Catholic Voice 8th May 2020 Issue 290

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Issue 290

A Catholic Fight

Five Saints To Call

Against An

Upon During A

Epidemic

Pandemic

- page 4

- page 21

The Signs of Our Time page 15-19

“For Nation shall rise against Nation, And Kingdom against Kingdom; And there shall be PESTILENCES, and Famines, and Earthquakes in places: Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows.”

Restore the Sacraments - page 2

(Matthew 24:7-8)

The False Conviction of Cardinal Pell - page 11

Bishops Call Pope Francis to Crown Our Lady - page 25

Keep up to date with CatholicVoice news and articles via The Lumen Fidei Website www.lumenfidei.ie

2 SACRAMENTS

Catholic Voice

8th May 2020

Restore the Sacraments Monsignor Charles Pope Eight Ways to Start Rolling Back Church Coronavirus Restrictions Now It is time to hear the pleas of God’s good people. It is time to work courageously, creatively, prudently and pastorally to restore the sacraments to greater and greater numbers.

Spiritual well-being of the people We are weeks into a disaster unprecedented in our lifetimes.

Of first concern are those who are gravely ill and those who have died.

But we cannot forget many others who have lost their jobs or seen their businesses and livelihoods vanish. Particularly hard-hit are restaurants, theatres, the airline industry, sports and other aspects of the service and entertainment industry.

I am not a journalist of these things, but as a priest I hold many in my heart who suffer both physical and economic ruin and also those who have seen the cancellation of important life-passage moments such as weddings, baptisms, graduations, anniversaries and the like.

But above all, as a priest, I have great pain from our loss in the ability to celebrate the liturgy publicly and to celebrate the sacraments freely and openly. The liturgy, the reception of sacraments and the spiritual wellbeing of our people are of supreme importance.

To be fair to our bishops, they certainly have an obligation to follow just laws and limits set on public gatherings. The bishops had little time to ponder creative ways of meeting the requirements whilst still assisting the faithful in having

some recourse to the sacraments to include Holy Communion.

greater access to the sacraments and the parish church to God’s faithful.

But now that some time has passed, it is my hope that our bishops will work with their priests and be more open to creative ways of offering the sacraments (including Holy Communion) within the reasonable guidelines offered by public authorities and health officials.

1. Is it really necessary to lock the church doors?

While there may be local ordinances some bishops are dealing with (e.g., “stay at home” orders), it still seems that these severer measures by some bishops stand in contrast to the fact the just about everywhere supermarkets, off licences, and food stores are open. If obtaining food and alcohol, are seen as essential, why should a house of prayer be locked? Is it not important to pray and make visits to the Blessed Sacrament?

At this time the general consensus among dioceses is that no public Masses are to be celebrated under any circumstances. In other matters there is less consensus. It is reported that a few bishops have also forbidden confessions being heard due to stay at home orders, while in other dioceses confessions are being heard. And some dioceses have ordered all churches to be locked, while in other locations churches are open for prayer. Some dioceses have cancelled weddings and funerals; others have not.

Permit me a few observations and proposals of creative ways to restore

Thankfully in my area the mayor has included “visiting a house of worship for private prayer” as a permitted outing. Where this does not exist in other jurisdictions, bishops should vigorously insist that if people can go to the shops, others should certainly be able to stop by their parish church to pray.

My own parish church is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Many do stop by, but there are never more

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice than 10 at a time. Our cleaning crew washes the pews daily and hand sanitizers are at the door. Please, let’s insist on the right to keep our church doors open. Even if every church in a diocese cannot be open, surely some in each region should welcome the faithful to pray before the Lord in the tabernacle.

2. Public Mass In most places gatherings of 10 or fewer are permitted (eg. In supermarkets) with required social distancing. So why can’t a priest celebrate a Mass for 10 or fewer people? Clearly there would have to be a kind of sign-up process and an ability to limit the participants to stay within the norms. But if there is no ordinance being violated, why not permit priests to invite nine of the faithful to join him for these special Masses?

3. Holy Communion As for giving Communion to the faithful, there seems to be a rather extreme fear of contagion that we do not apply to other things. For example, I go to the local store and pick up a tomato and squeeze it to see if it’s over-ripe. Perhaps I put it down and others come behind me and do the same. In the pasta aisle I pull a box down, discover it is the wrong kind of pasta and return it to the shelf. Someone comes behind me and does the same. I then interact with a store cashier, who, among other things hands me a receipt and likely requires me to sign or punch codes on a credit card machine.

In other words, things are touched by people in a store hundreds of times, rubber gloves or not. We accept this as a necessary aspect of shopping and a risk worth taking. But suddenly, with Holy Communion, if a priest gets anywhere near someone to give them the Host, there is grave danger. I think we can be a little less fearful of distributing Communion than many currently are and I ask our bishops, working within proper civil norms, to consider gradually reintroducing

public Masses. More about how to distribute Communion below.

4. Open air Mass Another way of celebrating public Masses is the parking lot Mass.

People stay in their cars and park in every other space. The Mass is celebrated, and people can tune to a low-power radio station to hear, and then the priest distributes Communion according to local norms. Bishop Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has done just this. Perhaps other bishops can work with civil officials to permit this as well.

5. Funerals Funerals should not be forbidden.

We still do them here. But only nine members of the family can attend.

6. Confession Confessions can be heard following prudent norms. I hear them here nearly every day and we follow the norms established by the diocese in consultation with public health officials. The confessional area is frequently wiped down and hand sanitizer is amply available. The faithful can also wear masks. There is no need to forbid confession since proper procedures can be easily observed.

Conclusion I therefore appeal to my brother priests and also to our bishops that

SACRAMENTS 3

we work creatively, prudently and pastorally to restore the sacraments to greater and greater numbers. I would be willing to celebrate Mass several times a day to accommodate small groups if that’s what it takes to work with the norms and offer Communion even to some.

Please, my brothers and superiors — many of the faithful have written to me and told me they feel abandoned by the Church. It may be true that we were caught off guard by the sudden storm and felt required to take strong actions.

But now there is time for pastoral reflection. It is time to hear the pleas of God’s good people. These pleas come from the ranks of the ordinary faithful and also from widely respected lay leaders.

It is time for a creative restoration of the sacraments, even if on a limited basis at first. It is time to implement a pastoral plan that reflects that “field hospital” once mentioned by the Pope. Field hospitals can’t always follow the exacting norms of a state-of-the-art trauma centre, and so a few temporary liberties regarding liturgical practices may be required. But in the end, people need Jesus. Respectful of legitimate precautions, let’s creatively and ingeniously work to reunite the faithful with the Mass and the regular reception of Holy Communion and Confession.

4 FAITH MATTERS

Catholic Voice

8th May 2020

A Catholic Fight Against An Epidemic Canon Wulfran Lebocq ICKSP Knowing the Enemy and his Tactics

In any battle, the leader must know both his enemy and his enemy’s tactics. Then, aware of his own skills, he must choose the best plan of attack in order to secure victory and establish peace.

It can be either a bloody carnage that causes collateral damage or a more precise “surgical hit”.

The current pandemic of the Chinese virus must be fought physically and spiritually with a surgical approach, keeping in mind the supreme law of the Church: the salvation of souls.

As priests, we hear avalanches of feelings on a daily basis: confusion, panic, fear, anger, sadness and despair. Certain individuals may even challenge us in the street: “where is your God?” They unwittingly quote Sacred Scripture: “Ubi est Deus tuus?” (Psalm 41;4) The response is always the same.

Most of the time, God speaks to us through a delicate breeze, which is easy to ignore. Sometimes, He also allows storms to erupt in our lives and disturb our habits. We must see the current times as a trial during which our faith can grow and strengthen.

We must be aware that the mainstream media tries to scare us by publishing virus curbs and total numbers of deaths. We are shocked by seeing pictures of rows of coffins, and this blinds us to the reality of all the deaths by other causes from previous years. A risk for our spiritual life is that our fear of the disease can become stronger than our fear of God.

A Catholic response to the pandemic is the necessity of conversion!

Professor Roberto de Mattei recently gave the example of Timur, a ferocious and implacable 14th century conqueror who was known as “The Terror of the World”. Timur devastated a large part of Asia.

