Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love book review

Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love book review

Why We’re Catholic is written by Trent Horn a well-known and respected apologist, speaker, and author, best known for his work with Catholic Answers. 

The paperback was published in 2017 with 240 pages and currently costs around £11.50, the digital version was released also in 2017 with 178 pages and currently costs around £3.99, there is also an audio version released in 2019 at nearly five hours long and currently costs around £12, it is narrated by Trent horn himself. 

The book has excellent reviews.

This book is a very small yet insightful and an informative apologist’s book. Targeted mainly towards new or returning Catholics. It really is an easy read, well laid out and sourced, it helps to educate on what the Catholic faith is and what Catholics believe, and how they should act.

I would say that this style of writing is very accessible to the vast majority of people and would be a very useful aid in helping to restore a person’s faith or turning a person towards it.

It has not just solid apologetics in the book but also has really good facts, points, and stories in it, that help to hammer home the Catholic dogma in a relatable and modern way.   

I would recommend this book as; I think it is important to learn or to relearn the faith and its teachings as often as possible. And in this book the reader has a very concise and enjoyable way of doing it. 

“I think for a lot of modern Catholics who attended a Catholic school or who go often to church, may be in a state of mild forgetfulness when it comes to the faiths teachings, as modern life pushes out many of the churches wise and loving teachings and makes us forget or twist their true meaning, it is a necessity for us to always learn and relearn the way to salvation.”  

RC

Infiltration: The plot to destroy the church from within, book review

Infiltration: The plot to destroy the church from within, book review

Infiltration is written by Dr Taylor Marshall and was published in 2019. Available in hardcover with 224 pages and priced at around £15, digital with 195 pages and priced at around £7.75 and as an audiobook at nearly 7 hours long and priced around £16, it is narrated by Peggy Normandin.

This book was well received when released and is still considered to be a must read by most Catholics. However, it did receive some criticisms mainly but not entirely from individuals and organisations with ties and or sympathies to the church establishment.

The book takes you through a part of the church’s modern history. It shows the reader or listener the many outsiders and insiders that have attacked the church, as well as the ones that are still attacking the church to this day. Covering a wide array of subjects and situations. The book is well written and is very engaging. It puts very complicated and emotional issues into as simple as possible language, to understand without simplifying it down too much.  

The book is well sourced and deals with many facts however this is where it gets complicated. Some of the information, not all, is based on circumstantial evidence, as well as assumptions. This is where some reviewers or individuals take an overly hard/unrealistic tone on the book. However, there are a lot of things in the world where we take circumstantial evidence or assumptions very seriously or even as facts. From science to morals to eyewitnesses and promises/handshakes, much is taken on trust.

Yet the book gives a vast array of good circumstantial evidence and takes some educated assumptions all backed by as many facts as possible. When facts are difficult to find. It is true that circumstantial evidence is not always effective to prove your point, however you only need to take a look at the history of something and all the facts around it to see if the evidence makes sense. You should always be ready to change your option if more evidence comes to light. Let me give an example of circumstantial evidence.

If a mans house burns down a week after he took insurance out on it, that does not make him a criminal, if this has happened 7 times in a row and yet the man says he has never not once burned down his house for the insurance money. So does the man work with fire or flammable liquid or items no, does he live somewhere prone to this no, is this common no and no to many more questions but he says he have never done anything thing he finds wrong. We do not have film of him planning to set a fire, buying the materials, setting them up and lighting them on fire. And so, he must be innocent right. Yet he has motive, the means, and the capability to do all these things. And he benefits from it when all around him do not. Yes, he has said many times in the past how he has wanted to do this and yes after it happens, he said it was a good thing and yes, he keeps saying how it would be good for it to happen again, then it happens.

But we need film of him doing it or him confessing to it or it does not count. That is the logic of some of the critics who attack the author on certain pieces of evidence that the author gives.  

The book is well written, and it is an important book to read. It paints an interesting picture of the state of the modern Catholic church. If groups, organisations, and individuals were more honest and open then circumstantial evidence and assumptions would not be needed, that is the fault of the people who hold the power. Do not ignore this book, to do so would be a grave mistake. Books like this are so important during these vague and dark times for the Church. 

Pope Alexander VI would you follow him, listen to him, and take spiritual advise from him?

Would you follow him, listen to him, and take spiritual advise from him?

One of the greatest tools of anti-Catholic rhetoric is the corruption of certain Popes throughout history, they are held up as reason the Catholic Church is not the true church of Jesus Christ.  Theologically they make no difference to the church.  Corrupt men are simply a result of original sin, the papacy is biblical and that is the end of it. 

Bad popes being used in this debate simply shows the ignorance of the person making this point and it is a simple matter of basic apologetics to prove otherwise.   However, amongst us children of the one Holy Roman Catholic Church, bad popes in history whilst unpleasant reminders of our fallen state, can also be a useful tool in learning about how to handle present difficulties with the hierarchy.

Ultramontanism is a word you should fix firmly in your mind, it is a complex theological position, however in layman’s terms it means to put a strong emphasis on the powers of the pope.  If you wish to understand the modern church, Vatican II is not where you need to start but rather Vatican I and the surrounding political chaos that enveloped the church at the time.

The Pope is the Holy Father and the great guardian or custodian of the deposit of faith, he is there to keep church and her magisterium safe, something most popes even the bad ones understood, he is not supposed to alter the faith according to his whims and most certainly not to change the faith or even push the faith to adapt to the world around him, what Our Lord Jesus Christ taught two thousand years ago is the same today as it will be in two more thousand years.

The laity suffer in general from a strange form of extreme ultramontanism, they believe the Pope is infallible at all times and to criticise him is anti-Catholic.  This absurd lie is born out of the fruits of the spirit of Vatican II, i.e. the watering down of religious education and the celebrity of Pope John Paul II both of these topics would take too long to discuss in this simple article, by an even simpler writer.

We must bear in mind some of the major quotes concerning Alex VI have come from his enemies, such as the famous Machiavelli, so we know Popes can be lied about and misinterpreted at times, however that excuse can only go so far, defenders of several of our most recent Popes, not just Pope Francis, have claimed that a lot of the negative coverage comes from enemies of the Pope.  

This is more true or false depending the Pontiff, blessed Pope Pius XII for example, 99% of the negative coverage is completely false and down to bad actors or even a KGB disinformation campaign, if you don’t believe that I would highly recommend reading the sources listed in the upcoming article on the subject.

Then there is taking the context of history into account, St John Paul II for example, it is worth reading a lot of different sources on that subject before even thinking of evaluating his pontificate, however with that said and at a certain point, actions speak louder than words and we will know them by their fruit therefore Alexander VI and other clearly bad popes can only have so many allowances made for them.

However I am here to ask one simple question of the defenders of bad popes and that is, would you follow Pope Alexander the VI blindly if you were back there in the renaissance? I would obey him in all that is lawful and not sinful, I would listen to him always.  He is the Holy Father, the Pope and the Vicar of Christ.  

Would I take his spiritual guidance? the answer would be no of course, not other than simply instructions like read the gospel of Luke on Mondays for example.

He was a clever man, he advanced the churches interests at times, he didn’t actual mess around with the doctrines or teachings of the church, which in some ways makes him less dangerous to the chair of Peter than other Popes.

I would listen obediently, however if he asked me to start doing things that seemed suspicious and unusual, even contrary to the teaching of the faith, then a good senses Fidelium should pick up on this and take into account that he was a man who had several illegitimate children as priest and bishop, he had mistresses as the pope, he was corrupt to the core, engaged in simony and corruption of all kinds. Why would you trust a man who was proven to be constantly scheming for self gain, advantage and who you knew had no real moral fibre.

