
READ: Time Magazine announces ‘The Great Reset’ to usher in world socialism
While Bill S-233, if passed, would not actually guarantee a basic income for Canadians, but would rather compel World Economic Forum-linked Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to investigate such a program as a future possibility, many Canadians remain skeptical of the true motivation behind bills that have the potential to lead to further dependence on government, especially financial dependence.
These concerns have only been amplified since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the never-before-used Emergencies Act in response to the anti-COVID mandate “Freedom Convoy” protest earlier this year. Under the EA, Trudeau and Freeland were able to instruct financial institutions to freeze the bank accounts of private citizens without a court order, an unprecedented move in Canadian history.
There have been indications that the mainstream is becoming increasingly unsettled by governmental overreach and Canada’s ties to the WEF, despite the use of the term “conspiracy theory” to attempt to discredit those who are concerned.
For example, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), a reputable organization that seeks to preserve and protect individual rights, filed a lawsuit against the federal government over what they deem to be unconstitutional conduct justified under the EA.
Moreover, the mainstream outlet the National Post recently ran an opinion piece positing that Freeland’s membership at the WEF is “endangering Canadian democracy.”
While Simons correctly states that some of the concerns or accusations levied at senators are rooted in speculation rather than on what is found in the actual text of Bill S-233, such as the possibility that the government will cut the unvaccinated off from social programs, the constant demonization of the unvaccinated and Trudeau’s rhetorical question wondering if unvaccinated people should even be “tolerated” in Canadian society have been a cause for concern even among the Liberals’ opposition in the Conservative Party of Canada.
Despite this, Simons dismissed the concerns of citizens, saying, “I really do think COVID has broken a lot of people. There is a real delusional paranoia that runs through some of this mail. They’re writing to me about how this is a eugenics plot, a Masonic plot and at some point you go, ‘OK, this is really upsetting that people are preying on people who are already vulnerable.’ This is a thing that happens when people go through manic or schizophrenic episodes.”
However, it remains true that the WEF’s own chairman, Klaus Schwab, has gone on the record bragging about how his group has infiltrated Trudeau’s Cabinet and other Western democracies with its “Young Global Leaders” program.
The Canadian Bankers Association has also publicly talked about their ties to the WEF and how a fusion between the private and public sector will help achieve the goal of implementing a nationwide digital identification system, which some worry would have massive implications on personal privacy.
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| UN Warns Middle East At "Breaking Point" As Food Prices Hit Alarming Highs |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-01-2022, 08:06 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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UN Warns Middle East At "Breaking Point" As Food Prices Hit Alarming Highs
ZH | APR 01, 2022
Could it only be a matter of time before food riots erupt across the Middle East?
Even before Russia invaded Ukraine and disrupted the global food supply, menacing food inflation ripped around the world, crushing emerging market households the hardest.
A new report Thursday via the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) warns a toxic combination of the conflict in Ukraine, economic disruptions due to COVID-19, and climate volatility resulting in bad harvests, are driving food prices to record highs as fears of shortages flourish.
WFP said millions of Middle Eastern and North African families struggle to buy even the most basic foods to keep hunger at bay.
"People's resilience is at a breaking point. This crisis is creating shock waves in the food markets that touch every home in this region. No one is spared," Corinne Fleischer, WFP Regional Director said.
For example, the cost of basic food for a family in Lebanon registered an annual increase of 351%, the highest in the region, followed by Syria with a near 100% rise, and Yemen at 81%. These three countries are incredibly reliant on food imports and prone to currency depreciation. A devastating drought has reduced Syria's annual wheat production, while Ukraine's grain exports have ceased.
WFP's warning reminds us of everyone's favorite permabear, SocGen's Albert Edwards, opined two years ago about future agricultural price shocks and how it could spark another Arab Spring.
Russia and Ukraine export about a quarter of the global wheat trade, about a fifth of corn, and 12% of all calories traded globally. With trading disrupted in both countries, soaring prices and shortages are beginning to impact Middle Eastern and North African countries.
Bloomberg data shows the most reliant countries on Ukraine wheat are Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Turkey. These countries are also the most prone to social unrest.
If the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization is correct, food prices could jump another 20%, further pressuring emerging market households.
WFP's warning that millions of families in the countries noted above are at "breaking points" because of rapid food inflation may suggest Edward's Arab Spring 2.0 could be nearing.
