Feeling nervous about the Fatima anniversary next year

[Memaw]

We’re not required to believe in Fatima even though it is a Vatican approved apparition, I see it more as a matter of private devotion and will say that it has enhanced my spiritual life quite a bit. Truly though we need to focus on living out our life as Christ commands, practicing liturgy according to the traditional standards of orthodoxy, studying the Bible and the lives of the saints, engaging in spiritual activities that help us grow such as private devotions like the Rosary, etc.

I have seen a lot of people get hung up on messages of apparitions like that of Fatima and Medjugore in particular. It can bring them to the point of fanaticism about said apparitions to where they actually lose sight of the faith practice itself. I tell people to find the way best suited for you to live a life in peace and repentance, much of the rest can work itself out through God’s Will

Please don’t put Fatima and any unapproved apparition on the same level. All the Popes since Fatima have stressed the message of Fatima, and NO pope has ever approved Medjugorie . In fact warning after warning has been given us from the Bishops there and the Holy See, that NOTHING supernatural is taking place there. Private revelations if found “Worthy of Belief” by the Vatican are very important in our Catholic Faith. Sacred Heart devotions, Divine Mercy, the Rosary itself, are all results of private revelation. AND no they are NOT on the same level as Public Revelation but they are still very important to our Catholic Faith. God Bless, Memaw

 

[Kenny_Kamel]

I agree with the rest of what you said, but I don’t think we should lump in Medjugorje with Fatima. I know people do, but it is not a good idea.

Please don’t put Fatima and any unapproved apparition on the same level. All the Popes since Fatima have stressed the message of Fatima, and NO pope has ever approved Medjugorie . In fact warning after warning has been given us from the Bishops there and the Holy See, that NOTHING supernatural is taking place there. Private revelations if found “Worthy of Belief” by the Vatican are very important in our Catholic Faith. Sacred Heart devotions, Divine Mercy, the Rosary itself, are all results of private revelation. AND no they are NOT on the same level as Public Revelation but they are still very important to our Catholic Faith. God Bless, Memaw

I’m not lumping in one approved apparition with an unapproved apparition, not even close to the point I was getting at. For example, Our Lady of Fatima encourages us to pray the Rosary every day (a private devotion) and many people have become so focused on the Rosary, the praying of, spreading the devotion, etc all while being lax in their liturgical practice. Private devotions do not take precedence over liturgical practices, especially when it seems that often times emphasis is given to private devotions over adherence to REAL Catholic Orthodoxy in liturgical practice and living out the faith life.

This modernist, liberalized “brand” of Catholicism I keep seeing in our time is much of what was warned about in and through apparitions such as Fatima, La Salette, etc. Its almost as if people have adopted the attitude of not caring if their Mass is altered to mimic protestant/evangelical practices so long as they are super devoted in praying the rosary or engaging in other individual private devotions.

Remember when I said:

**It can bring them to the point of fanaticism about said apparitions to where they actually lose sight of the faith practice itself. ** I tell people to find the way best suited for you to live a life in peace and repentance, much of the rest can work itself out through God’s Will

Its like everyone read Medjugore and Fatima in the same sentence and started drawing their own conclusions beside the point.

 

[Anna1974]

Actually Fatima’s triumph does concern the end of the world as Pope Benedict XVI stated in the book Salt of the Earth: He said Praying for the triumph “is equivalent in meaning to our praying for the coming of God’s Kingdom” (which only occurs after the Last Judgment as the Catechism states.) Pope Benedict then dismantled the false notion of a temporal era of peace coming “:This statement [his prayer at Fatima imploring the coming of the triumph] was not intended – I may be too rationalistic for that – to express any expectation on my part that there is going to be a huge turnaround and that history will suddenly take a different course.”
If we compare that to the approved visions we see how the Pope’s teaching on this fits perfectly. St Faustina was told the final coming is what is now in preperation. In Kibeho Rwanda , Alphonsine Mumareke (now an enclosed nun) stated Mary told her she had come to prepare for the return of her Son. And in San Nicolas, Argentina we read: “the coming of the Lord is imminent” (March 26,1988), while on March 7,1986 " Daughter, the Prince of Evil pours out his venom today with all his might, beacuse he sees that his sorry reign is ending.Little is left to him.His end is near". For a real indepth study of the recent popes prophetic teaching on the second coming and triumph of the Immaculate Heart see Stephen walford’s “Heralds of the Second Coming” amazon.com/Heralds-Second-Coming-Blessed-Benedict/dp/1621380157/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

This modernist, liberalized “brand” of Catholicism I keep seeing in our time is much of what was warned about in and through apparitions such as Fatima, La Salette, etc. Its almost as if people have adopted the attitude of not caring if their Mass is altered to mimic protestant/evangelical practices so long as they are super devoted in praying the rosary or engaging in other individual private devotions.