The Gospel of Mathew teaches us to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”, this is something previous generations of Catholics understood.  If a Bishop preached heresy or even pacifism to heresy, the laity would rightly confront him.  Now people have become so weak in their faith that they simply let it slide. I am not saying return to rioting, far from it, but just going along to get along will not, I guess, be well received at the final judgement we must all face on passing from this short mortal life.

I am not going to discuss the current Pontifical situation, however I will say Catholics under Pope Alexander VI, the great and infamous Borgia Pope, never doubted the faith for the most part, because while the office of the Pope was being tarnished, the faith during the worst excesses of the bad popes was often not under as great a threat as many would have you believe.  No doubt, it damaged it, it also could be argued that sparked the reformation. I also would argue the faith is under a greater threat now because of the confusion and a capitulation to the world will cause more souls to be lost in the long run.

So, when you are confronted about criticising a Bishop, cardinal or even the Pope, ask them would you follow Alexander the VI? would you? With his mistress hanging in the wings of the papal palace, with his wealth on display gotten through ill means.  Well, why would I not criticise someone walking hand in hand with a well-known abortion advocate or outspoken anti catholic Marxist newspaper writer?

The Catholics of history where not silent, they loved the faith and spoke out when they felt it was in danger.  We should follow our betters from history St Francis of Assisi, St Thomas more, St Catherine of Sienna to name but a few and we should speak out now.

AC

Our Lady of Good Success (Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso) the approved Marian Apparition that has been ignored or deliberately neglected?

Our Lady of Good Success (Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso) the approved Marian Apparition that has been ignored or deliberately neglected?

There are many approved and unapproved Marian apparitions, as we know as Catholics, we are not beholden to believe any private revelation, that said there are a few like Fatima that almost all Catholics believe, and if you do not some questions might need to be asked of your interior position.

Obviously along with Fatima, Lourdes, and Guadalupe there is also Medjugorje which seems to have a huge following despite it being unapproved and a little controversial, before anyone says anything the Medjugorje apparitions are not approved either by the local Bishop or the Vatican, of course the apparitions could be supernatural in nature but this simple has not been ruled on at this stage.  Garabandal for example with which I have some sympathy is also unapproved, so Catholics cannot enjoy with certainty either of the two fore-mentioned apparitions.

There also are some apparitions that are approved and for some reasons despite this, along with being compelling do not enjoy the same amount or recognition, examples of these would be Our Lady of Akita and Our Lady of La Salette but chief amongst these under recognised apparition is Our Lady of Good Success or Nuestra Señora Del Buen Suceso de la Purificación in its native Spanish.  I normally would not add the original language, but the English translation does not quite do justice or explain the meaning of the title. Our Lady of Good Success in this instance really means Our Lady of the Good Event of the Purification, which also alludes to the purification as in Our Lady presenting Jesus Christ in the temple after 40 days and so being pure, this has deeper undertones as the apparitions talked about the need and the eventual time in which the church would be purified.

The apparition appeared to a nun named Mariana de Jesus Torres in Quito, In Ecuador with the first one happening on 2nd February 1594 and returning multiple times until 2nd February 1634 making it one of the oldest major apparitions, during this time it was immediately accepted and approved by the local bishop and his successors all the way into present day. In fact, the Basilica is even now a Marian shrine which requires 100 years of continuous devotion.

Apart from Fatima and even in comparison never has an apparition been so accurate, the apparition predicts Widespread moral corruption, Profanation of the Sacrament of Matrimony, Depraved priests who will scandalize the faithful and cause suffering for good priests, Unbridled lust which will ensnare many souls, Loss of innocence among children and loss of modesty among women.

Lack of priestly and religious vocations with startling accuracy the mass apostasy by the laity and more so the clergy, it points to 1960s as time when the clergy on mass will start to leave the righteous road of salvation, it says during the mid-19th to 20th centuries people will become unimaginably sinful, that moral standards will collapse the family will be attacked and the church will fall from grace for a period, Our Lady related to Mariana de Jesus Torres that a pope would be held hostage by an emperor in the 1800s which Pope Pius IX was by Napoleon III, this all from the perspective of a nun in the 16th century Ecuador?

Some say this apparition stayed in the shadows because had the hierarchy been more aware of it, they might have tried to limit its legitimacy but hundreds of years on and holding continued support from local Bishops and approval by the Vatican as a Marian Shrine and Mariana now being a Servant of God with her process towards Sainthood underway, it is almost impossible for them to delegitimise it now.

Rather than expand too much into the details of this wonderful and truly revealing apparition, I will include links to 2 videos and one free eBook.

Tradition in Action Media video, Our Lady of Good Success: Her Prophecies and the Crisis in the Chur

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw4GgohD2ic&feature=youtu.be

TFP provide a fantastic free eBook which is written by Msgr. Luis E. Cadena y Almeida the priest charged with postulating the canonisation case by the Bishop of Quito:

https://www.tfp.org/act/free-version-of-a-spanish-mystic/

Tradition in Action Media do a 3 part presentation that is very enlightening, detailed and captivating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qlXqWfXX8E

Return to Tradition provides several shorter videos on the subject and is a reliable source of information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StJ4ERSn6KI

Silence Film Review

Silence Film Review

Silence is a 2016 film directed by Martin Scorsese and with a screenplay by Jay Cocks and Scorsese, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō. The film was released in the winter of 2016. It received critical acclaim, with the National Board of Review and American Film Institute it also received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The film was not successful at the box office making just 22 million dollars against its 50 million dollar budget. It was well received by most critics and the general public though.

The film stars Andrew Garfield as Sebastião Rodrigues, Adam Driver as Francisco Garupe, Tadanobu Asano as the Interpreter, and Liam Neeson as Cristóvão Ferreira.

The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name, it is set in Nagasaki, Japan, in the 17th century.

The film is well written and shot with great sound/music and has sets and locations in amazing places that really add to the atmosphere of the film. The acting in it by all was outstanding, even the secondary characters do a great job. It is a very moving and disturbing film. The film asks many very difficult and emotion questions about faith. When it comes to our suffering and the suffering of others. The film lets the characters tell their version of the story and makes you think about the choices they make, and you as the viewer are left to decide who is right and if their choices are right. The film is not for the squeamish and has many disturbing scenes in it, but it does give a good insight into the persecution of Christians in Japan.

I think the film is worth watching I do think that a knowledge of Japanese history, as well as the history of persecutions against the faith and a good understanding of faith, to which I mean a literal knowledge of theology, history, scripture and catechism learning, would really help to see all the messages in the film.  I do not believe all the complexities were meant to be in the film, as I say the film was meant to be a challenging but accidentally became more than it was meant to be, though I could be mistaken. I think the film could cause confusion to some. I still am not sure what I really think about the film yet. But it is still worth watching.

The Year of St Joseph and St Becket?

The Year of St Joseph and St Becket?

This year praise be to God, is the year of St Joseph, a truer and more perfect example of obedience to God we will not find, apart from the Blessed Virgin Mary of course.

I will consecrate myself to St Joseph this year and renew my consecration to Our Blessed Mother, this got me thinking, which other saints I should look to?

Then on the 29th of December the President of the United States released a proclamation which could not be more fitting.

Please see below for a link directly to the document on the white house website:

Proclamation on 850th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket | The White House

St Becket a true example of a wicked sinner turning his life around once a true responsibility was bestowed upon him, resisting the secular world in defence of the church, could not be more fitting with most of our Leaders, Cardinals, Bishops, and priests bowing down to Cesar in an act of what amounts to blasphemy if not downright abandonment of Christ their true King.

