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IV. JESUS ALONE! In his message for the World Day of Peace, having adverted to the «dramatic events of 11 September last», Pope John Paul II declared that these «bloody episodes… move me to return to a theme which often stirs in the depths of my heart when I remember the events of history which have marked my life, especially my youth. «The inexpressible suffering of peoples and individuals, even among my own friends and acquaintances, caused by Nazi and Communist totalitarianism, has never been far from my thoughts and prayers. I have often paused to reflect on the persistent question: which path will lead to the full restoration of the moral and social order subjected to such horrific violence?» Let us listen carefully to his answer: «My reasoned conviction, confirmed in turn by biblical revelation, is that the shattered order cannot be fully restored except by a response that combines justice with forgiveness. The pillars of true peace are justice and that form of love which is forgiveness.» This affirmation invites two observations. The first is that it makes not the slightest allusion to the great Secret entrusted by Our Lady of Fatima to Lucy, Francisco and Jacinta on 13 July 1917, which treated specifically of «the inexpressible sufferings of peoples and individuals» considered by the Pope, and of the remedy to be applied to them. Our Lady explained that these ills were punishments intended to save the souls of poor sinners from hell. She then revealed «a path» capable of restoring that peace which is the tranquillity of «the moral and social order» sought by the Pope: this path which leads to the port of salvation is devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: «To prevent this [«war, famine and persecutions against the Church and the Holy Father» provoked by Nazism and Communism], I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation of the first Saturdays. If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions against the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated.» The second observation is that the solution suggested by the Pope is the fruit of his own personal reflection, as he himself emphasises. Not only does this personal speech addressed to the whole world seek neither light nor support in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but it also shows a disinclination to draw on any antecedents. No traditional legislation, i.e. legislation with a proven track-record of realism and viability, has ever recognised «forgiveness» as «a pillar» of the social order. No society could ever survive the formal impunity thus accorded to thieves, aggressors, murderers and criminals of every kind. When it is only the individual himself who incurs risk and harm, a generous person, it is true, may prefer as a matter of charity and for the spiritual good of his attacker to be killed rather than to kill. But what if his wife and his children, if his Country, if Christendom itself are in danger? Their legitimate defence must then take precedence and becomes a sacred duty for all including the Pope, who has the authority to preach a Crusade.
So the Pope condemns terrorism, but he does so – a new source of astonishment – without appealing to the commandment of God. Now Saint Paul, in the New Testament, makes this commandment a corollary of charity: «All the commandments: “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill”, and so on, are summed up in this single command: “You must love your neighbour as yourself.”» (Rm 13.9): «It is I who deal death and life», says the Lord to Moses (Dt 32.39). «In truth, writes the Abbé de Nantes, the only really necessary and adequate reason for human life to be respected by man and for homicide to be proscribed [...] is this inviolability, not of human life, but of the right of God over the life and death of human beings – and if we are well acquainted with biblical Revelation, we can go one better –, over human death and life, over death in order to make man live» eternally in Heaven, explains our Father (French CRC no 103, March 1976). For the exercise of human justice is founded on the absolute and inviolable character of divine justice and the implacable character of its eternal sanctions. It is essential for individuals, for their very salvation, that this higher order is made present and real by the subsidiary order of human justice. It is highly beneficial that sanctions imposed by human courts express the reality of the transgression against the divine law, in order that man may respect God, fears His judgements, and preserve a keen sense of the sovereign domain of His Justice. Ultimately, our Faith alone brings peace, because it stimulates that hope for everyone’s salvation which is inspired in us by Charity. Now, this idea of the salvation of poor criminals is entirely absent from John Paul II’s message for the World Day of Peace. Nor is there is any mention in it of Heaven, the unique goal of all our labours. In the thinking of the Pope, not only do human rights take the place of the rights of God, particularly the right of religious freedom «which is a basic human and civil right of every individual» (no 14), but what is more our whole horizon is enclosed within this world, one might even say within one’s personal EGO in which the whole human world is concentrated. According to him, Heaven must be realised on earth, all men being reconciled through the power of their various «religions». «The history of salvation, narrated in Sacred Scripture, sheds clear light on the entire history of the world and shows us that human events are always accompanied by the merciful Providence of God, who knows how to touch even the most hardened of hearts and bring good fruits even from what seems utterly barren soil. «This is the hope which sustains the Church at the beginning of 2002: that, by the grace of God, a world in which the power of evil seems once again to have taken the upper hand will in fact be transformed into a world in which the noblest aspirations of the human heart will triumph, a world in which true peace will prevail.» (no 1) As yet such a world has no existence, reality or life other than virtual, and it certainly holds out no prospect of Heaven.
