Year 2020: Priests suggesting they will be martyred within the next 20 years-should we expect it as well?

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I am not a Catholic, but I am surprised that you, and several others on this thread, are taking this seriously. I would agree with those who feel that you are being rather extreme and alarmist. I cannot see the scenario that you envisage unfolding in countries where there are legal protections for things like human rights and freedom of religion. It is unfortunate that you aren’t prepared to say where you are from, because if we knew where you were from, I suspect that we would be able to form a better sense of what you are talking about. The scenario that you describe could possibly take place in a few countries in Asia and Africa, but it is unlikely to occur in any western countries. It is even unlikely to occur in countries that are not noted for human rights, but which maintain close relationships with western countries.
 
@vz71 Thank you for addressing the topic.

Currently, I am friends with a priest who states that he gets yelled at by strangers just walking down the street.

It just doesn’t necessarily matter where this is happening as far as my exact location, its the topic that I wanted to be addressed.

It’s about priests feeling they are going to lose their very lives.

And I do see your point, and somewhat agree with it too.

With the times we are living in, I can see attacks potentially escalating.

If security wants to protect us, that’s fine, my point is that I can’t concentrate or worship either this way.

A mass shooting in another country on Easter morning is not about our parish, but the overkill on the strong police presence is sending a message to us parishioners that they fear that something is going to happen to us. many thousands of miles away.

No other local parish has any of this nonsense going on.

Its a very good reason to never go there nor give them any money at all, if not report this to the Bishop.

They are super paranoid perhaps because they are super-wealthy and were robbed in the past, as people have come in and taken money from the candle boxes as well as electronics.

I’m told that we are always being videotaped when we are worshipping so that there are on file, recordings of all of us going up to receive the host, singing, praying, etcetera.

The point I’m told is that someone could steal from others, desecrate the host, or steal the tabernacle.

I can see training the cameras on the electronics, but on all of us in adoration or at the mass is ridiculous.

Yes. There is a security camera in the adoration chapel.
 
@fredystairs yes, we really must pray for priests every single day and support them with kind words and fellowship that is for sure!
 
@mythbuster1 thank you for clarifying this. My priest friend does indeed accept this, but it does concern him anyway.

He’s developed a habit of offering it up in response.

@MCD43 Thank you for posting. Yes, we have had small amounts of items stolen, all the doors are always locked and no one ever enters without being buzzed inside by staff.

The super creepy part is all the cameras trained on us during the mass. This occurs nowhere else I know of. It’s even in adoration.
 
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@CF_Mathews thank you so very much for this reference. I had never heard of this group nor the website, but I love it!

Seems my focus needs to be always on the Rosary and on Mary.

This is an awesome site!

https://www.bluearmy.com/

@farronwolf Thank you for your feedback. I find it very sound and sage. It was very helpful.

There is lots of fearful people out there, assuming the worse, scaring us, but then there is real stuff actually happening too.

I think I need to follow my priest friends directive and just trust in Christ. Put it all in His hands, and carry my cross.

Incidentally, the very best parishes I have been to are the ones that are poor. I personally have found much more love, fellowship, and outreach there.
 
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At my parish, staff came running out of their office to chastise/reprimand 2 staffers who were standing in the narthex chit chatting, because they were supposed to be working, and they were told to get back to work, because the security cameras in the office are always on, and they were discovered as guilty for standing around talking.

yuk.
 
@Salibi thank you for taking a moment to listen to the video recording. the speaker normally has the most beautiful videos that teach the faith, so this was a terribly upsetting video to get, as well as the email they sent me about taking precautions to single out parishioners who are deemed as “off” or fishy.

Gee, no one at all had better even think about going to my catholic parish who is troubled in any way and looking for answers.

The real evangelization will not be happening at all at my parish, as it’s wealthy, all white, and very much like a country club with zero outreach and 100% paranoia of those who are “different.”

I visited a parish with a new pastor from India and found the real Christ standing there amongst us.

I really tried with this parish, but I’m seeking His face at other places and in other ways, and am finding Him there.

I think I started this thread, because of the video I received just undoing my sense of safety and security.

this walk is harder than the nonchristian walk…

we must accept persecution as a way of life

Are we all ready to die if necessary for Jesus?

@CF_Mathews

Seriously, we must all be willing to accompany Him on His walk to Calvary, and true faith is doing this all the way to the cross.
 
Will some (perhaps many) priests and Catholics in general get martyred in the dark times ahead? Maybe, but I think something even nastier is possible: that they’ll be labeled “mentally ill” and in need of “treatment and re-education”. One can ponder for oneself what that could entail…
 
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@Roguish very interesting possibility for some dictatorships with cameras everywhere and people encouraged to turn in others for noncompliance to the state.
 
@stpurl Thank you so much for your post. Yes, I can indeed see people turning each other in and pointing fingers while on some sort of witch hunt, Catholics against Catholics, as its happened already in my area as well as online.