This example in the 850th year since his martyrdom for the faith is something we should look to and emulate, we need when the time comes to take responsibility and do what God would want, not what we want. I am as guilty as the next man that is why looking to the saints is so important to remind us of our duties.

St Joseph reminds us of our duty of total obedience, humility, and chastity something that enlightens us to live a life of holiness, this is the key.  St Becket reminds us that one day when the world comes knocking, we might have to say we are not in for the world, only for God.  Did our Lord not warn us of this in the Gospel of Mathew? Do we want to find ourselves in that same scenario that plays out as in most terrifying of verses to knock at the door of Our Lord and for Him to say “I do not know you” it sends shivers down my spine, better we sacrifice ourselves here in this world I would say!

I find it very strange that a secular Protestant in the form of President Trump should have to remind us of St Beckets legacy, I have no doubt some souls will see this and find a spark which might lead them home to the one true Church of Jesus Christ, the Catholic church, I have no doubt it will bring a new kind of inspiration to zeal for some others, I would have hoped our Holy Father Pope Francis would have, alas we must trust in the will of God.

Let us look to the saints in the year of our Lord 2021, let us emulate St Joseph, St Becket, St John the Baptist, and the many other beacons of light that lead us onto the straight path of salvation.

AC

El Cid Season 1 series review

El Cid Season 1 series review

El Cid is a Spanish historical drama TV series about the historical figure, El Cid, it was released late in 2020 on Amazon Prime. With five episodes with an average time of one hour each. There are multiple scenes of violence and sex, as well as cursing. Though the nudity and sex scenes are either quick and only briefly show partial nudity. But all said it is not suitable for children, teenagers or the squeamish. It has received mixed reviews but mostly positive overall.

Jaime Lorente plays Ruy (El Cid), José Luis García Pérez plays Fernando (King), Elia Galera plays Sancha (Queen), Alicia Sanz plays Urraca (oldest princess), Carlos Bardem plays Count Flaín, and a string of supporting and main characters.

It follows Ruy (El Cid) in his early years as a servant to the court. It looks like if things go well there could be five seasons but of course these things are uncertain. The first point is that the dubbing in English is not great, it is not so much the timing of the lines, more that it is obvious that it is dubbed. But I have to say after a short time I did forget about it for the most part. The acting is not to a high standard either, but I am sure most of this is because of the dubbing, that causes a slight disjointedness. The sets and settings are very good and are a strength of the show. The show is a bit overly dramatic and less of an historical biopic, but it is still early in the series run. The show does take some liberties with history but again it is I think more dramatic license than a deliberate reworking of history. The violence is quite tame in comparison with other similar shows, so are the sex/nudity scenes but they are still there, they are quite easy to skip without affecting your appreciation of the show as they are very short.

The series could go either way, I could see it going off the historical path really quickly but, we will have to see. Overall, the show is entertaining and there are good actors, scenes and plotlines, with some good fight scenes. But there does seem to be something missing and I cannot quite put my finger on it. If you have Amazon Prime already and you are not squeamish, then give it a try, but it is not going to match a series like Rome.       

RC

The Fall of Grenada and the completion of The Reconquista

The Fall of Grenada and the completion of The Reconquista

On this day 2nd of January 1492, the city of Grenada fell to the forces of Queen Isabella and King Fernando.

The centuries long struggle for the Spain came to an end, after centuries of Moorish rule Spain was back in the hands of the Spanish.

It all started with the victories of Alfonso III known as Alfonso the great,

Alfonso III of Asturias could never have dreamt that it would take six hundred years to accomplish but it was, centuries of bloodshed on both sides came to end, which we must thank God for, without Catholic Spain the world would be a much darker place.

I think each of us sinners must in many ways accept this fate too, that to conquer ourselves to expel sin will not to be a short campaign but a long drawn out war not a battle, we may lose skirmishes, battles even whole campaigns but we must carry on until the day of Victory.

One day the keys of the kingdom given to St Peter by our Lord and King Christ might one day open the gates to that heavenly city of God, as the keys where handed to King Fernando today centuries ago in Granada. Let us never lose the lessens we can learn from our Catholic patronage that we are warriors in Christ, let us remember that every day is a spiritual battle with the evil one.

We have many great Generals at our disposal not least St Michael the Archangel and we fight for a heavenly Queen the Blessed Virgin Mary and the greatest King of all time, Jesus Christ King of Kings with a kingdom with no end.

Let us pray for fervour that we might conquer ourselves, conquer sin with the assistance and Grace of God.

Real Crusades History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKsgOb8oe-4

Flash Point History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPXFzb3kk8Y&list=PLpA6sZxl1jJsTcycljzLBqCZw6Ps2hg2-&index=26

AC

The new year for a Catholic

The new year for a Catholic

The new year is a good opportunity to renew your faith or to work on your faith. There are quite a few different programmes designed to help renew and or strengthen your faith.  Some are made just for men some for women and some for both.

The most popular 2 are Nineveh 90 for men and women and Exodus 90 for men.

https://www.nineveh90.com/                  https://exodus90.com/

If you like the idea of doing a programme like either of these two but would like a leaner or more of a beginner’s version, then maybe this programme would be helpful.

I would recommend adding several things to your daily life, for 90 days. But trying this out for 30 days too would be of great help, I think.

1: A small prayer when you first wake.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

2 A small prayer when you go to bed.

Heavenly Father, thank you that your word enlightens my eyes, purifies my soul, and preserves me for eternal life. As I reach the end of this day, I thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed on me. I ask for forgiveness for the sins I have committed today. I pray that, as I sleep you would restore my strength and empower me for a new day tomorrow. Lord, bless me and keep me, make your face shine upon me. Turn your face towards me and give me peace. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

3: An act of Contrition when you sin. (still go to confession of course)

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

4: Do your daily Rosary (if you do then great keep it up)

All Catholics should try their very hardest to do a daily Rosary.  https://novenaprayer.com/rosary-friday/ 

5: Do ten Novenas for yourself (issues with sins) or anyone you think needs help.

Each Novena lasts Nine days, it is a small prayer each day. https://novenaprayer.com/novena-prayers/ 

Choose any you want, feel free to look around for ones which speak to you the most. 

6: Avoid entertainment and social media, music, television, YouTube etc that does not teach you (any subject) or that is not positive or helps to build your faith.

This means try to concentrate on building your knowledge of the faith learn about the history of the Catholic Church its saints and teachings. Try to learn about new subjects that make you a more rounded person, that might give you new skills, like cooking, budgeting, drawing, editing etc. Expand your knowledge, there is so much to learn about the faith and everything in general. But really take the opportunity to learn about the faith.

I know this one is really hard but please do try, your favourite programme can wait. If you slip up once do not quit this part just keep trying. The key here is to learn and enrich yourself, with positive content.

Social media is a drug, it is as simple as that. Facebook and twitter are cancer, there is nothing they do, that a better system could not do without the additional devastating negative effects they have on people and society. Please stay away from them and all social media unless it is a real life emergency.  

7: Get a good night’s rest  

Try your best to sleep between 7 to 9 hours a night. This means no screens to distract yourself, stop watching or reading at least 30 minutes before bed if possible 45 minutes.

8: Read the Catechism

The Catechism of the church is one of the most important books ever written.

The Trent Catechism, the Baltimore Catechism, the Catechism of Saint Pius X are especially good.

One free source is  http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

Another is https://olrfamilycatechism.com/    This one is great and an easy one to use, with videos and quizzes.

If you have recently read the catechism as an adult. Then I would still recommend the website above as a refresher course.

