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| Pope Leo XIII: Divinum Illud Munus - On the Holy Ghost |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-09-2025, 07:54 AM - Forum: Encyclicals
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DIVINUM ILLUD MUNUS
On Reparation the Holy Ghost
To Our Venerable Brethren, The Patriarchs, Primates,
Archbishops, Bishops, and other Local Ordinaries having
Peace and Communion with the Holy See.
Venerable Brethren, Health and the Apostolic Benediction.
That divine office which Jesus Christ received from His Father for the welfare of mankind, and most perfectly fulfilled, had for its final object to put men in possession of the eternal life of glory, and proximately during the course of ages to secure to them the life of divine grace, which is destined eventually to blossom into the life of heaven. Wherefore, our Saviour never ceases to invite, with infinite affection, all men, of every race and tongue, into the bosom of His Church: "Come ye all to Me," "I am the Life," "I am the Good Shepherd." Nevertheless, according to His inscrutable counsels, He did not will to entirely complete and finish this office Himself on earth, but as He had received it from the Father, so He transmitted it for its completion to the Holy Ghost. It is consoling to recall those assurances which Christ gave to the body of His disciples a little before He left the earth: "It is expedient to you that I go: for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you: but if I go, I will send Him to you" (1 John xvi., 7). In these words He gave as the chief reason of His departure and His return to the Father, the advantage which would most certainly accrue to His followers from the coming of the Holy Ghost, and, at the same time, He made it clear that the Holy Ghost is equally sent by-and therefore proceeds from-Himself and the Father; that He would complete, in His office of Intercessor, Consoler, and Teacher, the work which Christ Himself had begun in His mortal life. For, in the redemption of the world, the completion of the work was by Divine Providence reserved to the manifold power of that Spirit, who, in the creation, "adorned the heavens" (Job xxvi., 13), and "filled the whole world" (Wisdom i., 7).
The Two Principal Aims of Our Pontificate
2. Now We have earnestly striven, by the help of His grace, to follow the example of Christ, Our Saviour, the Prince of Pastors, and the Bishop of our Souls, by diligently carrying on His office, entrusted by Him to the Apostles and chiefly to Peter, "whose dignity faileth not, even in his unworthy successor" (St. Leo the Great, Sermon ii., On the Anniversary of his Election). In pursuance of this object We have endeavoured to direct all that We have attempted and persistently carried out during a long pontificate towards two chief ends: in the first place, towards the restoration, both in rulers and peoples, of the principles of the Christian life in civil and domestic society, since there is no true life for men except from Christ; and, secondly, to promote the reunion of those who have fallen away from the Catholic Church either by heresy or by schism, since it is most undoubtedly the will of Christ that all should be united in one flock under one Shepherd. But now that We are looking forward to the approach of the closing days of Our life, Our soul is deeply moved to dedicate to the Holy Ghost, who is the life-giving Love, all the work We have done during Our pontificate, that He may bring it to maturity and fruitfulness. In order the better and more fully to carry out this Our intention, We have resolved to address you at the approaching sacred season of Pentecost concerning the indwelling and miraculous power of the Holy Ghost; and the extent and efficiency of His action, both in the whole body of the Church and in the individual souls of its members, through the glorious abundance of His divine graces. We earnestly desire that, as a result, faith may be aroused in your minds concerning the mystery of the adorable Trinity, and especially that piety may increase and be inflamed towards the Holy Ghost, to whom especially all of us owe the grace of following the paths of truth and virtue; for, as St. Basil said, "Who denieth that the dispensations concerning man, which have been made by the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, according to the goodness of God, have been fulfilled through the grace of the Spirit?" (Of the Holy Ghost, c. xvi., v. 39).
The Catholic Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity
3. Before We enter upon this subject, it will be both desirable and useful to say a few words about the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity. This dogma is called by the doctors of the Church "the substance of the New Testament," that is to say, the greatest of all mysteries, since it is the fountain and origin of them all. In order to know and contemplate this mystery, the angels were created in Heaven and men upon earth. In order to teach more fully this mystery, which was but foreshadowed in the Old Testament, God Himself came down from the angels unto men: "No man bath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He bath declared Him" (John i., 18). Whosoever then writes or speaks of the Trinity must keep before His eyes the prudent warning of the Angelic Doctor: "When we speak of the Trinity, we must do so with caution and modesty, for, as St. Augustine saith, nowhere else are more dangerous errors made, or is research more difficult, or discovery more fruitful" (Summ. Th. la., q. xxxi. De Trin. 1 L, c. 3). The danger that arises is lest the Divine Persons be confounded one with the other in faith or worship, or lest the one Nature in them be separated: for "This is the Catholic Faith, that we should adore one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity." Therefore Our predecessor Innocent XII, absolutely refused the petition of those who desired a special festival in honour of God the Father. For, although the separate mysteries connected with the Incarnate Word are celebrated on certain fixed days, yet there is no special feast on which the Word is honoured according to His Divine Nature alone. And even the Feast of Pentecost was instituted in the earliest times, not simply to honour the Holy Ghost in Himself, but to commemorate His coming, or His external mission. And all this has been wisely ordained, lest from distinguishing the Persons men should be led to distinguish the Divine Essence. Moreover the Church, in order to preserve in her children the purity of faith, instituted the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, which John XXII. afterwards extended to the Universal Church. He also permitted altars and churches to be dedicated to the Blessed Trinity, and, with the divine approval, sanctioned the Order for the Ransom of Captives, which is specially devoted to the Blessed Trinity and bears Its name. Many facts confirm its truths. The worship paid to the saints and angels, to the Mother of God, and to Christ Himself, finally redounds to the honour of the Blessed Trinity. In prayers addressed to one Person, there is also mention of the others; in the litanies after the individual Persons have been separately invoked, a common invocation of all is added: all psalms and hymns conclude with the doxology to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; blessings, sacred rites, and sacraments are either accompanied or concluded by the invocation of the Blessed Trinity. This was already foreshadowed by the Apostle in those words: "For of Him, and by Him, and in Him, are all things: to Him be glory for ever" (Rom. xi., 36), thereby signifying both the Trinity of Persons and the Unity of Nature: for as this is one and the same in each of the Persons, so to each is equally