The preceding pages have shown us that the real force behind current events, and indeed behind the whole history of the world, is the revelation of God. A revelation not of His existence, which is obvious and does not need to be demonstrated, nor of the existence of the air which I breathe or of the sky which is above us, but of His covenant with Abraham nearly four thousand years ago. There is a world of difference between this biblical universe and the projection of the pontifical EGO, a product of private judgment, the sole object of the discourse of the man Karol Wojtyla. It is this covenant which gives history its meaning, its “orthodromy” which leads to Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man to save humanity. There is no «religion» except that which bears its mark: from the Old Testament to the New, passing through the “Middle”: from Melchisedech and Abraham to John the Baptist and Jesus. We have identified its archaeological birthplace at «Bethany on the far side of the Jordan», the cradle of humanity regenerated in the waters of baptism. It is, right up until our own days, a river of running water easily distinguished from its dead offshoot, rabbinical Judaism, and more still from the so-called “Eastern religions” which do not establish any real relationship with God. As for Islam, its only driving force, from Mohammed to bin Laden, is its claim to return to Abraham by making Christianity and Judaism disappear by fire and the sword. The Koran has spelled out this ambition for thirteen centuries, always arguing from the one selfsame biblical claim. This is «the basis», ’al-qawâ cida, of the «Arab-Israeli conflict, deplored by the Pope, which has now been going on for more than fifty years, with alternate phases of greater or lesser tension». It is urgent, he declares, to find a solution to it: «The continuous recourse to acts of terror and war, which aggravate the situation and diminish hope on all sides, must finally step back and give way to a negotiated solution.» Like the Dayton “peace accords”? which divided Bosnia-Herzegovina into two irreconcilable entities! Like the “Oslo accords”? What is left of those today? Israel is opposed to any conciliation because of the terrorism perpetrated by the Palestinians: «To step back and give way to a negotiated solution» has not advanced the situation one single «step» since the Madrid Conference ten years ago, let alone since 1948. «The rights and demands of each party can be taken into proper account and balanced in an equitable way, if and when there is a will to let justice and reconciliation prevail», the Pope affirms. Undoubtedly! But what is prevailing at the moment, both among the Israelis as well as the Palestinians, is a desire for domination and revenge, human afflictions which do not exist in the Wojtylian EGO. In any event, the United States is hand in glove with Israel, something which is no secret to anyone. Both one and the other invoke «religion», the Protestants in the United States and the Zionists in Israel finding their inspiration in the same texts of the Old Testament. In 1948 the American ambassador to the UN, Warren Austin, pleaded with the Arabs and Israelis to make peace «in a true Christian spirit»... A testament to the undeniable truth that «THERE IS NO GENUINE FRATERNITY OUTSIDE CHRISTIAN CHARITY», as Saint Pius X said in his Letter on the Sillon. But John Paul II, it so happens, is inaugurating a new world: «Once more I urge the beloved peoples of the Holy Land to work for a new era of mutual respect and constructive accord. In this great enterprise, religious leaders have a specific responsibility.» How should this be interpreted? Are «the religious leaders» of whom the Pope speaks the bishops, priests, monks, nuns and laity with specific responsibilities in the Roman Catholic Church, in short, the hierarchy of which he himself is the Head? No, that would be too little. His gaze extends much further: «The various Christian confessions, as well as the world's great religions, need to work together to eliminate the social and cultural causes of terrorism. They can do this by teaching the greatness and dignity of the human person, and by spreading a clearer sense of the oneness of the human family. This is a precise area (!) of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and cooperation, a pressing service which religion can offer to world peace.» In its edition of Thursday 24 January, La Croix brings us back to reality by telescoping two of its front page headings into one: «THE RELIGIONS AFTER 11 SEPTEMBER. THE SPIRIT OF PEACE BLOWS AT ASSISI, PAGES 4-5. IN RAMALLAH OCCUPIED BY ISRAELI TANKS, PAGES 6-7.»