9:  Do Physical Exercise

We are all different so please be sensible but honest with yourself. Do not try to remodel yourself. But exercise as to build a foundation that can be a launch pad to remodel if wanted to, learn to stretch your body properly and get the blood circulating. Get your heart beating, racing up and down as often and quickly as you can. If walking on the spot fast is all you can do, then do it. You do not need a gym membership or lots of equipment. Push ups, sit ups, squats etc are fine use any rules, make them hard or easy to start with, whatever you can manage. Doing 20 to 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week to start with then gentle increasing to 40 minutes to 1 hour a day will really help with your fitness.   

10: Fasting and Diet

Fast on Fridays of course you can eat fish but no other meats. Eat one full meal, your main meal this should be normal sized. (whatever your usual sized meals are) Then eat 2 half sized meals, with no snacking. This is to show recognition of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross.

Do not drink alcohol and if you do not drink then give up something you eat/drink regularly and enjoy. For the full length of the programme.

Try your best to either maintain your weight or to lose weight if needed. But try to lose weight slowly and gradually. Try to change your eating habits to became healthier, chewing multiple times, eating at fixed times, five a day, balanced diet. etc    

Summing Up

If you make a mistake, forget, fail, skip, or cut short a part of it or you cut the length of the program, do not get down on yourself. Either keep going, try again or just try your very hardest during the time you are doing the programme. If you need to adopt parts of this programme than do so but try to make it a challenge for yourself.  

Books/Reading

The Bible

The Saints

Prayers

Magisterial Authority by FR Chad Ripperger

Love Unleashes Life: Abortion and the Art of Communicating Truth by Stephanie Gray Connors

Infiltration: The plot to destroy the church from within, by Dr Taylor Marshall

Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism written by Ion Mihai Pacepa and Ronald J Rychlak.

On Human Life (Humanae Vitae) by Pope Paul VI, Mary Eberstadt, Jennifer Fulwiler, James Hitchcock.

The Myth of Hitlers pope, How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis by Rabbi David G. Dalin.

Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love by Trent Horn.

Can a Catholic Be a Socialist? By Trent Horn.

Founding of Christendom: 01 (History of Christendom) by Warren H. Carroll.

Films/Videos

A Man for All Seasons (1966) Film

Becket (1964) Film

The Scarlet and the Black (1983) Film

Gunpowder is a 3-part mini-series (BBC/HBO)

Unplanned (2019) Abby Johnson Film

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

God’s Not Dead Film Review

God’s Not Dead Film Review

God's Not Dead is a 2014 drama film directed by Harold Cronk and starring Kevin Sorbo as the professor. Shane Harper as Josh Wheaton the Christian student who debates the professor. David A. R. White as Reverend Dave and Dean Cain as Mark an atheist businessman.

The film was released theatrically on March 21, 2014. It was written by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman and based on Rice Broocks' book God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty. The film made 64.7 million dollars, with a budget of 2 million dollars. This made the film a financial success, which was a shock to most people in the film industry. The film was not received well by most critics or the general population, however it was mostly received well by the Christian community.

The best description for the film is that it is served with a double helping of American cheese, it is meant to be a child friendly and heart-warming story, like a hallmark film or classic family film. This film is meant to be a soft entrance into a difficult and stressful subject. The film covers a very real and serious matter but does it in a toned down and gentle way. The film is entertaining and thought provoking to a point. I would recommend this for teens and adults to watch this, however be aware that in real life the Christian character would be under a great deal more pressure and attack and that some of his fellow students would also be involved in some situations. With the ending also not being sadly very realistic. The film is easy to watch though, unlike many of the YouTube clips of this happening in real life.

The plot is simple but good enough, the different storylines connect nicely, but the characters are a bit stereotypical, but saying this it is only because they have chosen to write about characters which would act in a stereotypical manner. Like an atheistic professor who hates god and can only tolerate the presence of others like himself. This makes for a bit of a two-dimensional character build. Yet the film is still enjoyable. The film keeps your attention, it could have been slimmed down a bit, especially the smaller storylines. The reporter part could have been cut but the actress does do a good job.

There are some quite good and deep moments within the film, the first interaction between the professor and his class, the rich businessman and his sick mother and a few others. I think the film has a positive message and is a good moral boost to anyone. As well as a reminder to keep learning about the faith and not to get too complacent.

The film is worth watching but again be warned it is a feel good film. With a happy ending, in a way.

The myth of Pope Pius XII and the myth of Pope Francis’ Transparent church

The myth of Pope Pius XII and the myth of Pope Francis’ Transparent church

This year Pope Francis allowed several years of Vatican Achieves to be released, dating from 1939 to 1958, quite strange why only those years.

Why is this relevant, well it coincides with this year’s very belated McCarrick report and represents the Vatican’s attempt to throw yet another good Pope in the form of Venerable Pius XII under the bus. The fact that this pope was know for his opposition to Nazism (before disinformation started), communism, socialism, relativism, atheism, and modernism. Is the reason why the modern (post WW2) establishment of the church and the Mainstream Media and radical academics are so hostile to this great Pope. They need so badly to believe that he is guilty, so that they can discredit all of his ideas and principles, the media/elites hate Catholicism or religion at least and are more than happy to push this narrative and many more are happy to blindly follow it.     

The McCarrick report attempted to shift the blame for the scandal from Pope Francis solely to St John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and not the entire establishment of the church (especially the liberal part). With Pope Francis had the chance to put McCarrick on trial but instead he had him retire in comfort by simply defrocking him. A public trial would have been more transparent; however, he could have named a lot of names mainly from the current leadership in complicity (the so called modernists).    

Not content with this, the release of these documents and the subsequent documentaries and article’s produced by papers and media outlets completely hostile to the church has been another sad chapter in the attempt to rewrite history. All the overwhelming facts are readily available to disprove these accusations. The facts are that the Pope warned the allies of the 1940 invasion of France, not to mention countless more times the church passed on important information. The allies told the Vatican not to endanger their source of information as it was important to the war effort. The church helped many of the resistance movements of Europe, they saved a huge number of Jews as well as others, they also saved allied servicemen, many of which Pope Pius was personally involved with. His personal residence was turned into a nursey for the countless Jewish babies that were born there. He spoke against everything that Nazism stood for, many times before and during his Papacy. Which is why Hitler and the leadership of Nazi Germany hated him. The main accusation that some ask while trying to smear him and the Church is that he and the church could have done more. If you read the history then this accusation is very childish, uneducated, and an armchair way of looking at history, was he to order against the allies’ advice for his priests to go out and attack the Nazis with their candlesticks. Or call Hitler a servant of Satan in public. In both cases the Pope and the church would have been destroyed, all the intelligence gone along with all assistance to the resistance movements, allies, Jews, and others, gone. Hundreds of thousands dead at least and the war prolonged, but I think we can agree not a smart action if you want to save lives and not just indulge in your own emotions.        

Venerable Pope Pius XII was a good Pope and a holy man that saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews himself, (low figure) with his money, orders, and support, that is an historical fact, it cannot be denied or disproved. This Pope was considered a hero of the Jewish people for decades until the Soviet Union began its infamous disinformation campaign. Albert Einstein, Golda Meir, and Jewish leaders who were actual holocaust survivors, just to mention a few. The two sources of nearly, (99%) of all the lies and misinformation are from two suspect authors Rolf Hochhuth and Michael Phayer. The latter seemed to have a passion for destroying Pope Pius XII.  No matter where you are reading it, the story will inevitably link back to something originally written by these two authors.

This narrative that is pushed by the left wing media that Pope Francis is all about transparency is a disgrace, all I can think of is you can often tell who someone is by their friends, Communists, Paedophiles, Sexual predators, fraudsters, and hard-line atheists.