owing supreme glory, as to one and the same God. St. Augustine commenting upon this testimony writes: "The words of the Apostle, of Him, and by Him, and in Him are not to be taken indiscriminately; of Him refers to the Father, by Him to the Son, in Him to the Holy Ghost" (De Trin. 1. vi., c. 10; 1. i., c. 6). The Church is accustomed most fittingly to attribute to the Father those works of the Divinity in which power excels, to the Son those in which wisdom excels, and those in which love excels to the Holy Ghost. Not that all perfections and external operations are not common to the Divine Persons; for "the operations of the Trinity are indivisible, even as the essence of the Trinity is indivisible" (St. Aug., De Trin., I. 1, cc. 4-5); because as the three Divine Persons "are inseparable, so do they act inseparably" (St. Aug., i6.). But by a certain comparison, and a kind of affinity between the operations and the properties of the Persons, these operations are attributed or, as it is said, "appropriated" to One Person rather than to the others. "Just as we make use of the traces of similarity or likeness which we find in creatures for the manifestation of the Divine Persons, so do we use Their essential attributes; and this manifestation of the Persons by Their essential attributes is called appropriation" (St. Th. la., q. 39, xxxix., a. 7). In this manner the Father, who is "the principle of the whole God-head" (St. Aug. De Trin. 1 iv., c. 20) is also the efficient cause of all things, of the Incarnation of the Word, and the sanctification of souls; "of Him are all things": of Him, referring to the Father. But the Son, the Word, the Image of God is also the exemplar cause, whence all creatures borrow their form and beauty, their order and harmony. He is for us the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the Reconciles of man with God. "By Him are all things": by Him, referring to the Son. The Holy Ghost is the ultimate cause of all things, since, as the will and all other things finally rest in their end, so He, who is the Divine Goodness and the Mutual Love of the Father and Son, completes and perfects, by His strong yet gentle power, the secret work of man's eternal salvation. "In Him are all things": in Him, referring to the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost and the Incarnation
4. Having thus paid the due tribute of faith and worship owing to the Blessed Trinity, and which ought to be more and more inculcated upon the Christian people, we now turn to the exposition of the power of the Holy Ghost. And, first of all, we must look to Christ, the Founder of the Church and the Redeemer of our race. Among the external operations of God, the highest of all is the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, in which the splendour of the divine perfections shines forth so brightly that nothing more sublime can even be imagined, nothing else could have been more salutary to the human race. Now this work, although belonging to the whole Trinity, is still appropriated especially to the Holy Ghost, so that the Gospels thus speak of the Blessed Virgin: "She was found with child of the Holy Ghost," and "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. i., 18, 20). And this is rightly attributed to Him who is the love of the Father and the Son, since this "great mystery of piety" (1 Tim. iii., 16) proceeds from the infinite love of God towards man, as St. John tells us: "God so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son" (John iii., 16). Moreover, human nature was thereby elevated to a personal union with the Word; and this dignity is given, not on account of any merits, but entirely and absolutely through grace, and therefore, as it were, through the special gift of the Holy Ghost. On this point St. Augustine writes: "This manner in which Christ was born of the Holy Ghost, indicates to us the grace of God, by which humanity, with no antecedent merits, at the first moment of its existence, was united with the Word of God, by so intimate a personal union, that He, who was the Son of Man, was also the Son of God, and He who was the Son of God was also the Son of Man" (Enchir., c. xl. St. Th., 3a., q. xxxii., a. 1). By the operation of the Holy Spirit, not only was the conception of Christ accomplished, but also the sanctification of His soul, which, in Holy Scripture, is called His "anointing" (Acts x., 38). Wherefore all His actions were" performed in the Holy Ghost" (St. Basil de Sp. S., c. xvi.), and especially the sacrifice of Himself: "Christ, through the Holy Ghost, offered Himself without spot to God" (Heb. ix., 14). Considering this, no one can be surprised that all the gifts of the Holy Ghost inundated the soul of Christ. In Him resided the absolute fullness of grace, in the greatest and most efficacious manner possible; in Him were all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, graces gratis datae, virtues, and all other gifts foretold in the prophecies of Isaias (Is. iv., I; xi., 23), and also signified in that miraculous dove which appeared at the Jordan, when Christ, by His baptism, consecrated its waters for a new sacrament. On this the words of St. Augustine may appropriately be quoted: "It would be absurd to say that Christ received the Holy Ghost when He was already thirty years of age, for He came to His baptism without sin, and therefore not without the Holy Ghost. At this time, then (that is, at His baptism), He was pleased to prefigure His Church, in which those especially who are baptized receive the Holy Ghost" (De. Trin. 1., xv., c. 26). Therefore, by the conspicuous apparition of the Holy Ghost over Christ and by His invisible power in His soul, the twofold mission of the Spirit is foreshadowed, namely, His outward and visible mission in the Church, and His secret indwelling in the souls of the just.
The Holy Ghost and the Church
5. The Church which, already conceived, came forth from the side of the second Adam in His sleep on the Cross, first showed herself before the eyes of men on the great day of Pentecost. On that day the Holy Ghost began to manifest His gifts in the mystic body of Christ, by that miraculous outpouring already foreseen by the prophet Joel (ii., 28-29), for the Paraclete "sat upon the apostles as though new spiritual crowns were placed upon their heads in tongues of fire" (S. Cyril Hier. Catech. 17). Then the apostles "descended from the mountain," as St. John Chrysostom writes, "not bearing in their hands tables of stone like Moses, but carrying the Spirit in their mind, and pouring forth the treasure and the fountain of doctrines and graces" (In Matt. Hom. L, 2 Cor. iii., 3). Thus was fully accomplished that last promise of Christ to His apostles of sending the Holy Ghost, who was to complete and, as it were, to seal the deposit of doctrine committed to them under His inspiration. "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now; but when He, the Spirit of Truth, shall come, He will teach you all truth" (John xvi., 12-13). For He who is the Spirit of Truth, inasmuch as He proceedeth both from the Father, who is the eternally True, and from the Son, who is the substantial Truth, receiveth from each both His essence and the fullness of all truth. This truth He communicates to His Church, guarding her by His all powerful help from ever falling into error, and aiding her to foster daily more and more the germs of divine doctrine and to make them fruitful for the welfare of the peoples. And since the welfare of the peoples, for which the Church was established, absolutely requires that this office should be continued for all time, the Holy Ghost perpetually supplies life and strength to preserve and increase the Church. "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you for ever, the Spirit of Truth" (john xiv., 16, 17).
