Elevator ride

Jeff B Harris

While It Is Possible… And When It Is Not Possible Anymore… by Father Castellani

My friends, while there is still something to save; with calmness, peace, prudence, reflection, firmness, and imploring the divine light, we must do whatever we can to save it. When there is nothing to be saved, we still have our soul to save (…) It is quite possible that under pressure from the plagues that are falling on the world, and from that new falsification of Catholicism, the structure of Western Christianity will continue to undo in such a way that, for a true Christian, very soon there will be nothing left to do with respect to the public life. What we have to do now is stick to the central message of Christianity: flee the world, believe in Christ, do as much good as we can, detach ourselves from creatures, step away from false prophets, and remember death. To sum up, live our lives to testify to the Truth and wish for the coming of Christ. In the midst of this chaos, we have to work carefully toward our salvation (…) The first Christians did not dream of reforming the judicial system of the Roman Empire; they dreamed of being able to face the beasts with all their strength; and of contemplating with horror the monstrous power of the devil over men in the figure of the Emperor Nero.

(Father Castellani. A modo de Prólogo. Decíamos Ayer.)

Are Exorcisms A Thing of the Past? Father Amorth Answers (Year 1998)

• In the Bible there are cases of demonic possession.
• The devil is the cause of temptations, that is why we ask not to fall into temptation in the Our Father, which is the prayer that Christ taught us.
• “Deliver us from evil” refers to the wicked one.
• We must doubt of whatever the devils says during an exorcism, because he is the Father of Lies.
• No exorcist is infallible when interpreting the veracity or falsehood of what the devil claims.
• Being an exorcist does not mean that he cannot be mistaken in his priestly ministry.

Father Gabriele Amorth, exorcist of the diocese of Rome, which is the diocese of the Pope, is the author of the book entitled “An Exorcist Tells His Story”. In this book, he talks about the existence of the devil, how we can detect him, how he behaves, how to fight him with exorcisms, and who can expel the devil. The book was translated to Spanish and was presented recently in Madrid. On that occasion, Father Amorth made the following statements:

Why is Satanism spreading everywhere and, instead, exorcisms are becoming a subject of taboo?

When faith diminishes, superstition increases. Occultism always attracts great attention, especially with all the things it promises: to satisfy the three great passions, which are ambition (success, power), wealth (to be able to own everything one wishes to) and pleasure (sex, gluttony).

Exorcisms have become a subject of taboo because the world has stopped believing on the existence of the devil, as it is presented in the Bible. It no longer believes in possessions and spells, thinking that they are nothing but psychological illnesses which need to be solved by medicine. This leads people to believe that exorcisms are a thing of the past, something impossible to accept in modern society. There are even many priests who are confused or ignorant about exorcisms or who simply do not believe in them.

If the Church is deprived of exorcisms, would it mean that she is being deprived of signs of salvation?

Without a doubt, the exorcisms that Jesus performed were a sign that the Kingdom of God had started and that Satan’s realm had been defeated. They are a sign of Christ’s divinity because the devils are forced to obey Him. They are also a sign of future happiness, because Christ has defeated Satan and all the consequences that were introduced by him: sin, suffering and death.

Is it necessary for a Christian to know the power of darkness?

Yes, so he can fight against it with the strength of Faith. We are all subjected to the temptations of the devil; Jesus Himself accepted this human condition. Saint Paul says that our fight is against the devils. The knowledge of the power of darkness is useful to be able to understand all the evil that there is in this world.

Where can one see the devil?

There is the risk of thinking that he does not exist, which is something that many people claim today, but there also the risk of seeing him everywhere, in every illness, no matter how mild it may be, or in any setback. But those who have a clear idea of the devil know how to distinguish what comes from him from what it does not.

Is it possible that talking about the devil, exorcisms and possessions might create false fears?

Magicians and sorcerers are phony substitutes of exorcists. (Editor’s note: magicians and sorcerers who act as healers. There are, as Father Amorth asserts, magicians and sorcerers who work with the devil). Most of the times they are nothing but liars, but when they work along with Satan they can cause serious evils. Certainly, they can never do good; those who seek their help to get rid of their afflictions, can only aggravate their situation and condition.

