We have a Pope! He is Francis the First and a first in many respects: the first Jesuit, the first Argentinian, and the first Pope from the Americas.
Please tune in tonight for the Podcast at 9 p.m. Eastern as we talk all things papal! All of us writers at Deeper Truth are all a-Google and will have much to share about today's historic events.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite, was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained for the Jesuits on 13 December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel. He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology. He was Provincial for Argentina (1973-1979) and rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel (1980-1986). After completing his doctoral dissertation in Germany, he served as a confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba. On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, receiving episcopal consecration on 27 June. On 3 June 1997 was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires and succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998. He is also Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite. Adjunct Relator General of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2001. He served as President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 8 November 2005 until 8 November 2011. Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Title of S. Roberto Bellarmino (St. Robert Bellarmine). Member of:
Congregations: for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments; for the Clergy; for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ;
There have been many times in my life when everything seemed like I was being prepared for a greater purpose.
One of my Drill Instructors during an in ranks inspection looked at me and told me that he sensed that I was destined to do something great.
That had always stuck with me and so I felt I had a purpose even in the small things we did.
I escaped death many times during training and also in war scenarios.
The following prayer by St. Patrick really reminds me of the importance of recognizing the Lord's presence in all things.
To know that he is there when things go south. I served in the United States Army for more than 26 years. In that time I faced some close encounters with death. Many of us can identify with this prayer:
Christ shield me today Against wounding Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.
I was stationed in Germany between October 1986 through October 1989. I actually left Germany and returned to the United States about a month before the Berlin wall was to fall. I loved Germany, it has a rich history, a strong christian foundation.
You can drive the autobahn, the countryside and find crucifixes, statues in the middle of the field, or at some intersection on any street. It is an awesome place to spend a tour of duty. I was attached with a Support unit and I was a squad leader of the "Track Pack".
It was Reforger 1988, it was cold and wet. We had orders for our track ambulance to transport a fake casualty to higher medical support. It was part of training we were conducting with several other units in the field of operations. Anytime we had to move out, we always had to tear down our defensive position.
I had recently been promoted to Sergeant and I was solidly in charge of the "Track Pack" in the Ambulance Platoon. In those days it was always a chore putting up cammo net as it would always get hung up on the track.
There were a million places on the vehicle that always would tangle up. The crew usually would be a two man team consisting of a driver and a TC (someone who would keep an eye out for the driver). It was always demanding especially when you had to break track.
That was always hard work and you have to watch what your doing. I was in really good shape, I would do about 20 chin ups every morning just because I could. I would always max my PT Test in the 19-21 year old age group, not bad for an over 30 guy.
I worked hard to improve the readiness and proficiency of the track pack. It was a cold hard winter this year and the roads had snow and ice on the roads. We had orders to move our track through a village and into a prescribed place for medical support.
I was Troop Commander (TC) of our track and was sitting in the back hatch where it was cold. On our route, we were trying to make a trip down a large hill when the track became like a sled.
My driver lost control of the vehicle as we began to move across the highway. We edged toward the other side of the road and began to turn over when we were saved by a tree.
All we could do was to brace ourselves.
If the track had turned over, we would have plummeted to our death falling down a gorge at least a hundred feet.
When we were fully stopped the track was off the entire right side and the roof of the track had hit a lone tree. This tree was not a large tree, but it certainly stopped the track from rolling down this gorge.
The Driver and I could only position ourselves inside the track bracing ourselves for a terrible end. I remember it like slow motion, we began to flip over to our right when it just stopped right there in mid flip. We literally was sitting with the back of the track tilted against the tree. The right side track was way of the ground.
I opened the back door and our fake casualty who was riding in the back on a litter who came out from the back throwing up as he thought his life was over. It was a site to see as the track was literally on it's way to rolling sideways down this gorge. This was the only tree in the entire area and we hit it dead center. I thanked the Lord for his presence and for the tree!
In my dream last night, I spoke to my father in heaven. No, not OUR Father in heaven but MY father whose life we celebrated yesterday in a memorial mass and military ceremony. He called me on the phone and we just chatted. It is surprising me more and more how real the concept of my dad in heaven is becoming. Not real in the sense that I doubted it but real in the sense that I can actually picture it.
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What a model my dad gave us to follow. Through 14 months of agony, he kept putting my mom and his family first in his concern. It reminded me of the end of the papacy of John Paul II...and of Jesus Himself.
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Years ago, when I was an angry and bitter adolescent, I uttered which were among the most hate-filled and caustic words of my life- to my mother, yet. I rashly predicted that I would not cry at my father's funeral. Needless to say, I was unable to keep that promise. In fact, I didn't come close to keeping it. Looking back at my father and myself, it is not just hard, but impossible, to reconcile that either of us were the same person in 2013 that we were in 1977. In fact, we weren't. Call it what you want, I know that what happened to us was the Holy Spirit.
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Want more proof that there is a God? All you have to do is look at the way my father's diagnosis, last days and death united my family. Some say that a world with suffering cannot be a world with a merciful God but how unbearable would this world be without God and the love He inspires?
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During a video tribute to my dad (made by my nephew), the song Que Sera Sera was played.It was one of my dad's favorites and it rings so true. Whatever will be, will be. We no more control the future than the man on the moon. We do our best and hope for the best and God controls the rest.