6. By Him the bishops are constituted, and by their ministry are multiplied not only the children, but also the fathers-that is to say, the priests-to rule and feed the Church by that Blood wherewith Christ has redeemed Her. "The Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the Church of God, which He bath purchased with His own Blood" (Acts xx., 28). And both bishops and priests, by the miraculous gift of the Spirit, have the power of absolving sins, according to those words of Christ to the Apostles: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them, and whose you shall retain they are retained" (John xx., 22, 23). That the Church is a divine institution is most clearly proved by the splendour and glory of those gifts and graces with which she is adorned, and whose author and giver is the Holy Ghost. Let it suffice to state that, as Christ is the Head of the Church, so is the Holy Ghost her soul. "What the soul is in our body, that is the Holy Ghost in Christ's body, the Church" (St. Aug., Serm. 187, de Temp.). This being so, no further and fuller "manifestation and revelation of the Divine Spirit" may be imagined or expected; for that which now takes place in the Church is the most perfect possible, and will last until that day when the Church herself, having passed through her militant career, shall be taken up into the joy of the saints triumphing in heaven.
The Holy Ghost in the Souls of the Just
7. The manner and extent of the action of the Holy Ghost in individual souls is no less wonderful, although somewhat more difficult to understand, inasmuch as it is entirely invisible. This outpouring of the Spirit is so abundant, that Christ Himself, from whose gift it proceeds, compares it to an overflowing river, according to those words of St. John: "He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture saith, out of his midst shall flow rivers of living water"; to which testimony the Evangelist adds the explanation: "Now this He said of the Spirit which they should receive who believed in Him"(John vii., 38, 39). It is indeed true that in those of the just who lived before Christ, the Holy Ghost resided by grace, as we read in the Scriptures concerning the prophets, Zachary, John the Baptist, Simeon, and Anna; so that on Pentecost the Holy Ghost did not communicate Himself in such a way "as then for the first time to begin to dwell in the saints, but by pouring Himself forth more abundantly; crowning, not beginning His gifts; not commencing a new work, but giving more abundantly" (St. Leo the Great, Hom. iii., de Pentec.). But if they also were numbered among the children of God, they were in a state like that of servants, for "as long as the heir is a child he differeth nothing from a servant, but is under tutors and governors" (Gal. iv., I, 2). Moreover, not only was their justice derived from the merits of Christ who was to come, but the communication of the Holy Ghost after Christ was much more abundant, just as the price surpasses in value the earnest and the reality excels the image. Wherefore St. John declares: "As yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John vii., 39). So soon, therefore, as Christ, "ascending on high," entered into possession of the glory of His Kingdom which He had won with so much labour, He munificently opened out the treasures of the Holy Ghost: "He gave gifts to men"(Eph. iv., 8). For "that giving or sending forth of the Holy Ghost after Christ's glorification was to be such as had never been before; not that there had been none before, but it had not been of the same kind" (St. Aug., DeTrin., 1. iv. c. 20).
8. Human nature is by necessity the servant of God: "The creature is a servant; we are the servants of God by nature" (St. Cyr. Alex., Thesaur. I. v., c. 5). On account, however, of original sin, our whole nature had fallen into such guilt and dishonour that we had become enemies to God. "We were by nature the children of wrath" (Eph. ii., 3). There was no power which could raise us and deliver us from this ruin and eternal destruction. But God, the Creator of mankind and infinitely merciful, did this through His only begotten Son, by whose benefit it was brought about that man was restored so that rank and dignity whence he had fallen, and was adorned with still more abundant graces. No one can express the greatness of this work of divine grace in the souls of men. Wherefore, both in Holy Scripture and in the writings of the fathers, men are styled regenerated, new creatures, partakers of the Divine Nature, children of God, god-like, and similar epithets. Now these great blessings are justly attributed as especially belonging to the Holy Ghost. He is "the Spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba, Father." He fills our hearts with the sweetness of paternal love: "The Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God"(Rom. viii., 15-16). This truth accords with the similitude observed by the Angelic Doctor between both operations of the Holy Ghost; for through Him "Christ was conceived in holiness to be by nature the Son of God," and "others are sanctified to be the sons of God by adoption" (St. Th. 3a,q. xxxii., a. I). This spiritual generation proceeds from love in a much more noble manner than the natural: namely, from the untreated Love.