Does this mean that sorcerers and magicians are pseudo-substitutes of exorcists?

Yes, that is right. Christians have forgotten that there is another kingdom, besides the Kingdom of Christ. The center of the gospel message is the Person of Jesus, our only Savior and Teacher. It is only thanks to Him that we can defeat evil. A great number of Christians allow themselves to be guided by sects, gurus and oriental religions. And, thereby, they abandon the Kingdom of God, Church and, finally, they lose their faith.

Do you mean that they have forgotten that there is another kingdom that is in front of the Kingdom of God?

… Paul VI, in his famous speech about the devil, on September 15, 1972, listed some of the signs of satanic influence: when there is a radical and subtle denial of God, which leads to preach that “God is dead”; when love disappears to make room for cold and cruel selfishness; when the name of Jesus is attacked with conscious and cruel hatred; when the spirit of the Gospel is distorted and denied. Behind all of these things is the impulse of the devil.

Being the official exorcist of the diocese of Rome, have you ever had direct experiences with him? Does the devil really possess so much evil, as some people claim?

His malice is immense because he is a pure spirit, with an intelligence that is not conditioned by material ties. In my book I tell many examples of this.

Is mortal sin the greatest diabolical possession?

We must distinguish between moral evil done to ruin a soul and a corporal possession. In the first instance, it can only happen with one’s consent, and salvation can only come through conversion. When the devil takes possession of a body, or when he is the cause of an evil, the soul does not give its consent for that to happen. It follows, therefore, that we should be more afraid of sin, which depends on us and is a surrender of the soul to the devil, than to the evils that the devil may cause to our bodies.

How is being an exorcist like?

The ministry of exorcist is a compromising and fatiguing task. The priest on charge of it must be spiritually alert, he feels in touch with the invisible world and this helps the faith, besides the possibility of doing so much good. Most of the times it is enough to lead the affected people toward a Christian life. There are so many people who call themselves believers, but that are not practicing! In cases where there is a satanic influence, people who are being attacked by the devil are freed from terrible evils.

The Devil tempts us making us believe he is not the one who is tempting us.

ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND MEXICANS MARCHED TO DEFEND FAMILY

Over a million Mexicans attended nationwide rallies on Saturday, September 10, 2016, in support of traditional marriage. The protests were directed at President Enrique Pena Nieto's proposal to legalize same-sex marriage. The protesters chanted various slogans, including "Children need a father and a mother!" and "Wake up and defend the family!"

Marco Tulio Mendoza, director of the National Front for the Family, the chief organizers of the protest, said the group recorded 124 marches across the country.

"The purpose is to defend the family; what we are proposing is the protection of marriage and family. The parent has the right to educate their children according to their convictions, and that education be free of ideologies," he said during an interview. A Grand National March is planned in Mexico City on 24 September.

In May, Mexico's President signed an initiative to pave the way for same-sex couples to marry in accordance with Mexican law. The initiative included amending the Mexican constitution and federal civil code to allow marriage without any discrimination "based on ethnic or national origin, disability, social status, health conditions, religion, gender or sexual preference." However, the initiative has yet to take concrete steps to nationwide same-sex marriage since Nieto's party suffered losses in midterm elections in June.

Carlos Alberto Ramírez Ambríz, president of the Dilo Bien International movement and spokesman for the National Front for the Family, said that Peña Nieto “launched an attack against the family thinking that there would be no consequences for their political operations.” “Mexican society is tired of the corruption, impunity and arrogance that the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party, to which the president belongs) represents in Mexico and that fatigue was seen reflected in the recent elections.”

One more time, Catholics in Mexico even if they rerpresent 83,7 % are not receiving strong support by the bishops or Pope Francis in this defense of the family. Mexico’s Catholic bishops had denounced President Enrique Peña Nieto’s new initiative to reform the constitution and create homosexual “marriage,” but were silent about the immorality of homosexual unions and were even speaking positively about them, despite Catholic teaching to the contrary.

For example, the Cardinal Archbishop of Morelia, Michoacán, Alberto Suárez Inda, rejected homosexual “marriage” and blamed its promotion on international organizations but said it could be “legitimate to recognize [homosexual unions] as social pacts, as unions[.]"