“Laying siege to a city, he would display a white flag as a sign of pardon if everyone would surrender voluntarily. Otherwise, in the ensuing days, his army would wave red flags, as a sign of death, not for all the city’s inhabitants, but for the commanders and soldiers. Then, if the city was still obstinate in its refusal to surrender, Timur gave orders to display the black flag, as a sign of complete extermination, with no distinction between the guilty and the innocent, then he would burn down the entire city.”

The current epidemic that hits the world is without a doubt a white flag that urges all human beings to convert. While the world changes, God remains a loving God, a merciful God and a patient God.

It is now time for awareness of our sins and to ask forgiveness for them. We often forget that time is an expression of God’s mercy for He gives us more time to convert.

How did the saints formerly respond to similar crises?

Saint Charles Borromeo (15381584), Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Milan, braved the terrible plague of 1576.

Dom Prosper Guéranger described how, as a holy shepherd close to his flock, he not only “organised the health service, founded or renewed hospitals, sought money and provisions, and decreed preventive measures”, but also and most importantly, “he took steps to ensure spiritual help, assistance to the sick and the burial of the dead.”

Saint Charles Borromeo was convinced that the epidemic was “a scourge sent by Heaven” as chastisement for the sins of the people. Instead of making

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APPEAL 5

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice

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6 FAITH MATTERS the reception of the Sacraments impossible, or more difficult, he rooted his charitable apostolate in public prayers and penances.

He announced three solemn processions in October 1576 “to placate the wrath of God”.

The first started with the imposition of ashes on the heads of all those processing. The saint himself led these processions “dressed in a hooded purple robe, barefoot, penitential cord at his neck and a large cross in his hand”. The first sermon quoted the first lament of the prophet Jeremiah: “Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo”, affirming that the sins of the people had provoked the just indignation of God. The second was about the dream of Nebuchadnezzar of which Daniel speaks, applied to the city of Milan, “indicating that the vengeance of God had come upon it”. Saint Charles delivered a sermon himself during the third procession on “I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 1,8).

In the current lock-down, shouldn’t all members of the clergy imitate Saint Charles Borromeo?

When the “stay at home” order was announced, the Saint immediately thought “if people can no longer approach our Lord, Jesus will come to them, and I am God’s instrument.”

This is why he ordered the erection of stone columns in the main squares and city crossroads, allowing the inhabitants from every quarter to take part in the Masses and public prayers. The priests in Italy who offered Masses on the roof of their priory similarly allowed people to attend from their balconies…

Catholic Voice

Let us see this crisis with the eyes of faith Thank God, the internet nowadays allows people to remotely attend religious ceremonies and receive spiritual food. But this can only be a temporary solution, and does not replace the frequent reception of the Sacraments! His Holiness Pope Francis recently commented on the situation of the Church in these troubled times: “A familiarity without community, without Bread, without the Church, without the people, without the Sacraments,”

8th May 2020

the Pope stressed, “is dangerous” (17th April 2020; Pope’s morning homily) A doctor should always make sure that the antidote he recommends is not worse than the disease.

Most priests, now locked inside their priories, are prevented from celebrating the Holy Mass publicly.

They see souls starving for the Sacraments and wonder if acts of contrition and spiritual communion are the most efficient remedies in the long term. Which body would not weaken without sufficient food?

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice

FAITH MATTERS 7

At the Sacred Heart Church in Limerick, the priests of our community were recently reported to the Garda for being available for the Sacraments in the church vestibule, while the rest of the church was locked. The Blessed Sacrament is now exposed every afternoon and our community members take turns in Adoration.

The live streamed evening devotions after the 7pm Mass also bring lots of graces and strength to those who pray remotely with us.

This is the most fruitful response any priest can give to souls, until they can again meet their Shepherd in person.

Let us see this crisis with the eyes of faith. Let us use the time God gives us as a precious gift to deepen our relationship with Him and His Church. May “social distancing” never be an obstacle to a close intimacy with the Lord, and may we finish this trial of the Coronavirus outbreak closer to Our Lord than we were before it.

Jesus is Still Adored in Sacred Heart Church - Limerick

8 THE MYSTICAL LIFE

Catholic Voice

8th May 2020

Greatest Hug in History: A Mystic’s Account of Jesus & Mary’s Embrace After the Resurrection Fr. Gabriel Lickteig

Venerable Mary of Agreda, also known as Sister Mary of Jesus, was a 17th-Century Mystic in Spain who received supernatural revelations from Our Lady about her holy life, which she wrote and compiled into a magnificent fourvolume work titled The Mystical City of God.

as “aware of all these mysteries… a n d p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n them from her retreat in the Cenacle (the Upper Room).”

During this time of quarantine, one thing people perhaps miss most is embracing loved ones. It is one of the great natural consolations God gives us on this Earth.

“In the same instant in which the most holy soul of Christ entered and gave life to His body, the joy her of immaculate soul overflowed into her immaculate body.

Let us offer this separation in union with Our Lord’s victory in His Passion, Death and Resurrection for an end to this virus.

“This overflow was so exquisite in its effects, that she was transformed from sorrow to joy, from pain to delight, from grief to ineffable jubilation and rest.”

In order to hold us over until we can wholeheartedly embrace our loved ones, allow me to explain an event which Venerable Mary of Agreda described in her book.

This can simply be called the greatest hug that ever took place in the history of the universe.

This embrace between Our Lord and His Blessed Mother happened after His triumph on the Cross and descent into the abode of the patriarchs, where He liberated all the righteous souls held there, to free the just that had gone before Him. Our Lord’s soul was then united once again to His body, endowing it with radiant splendour and unimaginable glory.

As Our Lord accomplished this, Venerable Mary describes Our Lady

She also describes what happened in Our Lady’s soul when Our Lord’s soul was reunited with His Body:

Finally, after the graces Our Lady received prepared her for an encounter with her Son….it happened.

The Lord of life, Jesus Christ, “arisen and glorious, in the company of all the saints and patriarchs, made His appearance.

The ever humble Queen prostrated Herself upon the ground and adored her Divine Son; and the Lord raised Her up and drew Her to Himself.

“In this contact, which was more intimate than the contact with the humanity and the wounds of the Saviour sought by Magdalen, the Virgin Mother participated in an extraordinary favour, which She alone, as exempt from sin, could merit.

“Although it was not the greatest of the favours she attained on this occasion, yet she could not have received it without the failing of her faculties, if she had not been previously strengthened by the angels and by the Lord Himself.”

Did you read that? The love that burst forth in this embrace was so strong Our Lady had to be strengthened by the angels to sustain it.

Venerable Mary continues: “This favour was, that the glorious body of the Son so closely united itself to that of His purest Mother, that He penetrated into it or she into His, as when, for instance, a crystal globe takes up within itself the light of the sun and is saturated with the splendour of its beauty and light.

“In the same way the body of the most holy Mary entered into that of her divine Son by this heavenly embrace; it was, as it were, the portal of her intimate knowledge concerning the glory of the most holy soul and body of her Lord.”

During this most holy embrace, Venerable Mary states that Our Lady was blessed with an extraordinary grace of the Beatific Vision, where “she found complete, though only temporary, rest and reward for all her sorrows and labours.”

You might now be asking the question, how long did this heavenly embrace last? Venerable Mary provides the answer:

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice “For some hours, the heavenly Princess continued to enjoy the essence of God with her divine Son, participating now in His triumph as She had in His torments.”

“Then by similar degrees, she again descended from this vision and found herself, in the end, reclining on the right arm of the most sacred humanity” After this took place, Venerable Mary states that Our Lord and Our Lady conversed about the mysteries of His Passion and His glory. Since Our Blessed Mother suffered so much with Her Son in His Passion, she was rewarded with all the joys of Her Son’s victory.

Venerable Mary later describes Our Lady conversing with the holy patriarchs and saints who had accompanied Our Lord in His triumph, with such figures as Sts. Joseph, Joachim and Anne present.

Finally, Our Blessed Lady “invited all the angels and saints there present to praise the Victor over death, sin and hell. Whereupon all sang new songs, psalms, hymns of glory and magnificence, until the hour arrived, when the risen Saviour was to appear in other places.”

What an amazing event! It can only simply be described as the greatest hug that ever has or will ever take place.

An Old French Prayer for Friends Venerable Mary of Agreda was a great witness to the Resurrection.

Almost 250 years after her death in 1665, they opened her casket for the first time, finding her body incorrupt. Praise God! May Our Lady and Our Lord watch over all of our families, especially those members we are separated

THE MYSTICAL LIFE 9 from, so that we may all experience the eternal embrace of God’s love in the kingdom of the Heavenly Father and in the eternal joy of the risen Lord forever and ever.

