Fatima 100

With the passing of October 13, 2016 we have entered the 100th year of the final apparition of Fatima.

We humans like our round numbers.   We like to think there is something significant about round number anniversaries.

The question is, does God like round numbers?

I have no clue.

Here’s what I do know – looking at the world around us, how low can we go before there is a major correction that takes place?

I will watch this next year with great interest.  If nothing else, Fatima provides hope.   I highly recommend in the coming year, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the apparitions, that we all read the account of Fatima as a reminder of all it represents.

A Shout Out to the Shrine in my Home State

The shrine in Champion, Wisconsin, home of the only approved apparition site in the USA has received a National Designation.

I don’t really have much to add.   Just thought that was cool.

Charlie Johnston

A few days ago I once again revisited the idea of Catholic Prophecy.    If you did not read that post before reading this one, please do, so as to put everything in appropriate context as I move on to discussing Charlie Johnston.   In that post I also encourage you to read and review in Charlie’s own words what he claims to have experienced, and what his stated mission is.

I am mentioning him here because of all the current, modern-day “prophets” he has a very unique approach to it all.   His approach, I believe, allows someone to follow him and listen to what he has to say, even if skeptical, and having one’s faith and approach to things edified.   And I think this statement holds true regardless of whether or not you choose to believe the more remarkable claims he makes with respect to his personal experiences (visions, encounters with Angels, Mary, and Jesus, etc.).

So, allow me to explain.

One of my biggest issues I have, as I’ve already mentioned, are persons who claim to have visions or apparitions of the supernatural and proclaim messages to the world.   Nearly every modern day “prophet” follows the same formula:   Some supernatural or divine entity visits or speaks to them and asks them to share a message with the world.   This happens over and over and over and over again with the same or similar message over and over and over and over again.   People listen to or read the messages and cling to every word.   After a while, we get bored with whatever good message is communicated if that message isn’t about some remarkable event that is going to occur.   I could be entirely wrong, but I think that more than one of these people, even if they started off authentically receiving (or believing they were receiving) divine messages may feel the need to sensationalize things in order to placate a widening audience.   This is speculation on my part, but I’m sure it’s happened.

In many cases, I have to believe that – even if innocent – some of these people have entirely experienced a confabulation of the whole thing.   They are in quietude and want to have a conversation with God – all well and good – and in that silence (which they haven’t entirely learned to control properly) they believe they are receiving some sort of message or locution.   But it’s their own mind running wild, but emotionally they feel in tune with God, so it must be Him, right?    What starts off as good internal thoughts from a well-formed person can become a desire to feel that and continue that, and who knows where that can take a person.

I may sound like someone who can’t accept any of this.   That is not true and it’s not my intent.   I am just careful.   And so, it is actually with a bit of an effort against my nature that I find Charlie, overall, authentic.

For those who don’t know him and will be too lazy to fully research him or read my links, I will provide a general summary:   As mentioned above, Charlie claims to have been visited by supernatural or divine entities for most of his life.    He kept it to himself for a long time, and only as he matured did he embrace all of it.   The purpose of the visitations was to provide him visions, insights, and messages for the future which would occur during his lifetime.    However, unlike others, he has not shared every individual message with the world.    He has not even provided a whole lot of details of things he claims to know about, or has known about in the past.    Because the purpose of his visitors was to train him on the bigger, more important things:   why this is happening, a general course of what to expect, and to build up the flock so that they can better grasp the reality of what about to happen and what is, in fact, happening around us.

The entire purpose of Charlie’s ministry is not to predict exactly how, when, where, and why all the corresponding events that make up what is called “The Storm” are (even though he is in tune to many of those things).  The purpose is much more general – get people right with God and each other, and not worry about all these details.   Understand the overall course of The Storm so you’re mentally and spiritually ready for it.    But he also very clearly preaches that no one can effectively prepare for everything that is to come.   We will utterly need to rely on God.   While he welcomes the idea that people make preparations, it’s always in the context of prudence and with an eye towards preparing in such a way not so much for you, but to help others.