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| Billionaire-Owned Bloomberg Says Americans Should Eat Lentils to Cope With Inflation |
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Posted by: Stone - 04-01-2022, 08:03 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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Billionaire-Owned Bloomberg Says Americans Should Eat Lentils & Let Their Pets Die to Cope With Inflation
Also urges people to give up their cars and use public transport.
Summit News | 21 March, 2022
Billionaire-owned news outlet Bloomberg says Americans should cope with soaring inflation by eating lentils instead of meat and saving on vets bills by letting their pets die.
Yes, really.
The article, headlined Inflation Stings Most If You Earn Less Than $300K. Here’s How to Deal, tells Americans they should consider giving up their cars and using public transport because fares have only risen by 8% compared to a 38% rise for gasoline.
The war in Ukraine, which is being prolonged by the legacy media’s lionization of President Zelensky and calls for a no fly zone, is also blamed for soaring inflation and food prices, despite the fact this was already happening for months beforehand under the Biden administration.
“Though your palate may not be used to it, tasty meat substitutes include vegetables (where prices are up a little over 4%, or lentils and beans, which are up about 9%). Plan to cut out the middle creature and consume plants directly. It’s a more efficient, healthier and cheaper way to get calories,” states the article.
Well, at least they didn’t suggest Americans eat bugs or drink sewage, which is what the World Economic Forum suggests.
http://www.informationliberation.com/fil...-forum.jpg
Before Thanksgiving, the St. Louis Fed also urged consumers to swap turkey for “soybean-based dinners.”
The International Energy Agency (IEA) also helpfully suggests Americans should reign in their driving, including by reducing speeds on highways, to save money on skyrocketing gas costs.
The article also suggested that Americans should forget about trying to save their beloved dog’s life if it is struck down by cancer.
“If you’re one of the many Americans who became a new pet owner during the pandemic, you might want to rethink those costly pet medical needs. It may sound harsh, but researchers actually don’t recommend pet chemotherapy — which can cost up to $10,000 — for ethical reasons.”
Bloomberg News is owned by businessman and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, who enjoys a net worth of $82 billion dollars.
Let them eat lentils!
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| Liberal clergy hold closed door meeting to strategize against Francis’ ‘opposition’ |
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Posted by: Stone - 03-31-2022, 09:20 AM - Forum: Vatican II and the Fruits of Modernism
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Liberal clergy, prominent US Catholics hold closed door meeting to strategize against Francis’ ‘opposition’
The meeting has been likened to the meetings of the Sankt Gallen Mafia in Europe.
![[Image: Cupich-810x500.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cupich-810x500.jpg)
Wed Mar 30, 2022
CHICAGO (LifeSiteNews) — A select group of high-ranking U.S. prelates, along with the Papal Nuncio and Vatican curial officials, secretively gathered in Chicago recently to “understand the spirit of what they call the ‘opposition’” to Pope Francis, and to promote the ideology of Vatican II.
Between March 25 and 26, as Pope Francis was praying the act of consecration of Russia and Ukraine, a conference was held at Loyola University Chicago entitled “Pope Francis, Vatican II, and the Way Forward.”
Jointly sponsored by Boston College’s Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, along with Loyola University Chicago’s Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, and Fordham’s Center on Religion and Culture, the conference was conducted almost entirely under the media radar.
Writing March 25 (in the only report of the event at the time), The Torch revealed that the event was the brainchild of Fr. Mark Massa, S.J. – the director of the Boisi Center – and Michael Sean Winters, a senior editor for the dissident National Catholic Reporter (NCR).
The conference itself was billed as a place wherein theologians and clerics could meet and discuss, in imitation of the Common Ground event, begun in 1996 by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, known for his promotion of ecumenism and reputed homosexual tendencies.
Meeting of ‘centrist bishops,’ prominent prelates bound by moderate secrecy
Fr. Massa told The Torch of the selectively invited participants, saying that in addition to unnamed members of Catholic media, the participants included “centrist bishops … who are open to having a conversation.”
Among the participants were a number of high-ranking prelates, including two of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal Advisers – Cardinal Sean O’Malley and Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga; the Papal Nuncio to the U.S., Archbishop Christophe Pierre; and prominent Vatican nun Sister Nathalie Becquart, who plays a key role in the Synod on Synodality.