You will know them by there fruit, a bad tree cannot produce good fruit and good tree cannot produce bad fruit, we know this.

Since we are talking transparency how about opening the Vatican Banks books? Maybe having a look at the secret China deal that condemns thousands to death, right now, how about even giving a glimpse into how certain current Vatican staff still have a job. Pope Francis himself says he wants to cause confusion and his favourite weapon is silence. Why does a father not answer his children’s questions and their fears? Why are his advisors pushing him down such a dangerous and dark path?  

A Catechism of Christian Doctrine Penny Catechism book review

A Catechism of Christian Doctrine Penny Catechism book review

The book was published/authored by the Catholic Truth Society with the digital version being released in 2017, 95 pages long, it is priced around £2 to £7 (often on sale) and the paperback being released in 1978 is around 88 pages, however newer printed copies are 95 pages long. It is priced at £3.50.

This book is a superb reference book and is perfect for reminding yourself of certain facts and information that may be needed. It is a pocket-sized book and is very useful for either traveling or for keeping on yourself. It is nice to keep close as it contains a few of the important parts of the full Catechism. It is nicely laid out and it is easy to find what you need to quickly.

It is also a very good introduction into the full catechism. It is perfect for lapsed Catholics or for new converts or even people who may just want to learn a little more about Catholicism. It is short yet stacked full of information and it is broken down into nice easy bite sized parts, so that it does not overload the reader. It is simple, and although it would answer a lot of questions, that someone might want to know about the faith, it will also make them more curious about the faith most likely leading them towards the full catechism.

I think this book makes a really good addition to your library of books and it makes a perfect gift.

RC

St Louis of France Resource

Please see article Great Kings of Christendom: Saint Louis of France

St Louis of France

Son of the French King Louis VIII (The Lion) and of Queen Blanche of Castile. Louis IX was born in the castle of Poissy on April 25th 1214, around the time of the French victory over the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor and England at Bouvines. Crowned at the very young age of 12 just a few days after the burial of his father.

His mother Blanche of Castile had made this decision to try and avoid any court intrigue or rebellion in the power vacuum left by his father’s death, Blanche had raised Louis with a very honed sense of Piety installing in Louis a great love of God, dedicating his education to the works of the church, she would remain his advisor for the rest of her life. Louis would pray for several hours a day and often engage in Alms and feeding up to 100 peasants a day in his own home. In 1234 he married Margaret of Provence; she was well known for being a fine example of Catholic womanhood.

He would often go to the woods and lay out a carpet where he would hear the cases of the people, he was loved by the people for they knew of his consideration for them, Louis enacted many legal reforms, for example trials by ordeal (torture) were outlawed, the right to appeal against the royal court was also instituted something unheard of in the medieval era.

However, he matched his gentleness and love of the people with his zeal for justice and used discipline where he felt it necessary such as instituting laws against prostitution, gambling, blasphemy and usury.

He standardised silver currency to help trade and oversaw the continuing rise of the French economic and military development making it the pre-eminent super power of Europe, with this rise came a wave of building, he built new castles, endorsed and helped to promote the gothic style which spread all over Europe. A man of the arts and education he supported the University of Paris already renowned for being a bastion of learning and he built the College of Sorbonne.

The year 1242 saw war with king Henry III. He rode at the head of his army at the Battle of Talleboug resulting in a great victory over the Anglo-Poteian army.

The peace treaty that was settled was not supported by King Louis’ nobles, but his faith drove him to make peace as he wanted above all else to live the life the lord would want him to live. The treaty of Paris was quite unique as it confirmed the territories of Normandy, Touraine and Anjou as well as Saintonge north of the Charente river confirming all of the conquests of Phillip II. England was only allowed to keep Guyenne and had to swear allegiance to the King in effect becoming a vassal state.

He oversaw the exchange of Catalonia for Languedoc in a treaty with James I of Aragon, King Louis was well known as a man who valued peace and often stayed neutral. While still being respected for the power of his army. He only broke this with Frederick II. When Fredrick II threatened the Papal States Louis IX in an echo of what the great Carolingian Kings had done, offered his protection to Pope Innocent IV, this alone was enough to turn Fredricks armies back.

Louis because of his faith desired to acquire many relics including allegedly the crown of thorns amongst many others.

From then on the Capetian Dynasty was seen as the spearhead of the Christian world. In December 1244 Louis fell seriously ill on the brink of death he swore to take up the cross of crusade if he recovered, he of course with the will of God recovered and was true to his oath. The seventh crusade exclusively French, entered in preparation, in August 1248 a fleet set sail from the French coast, onboard some of Frances finest knights and a force of 3000 Calvary 12000 Infantry.

Along with his brothers Alphonso Count of Poiters, Robert I Count of Artois and Charles of Anjou. A decision was made to invade Egypt the major power in the Islamic world at the time. In June 1249 the crusaders landed before Damietta and swept away the Egyptian defence and took the city and freed Christians who had been jailed in the dungeons of the fortress.

These first successes enticed the King to carry on his advance to Cairo in January 1250. The crusaders were blocked by the fortress of Al man Surah. Skilfully defended by General Fakhr-ad-dim. On February 8th the French vanguard led by the fierce Robert Count of Artois managed to cross the river using a narrow ford. Disobeying the Kings orders Robert and his men rushed to Al man Surah where the gates had been purposely left open as a trap. They were ambushed in the narrow streets and slaughtered by the Mamluk Garrison of General Baibais. A few hours later the rest of the force crossed the river, but too late to save their comrades.

Saracens reinforced by the Mamluk mounted archers threw a rain of arrows and flood of Greek fire causing panic amongst the French ranks. Seeing his men at the brink of collapse Louis gathered his knights, yet again always rousing them to fight for God and launched a counterattack against the mass of Mamluks. This is where the Frankish knights shone and in hand to hand combat the Mamluks were no match and the Saracens were slaughtered.

At nightfall the Egyptians retreated. Yet because of the foolhardiness of Robert what should have been crushing defeat for the Egyptians amounted to nothing more than a costly victory.

In the following days sickness spread throughout the camp most likely typhus, preventing the crusaders from taking advantage of the victory. The Frankish Column became no more than a shadow of the army that set off from France and the King had to retreat to Damietta.

April 6th the crusaders were encircled by Baibars men, after a heroic defence Louis was captured. For the first time a King of France was a hostage threatened with death on many occasions, Louis impressed all with his stoic attitude. The ransom was proferred by Margaret of Provence although she was about to give birth, the templars provided the ransom money as the sum was vast.

Once set free Louis IX travelled throughout the crusader states for four years, as soon as he arrived the King was named chief of the eastern Christians and helped to reorganise the defences of Acre, Jaffa and Sidon, Caesarea. Through his brilliant knowledge of diplomacy and his political acumen he managed to stoke already simmering tensions between house of Damascus and the house Cairo, these two combined bought some much needed time for Crusader states. In a typically characteristic act, he also had all the hostages taken during his campaign ransomed back.

Louis in a great feat of diplomacy sent a messenger to the Mongols knowing their tolerance of Christianity and friction with Islam. However, the death of his mother 1254 meant he had to return to France. In 1261 Baibers who become Sultan of Egypt launched a great offensive against the Crusader States which had fallen back into anarchy since the reorganisation by St Louis.

Against the advice of the counsellors the King of France despite declining health decided to take the cross again launching the 8th crusade. Thanks to the fleet of Charles of Anjou who become Charles 1st of Naples, St Louis’ army landed in Tunis on July 24th, 1270 and Carthage was retaken by the crusaders then they besieged Tunis defended by Muhammad I al- mustansar.

Yet operations where hindered by the extreme heat and disease, John Tristan son of the King died on August 4th and Louis also fell sick from dysentery and died on August 25, 1270.