I agree with this 100%. We indeed have a huge problem with modernism and the biggest problem is that most Catholics don’t have a clue that is a problem. The whole thing has been presented as progress and most people don’t question it, given that the Enlightenment idea of progress has been completely accepted as true.
My experience with devout Cathoilics is that their rosary never replaces the place of liturgy, it is always an accompaniment. But yes, many have no understanding of what the fundamental problem is. I agree this is something that needs to change if the church is to regain strength.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Anna1974,

that is really interesting. I had no idea that pope BXVI came to that conclusion.I have to have a look. I guess it does make sense to discard the idea of a peaceful era on Earth, everything taken into consideration.

 

[Memaw]

I agree with this 100%. We indeed have a huge problem with modernism and the biggest problem is that most Catholics don’t have a clue that is a problem. The whole thing has been presented as progress and most people don’t question it, given that the Enlightenment idea of progress has been completely accepted as true.
My experience with devout Cathoilics is that their rosary never replaces the place of liturgy, it is always an accompaniment. But yes, many have no understanding of what the fundamental problem is. I agree this is something that needs to change if the church is to regain strength.

We do have a problem but we can’t blame it on Fatima. Many are listening to the wrong voices about Fatima. If more had done as Our Lady asked at Fatima we wouldn’t be in the trouble we are now. Just because some Catholics get off on the wrong foot doesn’t make Fatima wrong. It’s not to late to open our hearts to Our Blessed Mother, sent to us by Our Heavenly Father, for OUR own good. Don’t forget, She asked for a Chaple to be built where we can WORSHIP Her SON. God Bless, Memaw

 

[EIF5A]

I remember reading a prophecy somewhere that America will be converted. Was it from Our Lady or Padre Pio? (Or is it just a hopeful rumor?)

 

[the_phoenix]

I remember reading a prophecy somewhere that America will be converted. Was it from Our Lady or Padre Pio? (Or is it just a hopeful rumor?)

Here’s a link to a page from a book called “Padre Pio and America” … sorry I couldn’t get the exact quote, this is from the Amazon website, which also explains why the name of the link is a little weird (it contains the word “false” based on the search terms of my narrowing down what I was looking for I think).

books.google.com/books?id=92WsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT147&lpg=PT147&dq=padre+pio+russia+converted+america+lesson&source=bl&ots=4B5yg1sBwi&sig=J6oNNNIAtR19a4R06nhHpqlljqs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj06OiE8q_QAhUJziYKHUZnA_EQ6AEINzAE#v=onepage&q=padre%20pio%20russia%20converted%20america%20lesson&f=false

Basically, it talks about how Padre Pio says that Russia will be converted and that “Russia will teach the United States a lesson in conversion.”

…

 

[EIF5A]

Here’s a link to a page from a book called “Padre Pio and America” … sorry I couldn’t get the exact quote, this is from the Amazon website, which also explains why the name of the link is a little weird (it contains the word “false” based on the search terms of my narrowing down what I was looking for I think).

books.google.com/books?id=92WsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT147&lpg=PT147&dq=padre+pio+russia+converted+america+lesson&source=bl&ots=4B5yg1sBwi&sig=J6oNNNIAtR19a4R06nhHpqlljqs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj06OiE8q_QAhUJziYKHUZnA_EQ6AEINzAE#v=onepage&q=padre%20pio%20russia%20converted%20america%20lesson&f=false

Basically, it talks about how Padre Pio says that Russia will be converted and that “Russia will teach the United States a lesson in conversion.”

…

I hope that means America will convert too following Russia…

(Although I do wonder when/if the Catholic and Orthodox Churches will unite… )

 

[the_phoenix]

EIF5A and (name removed by moderator),

Hmmm, I knew I was forgetting something!

Padre Pio is also supposed to have said something along the lines of “Russia will convert very quickly. America will convert slowly but surely.” (this is a paraphrase, not an exact quote)

From a book review on Padre Pio …

“and Russia will give American a good example of what it means to convert. And then he promises that the U.S.A. will also convert to the Catholic Faith, but he adds that the process will be slow, but eventually.”

franciscan-archive.org/padrepio/ppam-review.html

 

[the_phoenix]

What I keep in mind despite all the differences is that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that all would be one.

…

 

[the_phoenix]

St. John Paul II “called for the Church to breathe with “both lungs,” incorporating the rich traditions of both the East and West.”

catholicworldreport.com/Item/1539/both_lungs.aspx

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

That is how I understand this as well. The church was one before the schism. Now we have the “two lungs” situation. I know many Catholics dismiss Orthodoxy as not the real deal, but that is false. The revival of faith in Russia today should be seen as conversion, promised by Mary.