Below is a prayer I recite daily for all of those I hold in my heart.

Awareness of Our Lady’s protection over loved ones provides deep consolation to the soul.

“Blessed Mother of those whose names you can read in my heart, watch over them with every care.

Make their way easy and their labours fruitful.

Dry their tears if they weep; sanctify their joys; raise their courage if they weaken; restore their hope if they lose heart, their health if they be ill, truth if they err, and repentance if they fall.”

Amen.

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10 LETTERS

Catholic Voice

Letters People are Being Left Behind Dear Editor, The war between society and Covid-19 allows use of the soldier’s refrain; leave no one behind.

But it is evident that in the might and main of fighting the current medical battle residents of nursing homes and residential care facilities are being left behind.

Action is now being taken but it’s a case of: equine bolted, stable door closed.

People are also being left behind in the less fatal setting of the financial battlefield.

During this health emergency no financial aid is being offered to those who are unemployed and receive no social welfare payment.

While financial provision is being made for the recently redundant, what about a section of the Live Register who receive no payment but still have to sign-on for Credits.

If you are unemployed and you do not qualify for an unemployment payment, you can sign-on for credits at your local Social Welfare Office to keep your social insurance record up-to-date as long as you qualify for credits.

As recruitment and employment seeking activity grinds to a halt under Covid-19 restrictions where is the emergency funding for those who through circumstance not of their making find their employment

8th May 2020 Send your letters to: Letters Page, Catholic Voice, St Michael’s House, Castlemitchell South, Athy, Co Kildare or email to letters@catholicvoice.ie

seeking activity eliminated.

curtailed

or

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection needs examine this issue and agree to introduce a dignity payment for those signing for credits until this health emergency is over.

John Tierney, Fews, Co. Waterford.

Butterfly Cocoons

The Cocooned World A. J .Cole.

The world was plunged into cocooning With a virus that left us all swooning.

Leaving political and health chiefs agog With no easy or quick way out of the fog.

Awaiting with patience a scientific response The virus origins and cure much needed at once.

Self isolation is all the while weighing us down Our work being brought to a halt I do not clown.

Lets pray that we shall quickly rise up again With life restored without much money pain.

And so may our faith, hope and love be strong For soon we’ll return to where we belong.

To the unsung heroes we say a big thanks For the loving care coming from their ranks.

Confinement do not drive us round the bend So well done to those cocooning to the end.

JUSTICE 11

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice

Establishment hatred of the Church and the false conviction of Cardinal Pell Christopher Monckton of Brenchley

A Rarity Hierarchy

Among

Today’s

Cardinal George Pell is a remarkable man. As one of the great Princes of the Church, he was in effect the Pope’s Finance Minister. In that role, he not only got to grips with the financial corruption that was endemic at the Vatican, striking fear into those who had been lining their pockets from Peter’s Pence for decades, but also whispered some common sense into the Pontiff’s ear on global warming.

For Cardinal Pell is that rarity among today’s hierarchy: a social conservative who has always been uninterested in impressing the Marxist global elite and knowledgeable enough not to be taken in by the climate scam. I once helped him to draft a speech on the subject, but the truth is that he needed very little help from me: he knew at least as much about it as I did, and that is saying a lot.

All it took for the elite to bring down Cardinal Pell was a single spectacularly false allegation by two malevolent 13-year-old choristers that he had sexually assaulted them in his own cathedral sacristy immediately after Sung High Mass on two Sundays.

Defects in the Case Against Cardinal Pell Here are just a few of the obvious defects in the case against the Cardinal.

One of the two choristers admitted to his own family that he had

fabricated the accusation against the Cardinal. The police, the prosecution and the judges in three courts culpably disregarded this admission.

The two servers alleged that the assault had taken place at the busiest time after Mass, when the door between the sacristy and the main body of the Cathedral was open, and when people were coming in and out constantly.

alone at the time when the alleged offences were said to have occurred.

Numerous credible witnesses testified that at the time when the assaults were alleged to have taken place the Cardinal was, as he usually was after the sung High Mass, at the door of the Cathedral shaking hands with parishioners.

At the time when the alleged assault took place, the Cardinal was fully robed in his Mass vestments and physically could not have committed the assault.

Remarkably, the Cardinal was convicted even though the Prosecution did not challenge the veracity of the testimony of any of the Cardinal’s witnesses. The judge at trial should have dismissed the case on that and many other grounds, but negligently failed to do so.

At all times when a celebrant is fully robed, particularly if he is an Archbishop in his own Cathedral, he is always accompanied – at minimum – by the Master of Ceremonies and two Capellani.

He could not, therefore, have been

The police, fully aware that there was no case against the Cardinal, attempted to shore it up by using public funds to advertise for people who wished to come forward and say that they, too, had been assaulted by the Cardinal.

12 JUSTICE

Catholic Voice

8th May 2020 Train-wreck of a Judicial Process The High Court concluded that there was “a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted because the evidence did not establish guilt to the requisite standard of proof”.

This train-wreck of a judicial process brought down the Cardinal, flung him into prison for 405 days, during most of which he was held in solitary confinement for his own safety, and has left him a stumbling, gaunt, ill shadow of his former self.

Cardinal George Pell The testimony of the witnesses against the Cardinal was so feeble that the first of the two juries that heard the case could not agree on his guilt and he had to face a second trial, followed by a failed appeal to the Appeal Court of the State of Victoria, and finally his successful appeal to the High Court of Australia.

Communist reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and at other Marxist-dominated news media so thoroughly and repeatedly blackened Cardinal Pell’s name that he could not and did not receive a fair trial at any stage.

One of the three Appeal Court judges had correctly concluded that because the Prosecution had not challenged the truthfulness of the Cardinal’s witnesses there was reasonable doubt about whether he had committed the alleged offences, but the other two had not drawn the correct conclusion – a near-unprecedented failure of judicial process.

It was only at the High Court of Australia that all seven

judges unanimously handed down a stingingly critical judgment condemning the jury for irrationality, the witnesses for fabrication, the police for vindictiveness and the lower courts for idleness and incompetence.

The High Court found that any rational jury ought to have doubted the Cardinal’s guilt. It quashed the convictions and replaced them with verdicts of acquittal.

It is extremely rare that any superior court will thus reverse a jury’s findings as to fact unless new evidence comes to light after trial. That did not happen in this case. Normally, therefore, no appeal on the ground that a jury acted irrationally and contrary to the facts is permitted.

The inadequacy of the testimony against the Cardinal was extreme, and the fact that the truthfulness of his own witnesses was not at any stage even challenged, let alone disproven, by the prosecution and yet that the trial judge had not dismissed the case is unprecedented.

Just as the Lord of Life was falsely convicted, sentenced, tortured and executed for the sins of others, so His good and faithful servant George Cardinal Pell was falsely convicted, sentenced, humiliated, imprisoned, isolated and made ill for the sins of those priests who had committed sexual assaults, and of those bishops who had failed to supervise them properly.

These assaults are a disfiguring stain on the Church. But Cardinal Pell, who has borne the brunt of the world’s wrath even though he was and is blameless, has at last received his long-overdue acquittal. He has not received justice, for each of the four lower courts that heard the case should have flung it out, and he should never have lost his position at the Holy See, and should certainly not have had to endure the hatefilled humiliation he suffered at the hands of the Marxstream media.

Characteristically, he bears his accusers and his inept and idle judges no ill will.

Let us pray for him, and for them – for at the last day they are most certainly going to need all the prayers they can get.

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice

THE SAINTS 13

St. Cajetan - The Surprising Saint who can help During the Coronavirus Crisis Paul Smeaton

Work is the Key to a Happy Life “Employment, stability, meaningful work – if you want to help people weather this crisis, the one that’s coming, save their jobs. It’s that clear.” – Tucker Carlson, March 16, 2020.

Those words reminded me of a novena I have prayed on several occasions over the years to Saint Cajetan, patron saint of those seeking work.

In addition to founding the Theatine order, St. Cajetan – who lived in the sixteenth century – founded a bank to help the poor and to offer an alternative to money-lenders practicing usury.

His bank later became the Bank of Naples. catholicculture.org notes that St. Cajetan’s “concern for the unemployed, giving them the necessary financial help in their time of need, made him their patron.”