9. The beginnings of this regeneration and renovation of man are by Baptism. In this sacrament, when the unclean spirit has been expelled from the soul, the Holy Ghost enters in and makes it like to Himself. "That which is born of the Spirit, is spirit" (John iii., 6). The same Spirit gives Himself more abundantly in Confirmation, strengthening and confirming Christian life; from which proceeded the victory of the martyrs and the triumph of the virgins over temptations and corruptions. We have said that the Holy Ghost gives Himself: "the charity of God is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us" (Rom. v., 5). For He not only brings to us His divine gifts, but is the Author of them and is Himself the supreme Gift, who, proceeding from the mutual love of the Father and the Son, is justly believed to be and is called "Gift of God most High." To show the nature and efficacy of this gift it is well to recall the explanation given by the doctors of the Church of the words of Holy Scripture. They say that God is present and exists in all things, "by His power, in so far as all things are subject to His power; by His presence, inasmuch as all things are naked and open to His eyes; by His essence, inasmuch as he is present to all as the cause of their being." (St. Th. Ia, q. viii., a. 3). But God is in man, not only as in inanimate things, but because he is more fully known and loved by him, since even by nature we spontaneously love, desire, and seek after the good. Moreover, God by grace resides in the just soul as in a temple, in a most intimate and peculiar manner. From this proceeds that union of affection by which the soul adheres most closely to God, more so than the friend is united to his most loving and beloved friend, and enjoys God in all fulness and sweetness. Now this wonderful union, which is properly called "indwelling," differing only in degree or state from that with which God beatifies the saints in heaven, although it is most certainly produced by the presence of the whole Blessed Trinity- "We will come to Him and make our abode with Him," (John xiv. 23.) -nevertheless is attributed in a peculiar manner to the Holy Ghost. For, whilst traces of divine power and wisdom appear even in the wicked man, charity, which, as it were, is the special mark of the Holy Ghost, is shared in only by the just. In harmony with this, the same Spirit is called Holy, for He, the first and supreme Love, moves souls and leads them to sanctity, which ultimately consists in the love of God. Wherefore the apostle when calling us to the temple of God, does not expressly mention the Father or the Son, or the Holy Ghost: "Know ye not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God?" (1 Cor. vi. 19).The fullness of divine gifts is in many ways a consequence of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the souls of the just. For, as St. Thomas teaches, "when the Holy Ghost proceedeth as love, He proceedeth in the character of the first gift; whence Augustine with that, through the gift which is the Holy Ghost, many other special gifts are distributed among the members of Christ." (Summ.Th., la. q. xxxviii., a. 2. St. Aug. de Trin., xv., c. 19). Among these gifts are those secret warnings and invitations, which from time to time are excited in our minds and hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
Without these there is no beginning of a good life, no progress, no arriving at eternal salvation. And since these words and admonitions are uttered in the soul in an exceedingly secret manner, they are sometimes aptly compared in Holy Writ to the breathing of a coming breeze, and the Angelic Doctor likens them to the movements of the heart which are wholly hidden in the living body. "Thy heart has a certain hidden power, and therefore the Holy Ghost, who invisibly vivifies and unites the Church, is compared to the heart." (Summ. Th. 3a, q. vii., a. I, ad 3). More than this, the just man, that is to say he who lives the life of divine grace, and acts by the fitting virtues as by means of faculties, has need of those seven gifts which are properly attributed to the Holy Ghost. By means of them the soul is furnished and strengthened so as to obey more easily and promptly His voice and impulse. Wherefore these gifts are of such efficacy that they lead the just man to the highest degree of sanctity; and of such excellence that they continue to exist even in heaven, though in a more perfect way. By means of these gifts the soul is excited and encouraged to seek after and attain the evangelical beatitudes, which, like the flowers that come forth in the spring time, are the signs and harbingers of eternal beatitude. Lastly there are those blessed fruits, enumerated by the Apostle (Gal. v., 22), which the Spirit, even in this mortal life, produces and shows forth in the just; fruits filled with all sweetness and joy, inasmuch as they proceed from the Spirit, "who is in the Trinity the sweetness of both Father and Son, filling all creatures with infinite fullness and profusion." (St. Aug. de Trin. 1. vi., c. 9). The Divine Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Word in the eternal light of sanctity, Himself both Love and Gift, after having manifested Himself through the veils of figures in the Old Testament, poured forth all his fullness upon Christ and upon His mystic Body, the Church; and called back by his presence and grace men who were going away in wickedness and corruption with such salutary effect that, being no longer of the earth earthy, they relished and desired quite other things, becoming of heaven heavenly.
On Devotion to the Holy Ghost
10. These sublime truths, which so clearly show forth the infinite goodness of the Holy Ghost towards us, certainly demand that we should direct towards Him the highest homage of our love and devotion. Christians may do this most effectually if they will daily strive to know Him, to love Him, and to implore Him more earnestly; for which reason may this Our exhortation, flowing spontaneously from a paternal heart, reach their ears. Perchance there are still to be found among them, even nowadays, some, who if asked, as were those of old by St. Paul the Apostle, whether they have received the Holy Ghost, might answer in like manner: "We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost" (Acts xix., 2). At least there are certainly many who are very deficient in their religious practices, but their faith is involved in much darkness. Wherefore all preachers and those having care of souls should remember that it is their duty to instruct their people more diligently and more fully about the Holy Ghost-avoiding, however, difficult and subtle controversies, and eschewing the dangerous folly of those who rashly endeavour to pry into divine mysteries. What should be chiefly dwelt upon and clearly explained is the multitude and greatness of the benefits which have been bestowed, and are constantly bestowed, upon us by this Divine Giver, so that errors and ignorance concerning matters of such moment may be entirely dispelled, as unworthy of "the children of light." We urge this, not only because it affects a mystery by which we are directly guided to eternal life, and which must therefore be firmly believed; but also because the more clearly and fully the good is known the more earnestly it is loved. Now we owe to the Holy Ghost, as we mentioned in the second place, love, because He is God: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength" (Deut. vi., 5). He is also to be loved because He is the substantial, eternal, primal Love, and nothing is more lovable than love. And this all the more because He has overwhelmed us with the greatest benefits, which both testify to the benevolence of the Giver and claim the gratitude of the receiver. This love has a twofold and most conspicuous utility. In the first place it will excite us to acquire daily a clearer knowledge about the Holy Ghost; for, as the Angelic Doctor says, "the lover is not content with the superficial knowledge of the beloved, but striveth to inquire intimately into all that appertains to the beloved, and thus to penetrate into the interior; as is said of the Holy Ghost, Who is the Love of God, that He searcheth even the profound things of God" (1 Cor. ii., 10; Summ. Theol., la. 2ae., q. 28, a.2). In the second place it will obtain for us a still more abundant supply of heavenly gifts; for whilst a narrow heart contracteth the hand of the giver, a grateful and mindful heart causeth it to expand. Yet we must strive that this love should be of such a nature as not to consist merely in dry speculations or external observances, but rather to run forward towards action, and especially to fly from sin, which is in a more special manner offensive to the Holy Spirit. For whatever we are, that we are by the divine goodness; and this goodness is specially attributed to the Holy Ghost. The sinner offends this his Benefactor, abusing His gifts; and taking advantage of His goodness becomes more hardened in sin day by day. Again, since He is the Spirit of Truth, whosoever faileth by weakness or ignorance may perhaps have some excuse before Almighty God; but he who resists the truth through malice and turns away from it, sins most grievously against the Holy Ghost. In our days this sin has become so frequent that those dark times seem to have come which were foretold by St. Paul, in which men, blinded by the just judgment of God, should take falsehood for truth, and should believe in "the prince of this world," who is a liar and the father thereof, as a teacher of truth: "God shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying (2 Thess. ii., 10). In the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error and the doctrines of devils" (1 Tim. iv., 1). But since the Holy Ghost, as We have said, dwells in us as in His temple, We must repeat the warning of the Apostle: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed" (Eph. iv., 30). Nor is it enough to fly from sin; every Christian ought to shine with the splendour of virtue so as to be pleasing to so great and so beneficent a guest; and first of all with chastity and holiness, for chaste and holy things befit the temple. Hence the words of the Apostle: "Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which you are" (1 Cor. iii., 16-17): a terrible, indeed, but a just warning.