--- 6 ---
The Marine ceremony honoring my dad was beautiful. I was struck by one part. Here we are, in this pavilion, the chill in the air, everything around covered in a blanket of snow with these dignified marines before us unfurling Old Glory. At the very instant they snapped the flag open, there was a sudden, long and unmistakeable gust of the wind. That happens a time or two in Scripture, as I recall, at moments of great significance.
--- 7 --- I was the person who gave the Eulogy at my father's funeral yesterday. To my family and friends who don't yet know that there is a God or aren't sure He cares about you, all I can tell you is the truth. If you had visited me in the 1970s from the year 2013 to tell me the future, I would have had an easier time believing that we had taught pigs to fly than to believe that. God can reach you too and you truly can come to know Him but you have to be willing to try. Here is the speech I give. Some found inspiration in it. I humbly submit it if it helps anyone find hope.
Constitutional Rights Violated! Religious Discrimination!
A Connecticut woman, Andrea Cota Eigner files a multi-million dollar lawsuit for Religious Discrimination, a Violation of The United States Constitution. The Claim also includes Parental Alienation and Multiple Damages inflicted on all victims involved.
The claim has been placed on The State of Connecticut, 3 Family Court Judges, 2 Lawyers, a Doctor, and a Social Worker Company. Andrea was victimized and her rights were violated by the Middletown Family Court System in the attack on her Christian Catholic Religion and against her, in the taking of her son in Sept. 2008 through an immediate exparte motion. Her son was age 7 at the time, and is now age 12. Both have undergone countless inhumane treatments by the defendants in the case.
The father no longer wanted to pay child support and worked the system to find a way to take the child from her, warning her just months before the exparte motion was granted, he was going to stop paying her child support, and she would see soon how he was going to do it. After her son was taken from her she was threatened to sign her son over to the father by the GAL/attorney, in a small side room in the court hall. After interrogating her 4 hours and attacking her Religious Beliefs the GAL threatened her, saying, she would never see her son again and they would put her away and drug her until she signed physical custody over to her son's father.
On Oct. 5th 2009, during a long awaited hearing another Judge also denied Andrea of her Constitutional Rights of Religious Freedom in the raising of her son in the Christian Faith. The Judge took offense when she recited the Laws of the Constitutional Rights regarding Religious Freedom and Discrimination. In the few years to follow she filed several motions to fight this tyranny, and more Judges continued to violate these Rights of The U.S. Constitution. In a recent hearing on Dec.17 2012, still yet another Judge denied her of Religious Rights in raising of her son. He told her, you can only see your son if you don't talk about God. She asked him if he realized he is in violation of the Constitutional Rights, as the others involved in this case for 4 years were. His reaction was not that of caring about The U.S. Constitution.
On Dec.13th 2012, Andrea filed a Motion with the Federal Court in Hartford Connecticut, to obtain a Emergency Federal Relief Injunction, from conditions imposed by The State Court and by Additional Defendants listed on Complaint, violating her Constitutional Rights of Religious Freedom.
Religious Discrimination...
Middletown Ct. is just one of the many corrupt courts across America who are trafficking children, for nothing other than money and power.
People in the United States need to become aware of the seriousness of this matter.
If you are a victim of Family Court Corruption you can reach out to others and help our Nation by taking a stand in the fight to preserve Our Constitutional Rights.
As many of you know, my father passed away on February 25th. It was way back in the fall that I asked my mother and brothers for the permission to say the eulogy. Today, my father's memorial funeral mass took place followed by a military burial at Quantico National cemetery. It concluded with a bereavement luncheon where there was a slideshow and many family members spoke on his behalf. The speech I gave went through about a dozen revisions before I was happy with it. I include it below with thanks to all who supported my family during this time.