Here are some lines that have always struck me when praying the novena, and which are similar to the sentiment expressed by Tucker Carlson last month.

From Day 1 of the Novena: You were truly a spiritual shepherd, and your concern was always focused on the salvation of souls.

But despite this, you were also aware that with hungry stomachs the faithful would have difficulty in understanding God’s Word. You embarked to help them, not just

by giving them bread but helping them gain their living by work.

For fellow Catholics who have learned to trust in the intercession of the saints, I can tell you that I have prayed this novena on a number of occasions and have each time been surprised by the generosity of God’s response.

in the realm of job hunting, I decided to implore God’s grace in finding a suitable alternative.

A bit of online research and I discovered St. Cajetan, the patron saint of those seeking employment.

Being a somewhat keen advocate for distributism, and accrediting the Church’s social doctrines for playing a large part in my coming to the Faith, I knew I’d found a Saint who’d always be close to my heart! Not only had this great saint and purifier of the Church established several hospitals to assist the needy and sick, he even established a usury free bank to combat the scourge of high interest loans and the profit of misery!

What greater saint could we ask for today?

What Greater Saint could we ask for Today?

And so I embarked on my first ever novena. Expecting the job

And from Day 3: Since your death, dear St. Cajetan, the unemployed people of the world have sought your intercession.

Work is the key to a happy life.

Look with pity on the millions of people in our country who wake up each morning without certainty of finding food because they don’t have work.

I asked two friends of mine who have experienced similarly fruitful results from praying to St. Cajetan to contribute their reflections for me to include in this article.

Here are the thoughts of the person who first introduced me to St. Cajetan on his experience of praying to him in times of need.

It would have been around 2011, working a sales role for a less than scrupulous firm on a commission only basis, that I hit financial difficulties and decided I desperately needed a new job. As a fairly recent revert to the Faith, and not having much luck previously

St Cajetan - Patron Saint of those Seeking Work

14 THE SAINTS search to take weeks or months, I was astounded to get an invite for a surprise interview on the second day of the novena! Not only that, they invited me back for a second stage the very same day and I was in work the following week.

It really couldn’t have come at a better time and St. Cajetan has helped me several times since. I’ve spread devotion to this great saint and have seen his wonders worked multiple times. I chose him as my confirmation saint and to top it off, I realised his feast-day was the

Catholic Voice same date as my Irish grandfather who I hope is in heaven praying for me. One day St. Cajetan, I promise to visit the San Paolo Maggiore.

Go To Cajetan’ Too Another friend kindly sent me the following reflection: St. Cajetan was recommended to me some years ago by a friend.

Since that point I have made a novena to him on pretty much every occasion that I have needed a new job; he has never disappointed.

Most recently, in early 2020, when I was in a professional pickle working in an unhappy environment, I made back-to-back novenas to St. Cajetan as well as St. Joseph. I emerged from the interview process with the best job I have ever had. I am soon to join an exciting company in a role which promises real fulfilment. ‘Ite ad Joseph’ remains the battle cry of the working man, but I would urge every worker seeking new employment to cover all bases; ‘go to Cajetan’ too.

None of us know how the current global crisis will ultimately develop and what impact it will make in any of our lives. What is clear though is that many are struggling with having lost their jobs and are urgently seeking new employment.

Many will be experiencing serious anxiety and economic pressure.

My sympathy and prayers go to all who find themselves in that situation.

What is certain is that God wants to help us in all our needs, and I can say that in my experience that when seeking employment it is certainly worth turning to God through the intercession of St. Cajetan.

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Prayer to Saint Cajetan “Peace, Bread and Work” Glorious Saint Cajetan, acclaimed by all people to be the Divine Father of Providence, because you provide miraculous aid to all in need, I stand here before you today, asking that you present to the Lord, our God the requests that I confidently deposit in your hands.

May these graces that I now request, help me to always seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, knowing that God “who dresses with beauty the flowers of the field and abundantly feeds the birds of the sky” will provide the temporal and financial needs, which are best for me.

(Here make your request) Glorious Saint Cajetan, Saint of Divine Providence, intercede for us so that in our homes, we may have peace, and never lack bread or work.

Amen

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Reading the Signs of Our Times John Lacken “And Jesus answered them saying “When it is evening, you say, it will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning: Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering. You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?”” (Matthew 16:2-3) Let us pause for a moment to offer up one Hail Mary for our Irish bishops. In these dark times let us pray for the grace of Courage for our bishops that they will faithfully feed and guard the flocks entrusted to their care by Jesus Christ. Let us also pray for the gifts of Knowledge & Wisdom to be bestowed on our Irish bishops so that they may lead many souls to Heaven.

I would not be surprised to learn that many people are getting Coronavirus fatigue. For over a month now, we have been bombarded from news outlets and social media about the great calamity that is about to befall us if we do not do what our government tells us.

This is the same government that made it legal to kill a child in her mother’s womb; the same government that made it easier to break the sixth commandment of

A police officer interrupts a priest whilst saying Holy Mass - Italy God, by facilitating easier divorce.

We are now supposed to believe that they really cherish life despite their obvious anti-life policies.

Our caretaker Minister for Health, Simon Harris, recently tweeted about “our national objective of saving lives & keeping people well.” How does he square his championing of the killing of innocent children with this objective? Why, if Minister Harris is really interested in saving lives, has he no interest is saving the lives of the unborn children who will be killed due to his ‘abortion’ legislation? The man is a hypocrite, lost in moral relativism, and we should pray for his conversion.

When the Pharisees and Sadducees sought to tempt Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign, He responded by pointing out to them that, although they were well able to read the signs of the weather, they were unable to read the signs of the times they were living in. If they could read those signs, they would have known exactly who Jesus is.

It is no different today. So many people are not able to make the connections between God and what is happening in our world. We hear about death statistics, we are told that the economy might collapse due to the restrictions placed on citizens by our government, we are told

16 CATHOLIC CHURCH that there may be a series of lockdowns as we are hit by recurring wave after wave of the coronavirus.

Some people are naturally scared and don’t know what to do.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen spoke of the signs of the times in a radio programme broadcast in January 1947. He called the series ‘Light Your Lamps’ because he was very conscious of the darkness that was descending upon the world and of the need for lay Catholics especially, to bear witness to the light, just like John the Baptist of old.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.” (John 1:6-8) Archbishop Sheen based this series of eleven broadcasts on the Papal Encyclical ‘Divini Redemptoris’ of March 1937, written by Pope Pius XI, which deals with the subject of atheistic communism.

“Why is it that so few realize the seriousness of our present crisis?

Partly because men do not want to believe their own times are wicked, partly because it involves too much self-accusation, and principally because they have no standards outside of themselves by which to measure their time. If there is no fixed concept of justice how shall men know it is violated? Only those who live by faith really know what is happening in the world.

The great masses without faith are unconscious of the destructive processes going on.” (Archbishop Sheen 1947) The greatest tragedy of recent months is indirectly connected to viruses and death rates, but it rarely gets a mention in the mainstream

Catholic Voice media because, being without faith, they are blind to the significance of the tragedy. The tragedy of which I speak is that most Catholics in the world are currently unable to attend Holy Mass or avail of the lifegiving sacraments of the Catholic Church.

These sacraments were instituted

by Jesus Himself for our good.

Yet, for possibly the first time since Jesus rose from the dead, Catholics right across the world were denied access to the sacraments on Easter Sunday. That the bishops were mainly to the fore in closing the churches and preventing Catholics from receiving the sacraments is almost beyond belief.

We Catholics, after we begin to adjust to our initial disappointment, must look at and recognize these signs of our times. That the denial of access to the sacraments is not directly from God is a given. We know that satan is not more powerful than God and that satan cannot do anything without God permitting it. So, the question that then arises is, ‘why does God permit the Catholic Churches of the world to be closed to the faithful, especially on Easter Sunday 2020?’ As of this writing, 22nd April, the last time I attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was on Saturday 14th March.

That’s almost six weeks ago. As a daily Mass goer, this is a difficult sacrifice.

Looking at the situation in Ireland, here are some clues as to why God might permit the closing of Catholic Churches. In the last five years alone, Ireland has legalized disordered same-sex relationships which are highly offensive to God; Ireland has legalized the killing of unborn children; Ireland has decriminalized blasphemy; Ireland has legalized easy divorce; and as the Lumen Fidei Institute was just beginning to point out, Ireland is

8th May 2020 set to make the sexual grooming of young children mandatory even in Catholic schools.