11. Lastly, we ought to pray to and invoke the Holy Spirit, for each one of us greatly needs His protection and His help. The more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak in strength, borne down with trouble, prone to sin, so ought he the more to fly to Him who is the never-ceasing fount of light, strength, consolation, and holiness. And chiefly that first requisite of man, the forgiveness of sins, must be sought for from Him: "It is the special character of the Holy Ghost that He is the Gift of the Father and the Son. Now the remission of all sins is given by the Holy Ghost as by the Gift of God" (Summ. Th. 3a, q. iii., a. 8, ad 3m). Concerning this Spirit the words of the Liturgy are very explicit: "For He is the remission of all sins" (Roman Missal, Tuesday after Pentecost). How He should be invoked is clearly taught by the Church, who addresses Him in humble supplication, calling upon Him by the sweetest of names: "Come, Father of the poor! Come, Giver of gifts! Come, Light of our hearts! O, best of Consolers, sweet Guest of the soul, our refreshment!" (Hymn, Veni Sancte Spiritus). She earnestly implores Him to wash, heal, water our minds and hearts, and to give to us who trust in Him "the merit of virtue, the acquirement of salvation, and joy everlasting." Nor can it be in any way doubted that He will listen to such prayer, since we read the words written by His own inspiration: "The Spirit Himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings" (Rom. viii., 26). Lastly, we ought confidently and continually to beg of Him to illuminate us daily more and more with His light and inflame us with His charity: for, thus inspired with faith and love, we may press onward earnestly towards our eternal reward, since He "is the pledge of our inheritance" (Eph. i. 14).
12. Such, Venerable Brethren, are the teachings and exhortations which We have seen good to utter, in order to stimulate devotion to the Holy Ghost. We have no doubt that, chiefly by means of your zeal and earnestness, they will bear abundant fruit among Christian peoples. We Ourselves shall never in the future fail to labour towards so important an end; and it is even Our intention, in whatever ways may appear suitable, to further cultivate and extend this admirable work of piety. Meanwhile, as two years ago, in Our Letter Provida Matris, We recommended to Catholics special prayers at the Feast of Pentecost, for the Re-union of Christendom, so now We desire to make certain further decrees on the same subject.
An Annual Novena Decreed
13. Wherefore, We decree and command that throughout the whole Catholic Church, this year and in every subsequent year, a Novena shall take place before Whit-Sunday, in all parish churches, and also, if the local Ordinaries think fit, in other churches and oratories. To all who take part in this Novena and duly pray for Our intention, We grant for each day an Indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines; moreover, a Plenary Indulgence on any one of the days of the Novena, or on Whit-Sunday itself, or on any day during the Octave; provided they shall have received the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, and devoutly prayed for Our intention. We will that those who are legitimately prevented from attending the Novena, or who are in places where the devotions cannot, in the judgment of the Ordinary, be conveniently carried out in church, shall equally enjoy the same benefits, provided they make the Novena privately and observe the other conditions. Moreover We are pleased to grant, in perpetuity, from the Treasury of the Church, that whosoever, daily during the Octave of Pentecost up to Trinity Sunday inclusive, offer again publicly or privately any prayers, according to their devotion, to the Holy Ghost, and satisfy the above conditions, shall a second time gain each of the same Indulgences. All these Indulgences We also permit to be applied to the suffrage of the souls in Purgatory.
14. And now Our mind and heart turn back to those hopes with which We began, and for the accomplishment of which We earnestly pray, and will continue to pray, to the Holy Ghost. Unite, then, Venerable Brethren, your prayers with Ours, and at your exhortation let all Christian peoples add their prayers also, invoking the powerful and ever-acceptable intercession of the Blessed Virgin. You know well the intimate and wonderful relations existing between her and the Holy Ghost, so that she is justly called His Spouse. The intercession of the Blessed Virgin was of great avail both in the mystery of the Incarnation and in the coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles. May she continue to strengthen our prayers with her suffrages, that, in the midst of all the stress and trouble of the nations, those divine prodigies may be happily revived by the Holy Ghost, which were foretold in the words of David: "Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth" (Ps. ciii., 30).
15. As a pledge of Divine favour and a testimony of Our affection, Venerable Brethren, to you, to your Clergy, and people, We gladly impart in the Lord the Apostolic Benediction.
Given at St. Peter's, in Rome, on the 9th day of May, 1897, in the 20th year of Our Pontificate.