Charlie has a different personality than most of the other supposed seers I’ve researched.   He has a sense of humor, comes from the political arena and still follows politics, and is basically just a normal guy who happens to have a remarkable attribute that the rest of us don’t have.    It’s interesting to hear him talk about his visitors so casually, when all the rest of us would likely fail to sleep for a week after receiving a visit from a supernatural friend of any sort.    But this shouldn’t be surprising.   After all, how casually do we Catholics speak of the Eucharist?    We receive it without a huge show, and sometimes in our weaker moments are distracted by other things around us as the very Son of God becomes physically manifest on the altar.    The Eucharist is so remarkable as to be utterly unbelievable by non-Catholics.  And yet, we stroll up and receive Christ as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.     So, unlike us, Charlie has received these visitors his entire life.   It should not be a surprise that over time a natural comfort level and even a sense of the unremarkable comes across in his comments about them.

Whether he’s imagining it all, or whether it’s all real, or somewhere in between, there is no sense that I get from Charlie that there is any deception.   He is very clear on all of us, most of all himself, follows whatever instruction the Church gives.    He is not one of these anti-Francis folks – far from it.   He has called Francis the Pope of the Storm.   On the other hand, this does not keep him from offering opposing opinions with respect to purely temporal matters.

I would encourage anyone to look at Charlie’s posts and start the process of discernment.   To be clear, it is not substitute for Church teaching, Scripture, etc.   But nothing I see opposes any of those things.   Charlie is a full-throated supporter of daily mass, Catholic devotions, Adoration, Eucharistic processions, etc.   He is very stout on life and family issues.    He is fine if you don’t agree with him as long as all discussion on the board is well-intentioned and respectful.   In the end, the very worst that can happen is you don’t buy into all the remarkable stuff, but you’ll still see a good group of people trying to do their best in a world gone mad.

The one part of my skeptical nature on all this that I can’t completely rid myself of is the idea that one needs these visitors to warn of The Storm.   I have for years seen signs of ultimate disaster in our country and our world.   I think to anyone paying attention, it’s not a matter of “if” it’s a matter of “when.”   One does not need an angel to point out that a country that turns its back on God, holds up abortion as a blessing, makes same-sex marriage the law of the land, continues to grow in accepting euthanasia, becomes more atheistic, and so on that there will be a point where God turns us over to ourselves.    Now, Charlie claims that in his private writings to his Spiritual Director, he envisioned what we are clearly seeing today long before it became as readily apparent as it is, and he is now taking up the mantle of one who is now making it clear to everyone exactly what it is that is happening and how we need to react.

Charlie is also very open about the fact that over the years he has greatly misunderstood, misinterpreted, and even challenged the wisdom of the messaged he’s received.    This is one reason he doesn’t share them.    He has said that this was all part of the training he needed.   Whenever he went against his direction because he thought he could protect someone from something or another, he saw that worse things happened that originally envisioned.   So he has better learned to not question, and to trust.   And trust is a major theme here.   He promotes a Prayer of Miraculous Trust – say it once for a particular intention and then leave it.  Don’t repeat it again for that specific intention (sort of like Moses hitting the rock more than once).

There are a couple areas where Charlie has been more specific.   I only assume there are particular reasons why these items are necessary to share with us.   One is that our next stable leader will not come from the election process.   It is a bit unclear exactly what that means, but it’s safe to say that if Charlie is correct, then even if elections are held and a new President elected, by the time they would otherwise take office in the normal fashion, things will have changed dramatically so that this doesn’t happen in a way that anyone expects.    Second, there will be a necessary financial collapse.   Third, he has given a timeline of the end of 2017 for what is called the Rescue – where God allows Mary to intervene on our behalf and, in some way, make it clear to everyone on earth what the Truth of Christ is.   Because of this timeline, if Charlie is correct, then whatever is to happen will happen soon, happen swiftly, and will create a situation of such extreme confusion that without the Rescue everything would so utterly devolve so quickly that we would almost certainly destroy ourselves.    Charlie’s sense (I believe this is noncommittal) is that the Rescue will actually occur before there is an incredibly severe loss of life.    Not that millions of lives lost will not be horrible, but he’s not talking about half, a third, a quarter, or even a tenth of the world’s demise.