The Bishop Raúl Vera López from the Diocese of Saltillo, is known for his views that are openly in contrast with Catholic doctrine. He favors the special rights claimed by LGBT activists and the promotion of abortion. He even called the sodomites “our saviors” who were needed to create a more inclusive Church.

The Pope himself, in his very cold visit to Mexico in February, did not give any encouragement to Mexicans in their fight against the destruction of the family, but received Bishop Vera in a private meeting and kept him at his side during the whole visit.

On the contrary, the Catholic Bishop of Cuernavaca, Mexico, Bishop Ramón Castro, was notably present at the recent March for the Family in Cuernavaca. Bishop Ramón Castro has been informed that he’s being investigated in response to a complaint by the socialist governor of the state of Morelos, Graco Ramírez, for speaking out against the creation of homosexual “marriage"; he is accused of “homophobia,” according to Mexican news outlets.

“If I go to prison, no problem, I’ll do the work of evangelization there!”.

Source

R.I.P. Father Gabriele Amorth!

Father Gabriele Amorth died on September 16 in Rome at the age of 91.

"I have no doubt that the devil tempts especially the leaders of the Church, as he tempts all leaders..."

Father Gabriele Amorth was born in Modena, in northern Italy, on May 1, 1925. After several days in the hospital of Santa Luciae, he died yesterday in Rome at the age of 91.

He was ordained a priest in 1954 at the age of 29. An excellent writer, he published many articles in Famiglia Cristiana. He became the editor of the Catholic monthly magazine Madre di Dio. He was a member of the Pontifical International Marian Academy.

In 1986, the Pope's cardinal vicar for the diocese of Rome, Cardinal Ugo Poletti, named Fr. Amorth the exorcist for the diocese.

In various interviews, Fr. Amorth said he had carried out more than 50,000 exorcisms over the years, with only 100 cases of real demonic possession in all those tens of thousands of cases. Most of the cases, he said, were either "disturbances" caused by the devil, or simple mental illnesses.

In an interview with Stefano Maria Paci published in 30 Giorni in 2001, Fr. Amorth sharply criticized the post-Vatican II revision of the rite of exorcism. In this interview, he spoke about "the legions of demons that have taken up residence in the Vatican.

The smoke of Satan enters everywhere... I have no doubt that the devil tempts especially the leaders of the Church, as he tempts all leaders."

Paci: Are you saying that here, as in any war, Satan wants to conquer the opposing generals?

Amorth: "It is a winning strategy. One always tries to implement it. Especially when the defenses of one's opponents are weak. Satan also tries. But thankfully there is the Holy Spirit who governs the Church: 'The gates of hell shall not prevail.' Despite the defections. And despite the betrayals. Which should cause us no surprise. The first traitor was one of the apostles closest to Jesus, Judas Iscariot. But despite this, the Church continues on her way. She is held up by the Holy Spirit and therefore all the efforts of Satan can have only partial results. Of course, the devil can win some battles. Even important ones. But never the war."

In another interview, Fr. Amorth once said that he believed the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by Our Lady of Fatima, had not been done fully.

The Consecration has not yet been made... I was there on March 25 (1984) in St. Peter's Square, I was in the front row, practically within touching distance of the Holy Father. John Paul II wanted to consecrate Russia, but his entourage did not, fearing that the Orthodox would be antagonized, and they almost thwarted him. Therefore, when His Holiness consecrated the world on his knees, he added a sentence, not included in the distributed version, that instead said to consecrate 'especially those nations of which you yourself have asked for their consecration.' So, indirectly, this included Russia. However, a specific consecration has not yet been made. You can always do it. Indeed, it will certainly be done...".

Requiescat in pace!

Source: http://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/rip-father-gabriele-amorth-17740

Do You Know the Fifth Mark of the Church?

Prayer reminder for the thirteenth day of each month

We remind you that today, as every 13th day of each month, we will join together in prayer for five minutes, for the intentions that are explained in the following link: http://www.catholicityblog.com/2016/01/appeal-to-our-friendsreaders.html