Did the voices of the Irish bishops thunder from the pulpits calling our government to account and calling all Catholics to public reparation and repentance for these offences against God? The simple answer to this question is, our Catholic Churches are closed and our bishops, for whatever reason, do not see any connection between the Coronavirus and these grave offences against God. God is thus portrayed as a passive observer of the affairs of men who simply leaves us to our own devices and who will bring us all to heaven regardless of our sinful actions.

Some Catholics realise that perhaps God is offended by the lack of reverence shown to Him at so many modern Masses. The former president of EWTN News, Dan Burke, in an interview with

A woman kneels in prayer, outside of the locked apparition chapel in Knock.

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John-Henry Westen of Life Site News, called Catholics to “stop desecrating” Christ by receiving the Eucharist in the hand and to start receiving it on their tongue while kneeling, describing this as the “humbler” way to receive Holy Communion.

Dan almost died recently from Coronavirus and he said that what struck him most during his recent brush with death was that Catholics have to repent and stop offending God with liturgical irreverence.

I received a phone call from a supporter on Divine Mercy Sunday.

She was very upset by the Mass which was broadcast on RTE that morning. The Mass was celebrated by one of the Irish bishops. I am not going to mention his name because the irreverence during this Mass is sadly all too commonplace in Ireland. The Mass opened with panoramic shots from outside the Church in Maynooth to the strains of piano music. The view then switched to inside the Church with the bishop entering to begin Mass.

A young woman was playing the piano and she began to sing - “smile though your heart is aching, smile even though its breaking, when there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by…”

The music for this song was composed by Charlie Chaplin for his 1936 film ‘Modern Times’. The lyrics were composed later, and the song was made famous by Nat King Cole. Whilst this emotional song might be appropriate as a party piece, it is totally unsuited and inappropriate for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The young woman in question cannot be blamed for this, as the bishop did not object and this type of trite, emotional song is widely accepted in Churches across Ireland for weddings and funerals now and, as in this case, at Masses aimed at young people.

M O D E R N I S T T I M E S Charlie Chaplin & Louis Armstrong now seen as suitable inspiration for televised ‘Youth’ Masses in Ireland.

To show that this is not just my opinion, let me quote from the Second Vatican Councils’ instruction on music in the liturgy, ‘Musicam Sacram’ which states, “Nevertheless, the introduction into the celebration [of the Liturgy] of anything which is merely secular, or which is hardly compatible with divine worship, under the guise of solemnity should be carefully avoided:” (Musicam Sacram 43) The song chosen for the end of this Mass was made famous by Louis Armstrong, ‘What a Wonderful World’, a purely secular piece of music which has no place at Holy Mass. The alleluia chorus was from Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Hallelujah’, and once again, this is not appropriate for a Catholic Holy Mass. It is so sad, when we are blessed with such a rich and beautiful tradition of sacred music both ancient and new, that these liturgical abuses are permitted at a Mass which is aimed at young people and which was broadcast on Ireland’s national television station.

These liturgical abuses offend God. God is being offended during the

Holy Sacrifice where Jesus once again offers Himself to God as a victim for our sins.

Another point which I could not help noticing is that none of the young people genuflected when they crossed in front of the tabernacle.

They made a quick, small bow. I remember when I was trained to serve at the Latin Mass as a young schoolboy being told that we must genuflect every time we passed in front of the tabernacle. This is still the norm in the Catholic Church, but it is a practice that has fallen into disuse. This lack of genuflection is offensive to Almighty God. Again, this is not simply my opinion. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, in section IV. ‘Some General Norms For All Forms Of Mass’ - says the following about genuflections.

“A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration during the liturgical celebration on

18 CATHOLIC CHURCH Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.” (GIRM 274) It notes the appropriate genuflections for those who process in with the priest and then says, “Otherwise all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession.” (GIRM 274) The GIRM also says that where the tabernacle is present in the sanctuary “the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.”

At the end of this Holy Mass, the celebrating bishop did not genuflect in adoration of Jesus truly present in the tabernacle, he only bowed before the tabernacle before exiting.

This is contrary to the norms for celebrating Holy Mass.

As I say, the young people cannot be blamed because they are not being properly instructed about the reverence that is due to God during Holy Mass. Perhaps the bishop himself is not to blame, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1977, which was after the ‘new Mass’ had been introduced and was a time when liturgical ‘experimentation’ was taking place.

How will our young people be led to belief in the real presence when their shepherds do not follow the simple instructions for celebrating Holy Mass as laid down by the Catholic Church? It is obvious from this poor celebration why attendance at the Latin Mass is increasing whilst attendance at the ‘Novus Ordo’ is in serious decline.

Abortion; the elevation of disordered same-sex homosexual relationships to the same level as sacramental

Catholic Voice

marriage; quickie divorces; the sexual corruption of innocent children in Catholic schools and the promotion of perverted ways of living to these same children; desecration and disrespect shown to Jesus Christ truly present in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Is any sincere Catholic really surprised that Jesus would permit the closure of our Churches?

And still, the Irish bishops do not call for reparation, repentance and a return to the true worship of Almighty God! If people do not turn back to God and do not make acts of repentance and reparation, then the stage is set for things to get progressively worse. God is not mocked!

I was very blessed to find a young priest who was more than willing to hear our family’s confessions and to give us Holy Communion during the lock-down.

It meant that I would have to travel more than two kilometers from my home, contrary to government regulations. I was conscious of St Paul’s words to the Romans where he tells them -

8th May 2020 “Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore, he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation. For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou shalt have praise from the same.” (Romans 13:1-3) I was also conscious lest I draw attention to this priest, and he be prevented from offering the sacraments to others. So, I consulted with another priest friend who is also a moral theologian. His reply was enlightening.

“On one hand, the order is unjust.

What’s more the sacraments are essential, even though the government would not acknowledge that. I am convinced this is an attack on religious freedom, and I addressed it briefly in my homily this morning. The Church requires no permission from anyone to exercise her ministry since it is received by direct mandate from Our Lord Jesus Christ in person.

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CATHOLIC CHURCH - HOPE 19

You have every right to go and there is no sin, certainly not.”

must obey God rather than men.”

(Immortale Dei 12)

Pope Leo XIII says in ‘Immortale Dei’ of the Catholic Church’s authority,

What finally convinced me to go to confession and Holy communion on Divine Mercy Sunday were these words from the moral theologian, “get the sacraments. You need them and so do your wife and children.”

“Now, this authority, perfect in itself, and plainly meant to be unfettered, so long assailed by a philosophy that truckles to the State, the Church, has never ceased to claim for herself and openly to exercise. The Apostles themselves were the first to uphold it, when, being forbidden by the rulers of the synagogue to preach the Gospel, they courageously answered: “We

He finished his communication to me as follows.

“It makes me very upset all this, I tell you, and it does not bode well for the future. It certainly displeases the Lord exceedingly. Instead of going to God, we go to Egypt.”

Let Catholics firmly resolve to render to God the things that are Gods. Let us deepen our knowledge of our Catholic Faith and let us take the necessary steps to increase our reverence for Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to encourage others to deeper reverence as well. Let us humbly beg God, with repentant hearts, to restore the sacraments to us.

May God bless you.

Signs Of Hope: We’re In Strange Times, But We Are In God’s Hands Fr. Conor McDonough O.P. In Wartime not even a Human can Believe that he is going to Live Forever In one of the most insightful passages in C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters – imagined letters written from a senior devil, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, a trainee tempter – the title character writes to Wormwood to upbraid him. At the outbreak of World War II Wormwood had sent a letter to his uncle delighting in this apparent win for infernal forces.

Hatred, violence, fear: all the devil’s favourite things. Certainly, the uncle responds, war is entertaining for demons, but Wormwood shouldn’t imagine that it’s a straightforward victory for Hell: [War] has certain tendencies i nh ere n t i n i t w hich are, in themselves, by no means in our favour. We may hope for a good

deal of cruelty and unchastity. But, if we are not careful, we shall see thousands turning in this tribulation to [God], while tens of thousands who do not go so far as that will nevertheless have their attention diverted from themselves to values and causes which they believe to be higher than the self.

Above all, says Screwtape, war is a problem for Hell because it tends to wake humans up to the truth of their fragility: ‘How disastrous for us is the continual remembrance of death which war enforces. One of our best weapons, contented worldliness, is rendered useless. In wartime not even a human can believe that he is going to live forever’.

