The Fatima Challenge Conference…
To my surprise and pleasure, I received an invitation from the unquestionable leader of the Fatima movement, Father Nicholas Gruner, to attend the Fatima Challenge Conference in Rome, 3-7th May. The entire experience was both educational and edifying. Click here to view the talks on video It was wonderful to meet, dine with, discuss with, Catholics – including at least nine bishops and many more priests - from all over the world, who take the Fatima message and prophecies very seriously. We attended the papal audience on Wednesday and you can imagine my devastation when in the roll-call of visitors from all over the world, a group of students from Scotland, (Firpark School, Motherwell, I believe) was publicly welcomed, but no mention of moi. I could not believe it. I’m sure the Pope waved directly at me; I’m almost certain I heard him say “Tell that lady near the front to wait behind” but no, nothing came of it. Anyway, that oversight on the Pope’s part aside, the whole trip has been an unforgettable experience: the Conference talks, conversations with Catholics from all over the globe and the papal audience, with the Pope himself reminding us that he is visiting Fatima for the Feast Day on 13th May – wonderful. And now we learn that the Pope will give an “intense” message at Fatima – click here to read that report for yourself.
The Scotland Connection…
If I’d been in any doubt about the fact that the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (and only that Consecration) will end the crisis in the Church – not least in Scotland – such doubts would have evaporated when a telephone call from a reader interrupted my duty-free (fantasy) shopping at Rome airport. The latest edition of the dissenting journal, Open House (always a declaration of war against the Pope and the Church) is, this time, our reader warned me, of nuclear proportions. It is no exaggeration to say that, in the current edition of Open House, Scottish Catholics are called to open schism. And you can bet your last haggis that the priest-editor of this publication would not dare to urge such open revolt unless he knew that in doing so his publication was acting as the mouthpiece of the Scottish bishops, manifestly smarting from their February ad limina visit.
The Catholic definition of “evil” is something that falls short of the good (cf St Thomas Aquinas.) So, allow me to quote from the current edition of Open House, and you tell me whether or not it is accurate to describe it as an “evil publication.” Open House is a publication edited by a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Glasgow, Fr Willy Slavin, who, it must be noted, hides his priestly status, preferring to sign himself “Willy Slavin/Willy Slavin, Writer and Reviewer; An Editor of Open House. Therefore, I put it to you, the jury, that it is perfectly legitimate for Catholics to expect the contents of Open House to conform to Catholic teaching, principles and – at least – not to attack the Church.
Check out the following extracts and see if you can spot why I have absolutely no hesitation in describing Open House as an evil publication:
(1) a short report entitled Television Debates…
Viewers watching our three would be national leaders in the rough and tumble of electoral debate on the Sky channel must have been disconcerted when a member of the audience switched from politics to religion. He cast doubt on the wisdom of a state visit by Pope Benedict to Britain in September, not, as some have done, on the grounds of cost but on the pontiff’s bizarre opinions so much out of kilter with those prevailing among the British people, and some bearing the stamp of parliamentary approval. He mentioned contraception, homosexuality, the use of embryos for medical research, abortion and euthanasia. The three party leaders suddenly began to act as one, as they might do at the Cenotaph, and made the same three points: the Pope would be very welcome; as the head of a world-wide Church; but his values were not our values, among which tolerance and equality were paramount. One mentioned particularly the spread of AIDS in Africa which was facilitated by the papal ban on contraception. None risked anything akin to the witty remark of Brian Fitzpatrick, Advocate that ‘much Catholic discourse is located in the genitals rather than the Gospel.’ (emphasis added)
The above “short report” was not attributed to any writer, so we must presume that it was concocted by one of the ‘editors’. Since this publication is a mere 20 pages affair, it is curious that they need so many ‘editors’ but yours not to wonder why, etc. Me, I think this multiplicity of alleged editors is a cover-up for the counter-witness of the one ordained editor – Fr Willy Slavin, priest of the Archdiocese of Glasgow…
(2) Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who will guard the guardians?)