«Which path will lead to the full restoration of the moral and social order subjected to such horrific violence?»? It is either devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Most Holy Father, or it is nothing. It is a fact of history. We have seen it in Portugal: «To express what has taken place here these last twenty-five years», declared Cardinal Cerejeira on 13 May 1942, during the jubilee of the apparitions, «the Portuguese have but one word: miracle. Yes, we have the firm conviction that we owe Portugal’s marvellous transformation to the protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.» Nearer to home, the events of Bosnia-Herzegovina give us a foretaste of the “miracle” which tomorrow will extend to the whole world. Between July 13 and 23 the relics of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus passed through this martyred land, still today the victim of incursions from the mujahideen who come from the Near and Middle East to islamise Europe. If the “miniature of the Immaculate” experienced such a success, just think what the intervention of the Immaculate in person will be like! All too often we forget the suffering of Serbian Catholics caught between the hammer and the anvil during the war, and today between the Americans and the islamists. The Dayton accords have only succeeded in perpetuating division and resentment. On the other hand, she who is “spending her Heaven doing good on earth” has manifested her power, as can be seen in the review Thérèse de Lisieux for December 2001. Her procession passed through Bosnia before the dumbfounded eyes of the Serbian Orthodox who seemed quite mystified, until it reached Presnace where stands a ruined shrine dedicated to her and Bristica whose parish is also dedicated to her. It was there that Catholics were massacred by islamists. The latter were so fanatical that they “blew up” the statue of Saint Theresa, pulled down and trampled on the cross on the tower, and profaned the church by filling it with all kinds of filth: not content with tipping excrement into the Church, they also covered the crucifix with toilet paper to express their hatred of the Cross. «The little Theresa embraced each of our poor brothers, she restored their confidence… she even exceeded their expectations. Miracles of peace, charity and holiness will soon be known by everyone.» Over there, the hierarchy are ready to resist any imposture from whatever side it may come. They stand up for the salvation of the peoples miserably crushed by all those who pretend to be the defenders of the poor and the orphan with the collaboration of American capitalism and the vast funds of bin Laden, the king of oil. In Herzegovina, Mgr Peric, bishop of Mostar, confronting the rebellious Franciscans of Medjugorje, has restated his indefectible attachment to the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman faith and has appealed to them all to be converted, following the «way of spiritual childhood» of the little Theresa who used to say: «I have a horror of anything phoney.» «The little Theresa also journeyed to Herzegovina to bring peace to souls and in order that the example of her obedience and her humility might be understood by as many people as possible.» Her first “rain of roses”. At Gabela, a small town on the frontier with Croatia, the procession of the relics took a road running alongside the neighbouring State, allowing the relics of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus to enter enemy terrain. For the return to Sarajevo, «the police again escorted the procession, since it had to pass through areas under exclusively Moslem control. It was extraordinary but people stopped in the towns to “stare” at this most “exceptional” of processions; one could read on the face of these Moslems expressions of great surprise. Had they been able to speak, these questioning looks would have said: What on earth is that? A secret voice tells them in their hearts: “It is little Theresa, she has something to tell you, you also”...»
«I am ready to invite the Pope at any time», declared Vladimir Putin the day before his trip to Poland. But «this means establishing full relations with the Russian Orthodox Church», he specified. Father Elisiev of the Moscow patriarchate reacted thus: «The Pope’s visit – and the President clearly understands this – will not achieve its true value if relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches do not improve (...), it will not contribute anything positive if it is purely political.» (La Croix, 17 January) It will take a double miracle: that of the resurrection of Albino Luciani, who in the depths of his heart consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, scattering with his smile Karol Wojtyla’s fatal fantasies. Then, President Putin’s wish will be fulfilled, with the help of another miracle: «Relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches» will not only «improve», but will be restored to their full plenitude of communion through devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And the fruits of this cult of the Most Holy Mother of God will spread over the earth and deliver it from the cult of man: «Bishops and priests will become more fervent, the just more perfect, sinners will convert, and heretics and schismatics will return to the Church. And children yet to be born but already destined to belong to the Church, in other words pagans, will receive grace more speedily», according to Our Lord’s promises to Mother Mary of the Divine Heart (English CRC no 316, February 1999, p. 4). Without waiting for these long-desired miracles, or rather in order that we merit them and hasten their arrival, let us follow Sister Lucy’s recommendations. In her letter to Father Aparicio mentioned above, where she recommends him to get Brazil to pray for the Holy Father, she wrote: «Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [...] will be what will save us in our present age.» She added: «We should greatly intensify our prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of Russia. Although the consecration of this nation has not been carried out in the terms requested by Our Lady, we will see whether we will obtain its return to God. I have great hopes, because the Good God is fully aware of the difficulties.» Printing completed at our Maison Saint-Joseph on 24 January 2002, at midday, as the Angelus sounded. Ave Maria! Brother Bruno of Jesus |