Chicago’s Cardinal Blaise Cupich also attended, along with Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishops Mitchell Rozanski, John Wester, Charles Thompson and Roberto González Nieves, as well as Archbishop Héctor Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, the president of the Episcopal Conference of Latin America.
The Pillar’s J.D. Flynn noted how “several” journalists from the NCR were in attendance, along with “liberal theologian” Massimo Faggioli, and theology professor M. Therese Lysaught, who is a corresponding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life and a promoter of the abortion-tainted COVID jabs.
Adding to the secrecy surrounding the event, Chatham House Rules were in effect, by which, as Fr. Massa stated, “the quotes can be quoted but nobody can be ascribed.”
Aim to link ‘opposition to Pope Francis … to Vatican II’
Speaking to The Torch, Massa revealed the aim of the conference was to link “opposition” to Pope Francis to opposition of the Second Vatican Council: “We want to show that opposition to Pope Francis, not universally, but to a large extent is opposition to Vatican II. Francis is trying to cash the check that Vatican II wrote: synodality was the big thing.”
Praising the theme of synodality, Massa said that its aim and meaning was for a localized re-orientation of the Church, in which “every national church, every group of dioceses, should have a synod to talk about local things in conversation with each other.” This would eliminate the process of appealing to Rome, he added.
Speaking to the National Catholic Reporter after the conference, scandal-ridden Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga shed further light on the meeting, saying it was to “understand the spirit of what they call the ‘opposition.’”
“We have this what they call ‘opposition’ to the Pope,” he said. “It’s trying to build walls, going backwards — looking to the old liturgy or maybe things before Vatican II.”
Maradiaga lamented how “Vatican II is unknown by many of the young generation,” adding that “it’s necessary to come back and to see that all the reforms of Pope Francis are rooted in Vatican II.”
Among the keynote speeches delivered at the conference were “Opposition to Francis Rooted in Abandonment of Vatican II as a Source of Renewal” by Faggioli; “Reclaiming the Moral and Intellectual Tradition from the Culture Wars” by Lysaught; “The Money, Media, and Networks that Oppose Pope Francis” by Fr. Massa; “Pastoral-Theological Ideas for Affective Collegiality with Pope Francis and Receiving Vatican II” by Boston College theologian Hosffman Ospino.
Long-term goals of secretive Chicago meeting
The Chicago meeting does not appear likely to be an isolated event, according to Fr. Massa, who suggested the meeting would be held either as an “annual or semi-annual event” at which “bishops and theologians can talk frankly to each other about important things that really get buried in the press.”
The goal, he stated, was to move the Catholic Church in America “away from these culture wars divided between conservatives and liberals … to a united position where it’s possible to be on a spectrum of positions and still be considered a good Catholic and not be called names by people who disagree with you.”
Such a goal appears to be behind the selective invitation of “centrist” bishops, along with members of the media noted for their deviation from Catholic tradition.
LifeSiteNews contacted the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Archdiocese of Boston and Loyola University Chicago’s Hank Center, seeking further information about the conference, as well as the reason for general avoidance of the media. No response was received at the time of publication.
Shedding some light on the importance and predicted outcome of the event was Faggioli, who tweeted on the conference’s opening day about “interesting days today and tomorrow for the US Catholic Church,” adding later how he was “honored” to be speaking at “this great conference.”
Some Catholics have likened the conference to meetings of the Sankt Gallen Mafia, the secretive clerical group which is thought to have been behind Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise resignation.
“Looks like the USA has its very own Sankt Gallen group,” wrote Deacon Nick Donnelly.
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| Antonio Ruffini |
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Posted by: Stone - 03-31-2022, 08:48 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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In the days leading up to Pope Francis' Consecration on March 25th, 2022, a video was widely circulated in which Fr. Paul Kramer, in a video interview with Fr. Gruner in 2012, answered a question about who would perform the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart.
I first saw this video on gloria.tv and on three other sites but here is a version on YouTube:
Fr. Kramer's reliance on the authority of the alleged stigmatist Antonio Ruffini piqued my interest as I had never heard of this man but assumed he must be quite important for Fr. Kramer to note that Pope Pius XII had a chapel built on the site of his receiving of the stigmata. Most importantly, I wanted to know if he was an approved mystic. We all know that since Vatican II it can be hard to use that criterion (Church approval) but if Pius XII was aware and seemingly approved of Mr. Ruffini's mystical experiences, it should be easily discoverable.