With his last breath he pronounced the name Jerusalem. His young son Phillip succeeded him. However negotiation by Charles of Naples ended the siege with a huge indemnity and set sail for France. The remains of Louis were placed in the Basilica Saint Denis after the long journey home.

Many French prelates asked of his canonisations. King Louis was fair, but put pressure on the pope to hurry his canonisation’s. August 11, 1297 Pope Boniface VIII announced King Louis would be made a saint under the title Saint Louis of France.

Saint Louis IX was a great King who shone forth in his desire to live a virtuous life, he manged the fine balance of kindness, shrewdness and strength of leadership, I would highly recommend reading The Glory of Christendom by Warren Carroll and checking Real Crusades History a You Tube channel for more on this great Saint.

AC

Disinformation Book Review

Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism written by Ion Mihai Pacepa and Ronald J Rychlak.

Ronald J Rychlak is an American Lawyer, law professor and author. He is the Professor of Law of the Jamie L. Whitten Chair of Law and Government, and Faculty Athletics Representative at the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is also an author and contributor to multiple books like Disinformation, Hitler, the War, and the Pope. Righteous Gentiles: How Pope Pius XII Saved Half a Million Jews from the Nazis. The Persecution and Genocide of Christians in the Middle East: Prevention, Prohibition, & Prosecution. He also has contributed to a huge selection of papers, magazines, books and programmes on history, religion, law, and politics.

Ion Mihai Pacepa was a former Lieutenant general of the secret police in Communist Romania, he defected to the United states of America in 1978. He is the highest-ranking defector from the former Eastern Bloc. He was an advisor to President Nicolae Ceausescu and was acting Chief of his foreign intelligence service and a State Secretary of Romania's Ministry of Interior. After defecting he became an author and writer. With the books Red Horizons: Chronicles of a Communist Spy Chief.  Programmed to Kill: Lee Harvey Oswald, the Soviet KGB, and the Kennedy Assassination. And of course, Disinformation, He also has written for multiple publications like PJ Media, The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, The Washington Times and many others.

Disinformation was first published in 2013 and is available in hardcover, digital and as an audiobook. With 429 pages in hardcover and 582 pages in digital and 13 hours and 10 minutes in its audio version.

Greeted with universal praise now and when it was first released, it is recommended reading for CIA Officers!

This book is well written and very well sourced. Its pacing is good, and it keeps your attention. The same goes for the audio version with the addition of it being well narrated by Corey Snow.

This book is not just a great read or listen, with huge amounts of meticulously sourced and detailed information, about politics, history, espionage and religion but it really is more important than ever before, in a world of mass media, social media and misinformation/disinformation. This book will really help to teach you about disinformation in all its forms. It details so many attempts by the Soviet Bloc and its affiliates as well as their successors, to warp or change history. This book will really change the way you look at the world.  It will help you understand why certain people think the way they do. And why certain false facts not just exist but how and why they exist in the first place and why they are so hard to dispel and extinguish from the world. This book shows the reader how and why the west has so many dysfunctional ideas and opinions on so many different subjects. I think it also allows you the reader to spot disinformation a lot easier. The book dispels several myths about the church and gives a greater insight into the soviet’s huge efforts to destroy the church.   

This book is a must, it builds your knowledge base up and makes sense of the world we live in today.

Advent and Christmas bringing yourself closer to Christ

Advent and Christmas bringing yourself closer to Christ

We are now fast approaching the period of Advent often known as the mini Lent.

While the secular world uses the run up to Christmas Day as a time of excess and at times grotesque over indulgence, we in the Catholic faith should be using this time to prepare ourselves for our Lords Joyous arrival.

In the early church this was a strict time of fasting, culminating in the era of St Gregory, in which all meat, fish, milk, cheese, oil and wine where abstained from throughout the whole Period of Advent allowing themselves just fish on Saturday and Sunday. As the years of went on and we arrived at Middle Ages things had changed and now fasting was observed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Nowadays of course no specific requirements are set before the faithful. However, with the state the church is in and the world spiralling into sin, now is the time to take up the words of our Lord and pray and fast. Perhaps not going as far as our early church fathers, as it is best to walk before you run, the benefits of fasting especially for men are numerous and help to sharpen the mind and the spirit. After all, just one month of fasting 3 days a week is no major hardship especially considering Christmastide is so long and not far away.

Just in case your new to fasting, a Catholic Fast at its minimum involves eating 1 main meal which should be simple and not larger than usual, as well as 2 small meals half the size of your main meal or less, of course, you can go further if you are young and healthy. I myself like to go slightly further on Fridays making the 2 small meals as little as a single boiled egg or piece of fruit, but the main thing is that your eating less, not snacking and maybe feeling those hunger pangs.

Of Course along with this, an increase in prayer is essential, the St Andrews prayer should be said 15 times a day and you can find a link to a website that will take you through it, but it is a beautiful prayer and if you say it 5 times before each meal you won’t forget.

Hail and Blessed be the hour and the moment at which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin in a stable at midnight in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. At the hour vouchsafe, I beseech thee, to hear my prayers and grant my desires, (then mention your intentions, once is fine) through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.

Amen

Along with this reading the Gospel of St Luke is a must, as it has the most detailed accounts of our Lords Birth of the four Gospels.

There also many great Christmas devotions such as Advent candles and calendars, but the main thing is to get closer to God and be ready for his only begotten son our Lord Jesus Christ.

We also have many great Feast days coming up which can celebrated in the right way during the period of penance, such as the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St Christopher who is even more fascinating than the Modern Father Christmas.

God keep you

https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-andrew-christmas-novena

AC

The Gunpowder plot Guy Fawkes the hero.

The Gunpowder plot Guy Fawkes the hero.

The gunpowder plot was an attempt to destroy an evil dictatorship, persecuting and murdering its citizen’s, and for what, their peaceful worship of their religion, the original religion of the country. Catholics were banned from worshiping their religion of choice. They were fined and worse, for not attending the state religion. After decades of persecution and failed attempts at reforms that would lessen or cease this persecution, Catholics were left with no choice, but to act to protect themselves. When you are caught praying or attending a mass that is not state sanctioned, that should not be a crime. Sadly, the brave heroes were caught tortured and murdered. Unfortunately, this desperate attempt to force change and bring tolerance did not work and the persecution has continued for centuries.

It is sad to say that still today, Catholics are looked down on and discriminated against, fired from their jobs and socially destroyed. Ensuring that in many cases that a Catholic will lose their job as well as their future career options, in some cases friends and family, their sense of safety. They will be then at the mercy of the same government that is purposely put them there in the hope of forcing them to change. This is happening today to some Catholics, not all, however it show no signs of slowing down or stopping, with the only foreseeable reason for it slowing in the future, being that Catholics will be so terrified that they will change their faith to make their life tolerable. Though not as bad as torture and execution it is still not right. Most of the time the catholic in question has simply stated their Catholic opinion on the subject and not even tried to live by it. But even talking, writing, and thinking as a Catholic can be a dangerous act these days as the state and media, especially the police, courts and the education system are deeply uneducated and intolerant to Catholics. It is sad that the state and many people still persecute Catholics today, we have always been an easy target. Film and pop culture spurs fake myths about our history and about us and our faith, Robin Hood is a good example of pushing a fake narrative about the church (stealing grain from the poor because we and our church are greedy). But there are many more, some big, some small and some which hit you front on and others which are quiet and insidious, then there are cultural myths about our history, priests, beliefs and what we think and feel. That are just thrown about like unchallengeable facts that are just believed, without any evidence or research to support them, all of which puts us in a bad light and makes the abuse of us acceptable and just, in the eyes of the uninformed. And even though we are a tolerant, diverse, loving, inclusive and beneficial group to society we are attacked. The main reason for attacking us is to force us to turn away from our faith. As our faith is a reminder that the current lifestyles that many choose to lead, and the country’s culture is negative and is deeply unhealthy. That as a society we have moved far from natural law and that things are only getting worse. We are an unpleasant reminder of this, and people wish to continue their selfish and destructive lives, without having to listen to their souls’ guilt for their actions and attitudes. We also stand for democracy, free speech, responsibility, non-materialism, delayed gratification, faith, family, charity, non-judgmental, natural law and many other things. Which to many seem to be unreasonable ideas these days. I hope that we are not imprisoned and or killed for our faith again in this country, but I sadly believe that it may not be long before we are, placed at a crossroads once again. It will not be the same as in the past, less rack and more psychology but it could still be a new age of martyrs. I hope not, but all the signs are there.             