Today, my father will be honored by the military he so courageously served in and fought for in Korea and Vietnam. No doubt, you will also hear from members of the Church and the Knights of Columbus who will talk about how much he did to serve the less fortunate. My brothers and other family members will almost assuredly talk about any number of wonderful and treasured memories of football and fishing and Christmas and marching bands.These are all very, very good things that should and will be talked about today. One that sticks out in my mind is the day I saw my dad save a young boy from drowning. Another is the Christmas when he got me and two of my brothers BB guns. Dad, you gotta know that was a big mistake. Nevertheless, I wish to honor my Dad today by talking about what he taught us about living. Many of you know that I had a difficult relationship with my father growing up and you may be thinking that I am the last person who should be giving this speech. It's a fair concern. Let me just respond with the words of Thorton Wilder that "In the battle of love, only wounded soldiers can serve". I love that quote. It really says it all. The greatest testament of the miracle of my reconciliation with my father was the size of the mountain and the strength of the love that moved it. I am here to testify about my father, the wounded warrior and mountain mover. Yes, I do believe that pretending our home was always perfect would be an injustice to my Dad and to all of you. Like any home, we had good times and bad times. That is how life is lived-out in a fallen world. A life without struggles is a fantasy. Yes, by all means today, remember and talk about the good times, the fun, the laughs and the celebrations. We should and do celebrate these things and hold them in our hearts. Yet, to appreciate the man is not to pretend away the bad times because the measure of the man is who he is in good times and bad. My words today are about far more than our triumphs and tragedies, they are about him. My dad met every day with the same grit, the same down home simplicity and the same corny jokes. My Dad was a great man and we want each person here to know how to honor him from this day forward. There was a time when I would have been shocked to hear myself say that but I came to understand it by living. One of his favorite expressions was "I've been down that road". Well, Dad, now, so have I and you were right. Experience is a hard task-master. We are all prodigal sons but the story of the prodigal son is not about the son, it is about the Father. Our earthly Father showed us a model of our heavenly Father- unchanging, real and forgiving. I, and my four prodigal brothers are proud to call this wonderful hard-headed man, Dad. Another thing about the story of the prodigal son was that when he came to his senses, the family rejoiced and celebrated. We did the same. Our celebrations were usually held in the front yard with soda and bottled water and beer, and crabs or steaks. If it was a really special occasion, we had hot dogs. There was dad, through it all, the same awful jokes, the same antiquated clothes. The prodigal son had to learn what the father already knew- that life isn't about getting what you want, it's about doing what you must. If you have love but lack things you may despair from time to time. However, if you have things but lack love, that despair will overtake you. Only God and Love can fill the longing in a man's soul. Right now, Dad, my soul longs for you because I love you and that love motivates my will to walk on and live in your footsteps. You are here, right now, today, inside each of us. God gives us people to love and things to use, not people to use and things to love. My Dad understood this and that is why his family always came before himself. He always sacrificed for us and for others and gave everything he had. The precious memories and moments of happiness we experience are not because of the places we go and the things we do. They do not live in the pictures or the videos we take. The experiences live in our hearts and in our minds and in our very souls because of the people who animated those experiences. The love of family is the fire that ignites them and brings them to life. The spark of family that you lit, Dad, is a roaring flame living on in all of us. Fishing and camping and cookouts and volleyball games are our treasured memories......and I have the broken fingers to prove it. It has been said that "He who dies with the most toys wins". Dad, you taught us that he who lives and dies with the most principles wins. A clear conscience trumps a fat wallet and you won't find a rich man in twenty with a satisfied mind. I'm certain I heard that somewhere. To honor you, Dad, is to honor the most real and simple man we ever knew. You despised pretense, you hated fakeness. When it came to Al Benko, what you saw is what you got. A man that was not changed by the world. Wearied by the world? Yes. Beaten down by the world? Absolutely. Changed by it? No. Some people develop layers. My Dad did not have any layers. Nobody ever said "I wonder what he is thinking". In a world full of modern marketing, my dad was a throwback. You might have wondered if he was frozen in 1958 because there he was, as he was, caring not how fast the world was turning as long his tomatoes were ripe, or the Redskins were beating the Cowboys. I find myself hoping very anxiously that someone saved his horseradish recipe. Was my Dad perfect? No. Raise your hand if you are perfect. A view of a life has to be the long view and not a snapshot of either a man's best day or his worst day. True, I will think of him every time it is Father's day, every time the Fighting Irish take the field and everytime I see someone wearing untied combat boots with no socks but I will let the rest of you catalog the days of his life, I want to talk about his purpose in life. There were certain principles he sought to instill in us . Those principles are what live on today, and for the next generation and the next after that. We did not lose my Dad on February 25th, the day we lose those principles will be the day we lose my Dad. The family is what he always sought above anything else in this world. The good times we had were embodied in the simple things and the bad times we had were borne with patience. Families go through trials and tribulations and I don't bring that up to dwell on the bad. Far from it. The reason I bring it up is because it was from the tough times that I learned the most valuable lessons from my dad and I think the rest of my family would agree. You didn't lie to improve your lot in life and you didn't steal either. Respect, honor and integrity were not optional. There was no discussion to be had on the matter. In the Benko home, right was right and wrong was wrong and that was just all there was to it. I never saw my Dad cheat a man out of a penny, not one time. He took up his cross every day, soldiered on and lived by his principles. He endured more than his fair share of disappointment and family strife. If we want to honor this man, we must acknowledge these things, not to dwell on them but to profit from what he taught us during those times. If we can have the courage to do that, we can at last be able to stand in awe at this mountain of a man. If I had to give a one word eulogy today, If I had to sum up my Father's entire life in a single word, that word would be perseverance. The real measure of this man is a man that NEVER gave up, that NEVER quit. I know. I stand with each one of you today, with Joy in my heart! Love and Joy for a man who was all about family. I know my Dad made peace with his family and peace with God before he left this world and those two things- and nothingelse- are what truly matter. I do not know how my Dad would rank in the world's estimation, but that doesn't concern me anymore than it concerned him. My father taught us that honesty and integrity were the bedrock principles of what life is really about. This, and the faith my mother instilled in me are the two biggest treasures of my life. These were the simple things that brought simple joy to a simple life. I long for those simpler days. I'm guessing some of you do as well. These were the days before I-Phones and Facebook when my Dad would fire up the old wood stove with 30 people in the house. For those of you who don't know, some people put a log on the fire, my Dad would put the whole tree. His strategy was to make it 72 upstairs by making it 120 downstairs. What should we take from today? First, to my mom, let me pledge the devotion of all the brothers and the rest of the Benko clan. We pledge to you the same unshakable devotion that Dad gave to you. You are the matriarch of this family and we love you with all our hearts. To all the rest of you, here is how I think you should honor this man. Be real as he was real. Be honest as he was honest. Act with integrity as he acted with integrity and, most of all...MOST OF ALL forgive, as he forgave. Forgive anyone who needs your forgiveness. That is what he would want. Learn from his lesson and understand that we are all in this together. We are each imperfect individually but together, we are a legacy. Forgive. That is how to honor him.