(what follows is an extract from the front page lead article, May 2010 edition, Open House)
… Quite evidently, the Catholic Church is facing a major crisis of authority… As Nicholas Lash has argued, the Church is far more monolithically and rigorously controlled by Pope and Curia (than) at any time in its history…modern technological developments have encouraged greater centralisation and micromanagement, a concentration of power which undermines the emphasis of Vatican II on collegiality. This pattern of patriarchal, top-down power and authority has become less and less acceptable to a less deferent and better educated population with a greater sense of its own capacity to think for itself. Yet the dominant models of power within the Church still rest on the foundations of long past, deeply authoritarian cultures. The structures of authority need radical revision to address the aspirations of contemporary adults. The tasks of reversing this modern centralisation of power, anbd of re-examinhing appropriate models of ‘eldership’ and ‘oversight’ (the presbyters and bishops of the New Testament) are urgent. In an open letter to the Catholic bishops, Hans Kung has analysed the crisis. He is saddened by the failure to address the major challenges of our times – rapprochement with the Protestant churches, reconciliation with the Jews, dialogue with Muslims, reconciliation with the colonised indigenous peoples of Latin America, help to the people of Africa faced with the spread of HIV, making peace with modern science, and internal reform within the Church in the spirit of Vatican II. The present Pope, Kung believes, has actively reinforced the anti-conciliar forces in the church by appointing reactionary officials to key office in the Curia and reactionary bishops around the world. And now…the scandal of clerical abuse and the worldwide system of covering up its incidence. Kung has various proposal to offer the bishops, ideas which he believes are supported by millions of Catholics. It is time for the the bishops to send to Rome calls for reform rather than profession of devotion. It is time to set about reform locally, without waiting for central approval, and to do so in a collegial fashion, in a spirit of Christian community rather than unconditional obedience, and at a regional level also. Finally, Kung calls on the bishops to call for a new ecumenical coluncil or at the very least a representative assembly of bishops. Kung’s proposals are actually quite modest. Although his challenge is addressed to the bishops, there is a challenge to all the baptised to exercise their responsibiity for the renewal of the church. We call upon the Church in Scotland to show the way forward by convening an assembly to identify and address the immediate priorities. Only thus can the church evolve new structures of governance which are better fit for purpose. Only thus can the present crisis become instead a kairos, an opportunity for change. (emphasis added)
Again, this article is unattributed, so we must presume that it has been written by the editor(s).
(3) The Photograph…
What follows this disgraceful call to open schism, is a photograph, captioned to describe Hans Kung answering questions at a meeting held in Glasgow on 24 June, 1971. Archbishop Scanlan, the caption reveals, refused to attend, describing the letter of invitation from the organisers as “an impertinence”. He was, indeed, the last truly Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow. However, the Archbishop’s disapproval did not prevent “leading Catholic priests in Scotland” from attending, we’re told, namely, Fr Michael Lynch of the Galloway Diocese, Monsignor Philip Flanagan, former Rector of the Scots College in Rome, Fr Columba Ryan, OP and Fr John Fitzsimmons, then Lecturer of St Peter’s College, Cardross – one of the several Scottish seminaries that no longer exist, thanks to dissidents like Fr Fitzsimmons, now deceased.
(4) Conclusion…
So, there you have it: the connection between Fatima and Scotland. Russia has spread her errors across the world, and Scotland is no exception. The diabolical disorientation of which Sr Lucia warned, is there, bang in the pages of the evil publication, Open House, sold in the Catholic cathedral in Edinburgh, various parishes (including St Aloysius Jesuit College) in Glasgow and the Pauline Bookshop, Archdiocese of Glasgow. These are the outlets we know about for certain: but there can be little doubt that it is available in other places. Oh, this evil publication has episcopal approval – you can bet your kilt on it. Shame on the Scottish Bishops – every last one of them.
(5) Action…
These apostates, however, are not going to get away with this. Be clear about that. Catholic Truth is organising its own ‘assembly’ and anyone with a Catholic bone in their body, will be there, in the Woodside Halls on Saturday, 26th June, to hear more. Email editor@catholictruthscotland.com to book your seat & refreshments – no charge. In the meantime, pray for Scotland, under vicious assault from the enemy within.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us…