What’s true of war is true of a pandemic too. Without in any way underestimating the awful suffering Covid-19 is bringing to so many people – the sick and dying, those bereaved, those who have lost their

jobs, healthcare workers – we can still consider what good things the Lord might be bringing out of this awful situation.

Greater Openness Transcendent

to

the

It seems to me, for example, that, just as in a time of war, all kinds of people who were living in a ‘contentedly worldly’ fashion have suddenly found themselves faced with the truth of their mortality and their freedom.

Many who have managed to avoid the ‘Big Questions’ suddenly find themselves asking them on a daily basis: Does my life have a purpose?

Does God exist? How should I live?

And finally, unable to pursue our personal goals, we find ourselves unexpectedly thinking about our frail neighbours, our lonely relations, the sick and those who care for

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them. Screwtape’s words about life in wartime applies to the current pandemic too: ‘we have our attention diverted from ourselves to values and causes higher than the self’.

Is any of this leading to real, concrete changes? Anecdotal evidence suggests so. One change I’ve noticed, for example, is a warmer attitude among the public to clergy. I’ve been wearing the habit and collar in Dublin for ten years, and I’m used to a fair amount of hostility (usually unspoken) but on the few occasions I’ve been out these last few weeks I’ve been smiled at continuously, and greeted repeatedly with “Hello Father!”

The difference is startling, and the friars I live with have remarked on it too.

There are other signs of greater openness to the transcendent, even in some very unexpected places.

On Good Friday, for example, The Irish Times carried an editorial on Christ’s death and resurrection that was perfectly orthodox and quite inspiring. An Taoiseach, in an Easter message, drew quite effectively on Paschal imagery of ‘suffering and sacrifice followed by rebirth and renewal’.

The Gospel broke through in other stories too. Sporting websites carried an interview with former Waterford hurler John Mullane in which he spoke plainly about his conversion: ‘At every opportunity I get, I’ve taken Church back into my life, going back to Church [...]. I believe there’s a God, and in these days I’ve been doing an awful lot of praying’.

And in an Irish Independent piece on how Travellers in Ballymun are dealing with Covid-19, again the Faith was in the foreground, with one man quoted as saying,

8th May 2020

‘We all have the ups and downs and worries, but prayers and our faith in Jesus always bring us through’.

Truth, and the Life, in these days when distractions, illusions, and false comforts have disappeared.

Can you remember the last time you saw so many positive, gripefree accounts of Christian faith in the Irish media? I certainly can’t.

We’re in strange times, but we’re in God’s hands, and Screwtape is pulling his hair out.

Witnessing to the Risen Christ And it’s not just a media phenomenon. The Iona Institute has just published the results of a poll they commissioned on religious practice and attitudes in Ireland during the pandemic. It turns out 27% of the population have been tuning into religious services broadcast on TV, radio, or online, and nearly a fifth of all Irish adults claimed that they are praying more than they usually would. And this isn’t just the case for the older and already devout. 24% of 18-24 year olds are praying more than usual.

As people of faith, what should we make of all this? I’ve heard some people dismiss such signs of hope: ‘When the pandemic is over all that will disappear’. But I don’t think such cynicism is justified.

We believe that Christ is alive.

We believe that the Risen Christ is active and present in the lives of his people, knocking at the door of every human heart. If at this time people are more likely to open that door in prayer, who are we to say that no lasting friendship will arise?

In the meantime, we can do our bit.

We can witness to the Risen Christ by our acts of love: phone calls, cards, mowing lawns, walking dogs, delivering food.

We can witness to Him by the material we post on social media: messages of hope, lines of Scripture, beautiful images, not complaints and conspiracy theories.

And we can have a real impact on the lives of others by praying for them, interceding for those who do not know the Lord, that they might come to know Jesus, the Way, the

The signs of our times point to two inescapable truths, the first of which is that we have come to the end of the post-Renaissance Chapter of history which made man the measure of all things.

More particularly the three basic dogmas of the modern world are dissolving before our very eyes.

We are witnessing: (1) The liquidation of the economic man, or the assumption that man who is a highly developed animal has no other function in life than to produce and acquire wealth, and then like the cattle in the pastures, be filled with years and die.

(2) The liquidation of the idea of the natural goodness of man who has no need of a God to give Him rights, or a Redeemer to salvage him from guilt, because progress is automatic thanks to science -education and evolution, which will one day make man a kind of a god as H.G. Wells said, with his feet on the earth and his hands among the stars.

(3) The liquidation of rationalism, or the idea that the purpose of human reason is not to discover the meaning and goal of life, namely the salvation of the soul, but merely to devise new technical advances to make on this earth a city of man to displace the city of God. Archbishop Fulton Sheen

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5 Saints to Call Upon During a Pandemic Chiara Pamphili

Like many people in this pandemic, I’ve found myself taking up some old practices that my big Catholic family practiced so long ago. This includes baking, of course, as well as canning, fermenting, and other techniques to get more out of your food. But more importantly, I’ve found myself drawn to so many of the prayer practices of my late, lovely Grandma Gladys.

Grandma also baked and cooked quite well. I still use her pickling recipes. But the most important practice she passed on to us was to pray always and trust that God’s will would lead us to Him. When I was a child, Grandma took it upon herself to take me to Mass and teach me about the many patron saints that filled her litanies. I have a box of her holy cards, medals, and tiny secondclass relics from her various trips to shrines and churches. And it was while looking through that box of devotion that I remembered her lesson when she gave me my first prayer card: There is a patron saint for everything because the saints want to aid us.

In recent weeks, many have made a call to St. Corona as a particularly providential saint against the coronavirus. She is indeed an inspiring saint but there are so many other saints we can call upon and, together, we can call upon them to storm heaven with prayers for our loved ones, our cities, and our Church.

In this uncertain time, while many of us feel powerless and afraid,

St Joseph by Guido Reni we can call upon Christ and His saints to comfort us, heal us, and to ultimately lead us to our home in heaven. If you are someone, like me, who is trying to learn how to call upon the saints against the death, fear, and uncertainty of this pandemic, call upon these saints.

St. Joseph St. Joseph is a go-to saint for many faithful throughout the world. He is the loving father figure to Jesus and also the spouse of Mary, whom he protected and loved his whole life. I know I am among countless people who has turned to St. Joseph countless times.

There is a long history of Christians consecrating themselves to St. Joseph during a plague. In fact, shortly before the current pandemic, Fr. Donald Calloway launched his ministry to lead people in consecrating themselves to St. Joseph. So, a consecration to St. Joseph might be one way we can unite with our Catholic ancestors to bring a swift end to the effects of coronavirus.

If you are not in a place to make a consecration, the St. Joseph novena is an easy prayer to pray for nine days in a row. There are

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Italy and his devotion has spread from there.

Here is the powerful prayer that has been prayed for ages to ask St. Roch to comfort us and save us from sickness: Prayer to St. Roch

St Valentine Baptizing St Lucilla many stories of miracles as a result of this novena and you can use it to turn to St. Joseph in these chaotic times.

St. Valentine He’s more than just the postmodern saint of date nights and roses. St. Valentine is one of many saints that people have turned to in a time of plague. The holy martyr St. Valentine has been revered since ancient times and you can find his relics across the world.

O Blessed Saint Roch, Patron of the sick, Have pity on those Who lie upon a bed of suffering.

Your power was so great When you were in this world, That by the sign of the Cross, Many were healed of their diseases.

Now that you are in heaven, Your power is not less.

Offer, then, to God Our sighs and tears And obtain for us that health we seek Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

(Repeat the following 3 times) Saint Roch, pray for us, That we may be preserved From all diseases of body and soul.

As St. Valentine is reported to have endured intense loneliness in his captivity and martyrdom, he is especially appropriate if you are lonely while sheltering-in-place. St. Valentine, and many more saints, understand the cross of loneliness and are good companions to turn to while many of us face long-term isolation.

St. Roch St. Roch, also known as St. Rocco, has been one of the most popular saints people turn to in a time of pandemic. This holy man ministered to the sick before his own early death. Almost immediately, towns called upon St. Roch during the black death in

St Michael Archangel St. Michael the Archangel If you’ve ever gone to the Vatican you would have seen the magnificent Castel Sant’Angelo with St. Michael seated atop, sheathing his sword.