Thanks Dad, for showing us the way (point to the sky).
"Listen to your Father who begot you, and despise not your mother when she is old" (Proverbs 23:22).
I remember my Mother helping my Grandmother when she became disabled. She died at my Mother's home when I was still in college.
I remember the attention Grandma received by family members when I would come home on break.
That had taught me a valuable lesson. The past few days, I had the opportunity to go to a Senior Citizen Retirement Home to sing hymns with a local church group.
I watched how much the people loved having visitors. The sad part of what I saw was that some people have no one to visit them.
Since I have retired from the Army, I have taken the opportunity to visit them. Today, a lady sitting in a wheel chair smiled at me as I walked in the door.
She reached her arms up like she wanted a hug and so I gave her a hug. She gave me a kiss on the check.
I went on from there to find the coordinator and I walked and found another lady who was wearing a rosary. I showed her my rosary and she was very happy to see me. She invited me to see some of her things so I was able to listen to her.
I found out she rarely has anyone come to see her. I was only happy to have made her day visiting her.
I spoke with the Coordinator for a few minutes and discovered she was Catholic, just not practicing. She is very interested in having us come there to lead the rosary and sing songs. My Wife is a great singer who can play the auto harp. Another friend of mine plays piano who can really sing and play.
I want to be able to show some good movies for these people. With leading the scriptural rosary, I will show good movies, plan to show "The 13th Day", about Our Lady of Fatima.
We look to show this outdoors for them on a large screen.
This would be a big treat for them. It is a sad thing to have someone staying in a place like this with no one to visit them, no relatives, no children, how sad this is.
I know that what I am discovering in our small little town, there are more than 2,000,000 people across the United States who have no one that visits them.
Sure, there are workers who are paid to be there, that is not the same thing. Some of you who visit these institutions know what I am talking about.
Even though a person has not the faculty or ability that they might have had most their lives, inside their bodies, their soul, their spirit still reaches out for life and love.
St. Paul wrote, "Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as a father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters with complete purity".
If you have loved ones in an institution, it is very important that we keep them involved in our lives. It's best if you can have them home so you can take care of them.
If that is impossible, you are responsible to love them and stay involved with them. The hired help can give great assistance, but they can not tend to the love they have for you.
Be patient with those at this stage of their lives as they were there for you when you were growing up. If you have had issues with a parent, now is the time to reconcile, before they are gone forever.
Don't let them go into eternity with unresolved issues. Forgiveness is vital. Try to call them often just to keep them in your life, that you love them.
Leviticus 19:32 states, "Stand up in the presence of the aged and show respect for the old; thus shall you fear your God. I am the Lord".
Should their mind fail, still your love for them should never fail. One lady I met there today was excited to have the mission I gave her to witness her faith to someone who works at the institution.
Someone that have not been practicing their faith for a long time. It looks like the worker will be taking the lady to Mass!!! Is not the Lord great!
One of the accusations the anti-Catholics will make is that the Church killed 120,000,000 people during the Inquisition.
Some of them will admit that is a high number so they will add in the crusades to achieve the desired number.
The purpose of making this point is their application to Revelation 17:6, "I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the holy ones and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus".
The higher the number they can accuse who were killed by the Catholic Church the better they like it.
One of the more popular influential anti-Catholics of our time, Dave Hunt states, "In his History of the Inquisition, Canon Llorente, who was the Secretary to the Inquisition in Madrid from 1790-92 and had access to the archives of all the tribunals, estimated that in Spain alone the number of condemned exceeded 3 million, with about 300,000 burned at the stake." The following research is from Phil Porvaznik (PhilVas@PhilVaz.com)
(Dave Hunt, A Woman Rides the Beast, page 79, also 242) Notice Mr. Hunt's title? In response to growing criticism, Dave Hunt responds through his news letter:
"I relied upon a secondary source that said Llorente cited 300,000 deaths in the Spanish Inquisition. Other sources say 30,000. The apparent discrepancy could be explained by Llorente on one occasion giving figures for Spain and on another for Europe -- or including those who, though not burned at the stake, were martyred in other ways....Instead of trying to discredit my figures, these critics ought rather to admit that the Spanish Inquisition swallowed up far more than 300,000, whether Llorente said it or not.... "They are trying to disprove that accusation, but history affirms it and I will stand by it. The truth is that there is no other institution, government, organization or entity in history that even comes close to the Roman Catholic Church's slaughter of the saints! "The horror of the Inquisition is beyond recital. Why, then, don't the Roman Catholic apologists acknowledge that horror, confess their shame and call upon their Church to repent of its centuries of unspeakable crimes against humanity!(Editors note: Pope John Paul II did in fact asked for forgiveness to anyone who Churchmen had wronged in the past! I question who from the Protestant side would voice the same?) "Yes, we can attribute millions of deaths of true Christians to Roman Catholicism and the popes down through the centuries. No other entity in history comes close to being drunk with the blood of the saints, and that description absolutely fits the Roman Catholic Church!" (Dave Hunt, The Berean Call newsletter, June 1998) Dave Hunt is taking all his information from a secondary source, and it seems this "Llorente, the ex-Secretary of the Holy Office", is not the credible source that Hunt seeks, but an opportunity.