I could go on, but I believe this covers the general sense of it.   We are under no obligation at all to pay attention to or adhere to private revelation.   So it is not incumbent upon any of us to look into all of this.   But I do think Charlie’s message is helpful and encouraging during this time, and my own personal and unofficial opinion is that it is something that is worthy of looking at.

The Prophetic – What is a Normal Person (hey… stop laughing!) to Make of it All?

Anyone who has followed this blog knows that I have always had an interest in prophecy, but also knows that I’ve taken a skeptic-first view towards a lot of it.  You would also know that I place much higher value on sources that are either approved by the Church, or who are somehow recognized by the Church as a holy individual – a Venerable, a Blessed, or a Saint.   I’ve mentioned before that I consider the work “Trial, Tribulation, and Triumph” by Desmond A Birch to be one of the best compilations of reliable prophecy that I’ve seen.   I admit that I haven’t recently searched to see if others may exist.

Along the way, I have read with interest many of the more popular modern day seers.   Through no fault of their own, since… well…  most aren’t dead yet, they are not Venerables, Blesseds, or Saints.   Further, while I may weigh things that are Church Approved, this does not mean that messages being received today are not legitimate.   After all, at the time any and all prophetic messages occurred they weren’t yet approved.   So I do like to see what’s being claimed out there today, though I usually start with the premise that it’s not legitimate or reliable and it needs to be proven otherwise to my satisfaction.   Finally, it should always be noted that even legitimate occurrences are subject to human error – improper understanding of the message, a misstatement or confusing recollection of the message, and so forth.

It is an odd thing, Prophecy.   As a guy who has studied mathematics, computer science, Physics, and Chemistry and who makes his living as an Actuary I am firmly grounded in logic and understanding.    It may seem odd that someone who gravitates to the realms of the tangible and the explainable would be interested in the strange, mystical, and mushy realm of the prophetic.    But I do not see them as incompatible.    What is incompatible is getting emotionally tied to any one person or message, particularly to the point where if the Church would ever rule against them, your allegiance goes to the person you are following rather than the Church.   One should always be prepared to make a hard break if needed, and that needs to be as unemotional and as calculated as possible.   Because that’s where the facts come in, as Augustine so famously pronounced – Rome has spoken, the matter is closed.   That takes humility, as well, at times.   But it is what we are called to do.

Over time, I have remained open, but admittedly skeptical, of the events at Medjugorje.   I am not saying I would ever try to convince anyone that they are not true (unless the Church rules it as such), nor am I saying that I am totally convinced that they are not true.   I just have some concerns that I think are valid to consider, and I find it a bit more “safe” to question rather than blindly accept it.    After all, Public Revelation is complete and must be first and foremost.   Private Revelation may help clarify the state of current times, or be otherwise edifying, but it is not incumbent on us to devote our time and energy to it.

I have also reviewed the messages of Pedro Regis.   I have some major discomfort with those, and I have stopped spending any time keeping up on those.   The same is true of a series of messages from an anonymous seer who had a website, supposedly under spiritual direction, called “Words From Jesus.”   Overall, these messages were somewhat general and it started off interesting enough, but whenever specifics were presented they were hit and miss.   The nature of the messages was extremely repetitive.  I never have fully decided if they have merit, but decided to not focus too much on them.  One of my big stumbling blocks with those who receive continued messages day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year is that I just don’t get it.    Why does Mary or Jesus or anyone else need to say the same basic thing over and over again?    It’s to the point where Spirit Daily will have a headline whenever there is a message at Medjugorje that is slightly different in word or tone from the plethora of other messages.    OK, that’s fine, but we’re basically not paying any attention any more to all the other messages because we’ve heard it all before.   So, what then is the point? Now, a confession before lightning strike me dead and my head lands on the keyboard and a string of random letters is produced ad infinitum…   I humbly submit that I’m a human being who can’t begin to appreciate and understand how God works.   So, despite my rambling paragraph above, I can accept that I’m the one who doesn’t get it, that this all does serve a salvific purpose, and that one day Jesus will say, “Yeah…  you were kind of thick-headed on that whole Medjugorje thing.”   So, take that as my own opinion and nothing more.