If anyone can add to what I've been able to find out I would be most appreciative because actually there has been precious little I could find. What I did learn however didn't inspire confidence. But let me say that these concerns are superficial and somewhat subjective and that is why I am asking if anyone has anything more concrete to offer.
So here is what was discovered...
One of the top sites that comes up when researching Mr. Ruffini was this one which stated:
Quote:
Antonio Ruffini was born in Rome in 1907 on the 8 December, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. He was named in honour of St Anthony, the eldest of three boys and lived in a devout family with a very caring attitude to the poor. His mother died when Antonio was very young. Antonio only had a primary school education but, from an early age, he prayed with his heart rather than from books. He had his first vision of Jesus and Mary when he was 17 years old. He saved his money and went to Africa as a lay missionary. He stayed for a year visiting all the villages, entering the huts to take care of the sick and to baptise the newborns. He went back to Africa a few more times and seemed to have the gift of xenoglossy, which is the ability to speak and understand foreign languages without ever having studied them. He even knew the dialects of the various tribes. He was also a healer in Africa . He would ask the people questions about their ailments and then God would heal them with the herbal remedies that Antonio would find, boil and hand out. He didn’t know what he was doing - it was all instinctive. Word soon got around to the other villages.
The manifestation of the bloody stigmata in Antonio Ruffini occurred August 12, 1951 while returning from work as a representative of a company wrapping paper, along the Via Appia, from Rome to Terracina, on an old car. It was very hot and Ruffini was seized with unbearable thirst. After stopping the car, he went in search of a fountain he found shortly after. Suddenly, he saw a woman in the fountain, barefoot, covered in a black cloak, which he believed to be a local peasant also came drink. Just arrived, she said, "Drink if you are thirsty! "And added:" How did you hurt? "Ruffini, who approached her hands like a cup to drink a sip of water, saw that the water was changed into blood. Seeing this, Ruffini, without understanding what was happening, turned to the lady. She smiled at him, and immediately began talking to him about God and his love for men. He was surprised to hear his truly sublime words and in particular those referrer sacrifice of the Cross.
When the vision disappeared, Ruffini, moved and delighted, walked to the car, but when he tried to start, he noticed that on the back and the palms of his hands were open appeared large bubbles of reddish blood shed as if was bleeding. A few days later, he was suddenly awakened in the night by a loud noise from wind and rain and got up to close the window. But he saw to his astonishment that the sky was full of stars and the night was quiet. He remarked even time at his feet a little moisture, something unusual and noticed with surprise, that on the back and on the soles of his feet had appeared wounds like those he had on his hands. From that time, Antonio Ruffini is given completely to men, charity, the sick and the spiritual assistance of humanity.
Antonio Ruffini had the stigmata on his hands for over 40 years. They went clear through his palms and have been examined by doctors, who could offer no rational explanation. In spite of the fact that the wounds went clear through his hands they never become infected. Venerable Pope Pius XII authorized the blessing of a chapel on the spot where Ruffini received the stigmata on the Via Appia, and Father Tomaselli, the miracle worker, wrote a booklet about him. Riffuni is also reported to have had the gift of bilocation. After receiving the stigmata Antonio became a member of the Third Order of St Francis and took a vow of obedience. He was a very humble man. Whenever someone asked to see the stigmata, he would mumble a short prayer, kiss the crucifix, remove his gloves and say: “Here they are. Jesus gave me these wounds and, if He wants, He can take them away.”
Father Kramer some years ago wrote these comments with regard to Antonio Ruffini: “I myself knew Ruffini for many years. In the early 1990s Ruffini was asked point blank in his home: “Is John Paul II the Pope who is going to do the Consecration of Russia ?” He answered: “No, it’s not John Paul. It will not be his immediate successor either, but the one after that. He is the one who will consecrate Russia."
Antonio Ruffini died at age 92, and even in his death bed, vehemently stated that the wounds in his hands, similar to what Christ had to leave the nails for the crucifixion, were "God's Gift.
Side note: The very modernist painting of the 'crucifixion' above Mr. Ruffini's head in the above photograph did not inspire confidence in his authenticity. The website doesn't state if that photograph of Mr. Ruffini is in his home (meaning the painting is his) but it is hard to imagine Padre Pio for example, posing for a photograph under such an abominable rendition of the crucifixion.
