Thank you for your thoughts. I definitely wasn't there and have only gone by what people who were have told me. It seems it was experienced differently by different people for sure. I am so grateful that my grandparents stayed true to the faith through those troubled years, though they did fall prey to much of what the world had to offer then, as do we all. Weren't the sodomite priests doing their abuse in secret during the 60s and 70s? Most of what I've seen in the reports are that a great majority of accusations that came to light in the last few decades were accounts of former abuse (when the victims were children in the 60s, 70s, 80s). Of course sodomy has continued in mostly the higher ranks of the Church, as those corrupt priests that weren't caught age in years. I see the explosion of revelations of abuse in the early 2000s as a good thing... Bringing the filth that was formerly hidden into the light. Even the occult-looking nativity scene at the Vatican last year was created in the 60s and 70s. Does it seem in hindsight that a lot of evil was exploding behind the scenes that faithful Catholics like yourself were not aware of at the time? The evil in the Church being revealed today in the high ranks didn't just get there. It's been there for decades. My point really was that the turning to evil that took place in those decades was, spiritually-speaking, a terrible fall, because the adults of that time came from a faith-filled culture and were perhaps more morally culpable for their sin than today's young adults. So many people today don't even know what being surrounded by faithful people is like. There aren't even any motions to go through, like following the general public along to church, because the general public is no longer going to church. So people who choose faith in today's godless culture are making a more heroic choice. Anyway, I definitely don't know everything and am only trying to inject some hope and encouragement into the discussion. I do see much in the Church today that is a cause for hope, and even joy.
I said nothing about the priesthood, graduating new priests taking their vows are not many. The sexual revolution challenged many and may have been an attack by Satan.
The world right now is more evil than anytime in History pre or post flood. Just ask the Lord to open your eyes to see.
I have to agree. These terrible evils existed in other ages in small pockets here and there--often among the elite. But the difference now is the scope of it. Too much comfort and too much leisure and too much technology making evil horribly accessible. Abortions stagger the mind. That alone makes it the most evil time of all ages. Add the obscenities of so called science with their mad experiments against God's creation---Jesus said it will be as it was in the days of Noah. To me it seems we are there. I think Padraig is right when he says God is very very angry. He is allowing us to sink. St Paul describes it. God has given this world over to a reprobate mind. Our Ark is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Without her we will lose our way.
I believe Fr Ripperger has a video where he talks about the beginnings of the degradation of morals with the laity of the the 40’s and with each generation lost a little more. It was very interesting and made a lot of sense.
We are in truly evil times never before seen! The evil one is unchained and is in battle against the Most Holy Virgin. However even though I believe we are in the most evil of times, we have not been abandoned, because Jesus, Mary, St Joseph, all the saints, St Michael and all the angels are with us in this battle and graces abound for those who Love the Lord. Below are three sources of information on what the end times will look like and when it will happen! 1) Our wonderful Pope St PJII firmly believed we are in the last times now and he prophetically stated so in an address given during that 1976 Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia for the bicentennial celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla spoke these words which I believe were prophetic..... We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. I do not think that the wide circle of the American Society, or the whole wide circle of the Christian Community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, between the gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the Antichrist. The confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is, therefore, in God's Plan, and it must be a trial which the Church must take up, and face courageously! 2) St Paul tells us what these times will look like in Thessalonians...... Thessalonians Chapter 2: 1-12 1We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, 2not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. 3Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition, 4 the Enemy, who raises himself above every so-called god and object of worship to enthrone himself in God's sanctuary and flaunts the claim that he is God. 5 Surely you remember my telling you about this when I was with you? 6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. But the one who restrains is to do so only for the present, until he is removed from the scene. 8 and the wicked One will appear openly. The Lord will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will annihilate him with his glorious appearance at his coming. 9 But the coming of the wicked One will be marked by satan being at work in all kinds of counterfeit miracles and signs and wonders, 10 and every wicked deception aimed at those who are on the way to destruction because they would not accept the love of the truth and so be saved. 11 And therefore God sends on them a power that deludes people so that they believe what is false, 12 and so that those who do not believe the truth and take their pleasure in wickedness may all be condemned. 3) The Catholic Catechism states what must happen before the end times and what the Church knows will happen at these times.... 675 Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.573 The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth574 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.575 677 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.578 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.579 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.580
That is a bit insulting or patronizing to read though this is not directed at anyone I can see. It would not seem to be very Christian to tell that to others. No, we do not have Adolph Hitler around, yes, evil is in China. China had evil when Mao was there as well. And probably evil before that with the occupation of Imperial Japan. Mao is responsible for 10s of millions of deaths. Again, I will go with what Pope Leo said and what is well known, the devil had one hundred years for his mischief. I think the churches were often actually closed in Russia and the rest of the USSR... so with the fall of the Soviet Union, many were reopened. And people talking about abortion, that has always been around, it has been around, the '60s, etc. Africa? Famine, war in Biafra.