I can’t breathe.

It’s so stifling
 
@stpurl thank you for posting. Very well thought out and well-written sentiments. I agree with you 100%.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Unfortunately, Mary, since we don’t know where you live or what the situation is there, we can’t comment on it. I’ve never heard a priest at church here in USA express these sentiments about USA in my entire life. As others have said, we realize it’s different other places, but I don’t fear for my life as a Catholic here. And your average priest here would try to calm his parishioners’ anxiety, not add to it by making dire predictions.
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It is a sad reality that I (too) have never heard a serious homily on the severe trials promised by the Lord and the Church in the Catechism. Yes, it will end well. BUT the days before the end will be severe:
Mt 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
Mt 24:22 And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
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And the Catechism:
The Church’s ultimate trial
675 Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.<Cf. Lk 18:8; Mt 24:12> The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth<Cf. Lk 21:12; Jn 15:19-20> will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.<Cf. 2 Th 2:4-12; I Th 5:2-3; 2 Jn 7; I Jn 2:18, 22>
…
677 The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection.<Cf. Rev 19:1-9> The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven.<Cf Rev 13:8; 20:7-10; 21:2-4> God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgement after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.<Cf. Rev 20:12 2 Pt 3:12-13>
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Your post reminded me of what the communists did in the old Soviet Union.

I do hope we’re not coming to that.

Pax
 
I don’t think priests need to give homilies on that when there are dozens of Youtubes and internet posts like your own constantly bringing it up, and people already afraid of the end times and tribulations all over the place.
 
But Tis, it’s exactly what our priests should be bringing up.

I know it’s hard to believe but plenty of older people, and younger too, don’t have easy access to the Internet but DO get to church or could do so more easily.

Why should we have to sift through YouTubes instead of having our own spiritual leaders do some spiritual leading?

I don’t know about you, but I know that many people might enjoy a ‘package’ on YouTube but not fully understand. And how do they ask for help? And who might answer?

Instead of having ONE priest available who should have some basic knowledge of his parishioners.

I’m not saying our priests should fill every homily with ‘repent the end is near’ but it is a fact that the majority of priests today speak mostly of the here and now, of making the world better NOW, of helping people concretely with food and shelter and not being racist or sexist or ‘rigid’ but just enjoy our ‘faith journey’ by being ‘loving’ and Jesus loves us as we are unless we’re mean bigots/republicans. . .

We’re told over and over to ‘be nice’ and it’s mostly ‘for others’, with an occasional mention of ‘God’s approval’, but we aren’t told WHY on our ‘journey’ (to where? Why are we journeying there? What is the destination and why? Etc) or what the purpose is.

We need some help. We need to hear about the Four Last Things. Remember, along with Death, Judgment, and Hell, there is mention of Heaven too. Remember Judgment has an equal i.e. 50/50 result of getting “Heaven”. Shouldn’t we be better prepared on attaining THAT and getting some reasons why and some reminders this waits for all of us?
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I don’t think priests need to give homilies on that when there are dozens of Youtubes and internet posts like your own constantly bringing it up, and people already afraid of the end times and tribulations all over the place.
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Jesus thought it important enough to warn His own to be ready - That’s enough endorsement of the necessity of it, for me. It is very important for a Christian to NOT be so comfortable with life in this world, that he/she keeps him/herself intentionally ignorant of what must come to all this. We need to know that all of this is passing - definitely for every one of us personally at the moment of our personal death - if not for that end of the whole world, if we happen to be alive in those days to come.
 
fredystairs said:
Your post reminded me of what the communists did in the old Soviet Union.

I do hope we’re not coming to that.

Pax
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I think every sane person hopes that with you! But do you see what is happening in America these days? The insanity of much that is happening, is truly disturbing. And when God is ignored, anything becomes possible. There are examples of blind hatred that I see in America that are deeply troubling,

Only one thing keeps humanity human, and that is the truth of God in his heart. Today, many have rejected God, and love themselves above all else. Such is the recruiting ground of the evil one.
 
Matthew 6: 25 - 34

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Every one of us has a precise destiny (even “the hairs on our heads are numbered”). Each day and moment the Lord places us exactly where he wants us. Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. That is the wing under which we shelter (see Psalms 91).
 
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Victoria33 said:
Not to get political but if some people get in government, there could certainly be heavy persecution.
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Nothing wrong with getting political as it is a part of spiritual warfare now. I’m guessing liberals downplay the religious liberty threat because the protection of which is a policy of President Trump. It certainly is not out of the question that various teachings of Jesus will be labeled as hate speech.

I’m sure there were Catholics on their way to the guillotine who were saying ‘they’re really not going to do this to us’ all the way up to putting their heads on the chopping block. Perhaps others were saying…‘but but I’m your friend. I agree with you…’
 
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