So, all of this brings me to a guy named Charlie Johnston.  I have spent a lot of time over the last year reading and studying his blog (which you can go to by clicking his name above), watching available video, and gaining an understanding of where he’s coming from.   I have offered some comments/questions on some of his posts along the way, and was taken enough by the overall concept of The Storm that I composed a song in relation to that.   I originally planned to provide a detailed version of what he is saying, but quite honestly that is not necessary.   His own site, and links to other places that have done this already, are in line with what I would have written on it myself, so I would encourage anyone interested to take a look at his blog and do some digging around.

This isn’t my last word on Charlie.   The entire concept of a Storm that we are in, and heading towards with even greater fury, need not be the product of divine private revelation.   It’s common sense.    I have been noting it for a number of years myself, and I make no claim to any supernatural experience (save one, which I may share someday) that has shown this to me.   It’s apparent for anyone with eyes to see.    Now, having said that, I am in no way saying Charlie is not what he says he is.   I am simply saying that – whatever the source – the words and observations of the world we are in ring true, and thus the song.

I’ll be following up with all my thoughts on Charlie in a later post.   For now, I offer my own musical summary, entitled “When The Storm Comes.”    (More music of mine can be found by clicking on “Links to My Music” on the top of the page.

Discerning Private Revelation – New and Old

Those of you who have followed me in the past know that I am very interested in Catholic Prophecy.   It is fascinating to read some of the prophetic messages of past Saints, Marian Apparitions, and the like.    You will also know that I have a somewhat bi-polar relationship with prophecy.   I fully and embrace the reality of prophecy and prophetic messages, but am also pretty skeptical by nature.

In the past I have noted what I believe to be one of the seminal works on the subject, “Trial, Tribulation, and Triumph” by Desmond A. Birch.    The reason I am as fond as I am about this work is that he takes my own preferred approach to the subject.   There is not whimsical adherence to random prophetic utterances.   Instead, he starts with key statements about what private revelation is, rooted in the Catechism.   He then lays the groundwork for what he decided to consider in presenting different statements or writings:   if a Church approved apparition, or if the statement came from a venerable, blessed, or Saint then these statements carry more weight and are the focus of the book.

There is no statement for or against anyone else using this approach, but it is the safest approach to take.

Interestingly, and not surprisingly, there are many common themes that run throughout the book, and across the words of many Saints of many different times.    One might wonder if the writings are really their own revelations or if they were simply instructional teachings, learned from others.   I think it’s a fair question, but for the most part I believe the statements were from personal and private revelations of one type or another.

Perhaps more surprisingly (or not to some) is that there are many degrees of variations provided in prophetic messages that aren’t always easily reconciled.    And this is where things get murky.    First of all, Private Revelation can never rise to the level of Public Revelation.   There is no guarantee of protection from error on any number of fronts:   Did the seer hear or see something incorrectly?   Did the seer misinterpret what they saw?   Did the seer repeat the message properly?    Is there possible translation error into other languages, either explicitly or in a contextual sense?   Was the prophecy conditional (meaning the outcome has since changed based on our response to God’s warning embedded in a message?)      And, there is always the possibility that the person simply did not receive a real message of divine origin at all, or conflated a real message with some confabulation or other assumptions made.

Because of this, we need to both take seriously the prophetic, but also be very careful and discerning.

In the past, I’ve openly mused about Medjugorje.   I have never understood why it would be necessary for messages to be given/received over and over and over with very little differentiation in the message from day to day, week to week…   Having said that, I simply don’t know, and one can’t deny the stories about experiences at Medjugorje.    I’m completely open and uncommitted on that.    It simply doesn’t make sense to me, but I also know I’m a simple man and God doesn’t always make “sense” to me.   So I choose to await the Church on this one.

There are numerous other cases around the world of interest.   I am generally both interested, but skeptical, of most of them.    I choose not to spend too much of my time on them.