And what mischief he is causing! St Anthony of Egypt: "Men in the latter days will be scarcely be able to pray an Our Father but they will be greater than we are. For we battle Satan chained. They will battle Satan unchained."
I think the churches were often actually closed in Russia and the rest of the USSR... so with the fall of the Soviet Union, many were reopened. No Stalin, no Hitler... every age has their evils but I am going to attempt to look at the ages objectively. Abortion has basically, always existed. We also had more slavery in the past and the US fought a civil war over the issue. A case can be made any time is the end time.
I guess most here think we are on the precipice of the actual end of the world, and perhaps we are. None of that changes the good that I see in our new priests and religious, the beautiful new churches being built, the love and longing of the young for tradition, etc. I see God at work and am so grateful for His love and goodness, the excess lengths He goes to in order to reach souls... The incredible tenderness He has in caring for my dying FIL, for instance. He is so beautiful and merciful and it makes me want to comfort His heart in return. Christ is hurting more than we are during these sinful times. Is this the worst time of all times? I'm curious, why does it matter so much? Does it change our purpose on earth...to praise, love and serve God and bring as many souls as we can along with us to Heaven? My thoughts here were really to shine a light on the good that God is still doing, and the graces Mary has helped obtain for us in these times. To show that we have not been abandoned and are in the ongoing process of Mary's Triumph she promised would occur. I think it's ok to turn ones eyes from the horror of a fallen world and keep them focused on the goodness of God, His help, His grace, and His tender love for each soul. "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8 It's a perspective that brings me much more peace than when I was chasing every prophecy and being overwhelmed by the "coming doom." I wanted to share some of that joy and peace here, because God is not just an angry God, He's our Daddy. Is He angry at you and me? Then let's stop sinning! Is He angry at others? Well it's not our business, other than to pray others reach out to their Daddy too, so that He WON'T be angry. Isn't that our main purpose here? Should we waste our time complaining and shuddering, or should we merely be strengthened in our resolve to save our brothers and sisters? A little more hope might make us more inclined toward the latter.
I understand how you feel, PF. But the Church must go through the Crucifixion before the Triumph. Of course, God is with us throughout.
Where I think it is worse, is Iran seems dangerous if they get nuclear weapons. Priests are killed nowadays, Mexico has had a big problem... probably parts of Africa but nothing like this below. That bombing on a Catholic Church happened last year I believe in Sri Lanka, persecutions happen in virtually every generation. Catholic Church beatifies 522 priests and nuns killed by Republicans in the Spanish civil war — MercoPress Catholic Church beatifies 522 priests and nuns killed by Republicans in the Spanish civil war
No, absolutely not. I would guess that not one person here thinks we're on the precipice of the actual end of the world. Rather, we're at the end of times. This does not mean the end of time, but the end of times that those theologians smarter then me think began with the crucifixion of our Lord. This is good and hopeful news! Can you imagine if things went unchecked as the world more rapidly circle the drain that we're in now? Good heavens, I could not imagine not thinking and hoping we are seeing the last death throes before satan's reign is chained for an era of peace, the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart! Our Blessed Mother is leading this charge, keep Faith, but be very aware that we are in such dark days, and they are on the precipice of becoming much much darker, because satan knows his time is almost up and we are in the final battle before Mother Mary crushes his head (for now)!
My perspective is affected by the relative peace and security of my life up til now. Other countries have been enduring horrors--especially Catholics--over the last 100 years. I have to remind myself of that. The chastisement has been on going even if it has only recently come to these shores.
I was responding to the quotes above from the Catechism describing the last days before Christ's second coming. That would be the actual end of the world, right? With the devil working wonders and the arrival of the Antichrist. No, I don't think we're there yet. I think we're early in the process of the Triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart.
I don’t think we are at the end of the world. I think we are entering into the beginning of the end. But I don’t believe the end end will come for some time and most likely not while I’m alive. While I think times are bad and evil abounds literally around the earth as in no time before (IMO), I do not think within my lifetime (which isn’t going to end anytime soon) I will see the 2nd coming let alone the triumph of Mary. Truth be told, I’m not even sure if the warning will come within my lifetime. But what do I know - the whole world being locked down for a 1-2% death rate never occurred to me the month before it occurred
I think to clarify, if you think of what Desmond Burch (sp, Birch?) has said, there is the Minor Chastisement followed by a period of peace, then the Major Chastisement followed by the Second Coming of Our Lord. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. As FP has said, we are at the end of times, not the end of the world.