Romans know this story quite well: when a pope had a vision of the Archangel Michael and the end of a plague.

In the late sixth century, Pope St. Gregory the Great was in charge of city ravaged by plague.

Many were dying daily and the pope was begging the angels to intercede for his city. One day, the saintly pope heard the song of angels and looked upon the palace where he saw St. Michael putting his sword away, signalling the end of the plague. The city recovered and the pope built a statue to the angel atop the castle where he had the vision.

St Roch

Of course, you can call upon the angels and even your guardian

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice angel to comfort you and your loved ones. But for protection against evil and to bring a swift end to the pandemic, St. Michael is a powerful saint to call on.

St. Bernadette Soubirous St. Bernadette was one of the many people who caught cholera during a pandemic in 1854 and she would suffer from sever asthma for the rest of her life as a result. For this reason, many who go to Lourdes ask St. Bernadette and Our Lady to cure their asthma and respiratory ailments.

I and and most of my family, as well as a couple close friends, have asthma and are thus high risk if we get COVID-19. I was already asking St. Bernadette for help with

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my own breathing troubles, but it’s especially a good time to study the life and virtues and St. Bernadette.

More importantly, St. Bernadette and Our Lady are two friends we have to walk with us and our family during this crisis.

Of course, there are many more patron saints who are called upon during sickness, plague, and anxiety. We’ll cover more saints to turn to in future articles but tell us in the comments which saints and devotions you find especially helpful and comforting right now.

St Bernadette Soubirous

24 PRAYER

Catholic Voice

Our Lady of Perpetual Succour

8th May 2020

The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood - St Petersburg

Excerpt from Orthodoxy G. K. Chesterton

“And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, Cross of Christ Save me.

Zeal of your Home Consume me.

The Cross Wins, The Cross Reigns, The Cross Governs, Through the sign Of the Cross Save me, Lord, From this Plague.

God, my God, Drive the Plague Away from me, From this Place, And save me.

In your hands, Lord, I place my Spirit, My Heart, and my Body.

God was before Heaven and Earth And He can therefore Save me From this Plague.

And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-3)

Being Childlike “Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grownup person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.

It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” – Orthodoxy

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice

LETTER TO POPE FRANCIS 25

Bishops Worldwide Call Pope Francis to Crown Mary against Coronavirus To His Holiness, Pope Francis

Easter Sunday 2020

Dear Holy Father: Last August 2019, cardinals and bishops representing each continent, wrote you a letter concerning the alarming degree of suffering and danger throughout the world. Now, in light of the historic pandemic of COVID-19 Coronavirus, the world faces exponentially greater disaster on personal, social, political, economic, and humanitarian aspects, both presently and its long-term societal effects for the future. We, therefore, feel the pastoral and moral imperative to once again appeal to you, Holy Father.

As we jointly know, behind all these external events, a spiritual battle is taking place, more than ever, between good and evil, light and darkness, in the hearts of humanity. Here, the real battle must be fought. Humanity is in great need of conversion, and of supernatural help which can only come from the Lord Jesus, and from his Mother.

As Christians, we believe that on the Cross, Jesus Christ, our divine Redeemer, has gained full victory over Satan. We also believe that in a special way, the Lord at Golgotha entrusted his beloved people to Mary, the Spiritual Mother of all humanity. As the “Woman clothed with the Sun,” clothed with the redeeming power of her Son, she stands in battle with the dragon (cf. Rev. 12), now more than ever before.

We need our Mother, but she also mysteriously needs us. If we honor Our Lady in the full greatness which our Lord has granted her, then she can fully exercise her motherly roles on our behalf, and, as at Cana, can intercede with her Son to do miracles in our times.

In the last two thousand years, the Church has recognized, in four dogmas, the special privileges the Father has granted Mary as the Mother of his divine Son. Yet, never has the Church solemnly recognized her human but crucial role in God’s plan of salvation, as the New Eve next to the New Adam.

We are convinced that the Heavenly Father awaits his Church to dogmatically proclaim Mary as the “Spiritual Mother of all Peoples”, in a solemn declaration of her unique cooperation with Jesus in the Redemption, and her consequential roles in the distribution of grace and intercession for humanity, for which he will respond with a historic new outpouring of his Holy Spirit and the eventual grace of world peace.

As you know, many saints of our time, including St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Maximilian Kolbe, together with over 8 million faithful, and more than 800 bishops and cardinals, have already petitioned the Holy See for this cause, since Cardinal Mercier began this movement in 1915. With our humble voices, we join them now, at this critical moment of human history.

Our Lord gave Peter the keys of the kingdom. We ask you, dear Holy Father, to use them now, in these critical times with the Coronavirus and its ongoing global effects, and with your powerful word, in the fullness of your office as Successor of Peter, to crown the Blessed Virgin Mary by proclaiming the great role that she played in God’s plan of Redemption, accomplished by the Risen Christ who we celebrate now in Easter. Surely, it will release great graces for today!

In filial love, obedience, and solidarity, Juan Cardinal Sandoval Mexico, Central America

Bishop David Ricken USA, North America

Archbishop Felix Job Nigeria, Africa

Bishop Antonio Baseotto Argentina, South America

Telesphore Cardinal Toppo India, Asia

Archbishop Denys Raboula Antoine Beylouni.

Auxiliary Patriarch Emeritus of Syriac Catholics

Bishop John Keenan Scotland, Europe

Archbishop Chucrallah-Nabil E Hage Maronite Archbishop of Tyre, Lebanon

26 LITURGY

Catholic Voice

8th May 2020

‘I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS’ John 14:18 Mary Kearns The pandemic is the time to marshal our spiritual forces and to begin to act like adult Catholics in the practice of our Faith. How can that be done?

Now is the time to marshal our spiritual forces The challenge we Catholics are faced with in the absence of our weekly and often daily participation in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, is a challenge for which we are utterly unprepared. Accustomed in the past weeks to watching Mass online and making spiritual Communion, we are nonetheless, in a reality that demands a new way of responding. We can feel we are rudderless, adrift on the open sea without a guiding star. Now is the time to marshal our spiritual forces and to begin to act like adult Catholics in the practice of our Faith. How can that be done?

The first thing to bear in mind is that we have a mother. We have the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church who is our Mother. She always has the spiritual welfare of her children in mind and has responded to the present crisis by giving us new regulations for the sacrament of Penance and new means of gaining plenary indulgences. As Jesus told the apostles on the night before he died that he would be leaving them, he promised them the Holy Spirit who would shortly come. We can anticipate this coming at Pentecost.

“I will not leave you orphans…” he said. In the meantime, Jesus imparted his authority to the Catholic Church he had instituted.

Those who can remember the days before the Second Vatican Council

will have no difficulty in accepting that our identity was like that of children. We were safe as long as we did as we were instructed by the authority of the clergy and religious sisters and brothers.

Things changed drastically when collectively we became apparent adults - when we were encouraged to devise our own liturgies and to participate “fully, conscious and actively” in the Mass. Of course we were no more than adolescents and we were not ready for this new independence, as it was perceived by many.

Preparing Ourselves Like Never Before Although for the most part we are prohibited from actually being physically present at Mass, we can participate in a way that is closer to what was intended by the Council fathers. We can prepare ourselves as we have seldom ever prepared ourselves to celebrate the sacred liturgy. An excellent means of doing this is to read the relevant scripture in advance of the Mass. In the weeks following Easter Sunday the Acts of the Apostles are read continuously; on the Third Sunday of Easter we hear in the Gospel of Luke the beautiful account of how the disciples of Jesus encountered him on the road to Emmaus.

We can think about the season of Easter and the entire liturgical season of Paschaltide. The Church teaches that the period from Easter to Pentecost is a sacred time and is considered as one feast, the “Great Sunday.” The Sundays of this period are therefore called Sundays of Easter and take precedence over

The Season of Paschaltide all other feasts of the Lord and over all solemnities The celebration of Christ’s conquering sin and death by his own death and resurrection cannot be confined to just one day.

For this reason, as well as the entire season of Paschaltide, the Church has given us the Easter Octave. On each day of the Octave, the liturgy dwells on the mysteries of the resurrection of Christ and our own resurrection through the sacrament of Baptism.