LEO XIII
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| Ecumenical Catholic parish celebrates ‘ordination’ of female Episcopal ‘priest’ |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-09-2025, 07:33 AM - Forum: Vatican II and the Fruits of Modernism
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Ecumenical Catholic parish celebrates ‘ordination’ of female Episcopal ‘priest’
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond's Church of the Holy Apostles hosted the February 'ordination' of Marie Kirk-Clunan.
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Anglican church altar
Lucian Coman/Shutterstock
Jun 6, 2025
VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic parish that serves as an ecumenical parish with the Episcopal (Anglican) community allowed the ‘ordination’ of a female Episcopal “priest” inside the shared worship space and then accepted her as co-pastor.
Church of the Holy Apostles, a Roman Catholic parish that also serves an Episcopal worship community, allowed the February “ordination” of the Episcopalian Marie Kirk-Clunan to take place in the sanctuary and has permitted her to serve as the co-pastor of the parish since her “ordination.” The Diocese of Richmond’s Bishop Barry Knestout previously granted permission for Episcopalians to “consecrate” a female “bishop” in another Catholic parish.
Images from a parish Facebook post commemorating Kirk-Clunan’s “ordination” show that she was “ordained” by a female Episcopal “bishop.” One of the pictures shows the Catholic chaplain of the chapel, Monsignor Raphael Peprah, attending the ceremony.
The Catholic Church teaches that it is impossible for women to receive validly the sacrament of holy orders. The Church also teaches that Episcopalians and other “ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation” do not have valid holy orders at all because of broken apostolic succession. They can neither confect the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist nor give absolution for sins.
In addition to claiming to “ordain” women as “priests,” the Episcopal Church recognizes same-sex “marriage” and LGBT gender ideology.
READ: Female Anglican bishop ‘concelebrates’ Mass with Catholic priests
LifeSiteNews reached out to both Msgr. Peprah’s and Bishop Knestout’s offices for comment but did not receive a response from either as of publication time.
Just before the start of a February 16 Sunday worship service (viewable below) that featured a Catholic Mass immediately followed by Kirk-Clunan’s first Episcopal “Eucharist” as a “priest,” a laywoman reading parish announcements congratulated the Episcopalian on her “ordination.” There followed immediate applause from the ecumenical congregation. The announcer also encouraged the congregants to stay for both liturgies to promote “Christian unity.”
Holy Apostles Church was founded as an ecumenical parish in 1977 to serve as a “visible sign of Christian unity.” The parish has a Catholic priest serving as a chaplain and a Episcopalian who serves as co-pastor; it is officially part of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.
READ: Catholic college allows female Anglican ‘priests’ to celebrate ‘Eucharist’ inside basilica
The church regularly has one worship service that includes a Catholic Mass and an Episcopal “Eucharist,” and parishioners are always encouraged to remain for both liturgies.
In 2020, Bishop Knestout granted permission for the Episcopal Church to “ordain” a female “bishop” in one of the diocese’s churches, St. Bede Church in Williamsburg. Following backlash from the Catholic faithful, the bishop and the then-pastor of St. Bede, Monsignor Joseph P. Lehman, released letters defending the decision, citing ecumenism. Lehman notably also called the event a “consecration” despite the Church’s stance on the invalidity of women’s and Protestants’ “Holy Orders.”
READ: Catholic bishop defends allowing ‘ordination’ of Episcopalian female ‘bishop’ inside Catholic church
The Episcopal Church responded to the backlash by relocating the “consecration” due to the “dismay and distress” their plans caused the Catholic faithful in the Diocese of Richmond.
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| It has been nearly 100 years since Our Lady asked Catholics to honor the First Saturday of every mon |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2025, 09:12 AM - Forum: Our Lady
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It has been nearly 100 years since Our Lady asked Catholics to honor the First Saturday of every month
December marks 100 years since Our Lady asked for the First Saturday Devotion in reparation for sins against Her Immaculate Heart.
With seven Saturdays remaining, the time to act is now.
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Our Lady of Fatima statue of the image, Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, Blessed Virgin Mary
Sidney de Almeida/Shutterstock
Jun 5, 2025
(LifeSiteNews) — The First Saturday of the month is nearly upon us again, and Catholics are reminded to observe the practices of the First Saturday Devotion in reparation for sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
What is the First Saturday devotion?
There are great promises attached to this devotion, both for the world, and for individuals. Our Lady said to Sr. Lucy, one of the three seers of Fatima:
I promise to assist at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation.
To obtain this grace, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, Catholics must each month fulfil the following four conditions, made in reparation to the Immaculate Heart:
- Go to Confession
- Receive Holy Communion
- Pray five decades of the Rosary
- Meditate for 15 minutes on the Rosary mysteries (in addition to the Rosary)
There are only seven First Saturdays left until December 10, which will mark 100 years since Our Lady requested this devotion of Sr. Lucy.
Before we consider the providential concessions made by Heaven for those unable to fulfill the conditions on the First Saturday itself, let us see more about how and when this devotion was revealed.
How it was revealed
In 1917, Our Lady revealed three “secrets” to the three shepherd children of Fatima, including a vision of Hell and a prophecy of war, persecution of the Church, and many other chastisements for the sins of men.
“To forestall this,” She said, “I shall come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.”
She added that if Her requests were fulfilled, Russia would be converted; otherwise the promised chastisements would occur.
On December 10, 1925, Our Lady returned to Lucy – then a Dorothean postulant in the convent – and delivered the formal request She had foretold in 1917.
It was then that Our Lady revealed the astounding promise attached to the devotion. Sr. Lucy recounts the words of the Blessed Virgin, Who showed her a heart encircled by thorns:
Quote:Look My daughter, at My Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce Me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude.
You at least try to console Me and announce in My name that I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep Me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to Me.
Heaven’s generosity towards the faithful
In a locution with Our Lord on February 15, 1926, Sr. Lucy appealed on behalf of those who find it difficult to confess on the First Saturday itself and asked if this Confession could be made “within eight days.” Our Lord replied:
Quote:Yes. It can even be made later on, provided that the souls are in the state of grace when they receive Me on the first Saturday, and that they had the intention of making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Mary.