Hunt's own words betray him, "Instead of trying to discredit my figures, these critics ought rather to admit that the Spanish Inquisition swallowed up far more than 300,000, whether Llorente said it or not..." (Hunt, TBC, June/98)
Ok, Mr. Hunt, is it 300,000,000, maybe 300,000, or possibly 30,000? More like 3,000? Does it matter? To Mr. Hunt, apparently not!
Gabriel Lovett mentions in a 1966 English reprint of Llorente's book, states: "Llorente's original Spanish draft may very well have mentioned over 300,000 victims without indicating that they were all actually burned; or he may have stated that over 30,000 persons had been burned at the stake. In that case the French translator of Llorente's original draft either made a mistake in rendering this particular sentence of the Spanish clergyman in the preface or simply wrote 'three hundred thousand' instead of 'thirty thousand,' and Llorente did not notice the error upon preparing the final French version for the printer. This error was corrected in the first Spanish edition of 1822...." (Gabriel Lovett, introduction to Llorente)
Catholic Apologist, Phil Porvaznik concludes: "Regardless of the discrepancy, Dave Hunt is clearly incompetent as a researcher when he insists on defending such numbers as 300,000 or (even worse) "millions" put to death by the "Inquisition."
It is estimated by modern scholars of the Spanish Inquisition, for example, that in its entire 356 year history (1478-1834), the grand total executed range from 3000-6000 persons which, though not entirely defensible either, is far lower than sensationalist writers like Dave Hunt would have us believe. Perhaps 50 percent of those who perished did so in the first 20 years of the institution, an estimated 200(or less) under the Grand Inquisitor, Torquemada -- though he was not the "cruel monster" as popular "Inquisition myths" portray him.
"....the Spanish Inquisition, in spite of wildly inflated estimates of the numbers of its victims, acted with considerable restraint in inflicting the death penalty, far more restraint than was demonstrated in secular tribunals elsewhere in Europe that dealt with the same kinds of offenses. The best estimate is that around 3000 death sentences were carried out in Spain by Inquisitorial verdict between 1550 and 1800, a far smaller number than that in comparable secular courts." (Peters, page 87, emphasis added) The idea of "millions" tortured and killed is pure fantasy. Edward Peters gives us a more accurate picture:
"If sufficient evidence accumulated against an accused who did not confess, the Inquisition had torture at its disposal, as had all ecclesiastical and secular courts -- except in England -- since the 13th century. Although torture as an incident of legal procedure was permitted only when sufficient circumstantial evidence existed to indicate that a confession could be obtained, inquisitorial torture appears to have been extremely conservative and infrequently used. "There is enough inquisitorial literature on torture contained in -Instrucciones- intended only for the eyes of inquisitors, for us to conclude that the Inquisition's use of torture was well under that of all contemporary secular courts in continental Europe, and even under that of other ecclesiastical tribunals....
"In a trial before the Spanish Inquisition, the very fact that the accused had been charged and arrested at all indicated that sufficient evidence for guilt had already been accumulated on the basis of denunciations by others, the testimony of other tried heretics, evidence from neighbors or local clergy, or self-incriminating evidence from one's own household. But the aim of the Inquisition remained penitential rather than purely judicial." (Edward Peters, page 92-93, emphasis added) An issue of the scholarly Catholic Dossier magazine (Nov/Dec 1996), edited by Ralph McInerny, was dedicated to the history and "myths" of the Inquisition, with articles by noted Catholic historians that analyzed the work of the most recent Inquisition scholarship, including a review of a 1994 BBC/A&E documentary "The Myth of the Spanish Inquisition" which has been replayed on the History Channel.
James Hitchcock, a professor of history at St. Louis University, summarizes the conclusions of the best of modern Inquisition studies:
(1) The inquisitors tended to be professional legists and bureaucrats who adhered closely to rules and procedures rather than to whatever personal feelings they may have had on the subject.
(2) Those rules and procedures were not in themselves unjust. They required that evidence be presented, allowed the accused to defend themselves, and discarded dubious evidence.
(3) Thus in most cases the verdict was a "just" one in that it seemed to follow from the evidence.
(4) A number of cases were dismissed, or the proceedings terminated at some point, when the inquisitors became convinced that the evidence was not reliable.
(5) Torture was only used in a small minority of cases and was allowed only when there was strong evidence that the defendant was lying. In some instances there is no evidence of the use of torture.
(6) Only a small percentage of those convicted were executed -- at most one or two percent in a given region. Many more were sentenced to life in prison, but this was often commuted after a few years. The most common punishment was some form of public penance.
(7) The dreaded Spanish Inquisition in particular has been grossly exaggerated. It did not persecute millions of people, as is often claimed, but approximately 44,000 between 1540 and 1700, of whom less than two percent were executed. The above is not to say that the Catholics were totally innocent of wrong doing, that there were abuses. However, the fabricated numbers by the anti-Catholics are for their purpose to identify the Catholic Faith to Revelation 17:6.