Another website advertising a book about Mr. Ruffini notes the following brief description:
Quote:Antonio Ruffini was born in Rome in 1907. At the age of 17, he had his first Marian vision, in which he was told that he would carry the Cross of Calvary. Despite this call to religious life, Antonio continued to live as a layman, marrying and becoming a commercial agent. However, on 12 August 1951, at the age of 44, he saw a mendicant child and a woman dressed in black. The woman was the Sorrowful Virgin and she informed him that he had been chosen as a sacrificial victim soul. On the same day, the visible stigmata appeared on his hands. In the following weeks, they also appeared on his feet and chest. Antonio communicated the news to his family and to the Roman clergy, dividing the community between sceptics and the faithful.
He subsequently joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, and undertook several missions in Africa, where he was a miracle worker and had visions and prophecies. His stigmata were always open and they bled every Friday, especially during Lent.[Emphasis mine.]
The circumstances described in these brief descriptions of the 'receiving of the stigmata' seem to contradict what the Church normally looks for in determining if the occurrence of a stigmata is legitimate: 2. The stigmata all appear at the same time. and 3. The stigmata appear spontaneously while the person prays in ecstasy. But that being said, this website is Conciliar so maybe these criterion are not traditional.
Now because there is little in English about Mr. Ruffini we are relying very much on Fr. Kramer's words about him. There is a book written by a woman named Anna Maria Turi in 2012 in Italian and I believe another booklet published by a Father Tomaselli (supposedly in Italian?) of which I cannot find an online copy.
I can find nothing about the chapel supposedly commissioned by Pope Pius XII over the site of his stigmata. One book cover notes that Ruffini himself built the chapel. But again, most of what is known about about Mr. Ruffini is in Italian and what little is available in English is primarily the recommendation/promotion by Fr. Kramer.
However, all that being said, if this Antonio Ruffini is legitimate, according to Fr. Kramer it would not be Pope Benedict XVI who would consecrate Russia but Benedict's successor - who we all know is Pope Francis.
Another side note, Fr. Gruner too, later in that same interview does not assume Antonio Ruffini is correct, he merely says, "if Antonion Ruffini is correct, then Pope Benedict XVI is the pope of the assassination" (as noted in the semi-released Third Secret of Fatima by the Vatican in 2000).
Again, if anyone can offer something more concrete than what has been shared here, it would be most helpful.
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| Mystical Stigmata [1912 Catholic Encyclopedia] |
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Posted by: Stone - 03-30-2022, 12:56 PM - Forum: Church Doctrine & Teaching
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To decide merely the facts without deciding whether or not they may be explained by supernatural causes, history tells us that many ecstatics bear on hands, feet, side, or brow the marks of the Passion of Christ with corresponding and intense sufferings. These are called visible stigmata. Others only have the sufferings, without any outward marks, and these phenomena are called invisible stigmata.
Facts
Their existence is so well established historically that, as a general thing, they are no longer disputed by unbelievers, who now seek only to explain them naturally. Thus a free-thinking physician, Dr. Dumas, professor of religious psychology at the Sorbonne, clearly admits the facts (Revue des Deux Mondes, 1 May, 1907), as does also Dr. Pierre Janet (Bulletin de l'Institut psychologique international, Paris, July, 1901).
St. Catherine of Siena at first had visible stigmata but through humility she asked that they might be made invisible, and her prayer was heard. This was also the case with St. Catherine de' Ricci, a Florentine Dominican of the sixteenth century, and with several other stigmatics. The sufferings may be considered the essential part of visible stigmata; the substance of this grace consists of pity for Christ, participation in His sufferings, sorrows, and for the same end--the expiation of the sins unceasingly committed in the world. If the sufferings were absent, the wounds would be but an empty symbol, theatrical representation, conducing to pride. If the stigmata really come from God, it would be unworthy of His wisdom to participate in such futility, and to do so by a miracle.
But this trial is far from being the only one which the saints have to endure: "The life of stigmatics," says Dr. Imbert, "is but a long series of sorrows which arise from the Divine malady of the stigmata and end only in death: (op. cit. infra, II, x). It seems historically certain that ecstatics alone bear the stigmata; moreover, they have visions which correspond to their rôle of co-sufferers, beholding from time to time the blood-stained scenes of the Passion.