Our Lord also told her that if penitents forget to form this intention, “They can form it at the next confession, taking advantage of their first opportunity to go to confession.”
At a later date, in 1930, Our Lord even told Sr. Lucy that “the practice of this devotion will be equally acceptable on the Sunday following the first Saturday when My priests, for a just cause, allow it to souls.”
Sr. Lucy was also told that the five First Saturdays were linked to “five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary”:- Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception.
- Blasphemies against Her Virginity.
- Blasphemies against her Divine Maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize Her as the Mother of men.
- The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children indifference or scorn, or even hatred of this Immaculate Mother.
- The offenses of those who outrage Her directly in Her holy images.
Implications for the world
This devotion also has implications beyond the individuals who practice it. Sr. Lucy wrote in March 1939:
Quote:Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven.
In June of the same year, she wrote:
Quote:Our Lady promised to delay the scourge of war, if this devotion was propagated and practiced. We see that She will obtain remission of this chastisement to the extent that efforts are made to propagate this devotion; but I fear that we cannot do any more than we are doing and that God, being displeased, will pull back the arm of His mercy and let the world be ravaged by this chastisement which will be unlike any other in the past, horrible, horrible.
War was declared two months after this statement.
The centennial
As the centennial of Our Lady’s request approaches in December, we cannot help but notice the words of Our Lady and Our Lord about the later request, in 1929, for the Pope and all the bishops to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart.
As Sr. Lucy struggled to have this request taken seriously, Heaven compared the reluctance of the hierarchy to that of Louis XIV, the King of France, who failed to consecrate France to the Sacred Heart. She received at least four separate messages making this comparison.
What was meant by this comparison? St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received this request in 1689 and relayed it to the court. Louis XIV and his successors failed to comply. In 1789, the French Revolution began – bringing the ancien régime of the French monarchy to an end. Louis XVI was beheaded in 1793.
While the First Saturday request is distinct from the later request for the Consecration of Russia, both are presented in the Fatima message as essential means to prevent chastisement and obtain peace.
We can leave aside the question of whether Russia has been consecrated, and observe that most Catholics do not practice the First Saturday devotion.
Now is the time to start. We have seven First Saturdays left before the centenary in December. The next First Saturday falls on June 7, 2025. Catholics who begin then will have completed the devotion by December.
Despite its simplicity, this devotion is perhaps the most urgent call Heaven has made to the faithful in the last hundred years.
All texts taken from Frère Michel’s, The Whole Truth about Fatima, Vol. II.
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| Vatican II’s Dignitatis Humanae and the June Battle of Flags |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2025, 09:06 AM - Forum: Articles by Catholic authors
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Vatican II’s Dignitatis Humanae and the June Battle of Flags
Robert Morrison | June 4, 2025
Were it not for Dignitatis Humanae, there would be no supposed theological justification for this demand that human dignity requires us to refrain from questioning the “transness” of those claiming to practice the Catholic Faith. Thanks in large part to the defenders of Vatican II, though, Fr. Martin and the New Ways Ministry can insist that Catholics ought to celebrate Pride Month in recognition of the human dignity of the Catholic LGBTQ community.
As reported by LifeSite, Fr. James Martin recently shared his opinion about why Catholics ought to celebrate “Pride Month”:
Quote:“Can Catholics celebrate Pride Month, when the LGBTQ community marks its place in society? . . . Can they do this when pride is one of the traditional seven deadly sins? Isn’t it wrong to show pride? First, it’s important to remember that there are (at least) two kinds of pride. The first is the satisfaction that can come from your own accomplishments. This can turn into vanity, which is something to avoid. . . . So the first kind of pride can be a threat to humility, to discipleship and to the spiritual life overall. But the second kind of pride is a consciousness of one’s own dignity. And that’s closer to what Pride Month is meant to be for the LGBTQ community: a recognition of the human dignity of a group of people who have, for centuries been, treated with contempt, rejection and violence.”
So whereas Martin acknowledges that there is a concept of sin, he asserts that Pride Month is sinless because it is based on recognizing the human dignity of the people within the LGBTQ community. He also opined that Pride Month is complementary to the celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
Quote:“Another objection is marking Pride Month during the same month that Catholics celebrate the Month of the Sacred Heart. But, as I see it, the two are complementary, not contradictory. The Sacred Heart teaches us how Jesus loves; Pride Month reminds us whom Jesus invite us to love today.”
Thus, if we are to take Fr. Martin’s views at face value, we would have to conclude that God wants us to love the LGTBQ community by celebrating the human dignity of its members. As discussed below, this is entirely consistent with Vatican II’s Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae. As a preliminary matter, though, Martin’s views invite us to review what the Catholic Church actually teaches about how the Sacred Heart of Jesus calls us to love today.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and True Catholic Love
Fr. John Croiset summarized devotion to the Sacred Heart as follows in his 1691 book, The Devotion to the Sacred Heart:
Quote:“From what has been said so far, it is easy to see what is meant by the devotion to the Sacred Heart: by this devotion we mean the ardent love which we conceive for Jesus Christ at the remembrance of all the marvels which He has wrought to show His tender love for us, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the miracle of His love; we mean the keen regret which we feel at the sight of the outrages which men commit against Jesus Christ in this adorable Mystery; we mean the ardent desire which presses us to leave nothing undone to make reparation for these outrages by every possible means. That is what we mean by devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and that is what it consists in.” (p. 55)
So we love Jesus for all that He has done to show His great love for us; and we do all we can to make reparation for the offenses that people commit against Our Lord, particularly offenses against Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. As all Catholics with the use of reason should know, receiving Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin is undoubtedly high on the list of most evil outrages against the Sacred Heart. Accordingly, an important component of reparation to the Sacred Heart involves opposition to any sinful lifestyles that naturally promote sacrilegious Communions.