Looking at the readings from Sunday to Sunday right up to Pentecost, we can see that the Resurrection is shown both as an event in history and also as an ever-present reality. The various appearances of the risen Lord are proclaimed at Mass. We hear about the Lord’s encounter with Mary Magdalene and the other women, with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, with the eleven apostles in the upper room when Thomas is absent, with Peter

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice and the other apostles in the early morning at the Sea of Galilee and again the Lord’s appearance to the apostles when Thomas is present is recounted.

On each day of the Easter Octave scripture throws a different light on the event of the Resurrection. The Octave is followed by readings that show the active presence of the Lord in the Church. He is the good shepherd, he is the Way that leads us to the Father, he is the Living Bread that comes down from heaven, and the Vine of which we are branches.

There is great liturgical significance attached to the season of Paschaltide. It covers the period from the great Feast of the Resurrection to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Paschaltide presents us with the good news of salvation, the saving mystery ever at work in the Church, and it is the reason for the Church’s rejoicing. This season belongs to the oldest part of the liturgical year described by St. Athanasius as “the most joyful period.” In so doing the saint expressed the thanksgiving and happiness that required a whole season and not just a day or a week to celebrate.

Allowing fifty days to celebrate provides the means of seeing different aspects of the Resurrection. The Catechism explains that Easter is not simply one feast among others but the “Feast of feasts.” Christ, risen in glory permeates all time until all are subjected to him. Remembering the Lord’s Resurrection liturgically is the essence of Paschaltide. Historians tell us that in ancient times, these feasts were not celebrated individually but considered as part of the whole “Solemnity of the Spirit.” Just as Easter was considered to be continuous, so too was Pentecost. This was the whole mystery of Redemption

including the expectation of Jesus’ glorious return.

Go and Teach all Nations The event of the Resurrection is central to the Church’s liturgy. It is the axis around which everything else revolves. Learning how the early Church viewed this mystery helps to enrich our understanding of Paschaltide. Ultimately we must focus on the continued presence of Christ in the Church. On his final appearance on earth, just before he ascended to the Father, Jesus told his apostles: Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always, yes, to the end of time. (Mt.28: 18-20) The candle lit from the Paschal Fire at the Easter Vigil, symbolises liturgically the continuous presence of the Lord. It remains in the sanctuary until after Pentecost.

Afterwards it is kept beside the baptismal font except at funerals when it stands near the coffin. The significance is clear - the candle blessed at the Easter Vigil, known as the Paschal Candle, is a symbol of the Resurrection.

In the Gospel of Luke, the Church as the Bride of Christ rejoices to

LITURGY 27 be united with the Bridegroom. In the Acts of the Apostles the forty days between Easter Sunday and the Ascension into heaven are recorded as the time when the Lord was visibly present to his Church. This real and tangible presence of the Lord is the same presence we encounter in the sacred liturgy at every Mass. We have to fully realise that during Mass a mysterious veil covers this awesome truth. Despite all the changes recent years have experienced, nothing in fact has essentially changed since the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century.

“The Mass is a sacrifice, which St. Paul tells us wiped out all the other sacrifices that had been offered until the coming of Christ. Christ’s death on the cross originally merited the graces to redeem the world, but Christ now actually confers those graces.”

(Father John Hardon).

Paschaltide is a sacred period of fifty days concluding with Pentecost Sunday, the Feast of the Holy Spirit and birthday of the Church. It marks the beginning of the Church’s mission to follow the Lord’s command to go and teach all nations.

For catechesis and liturgical formation: marykeenankearns@gmail.com 087-7794687

28 PADRE PIO

Catholic Voice

8th May 2020

Padre Pio Will Help You Get Through Coronavirus Laura Dittus Padre Pio Survived the Spanish Flu Earlier this year, I was looking to do some reading in Spanish to improve language skills and thought it might be nice to read an inspirational biography at the same time. Little did I know how providential this little project would be for this year, particularly since the volume I picked up was one about Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.

Padre Pio is not only a saint who bore the stigmata, and exhibited miraculous gifts in both hearing confessions and beyond, but he also lived through the Spanish Flu, a devastating pandemic during the early 20th century. It is comforting in this present time to have saints who have lived through times of disease to turn to for intercession, inspiring words, and the example of a virtuous life. Padre Pio is one of these.

While Padre Pio is an impressive figure in his own right, he bears a special relation to this time of pandemic since he both contracted and survived the Spanish Flu, not long after having received the stigmata. While there are other saints who contracted the Spanish Flu and died, such as Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto, Padre Pio recovered and continued to live a very fruitful priestly life after that episode of his life.

Have Courage After learning a bit about Padre Pio’s life, I wanted to delve a bit more deeply into his writings. Reading from a collection of Padre Pio’s writings, I came across some words of wisdom that are encouraging in

light of what is happening in our world today, though I read them in February before “social distancing” was common parlance.

One of the excerpts of the letters of Padre Pio that I read back in February of this year was written in 1917 to one of his spiritual daughters, Antonietta Vona. In that letter, he writes the following: Have no fear at all about any future harm that could happen to you in this world, because perhaps it might not happen to you at all, but in any event if it were to come upon you, God would give you the strength to bear it ... If God lets you walk on the stormy waters of adversity, do not doubt ... do not be afraid. God is with you. Have courage and you will be delivered. (Letters III, p.

833) This passage offers much by way of consolation. We are told not to “fear ... any future harm” since it may never come to pass. We are also told to “have courage.” One can also keep in mind here that the words Padre Pio gives, while likely unrelated to the pandemic that would later come to Italy (19181919), are given before that event and so could have been consoling to his spiritual daughter at that time, as well as, when the letter was received in 1917.

Five Important Maxims In the same letter, Padre Pio also provides to Antonietta certain words to imprint on her soul: This is what I feel I must tell you today in the Lord: In order to live a devout life constantly, there is no need to do anything except imprint some excellent and generous maxims in your soul.” (Letters III, p. 830)

St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina The five maxims he gives her in this letter are the following: “We know in everything God works for good, with those who love Him” (Romans 8:28) “God is our Father” “Did you lack anything?” (Luke 22:35) “Eternity” “I glory myself only in the cross of my Jesus.” (Galatians 6:14) These maxims are good for any occasion, but one can also see their value in living through a pandemic situation. For instance, the truth that “God is our Father” brings the consolation that we are under the care of his loving providence and protection, and that, even if we are to pass through difficult situations, He is with us.

8th May 2020 Catholic Voice While I have found the above selections helpful at this time, another that is good to be reminded of is Padre Pio’s oft-repeated phrase: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” These words can serve as a motto of sorts for this time, and truly for any time in our lives, for we are always called to pray, to trust in the Lord, and to surrender our worries.

PADRE PIO 29

May Padre Pio intercede for us, and allow us to live the present moment in the loving presence of God. May we hear his words — “My past, O Lord, to Your mercy; my present, to Your love; my future to Your providence” — and make them our own, and entrust ourselves to the protection of Our Heavenly Father, and to the prayers of the Mother of God.

Russia Must Be Consecrated Quotes from Cardinal Raymond Burke - 2017

“Referring to the punishments necessarily connected with the grave sins of the time, the second part of the Secret is the announcement of the peace which God wants to give to souls and to the world. The peace of God will come to the world through two means: (1) the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and (2) the practice of the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturday of the month. Our Lady spoke these words to the shepherd children: To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on 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, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated.”

“In fact, the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary did not take place, as she requested, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays did not become the practice of the universal Church. There ensued the terrible suffering of the Second World War and its aftermath, the spread of atheistic communism, resulting, in fact, in the persecution of many nations and of the Church in those nations, and the annihilation of some nations. The second part of the Secret also ends with the sure hope that the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph through obedience to her maternal instruction.”

“As horrible as are the physical chastisements associated with man’s disobedient rebellion before God, infinitely more horrible are the spiritual chastisements for they have to do with the fruit of grievous sin: eternal death.

As is clear, only the Faith, which places man in the relationship of unity of heart with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the mediation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, can save man from the spiritual chastisements which rebellion against God necessarily brings upon its perpetrators and upon the whole of both society and the Church.”

Let us consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and work for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Certainly, Pope Saint John Paul II consecrated the world, including Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25th, 1984. But, today, once again, we hear the call of Our Lady of Fatima to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart, in accord with her explicit instruction. The requested consecration is at once a recognition of the importance which Russia continues to have in God’s plan for peace and a sign of profound love for our brothers and sisters in Russia.”

(Excerpts from a talk delivered by Cardinal Raymond Burke at the Rome Life forum May19th 2017)

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