With many stigmatics these apparitions were periodical, e.g., St. Catherine de' Ricci, whose ecstasies of the Passion began when she was twenty (1542), and the Bull of her canonization states that for twelve years they recurred with minute regularity. The ecstasy lasted exactly twenty-eight hours, from Thursday noon till Friday afternoon at four o'clock, the only interruption being for the saint to receive Holy Communion. Catherine conversed aloud, as if enacting a drama. This drama was divided into about seventeen scenes. On coming out of the ecstasy the saint's limbs were covered with wounds produced by whips, cords etc.
Dr. Imbert has attempted to count the number of stigmatics, with the following results:
1. None are known prior to the thirteenth century. The first mentioned is St. Francis of Assisi, in whom the stigmata were of a character never seen subsequently; in the wounds of feet and hands were excrescences of flesh representing nails, those on one side having round back heads, those on the other having rather long points, which bent back and grasped the skin. The saint's humility could not prevent a great many of his brethren beholding with their own eyes the existence of these wonderful wounds during his lifetime as well as after his death. The fact is attested by a number of contemporary historians, and the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis is kept on 17 September.
2. Dr. Imbert counts 321 stigmatics in whom there is every reason to believe in a Divine action. He believes that others would be found by consulting the libraries of Germany, Spain, and Italy. In this list there are 41 men.
3. There are 62 saints or blessed of both sexes of whom the best known (numbering twenty-six) were:
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226);
St. Lutgarde (1182-1246), a Cistercian;
St. Margaret of Cortona (1247-97);
St. Gertrude (1256-1302), a Benedictine;
St. Clare of Montefalco (1268-1308), an Augustinian;
Bl. Angela of Foligno (d. 1309), Franciscan tertiary;
St. Catherine of Siena (1347-80), Dominican tertiary;
St. Lidwine (1380-1433);
St. Frances of Rome (1384-1440);
St. Colette (1380-1447), Franciscan;
St. Rita of Cassia (1386-1456), Augustinian;
Bl. Osanna of Mantua (1499-1505), Dominican tertiary;
St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510), Franciscan tertiary;
Bl. Baptista Varani (1458-1524), Poor Clare;
Bl. Lucy of Narni (1476-1547), Dominican tertiary;
Bl. Catherine of Racconigi (1486-1547), Dominican;
St. John of God (1495-1550), founder of the Order of Charity;
St. Catherine de' Ricci (1522-89), Dominican;
St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi (1566-1607), Carmelite;
Bl. Marie de l'Incarnation (1566-1618), Carmelite;
Bl. Mary Anne of Jesus (1557-1620), Franciscan tertiary;
Bl. Carlo of Sezze (d. 1670), Franciscan;
Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-90), Visitandine (who had only the crown of thorns);
St. Veronica Giuliani (1600-1727), Capuchiness;
St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds (1715-91), Franciscan tertiary.
4. There were 20 stigmatics in the nineteenth century. The most famous were:
Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824), Augustinian;
Elizabeth Canori Mora (1774-1825), Trinitarian tertiary;
Anna Maria Taïgi (1769-1837);
Maria Dominica Lazzari (1815-48);
Marie de Moerl (1812-68) and Louise Lateau (1850-83), Franciscan tertiaries.
Of these, Marie de Moerl spent her life at Kaltern, Tyrol (1812-68). At the age of twenty she became an ecstatic, and ecstasy was her habitual condition for the remaining thirty-five years of her life. She emerged from it only at the command, sometimes only mental, of the Franciscan who was her director, and to attend to the affairs of her house, which sheltered a large family. Her ordinary attitude was kneeling on her bed with hands crossed on her breast, and an expression of countenance which deeply impressed spectators. At twenty-two she received the stigmata. On Thursday evening and Friday these stigmata shed very clear blood, drop by drop, becoming dry on the other days. Thousands of persons saw Marie de Moerl, among them Görres (who describes his visit in his "Mystik", II, xx), Wiseman, and Lord Shrewsbury, who wrote a defence of the ecstatic in his letters published by "The Morning Herald" and "The Tablet" (cf. Boré, op. cit. infra).
Louise Lateau spent her life in the village of Bois d'Haine, Belgium (1850-83). The graces she received were disputed even by some Catholics, who as a general thing relied on incomplete or erroneous information, as has been established by Canon Thiery ("Examen de ce qui concerne Bois d'Haine", Louvain, 1907). At sixteen she devoted herself to nursing the cholera victims of her parish, who were abandoned by most of the inhabitants. Within a month she nursed ten, buried them, and in more than one instance bore them to the cemetery. At eighteen she became an ecstatic and stigmatic, which did not prevent her supporting her family by working as a seamstress. Numerous physicians witnessed her painful Friday ecstasies and established the fact that for twelve years she took no nourishment save weekly communion. For drink she was satisfied with three or four glasses of water a week. She never slept, but passed her nights in contemplation and prayer, kneeling at the foot of her bed.