Fr. Croiset also wrote of the necessary dispositions for devotion to the Sacred Heart, including a great horror of sin:
Quote:“As the end of devotion to the Sacred Heart is none other than a very ardent and tender love for Jesus Christ, it is evident that to have this devotion one must be in the state of grace, and have an extreme horror of every kind of sin incompatible with this love. The Sacred Heart being the source of all purity, nothing sullied can even enter It. Whatever we may say or do for His love and for His glory, if we do not live in the state of grace, is devoid of supernatural merit.” (p. 97)
We can see from this that one of the greatest conceivable offenses against the Sacred Heart of Jesus would be for apparent shepherds of the Catholic Church to encourage Catholics to remain in a state of mortal sin. Conversely, one of the greatest acts of love and reparation to the Sacred Heart would be to charitably encourage souls to abandon the sins that keep them from remaining in the state of grace.
Blessed Columba Marmion elaborated on this latter point in his Christ, the Life of the Soul:
Quote:“To love is to ‘wish good’ to someone, says St. Thomas; but every specific good is subordinated to the supreme good. That is why giving God, the Infinite Good, to those who do not know Him, by instructing them, is so pleasing to God. It is the same with praying for the conversion of unbelievers, of sinners, that they may arrive at faith or recover divine grace.” (p. 462)
If we truly love our neighbor, we must want them to abandon sin so that they may “arrive at faith or recover divine grace.” We know from this that anyone purporting to be a Catholic who encouraged others to remain in sin would actually be spreading hate rather than love.
As we can read from the words of Fr. Martin, though, he has essentially arrived at the exact opposite position — his views are an inversion of the Catholic truths expressed so well by Fr. Croiset, Dom Marmion, and every other Catholic who has written accurately on the topic.
Vatican II’s Dignitatis Humanae as the “Theological” Foundation of Fr. Martin’s Error
As we can read in his September 1965 intervention read at the Second Vatican Council, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre expressed concerns that the Declaration of Religious Liberty, Dignitatis Humanae, could lead to the inversion of Catholic teaching that we see today from Fr. Martin:
Quote:“The dignity of the human person is acquired by observing the divine law. He who despises the divine law thereby loses his dignity. Do the damned still preserve their dignity in hell? It is impossible to speak with veracity of liberty, of conscience, of the dignity of the human person except by reference to divine law. This observance of divine law is the criterion of human dignity. Man, the family, civil society, possess dignity in the measure in which they respect the divine law. Divine law itself indicates to us the rules for the right use of our liberty. Divine law itself marks out the limits of constraint permitted to the authorities established by God. Divine law itself gives the measure of religious liberty.” (from Archbishop Lefebvre’s I Accuse the Council!, p. 64)
Once human dignity is divorced from observance of divine law, then those who promote sin will clamor for men to celebrate the dignity of their sinful lifestyles. Tragically, the passage upon which Archbishop Lefebvre commented in his intervention remained largely unchanged in the final version of Dignitatis Humanae:
Quote:“The council further declares that the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person as this dignity is known through the revealed word of God and by reason itself. . . It is in accordance with their dignity as persons — that is, beings endowed with reason and free will and therefore privileged to bear personal responsibility — that all men should be at once impelled by nature and also bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth, once it is known, and to order their whole lives in accord with the demands of truth. However, men cannot discharge these obligations in a manner in keeping with their own nature unless they enjoy immunity from external coercion as well as psychological freedom. Therefore the right to religious freedom has its foundation not in the subjective disposition of the person, but in his very nature. In consequence, the right to this immunity continues to exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation of seeking the truth and adhering to it and the exercise of this right is not to be impeded, provided that just public order be observed.”
Although this language from the Conciliar declaration speaks of the need for people to seek the truth, it also states that their human dignity is not impaired by their failure to seek truth. Moreover, the declaration makes the astounding claim that human dignity requires that those in error “enjoy immunity from external coercion as well as psychological freedom.” If we read this to mean that a person cannot be forced to become Catholic, it is obviously true. But the Vatican II architects drafted this language to be broad and ambiguous enough to mean that we cannot attempt to persuade those in sin to abandon their sinful lifestyles — such would be impermissible psychological coercion.
We know from sixty years of painful experience that the defenders of Vatican II cannot admit that the declaration’s language could possibly leave open the interpretations about which Archbishop Lefebvre warned. However, we merely have to read the way in which the New Ways Ministry attacked Francis’s Dignitatis Infinita (for being disrespectful to transgender people) to see that Archbishop Lefebvre was exactly right:
Quote:“Exploring our transness and living our trans lives in response to a moral or spiritual conviction is a part our search for and response to (what we have found to be) truth. In this respect, it is part of the process whereby we pursue a morally dignified life, in accordance with our nature and obligation as free beings. Moreover, the Church also teaches that we cannot exercise our freedom in accordance with our nature and duty if we are coerced in doing so. And this is the case even if human freedom might also need to be ‘freed’ to stop it making mistakes in that search. This is the principle that underpins the Church’s affirmation of religious freedom (Dignitatis Humanae, §2) – which applies even to bad and/or mistaken people.”
Were it not for Dignitatis Humanae, there would be no supposed theological justification for this demand that human dignity requires us to refrain from questioning the “transness” of those claiming to practice the Catholic Faith. Thanks in large part to the defenders of Vatican II, though, Fr. Martin and the New Ways Ministry can insist that Catholics ought to celebrate Pride Month in recognition of the human dignity of the Catholic LGBTQ community.
But Catholics do not have to surrender this battle of June flags. Even those who want to continue defending Vatican II can oppose the anti-Catholic errors that the Council’s architects promoted through their ambiguous passages. However, this requires Catholics to speak truth in the face of wicked lies. The reality is that Fr. Martin is directing hate speech against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and those souls for whom He shed His Precious Blood. The best way for us to love Fr. Martin and those who share his views is to charitably insist that they stop lying, and encourage them to make reparation for their sins.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
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