That is not so. There are other anti-Catholics such as Jack Chick and Tony Alamo who makes similar claims. Religions such as the Seventh Day Adventist make this their creed. It is important for the Catholic to understand the truth about these accusations.
In reality, the Catholic Faith has suffered 2,000 years of persecutions. Many were killed by the Romans. St. Peter was crucified upside down at Vatican Hill in 67 A.D. St. Stephen was the first martyr of the Catholic Faith.
Today many are being killed in the Middle East.
The text from Revelation 17:6 points to the Roman Empire as well as the Jews. With the killing of St. Stephen, "On that day, there broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church,entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment" (Acts 8:1-3).
PETER THE ROMAN - The 112th prophesy states: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Petrus Romanus, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End. This story is the climax coming from the Malachi Prophecy that begins in the 12th Century which covers 112 popes in the future. Benedict XVI would be number 111.
Already the talk out on the internet is coming from all sides. The Anti-Catholics are claiming this next Pope to be the Anti-Christ, some believe he would be the "False Prophet" of Revelation 13:11."Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb's but it spoke like a dragon". This verse identifies a high ranking cleric, the "two horns like a lamb" would identify him with Christianity. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. However, this "Prophet" speaks like a dragon which identifies him with the weeds of Satan. He will have great authority and many will follow him in worshiping the Anti-Christ. To the Anti-Catholic, it is easy for them to place this next Pope with a lot of hype to be either the Anti-Christ or the False Prophet.
The Malachi Prophecy is clear that "Peter the Roman" would "feed his flock" amid many tribulations. Remember Jesus instructs St. Peter to "Feed my Sheep", this is what "Peter the Roman" does. We also see St. Peter echo the words of Jesus instructing all the presbyters to "Tend to the Flock" within their care. Peter the Roman, then, would not be either the Anti-Christ nor the False Prophet.
Are we seeing the foundation being laid for the tribulation that St. Malachi speaks of? Will the world accept gay marriage? Will the world accept abortion on demand? Will the world accept women priestess? This is very basic, but as I look at the facts, Christians are supporting these things at high numbers. Many voted for Obama which solidifies these sins. It is a return of Paganism and hedonism. God sees this rebellion as adultery against him. This is the background behind the "Whore of Babylon", which Anti-Catholics erroneously have pointed at the Catholic Faith. It would not be because they are Catholic that they fall, it would be because of their rebellion from the Church that brings them down.
St. Francis paints another interesting picture (d. 1226): “There will be an uncanonically elected Pope who will cause a great schism, there will be diverse thoughts preached which will cause many, even those in the different orders to doubt, yea, even agree with those heretics which will cause my Order to divide, then will there be such universal dissensions and persecutions that if those days were not shortened even the elect would be lost.” (Rev. Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, Tan Books, 1974, p. 130.).
It would appear that St. Francis is tying this prophecy with Matthew 24:22, "And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened. In the history of the Catholic Faith, there have been times when men have attempted to take over the papacy. Emperors and rulers tried to control or influence the Papacy to further their own ambitions. In some cases, they appointed 'anti-popes' to support them deposing the true Pope according to Canon Law. An anti-pope is a man who has been improperly elected appointed as Pope. The first anti-pope was Hippolytus (217 A.D.) and the last anti-pope was Felix V (1440-1449). In all there have been 27 anti-popes none of which are listed in the line of the Popes. It seems that St. Francis is pointing to this idea of an "Anti-Pope" as certainly a possibility. It will be interesting to watch and follow the happenings of this Conclave.
Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century, Italy)
Though an ordinary housewife and mother, Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi led an exemplary spiritual and Christian life that gained her the reputation as one of the greatest saints of all time. She experienced frequent ecstasies, performed miraculous cures, read hearts, foretold deaths, and predicted the coming of future events. She foretold the first two world wars that wreaked havoc in the twentieth century. Eighteen years after her death, her body remained supple and incorrupt. Amid praises, Pope Benedict XV beatified her on May 20, 1920.
Her maiden name was Giannetti. She was born at Siena, Italy, 29 May, 1769; died at Rome, 9 June, 1837. From the time she was 20 years old, until she died at the age of 63, she was accompanied by a mysterious light in which she saw past, present and future events...some relating to struggles among nations; some relating to individual souls.
Popes and cardinals have referred to this holy married woman as one of the greatest saints of all time. She was praised by Pope Benedict XV in her beatification on May 20, 1920 as being an exemplary wife and mother amid poor and trying circumstances. She was frequently in ecstasy, worked miracles of healing, read hearts, foretold deaths, and saw visions on the coming of future events. She foretold the first two world wars of this century. Eighteen years after her death, her body remained fresh and in a state of perfect preservation as if it had been just buried the day before. The following is her prophecy on the three days of darkness.
"God will send two punishments: one will be in the form of wars, revolutions and other evils; it shall originate on earth. The other will be sent from Heaven. There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy."
"All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms."
"Religion shall be persecuted, and priests massacred Churches shall be closed, but only for a short time. The Holy Father shall be obliged to leave Rome." (Yves Dupont, Catholic Prophecy, Tan Books and Publishers, 1973)
Venerable Elizabeth Canori-Mora (19th century, Italy)
Blessed Elizabeth Canori Mora3 was born in 1774 and lived in Italy until her saintly death in 1825. Thanks to her confessor, her revelations were preserved in hundreds of pages of her own writings. Today, the Trinitarian Fathers at San Carlino, Rome hold her manuscripts for safekeeping in their archives.