To the credit of the gunpowder plotters they were trying to be merciful and this is what got them killed and so many more in the future. If only they had not warned so many of the plot. If only they had not trusted so many with the information. They could have sent men to stop by force their brothers from going to parliament if they wanted to save their lives. They could have let them die for their faith. Not an easy choice and not one without risk of one’s soul but to stop a country from losing its soul and from spreading the protestant cancer, it may have been a necessary price. God will in the end of course decide. But an important lesson can be learned from the gunpowder plot, mercy has a time and a place.    

RC

Apostates, Heretics and the Rest

Apostates, Heretics and the Rest

Bernadine, Biden, Pelosi and possibly Cardinal Cupich!

I was and am working on an article about advent detailing all the beautiful traditions and devotions this season brings, as well as discussing my favourite feast days during this upcoming season, but alas that will have to wait.

I managed to ignore Biden and the fact that he is a millionaire socialist who claims to be Catholic but does not adhere to church teaching on virtually anything and also ignores the precept of supporting the poor or the church whilst being in a financial position most of us couldn’t even imagine. I managed to ignore Pelosi as her and her mentors, the wicked woman posing as nuns on the bus carry on pushing for more abortion, more Marxism more everything that is abhorrent.

But the straw that broke the camels back today was Cardinal Cupich a product of the Chicago East coast mafioso that masquerades as the hierarchy of the Church in America. His Declaration that we should celebrate Joseph Bernadine was too much.

I didn’t ignore the previous two because I didn’t  care about the evil they do, just in order to keep a balance in one’s spiritual life there is only so much poison you can encounter on a regular basis.

Cardinal Cupich a product of McCarrick’s world, is a leading light in pushing confusion in the American Bishops conference, itself a vile organisation started by evil men, I was thinking of laying the whole history of a certain diocese like Chicago, Spokane and Washington as examples of everything wrong in the church, then I stopped myself. I am not as you can tell a full-time writer/journalist I am just a Catholic, a man who loves Christ, a penitent sinner and I am tired of defending my Faith to other so-called Catholics. I would highly recommend we should start following our Lords advice, “You shall know them by their fruits” Mt 7:16.

If you can see that they encourage heretics like James Martin, if they equate the murder of babies in the womb with being jobless, or having to use actual immigration law or not being handed Medicare for free, then you know they work for the devil, it's that simple.

I actually enjoy apologetics with other faiths, trying to lead atheists or people of other religions to Jesus Christ to give them the good news.  I have no problem even when they don’t want to listen or it gets into a debate, they are in many ways far more innocent than the sycophants who claim to be Catholic, all the while not following on purpose by their deliberate premeditated will, Gods will, that’s my issue, so no Biden isn’t a Catholic, neither is Pelosi or most likely many Cardinals because they deliberately don’t follow the faith. It’s not messing up and falling into sin, it’s not making the best of worst case scenario, these are not poor people, these are not people facing persecution or some horrible home life or even addicts or those with great personal pains that lead them down the wrong path. While I am sure they have pain, problems, etc. they make a conscious decision to dedicate their life to sin and the destruction of souls every day!

Just a hundred years ago almost all of these people would have been excommunicated and some already are auto excommunicated, but that is an issue which would take more time than I have.  I highly recommend looking it up. We use our time and the internet for bad reasons or at least not good reasons, so maybe it is time we all started reading more, studying more.  Bishop Fulton Sheen once said, “we have more time than ever but through some deception we think we are the busiest people to ever have lived”.

Watch, read and listen to the following, if you are not convinced then be on your merry way, in total you are looking at a couple of days of your time, but this may save your soul.

A recent video by Fr Goring the YouTube priest who often gets himself into trouble with his superiors, for well speaking the truth, in this video he discussed how if you are casting confusion then you need to stop! For the sake of everyone’s soul, he details Cardinal Sarah’s comments that Scripture is to be followed, it is the word of God and not to be debated over, they are to be believed if you're a Catholic! Whether its teachings are relevant in today’s times, etc. is just a huge red flag that your dealing with a non-believer regardless of whether they are wearing Clerical Attire or not!

So, I will finish on that, belief my friends is key, Christ’s teachings are the same today as they were 2000 years ago and will be the same in 2000 years, in fact until He comes again.

Viva Cristo Rey!

Further reading/watching

A wolf in Sheep’s clothing by EWTN

Infiltration by Dr Taylor Marshall

Disinformation by General Ion Mihai Pacepa

Expose of Joseph Bernadine

AC

Women priests what is wrong with Nuns/Sisters?

Women priests what is wrong with Nuns/Sisters?

The terms Nuns or Sisters are casually, usually interchangeable and have varied throughout church history. However, the term Nun is used for women who have taken solemn vows. While the term Sister is used for women who have taken simple vows.

I hear radicals and or liberals say that maybe its time for women priests or deacons. It is simply not possible, now first let me explain why this is not possible in our faith. Tradition is overwhelmingly important in the Catholic church it is part of our faith, without it there is no faith. The tradition is that women cannot be priests or deacons. Canon law states this, so do all of the Popes. The Catechism also states this. Cannon law, the Catechism, magisterial authority, natural law and tradition are all key elements to the faith and must be understood before you start to discuss this issue and once you have informed yourself you will see that women cannot be priests or deacons. Only those who wish to undermine the church take the opposite view. It is either malice or a grave lack of knowledge that leads someone down this path. Jesus chose 12 apostles all men he could have chosen a woman or women, there were women around him who could have been great choices, however, he had another purpose and mission for them. It is not that women back in that time were not involved in religion, that is not true, they were. It was Jesus’s choice, and we must uphold this. It is not just part of natural law and tradition it is a part of the very fibre of our religion. It is Gods will.

Now why do radicals and liberals hate Nuns/Sisters so much why do they look down on their contribution towards the church and towards the laity, which is considerable and has been and will continue to be invaluable and unmeasurable. Firstly, Nuns/Sisters are usually spiritual and morally better than the misguided or sinful people that are suggesting such heretical thoughts. People who push for female priests are just using them to gain, support, fame, money or just because they are unfaithful and want to tear down the one true church. The women in question believe they know better than God, Jesus Christ himself and all the popes of the church. They believe their short-term happiness and pride are the most important thing in the world. They think they are too good to be a Nun/Sister and want the attention of being a priest, even if they can never be a real priest just a selfish close-minded uneducated imposter.

Women’s role in the church is hugely important they make up many saints and beloved figures of the church. They are great organisers in the church. As well as the community around it. Not to mention family life. The blessed Virgin Mary is a central figure in our religion, and we pray daily to her for help and guidance. She is Queen of all men, Queen of the Angels and Queen of the cosmos. The view that some wrongly state and push that women are secondary characters in the Catholic faith is not only historical, factual, but morally wrong and it is deeply offensive and a slur against all Catholics. They are simply attempting to create a divide by preying upon our darker thoughts and sins, the women and men of the catholic church are in unity in faith, tradition, and love.

