The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Apparition-itis II

December 5th, 2007

Cardinal Vingt-Trois: "The signs are there for those who have eyes to see them.
For others, they are events that are neutral or without meaning.
For one who believes in the love of God, the signs abound and are plentiful."

The newly elevated Cardinal Archbishop of Paris André Cardinal Vingt-Trois said the above words at the close of an interview with Zenit the Vatican watcher website yesterday.

Well another website is frequently watched by some: the blog of Bishop Richard Williamson (of the SSPX) - Dinosocopus. The last two weeks have been surprisingly inactive until it was learned that his "scribe" was unable to access the blog to post Williamson's latest musings. In addition to the two latest postings he ordered the modification of a posting with which I previously took great issue here.

Well the good bishop has finally come clean: he has quoted his source for the claim that a German mystic priest is predicting the outbreak of world war III for next year. He tells us:

Secondly, two years ago Fr. Paul Kramer quoted in the “Fatima Crusader” a German priest (living) who may be privileged with prophetic gifts from Heaven, and who foretells 2008 as the year for the outbreak of WWIII. (One may look for the whole interesting article at http://www.fatimacrusader.com.)

Well a priest friend had told me he had tried searching for this reference in vain. I uncovered it early this morning with remarkable speed here. Be that as it may, I then realized it was printed in a recent edition of the Fatima Crusader (issue 82 to be precise) which I receive but usually never bother to read. Now if I would have taken the trouble to read it in the Spring of 2006, I would have known what His Lordship was referencing. The reason why I never bother to read the magazine in question is because it is spiced with "apparition-itis" to which, (if you a loyal reader of this column) you will know I have a deep aversion. Issue 82 is no exception to the disease. It is filled with articles decrying the "bogus" Third Secret. I write "bogus" since the Vatican would have us not believe that it is bogus, however, on this point I joined the ranks of the "Secret skeptics" some time ago and truly believe the "Third Secret" is bogus (well, partly at least) since I do not believe the whole "truth" has come to light. That being said, I am not fond of the opposite technique employed by the "Secret skeptics" which is, in the absence of a full version, to try to reconstruct the missing text from snippets of conversations with dead men (who can tell no tales - and they certainly wouldn't take calls from West Chester, Ohio either - even if they could !)

Guff like this always gets my dander up:

(T)he late Malachi Martin read the Secret. I heard the story told by one of his close personal friends. One day in 1960 Martin, who was then personal secretary to Cardinal Bea in Rome, found himself riding in a car with Pope John XXIII and Cardinal Bea. So there were four men present in the car: the driver, Pope John, Cardinal Bea and Malachi Martin.

Now, since Malachi Martin was personal secretary to Cardinal Bea and was also a close collaborator with John XXIII, it was hardly surprising that Malachi found himself in this position. And during this car ride Pope John himself, on that day in 1960, handed the Secret to Malachi. It was written on one sheet of paper — not the four sheets of paper produced by the Vatican in 2000. Malachi read the Secret immediately, and on many occasions thereafter he spoke of the Third Secret even though he was under oath not to divulge explicitly its contents. But when other people touched upon matters in the Secret he would say yes or no, whether that was in the Secret or not.

"So who is Malachi Martin ?" you ask. Well real Trads know he's a laicized priest who quit the priesthood with Paul VI's blessing and supported himself by writing novels some of which purport to be thinly veiled references to the freemasonic infiltrated Vatican. If you love conspiracy you'll love his stuff. Well since he died (or was "murdered" according to some conspirationalists) all sorts of preposterous claims have sprouted up about the man, one of which claims that Martin was secretly a Cardinal ! (I am NOT kidding). Well back to the quotation above: what is the likelihood that John XXIII drove around the Italian countryside in his private limousine handing the third secret to a priest to read ? Thinking minds would find this story to be preposterous.

Kramer's article (which is the spring board for Williamson's revised version of his blog entry) has more than the bishop cares to address. One other sign (Kramer alleges) of the third world war is the election of an Anti-pope in opposition to a currently living real Pope. That has yet to be verified.

Also to be verified are the alleged apparitions at Garabandal which, although Williamson has modified his text, he has in fact added greater credibility to the "apparitions". Garabandal is fraught with too many contradictions:

1/ The great sign (which will only be announced 8 days before it is due to happen) has yet to appear. Williamson states that a "report" (more of that anonymous sourcing I'm afraid) has the "sign" scheduled for March or April next year. The official Garabandal story gives us the announcement of the sign 8 days before and no more than that !

2/ A certain gentleman from the USA who lost his sight is supposed to regain it after the miracle takes place - is now very well advanced in years.

3/ Conchita (one of the 4 seers) clearly stated there would be only two more Popes after Paul VI (and yet we have Benedict XVI)

So while Presidents Bush and Putin seem on collision course as Bishop Williamson maintains, Garabandal, mystic priests and signs in the crystal ball just don't cut it in this quarter !

However, permit me, now, to indulge in a little flight of fancy: suppose the predictions in Fr. Kramer's article are remotely plausible, the following scenario would present itself: the Russians would invade Europe, Pope Benedict would flee Rome, an Anti-Pope would be elected in his stead and we would have a church split over its loyalties. The way things are going in the church right now over the Motu proprio and the opposition to it (and yes, from Cardinals) one might see the need to replace Benedict with a new conclave (particularly if you're a liberal and can't stand all the lace the Pope is now wearing again !)

There would be a number of ironies in all of this, (again supposing any of this is remotely true):

1/ The SSPX would have to hasten to the side of the true Pope since the devil could not counterfeit 2 Popes for the price of one and since "a house divided among itself cannot stand"

2/ Perhaps the sedes would finally "wise-up" and see that God hadn't abandoned His flock in 1958 and that unlike the Jewish Temple after the Babylonian exile God's shekina with His people (His Vicar) was there all along !

Madness - isn't it ? Well you try and figure this one out ! Christe eleison !

+TF