Explanations
The facts having been set forth, it remains to state the explanations that have been offered. Some physiologists, both Catholics and Free-thinkers, have maintained that the wounds might be produced in a purely natural manner by the sole action of the imagination coupled with lively emotions. The person being keenly impressed by the sufferings of the Saviour and penetrated by a great love, this preoccupation acts on her or him physically, reproducing the wounds of Christ. This would in no wise diminish his or her merit in accepting the trial, but the immediate cause of the phenomena would not be supernatural.
We shall not attempt to solve this question. Physiological science does not appear to be far enough advanced to admit a definite solution, and the writer of this article adopts the intermediate position, which seems to him unassailable, that of showing that the arguments in favour of natural explanations are illusory. They are sometimes arbitrary hypotheses, being equivalent to mere assertions, sometimes arguments based exaggerated or misinterpreted facts. But if the progress of medical sciences and psycho-physiology should present serious objections, it must be remembered that neither religion or mysticism is dependent on the solution of these questions, and that in processes of canonization stigmata do not count as incontestable miracles.
No one has ever claimed that imagination could produce wounds in a normal subject; it is true that this faculty can act slightly on the body, as Benedict XIV said, it may accelerate or retard the nerve-currents, but there is no instance of its action on the tissues (De canoniz., III, xxxiii, n. 31). But with regard to persons in an abnormal condition, such as ecstasy or hypnosis, the question is more difficult; and, despite numerous attempts, hypnotism has not produced very clear results. At most, and in exceedingly rare cases, it has induced exudations or a sweat more or less coloured, but this is a very imperfect imitation. Moreover, no explanation has been offered of three circumstances presented by the stigmata of the saints:
- Physicians do not succeed in curing these wounds with remedies.
- On the other hand, unlike natural wounds of a certain duration, those of stigmatics do not give forth a fetid odour. To this there is known but one exception: St. Rita of Cassia had received on her brow a supernatural wound produced by a thorn detached from the crown of the crucifix. Though this emitted an unbearable odour, there was never any suppuration or morbid alteration of the tissues.
- Sometimes these wounds give forth perfumes, for example those of Juana of the Cross, Franciscan prioress of Toledo, and Bl. Lucy of Narni.
To sum up, there is only one means of proving scientifically that the imagination, that is auto-suggestion, may produce stigmata: instead of hypothesis, analogous facts in the natural order must be produced, namely wounds produced apart from a religious idea. This had not been done.
With regard to the flow of blood it has been objected that there have been bloody sweats, but Dr. Lefebvre, professor of medicine at Louvain, has replied that such cases as have been examined by physicians were not due to a moral cause, but to a specific malady. Moreover, it has often been proved by the microscope that the red liquid which oozes forth is not blood; its colour is due to a particular substance, and it does not proceed from a wound, but is due, like sweat, to a dilatation of the pores of the skin. But it may be objected that we unduly minimize the power of the imagination, since, joined to an emotion, it can produce sweat; and as the mere idea of having an acid bon-bon in the mouth produces abundant saliva, so, too, the nerves acted upon by the imagination might produce the emission of a liquid and this liquid might be blood. The answer is that in the instances mentioned there are glands (sudoriparous and salivary) which in the normal state emit a special liquid, and it is easy to understand that the imagination may bring about this secretion; but the nerves adjacent to the skin do not terminate in a gland emitting blood, and without such an organ they are powerless to produce the effects in question. What has been said of the stigmatic wounds applies also to the sufferings. There is not a single experimental proof that imagination could produce them, especially in violent forms.
Another explanation of these phenomena is that the patients produce the wounds either fraudulently or during attacks of somnambulism, unconsciously. But physicians have always taken measures to avoid these sources of error, proceeding with great strictness, particularly in modern times. Sometimes the patient has been watched night and day, sometimes the limbs have been enveloped in sealed bandages. Mr. Pierre Janet placed on one foot of a stigmatic a copper shoe with a window in it through which the development of the wound might be watched, while it was impossible for anyone to touch it (op. cit. supra).
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