So, I ask you what is wrong with Nuns/Sisters? In my mind nothing they are heroes of the church. And I wish the uneducated, lukewarm, misguided individuals would think more carefully before they blurt out what they think sounds smart and modern. Which are in fact offensive slurs and religious bigotry.

RC

Where is the modernising?

Where is the modernising?

I hear from the so-called liberals, modernists, radicals and even conservatives saying that we need to modernise. But I have not seen any sight of it so far. I see attempts to cause confusion, doubt, turmoil and even to commit apostasy and heresy. Our faith is set in stone our beliefs cannot change. Still I see no modernising where are our comfortable chairs in church our lazy boys or nice sofas, wouldn’t that help more people come to church as modernist seem to think that numbers are everything. Where are the fancy tablets to read the Bible and Missel on and to follow along with the priest, our vr sermons that’s very modern, our cartoons for children our anime for teens and our live action series for adults on the bible, on the catechism and other church documents and teachings. Our church halls where are our soda machines, with sugar free options of course, our fancy bean to cup coffee machines. What about our catholic video games for the kids? What about our bishops doing face to face as well as video/VR weekly q&a where nothing is outer bounds? That would be good instead of them acting like they are lords hiding in their keeps. Most act as if there are too good to be around their flock.

Even the Vatican website is underdeveloped and the apps available are basic or are not user friendly, though on both of theses counts things are getting better mostly from outside of the church.   

I never hear these suggestions from modernists just let us make massive changes to the catechism and lets just ignore most of the bible and let us ignore the Saints and redo the Magisterial. That is not modernising that’s heresy. Some of the ideas I have joked about are not suitable, but some are good ideas. New websites, apps, cartoons and other productions even video games, even some cushion to the peers aren’t that bad of an idea, the weekly Q&A are a great idea however this sadly will never happen in the modern church I fear. The meaning of this word modernist has been hijacked by the radicals and warm hearted who either have bad intentions or are simple misguided. 

Yes, lets modernise in some of the ways I have suggested, and I am sure there are better ideas out there. But let us make sure this word is not abused and that we fight to regain it. The church in some areas could do with true modernising. Its teachings however are infallible and unchangeable. And Tradition is not just important within the true church it is a fundamental building block of the church. Let us not forget the truly devastating efforts started in the 60s and 70s to modernism, that cause so much damage. Ignoring the attack on Tradition which by default is an attack on the faith itself. The modernising was completely ineffective and offered nothing but some relief to the lukewarm. When asking if something needs to be modernised first ask why and how it will strengthen the faith.

RC

Why fear the small church.

Why fear the small church.

One theme that seems to have crept into the Catholic online discourse recently, although I’m sure it is a discussion that has been discussed for some time. It has been hinted at by the leaders of the let us say the ‘liberal” section of the church, although Modernist/radical is the correct characterisation. This idea is that if we don’t bend the church to the will of the world, we will lose it and be left with a small and unimportant church bereft of members and somehow less able to spread the gospel. This of course is wrong on so many levels, for one it shows a total lack of Supernatural faith, it subscribes to the notion that we should be bringing ourselves up to God, like a modern day Tower of Babel and also the very demonstrably provable fact that bending to the ways of the world somehow brings people to the  church, clearly in the West the new evangelisation hasn’t worked.

The common retort to that, is look at Africa and Asia, to which I would say look at Latin America, for one where we are losing out to the Protestants especially the Pentecostal and also atheist Socialism. However even when looking at Africa and Asia the answer is simple, no, the new evangelisation is not working there, the population is simply exploding, if there is let’s say 50 million people in country’s which 50 years ago there was 20 million, then shock and surprise there might be more Catholics! Try looking at the numbers as a whole, look at new Baptism rates, look at the increase in Islam and Protestantism in the country and you will see that we are still at best holding the line, which is in part to the heroics of what would be considered ultra conservative priests and Bishops in countries like Kenya, so no, maintenance or slight increase in Africa is not down to the new Evangelisation it is in spite of it. But I digress, let us concentrate for a moment on the original theme, why should we fear a small church.

Looking at the Bishops in the USA is a perfect example, they are desperate not to slim the church down, when one priest is serving let us say 3 or 4 parishes they will not admit that perhaps it should 1 or 2 parishes, it would consolidate costs but more importantly the Priest might be able to support his community properly, now I don’t want to see churches close, but it’s because I see it as a surrender to the secular world, for these Bishops it’s because they know at a certain point it will become noticeable that there is a bishop for a handful churches, it would mean an end to their luxury lifestyle to their life of respect and privilege. As a unit the USCCB it would mean an end to the taxpayer funded gravy train that is the social welfare funding they receive from the Federal Government.

What strikes me more, especially if you look at the arguments that occur around the world of Bishop Barron and his Word on Fire Ministry a million dollar enterprise in itself, is that a small church would be a disaster that’s it better to draw people in with half-truths and lies about the faith, that the charisma of the truth, the gospels and most significantly of the Savour Jesus Christ isn’t enough.

I would argue the church even when small is more than capable of winning the day! As it is already proclaimed the victory is assured by Holy Scripture! Think of the Christians in the Roman Catacombs and the hundreds of years of persecution they faced, think of the true Catholics led by the lonely soul of St Athanasius during the Arian crisis, most of the church and the hierarchy had gone into full Heresy, denying the divinity of the returning Christ himself, but the truth was on the side of the small church, loyal to Christ that fought on and won the day returning the whole church to its proper form. The Catholic churches of England and Japan are more prime examples they survived despite being surrounded by enemies, being persecuted being butchered, they remain.

I say if we could learn from the Arian crisis or the crisis of the Borgia Popes that it is better to be a small church of true believers than to be a church of hypocrites, pretenders and lukewarm cowards. John Apocalypse 3:16 But because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will begin to vomit you out of my mouth. Maybe we should listen to the Angel of God. It was this period of lukewarmness that led us to the reformation, that’s what we are seeing again now, a period where the church is so lukewarm it allows the secular world to dictate to it, when the church should be teaching morals to the world.

It gives to Caesar what is his and what is God’s a blasphemous sin, it shows itself to be expendable and allows sacrilege to occur and then defends that sacrilege.

Surely a church, a small church of believers would not allow this. There is a certain turning point where some just need to believe or leave. If you don’t accept the 10 commandments leave, if you don’t accept the moral teachings of the catechism leave, if you are not willing pull yourself out of bed on a Sunday, every Sunday, every holy day of obligation, if you are not willing to pray in reparation for the sins committed against the sacred Heart of Jesus do you really believe, I am not judging anyone’s interior position, I am no one to judge but if you insist on trying to pull down the rafter around my head while I am praying, while I am believing in the Eucharist, I am obeying the teachings of the church don’t expect me to not stop and say “what are you doing?”

Let us not fear a small church on fire for Christ, let us not fear a small church full of zeal, ready for the coming chastisement, ready to face down the evils of world, ready to love those that persecute us, ready to defend those innocents when it is called for, let us take the example of the Saints of the persecution of the Diocletian, of St Athanasius, Saint’s Moore and Fisher let us Cry out the Glory that is Christ Risen, this will convert people, it always has and always will, look to your own lives. In the past to my shame I tried to water the faith down, to make it more relatable in the hopes of bringing someone coming closer to God it has never worked, when I have said what I know will make the world hate me, I have always be surprised to see that someone has approached me and asked, so you really believe?

AC