These writings were meticulously examined at length as a safeguard against doctrinal errors when Pope Blessed Pius IX authorized Elizabeth Canori Mora’s cause for canonization to proceed. The ecclesiastical censor commissioned by the Holy See released his official judgment on November 5, 1900. It stated “there is nothing against faith and good customs, and no doctrinal innovation or deviation was found.”
Elizabeth Canori Mora was beatified in 1994.
One of her prophecies states: “When this bloody fight will arrive, the vengeful hand of God will weigh upon these fated ones and with His omnipotence He will chastise the proud for their rashness and shameless insolence. God will use the powers of darkness to exterminate these sectarian, iniquitous and criminal men, who plot to eradicate the Catholic Church, our Holy Mother, by tearing Her up by Her deepest roots, and casting Her on the ground.
There is a lot of talk about three days of darkness during this time of tribulation. It is hard to know if we are indeed in those times, but looking at the confusion we are seeing today, all we can do is pray and watch. From the Scripture we see the precedence: The three days of darkness
In Scriptures, we find many references to days of darkness, the most familiar perhaps being the ninth plague that fell upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians during the time of Moses:
"But the Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand toward heaven. And may there be darkness upon the land of Egypt, so dense that it may be felt. And Moses extended his hand toward heaven. And a horrible darkness occurred in all the land of Egypt for three days. No one saw his brother, nor moved himself from the place where he was. But wherever the sons of Israel lived, there was light.(Exodus 10:21-23)
The prophet Isaiah also spoke of a day of darkness:
"Behold, the day of the Lord shall come, a cruel day, and full of indignation, and of wrath, and fury, to lay the land desolate, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven, and their brightness shall not display their light: the sun shall be darkened in his rising, and the moon shall not shine with her light. And I will visit the evils of the world, and against the wicked for their iniquity: and I will make the pride of infidels to cease, and will bring down the arrogancy of the mighty. (Isaiah 13: 9-11)
From the New Testament, we also learn that a cloak of darkness enveloped the world when Our Lord died on Calvary as was recorded by the gospels:
Then from the sixth hour, there was darkness over the entire earth, until the ninth hour. (Mt 27:45).
And when the sixth hour came, there was darkness throughout all the earth, until the ninth hour. (Mk 15:33).
But it was almost the sixth hour, and there was darkness in the entire earth, until the ninth hour. (Lk 23:44).
Peter the Roman or not, the near future should prove to be very interesting to say the least. One thing is for sure, faithfulness to the Church will be cornered and looked down upon, it will be persecuted. Pope Pius XII warned that to be a true Christian in the latter 20th century you would have to be a 'living martyr' as the attack on the family and faith will be great.
We will have to take each day one day at a time, and offer the Lord the best of ourselves. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 St. Paul refers to this apostasy before the man of lawlessness and calls for the Church to remain vigilant. Jesus instructs us to persevere to the end in order to be saved. St. John warns, "They will fight the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings" (Rev 17:14).
Van Helsing is a 2004 American action-horror film directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman as vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, and Kate Beckinsale as Anna Valerious. Wikipedia Who are the modern day fighters against evil today? Is anyone out there even discerning the difference between good and evil?
I was just on Facebook when I was reading something that an Anti-Catholic was throwing at the Church hoping to make something stick. To misinform people and distort the truth is pure evil. In this situation, they wanted you to think that the Pope thinks he is a god? Yes, they throw out their planned and coined quotes like this one:
“We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” “...it came to pass in the secret design of God’s providence that We were chosen to fill this Chair of St. Peter and to take the place of the Person of Christ Himself in the Church...” Vatican I, the Pope’s recent ‘Ecumenical Council’,“Official Proclamation” [Jan. 9, 1870]
Is this saying that the Pope thinks he is God? No, not at all! Consider the following:
Of the Servants of Christ, the Lord promises through the Prophet Isaiah, "No Weapon fashioned against you shall prevail; every tongue you shall prove false that launches an accusation against you. This is the LOT OF THE Servants of the LORD, their vindication from me, says the Lord" (Isaiah 54:17). This is saying volumes that the Lord will protect his Servants. That they speak in His name, no weapon formed against them shall prevail. So, when the Pope, the successor of St. Peter, defends his rightful position when ever challenged, it must always be seen in this context.
The Lord, Jesus Christ, the Founder of the Catholic Faith says, "And so I say to you, you are Kepa (Peter), and upon this Kepa (Rock) I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld (death) shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19). Notice that Jesus reaffirms Isaiah's prophecy that the powers of evil will not prevail against the Ministers of the Covenant. Peter (Kapa) being the first Pope.
If Anti-Catholics think that the Catholic Church is over the line when it defends it's rightful position of authority, how do they distort this passage: "I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel OTHER than the ONE that WE preached to you, let that ONE be ACCURSED! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed! (Galatians 1:6-9) That is huge in this discussion. The Anti-Catholic is literally sawing off the branch they are sitting on and don't know it?
Time after time we are instructed to FOLLOW the example of the Apostles. Hebrews 13:7-8 is a great example of this: "Remember your LEADERS who spoke the WORD of GOD to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and IMITATE their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." I can see through time and space that the Popes may used strong language to defend their rightful authority, but this is grounded and rooted in scripture. To Challenge the authority of the Church is to challenge the authority of Jesus Christ. Luke 10:16 put's Christ's authority this way: "Whoever listens to YOU listens to ME (Jesus). Whoever rejects YOU rejects ME. And whoever rejects ME rejects the ONE (Father) who SENT ME.
In defending this rightful authority, does this mean that men can take this authority and abuse it? Not hardly! Jesus warns "Who then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his HOUSEHOLD to distribute to them their food (Eucharist) at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so" (Mathew 24:45-46). I am thankful for the faithfulness of Pope John Paul ll and Benedict XVI the past 30 plus years. This is very important for this time of human history. They truly served Jesus in His Church at critical times as the swirling evil confronts us all. Jesus continues, "Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severly and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth" (Matthew 24:47-51).
Who is the household Jesus is referring too in the above scripture? Consider 1 Timothy 3:15! St. Paul is writing to St. Timothy saying, "But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, WHICH is the CHURCH of the LIVING GOD, the PILLAR and FOUNDATION of TRUTH. Ephesians 2:19-21 breaks this down even more simply, "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and MEMBERS of the HOUSEHOLD of GOD, built upon the FOUNDATION of the APOSTLES and PROPHETS, with Christ JESUS himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the LORD; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit".
As Anti-Catholics want to try and mislead you out of the Church misquoting Popes, Councils, Saints, Doctors of the Church, all you have to do is Google this and you can see just about everything they can throw at you with forgeries, misconceptions and half-truths, know that they themselves are guilty of their own attacks. Did Jesus give a 20th Century man-made organization, group, or individuals authority from Heaven? No Jesus did not give this authority. He gave His authority to His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
St. Peter writes to all the Ministers of the Covenant saying, "So I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. TEND the FLOCK of GOD in your MIDST, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the FLOCK" (1 Peter 5:1-3). Does this sound familiar? It should! Recall the words of Jesus to St. Peter, "Feed My Lambs, Tend My Sheep, Feed My Sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God" (John 21:15-19).
Notice St. Peter refers to the Presbyters which he referrs to himself! Consider St. Paul writing to St. Timothy, "Command and teach these things. Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching. Do not NEGLECT the GIFT you have, which was CONFERRED on you through the prophetic WORD with the IMPOSITION of HANDS of the PRESBYTERATE" (1 Timothy 4:11-14). St. Peter recognized himself as a Presbyter who maintained authority from God as do St. Paul. The Catholic Church is this foundation of Faith handed down for 2,000 years in an unbroken line. The Anti-Catholics are "New" gospels and we are all are warned to discern. St. Paul continues, "Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to everyone. Attend to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you" (1 Timothy 4:15-16).
Now consider that I have built a biblical foundation for the authority of the Catholic Faith. This can not be be destroyed by Hollywood or any past, present, or future Government. Those who want to deprive the faithful the liberty of following Christ by pushing Pagan and hedonistic entities in our Government will be judged by God with His justice. We should pray for our Country and our elected officials. The fictional character "Van Helsing" represents a divine judgement on the current darkness. What is the standard to know what light and darkness is? It is the Catholic Faith handed down that is the standard.
Here at Deepertruth, we have written and spoken much on the darkness and evil wanting to transform America and the world ushering back ancient Paganism. What has been the effect of this? The break up of the family, children being taught WHAT to think instead of HOW to think by an extreme left agenda. The spirit of compromise is everywhere and the effect is devastating. We must have courage to raise the Standard against the flood of evil posing such a threat to millions of souls. I believe the true Van Helsings are the Faithful Fathers who love their children who will lead his family through the present darkness.
"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, 'Follow me." And he rose and followed him" (Matthew 9:9).
This was the call of Matthew who was a tax collector. The story in this video is about another man whom Jesus calls to "Follow" Him.
If you would have asked the man in my story, he would have thought that he was following him.
However, the Lord was able to show this man the true path and just as Matthew was called to be an Apostle, this man also becomes a Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Unlike the Rich Man who could not follow Our Lord because of his many possessions, the man in this story does so with great passion.
This morning, I am contemplating two voids in my life- my Father, who died 4 days ago and my baby boy who died 15 years ago today. I think fondly of my father meeting my son in heaven. This has been a tumultuous week to be sure but it helps to know that all of this ends in joy if we simply hold fast.
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I cannot help but be amazed how much my wife has helped me. What a rock she is. I could not have gotten past #1 without her.
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This is the fourth time in my life that I have experienced waiting for a new Pope. Who ever it is, he needs to call himself Benedict XVII or John Paul III or John the XXIV or Linus II or even Henry the VIX I am.....anything but Peter. Further, find us a Pope from anywhere but Rome. I do not want to hear the conspiracy nuts.
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You gotta admit, a Papal conclave during lent sure adds dramatic effect.
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I am warmed by all the prayers and expressions of sympathy and support. Thank all of you so much.
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I need coffee and a nap. Am I conflicted?
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Quick take # 7 is realizing, after a full day, that you had only done 6.
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