Every now and then you start to hear a lot about this person or that person.   Usually, in my opinion, as you look more closely at them you can’t help but be somewhat disappointed, at least in regards to the reliability of the people and their messages.    I don’t want to judge, but part of me thinks that some people receive very strong feelings or promptings that lead them to develop a message that seems divine or prophetic.   Perhaps it even is.   My sense is people have to guard against an almost addictive desire for this to continue, and move from a valid (or at least not invalid) experience to something they are forcing.   I think many of those who “receive messages” are really not, but honestly think they are.   The problem with this is that their overall message may be edifying, but the extraneous content – the more predictive elements – is nothing more than their own conjecture.

There was a series of messages that could be followed from a site called “Words From Jesus” some time ago.    It started off as somewhat intriguing, but as I checked in and tracked the messages and followed them, I personally felt strongly that this was not authentic.   Again, it was a case of message after message with not dissimilar warnings of a general nature, which may well have been something authentic.   But any time the visionary ventured into specifics about upcoming events or outcomes, or even some specific prophecies of the Pope, they never really happened.    One must be willing to walk away from something and not get too involved to the point that you can’t recognize error, whether in teaching or in more specific prophecy.   You can’t get too emotionally involved or you risk being misled.   Focus on the message and the character of the person and the rest wil take care of itself.

Another more pronounced example is a supposed seer in Brazil, named Pedro Regis.   A big deal was made some time ago because he accurately predicted some devastating circumstance in this place or that place.  It was compelling to me until I studied him further.    I went back to the beginning of his documented messages, and interestingly I found that his early messages were all very vague and unspecific.   There was very little actual “prophecy” in terms of forecasting future events.   As time went on, there seemed to me to be a distinct shift in message to more of a constant declaration of some bad thing happening somewhere at some point.    The issue I have is that he’s bound to get some right, and people made a big deal out of it when he did, but there are endless messages regarding different regions or countries or cities that nothing of the sort has happened.    Now, there’s usually not timeline, so I suppose it could all come to pass, but the next question is “what’s the point?”    OK, on a daily basis we’re told that some specific area of the world is going to suffer catastrophe.    Theoretically, I suppose it could all happen at the same time.   So why not just say “look, you’re all hosed unless you pray more.”

Now, again, I admit to being simple.   God has a plan.    He may be trying to reach others and this may all make perfect sense in the spiritual realm and doing what it’s supposed to do.   I have no authority whatever in making a judgment of authenticity one way or another.   I have my opinions, and will always state that opinion with the caveat that I will accept the truth whether that comes as a judgment from the Church or God someday whacking me upside the head and saying “How could you not figure out that good ol’ Pedro was my servant?”   I will have no good reply other than I’m human and thick-headed.

To end this post, I’ll start with this:   Be careful out there.   Take it slow, don’t get caught up in a single message or “direct hit,” but take your time to read up on anyone you might start to get interested in following (I use that term a bit loosely – I mean “follow” in the sense of keeping tabs on or learning more about, or even getting to know.   But never follow someone to the detriment of following Christ and His Church).

Now, having said all that, I plan on presenting my thoughts on a man named Charlie Johnston in some upcoming posts.    I have taken a number of months to read over his entire blog history, and try to figure out what he’s saying, where he’s coming from, and whether anything he says makes me uncomfortable in the context of Public Revelation, the Catechism, and what I would consider to be the more authentic messages of the Saints.   I can’t promise when I’ll be able to present my thoughts, but I’ll start putting those together.

A Look Back at the Messages of Pedro Regis

There have been some interesting events happening in the world that continue to draw people to the messages of Pedro Regis, a purported seer of Marian apparitions in Brazil.

Many of these things have been fairly well documented, but in summary: (1) there was a prediction of a crisis in the Church prior to the latest scandal that swept Europe. (2) There was a prediction of an earthquake in Chile. (3) There was what many believe was a prediction of the earthquake in Haiti (Haiti was not specifically named, but some have said that his use of “land of the mountains” is a direct reference). (4) In January, there was a prediction of death in Guatemala, and recently a major Tropcial Storm killed hundreds of people. (5) Also in January, he predicted that Madeira would be devastated, and weeks later major flooding did devastate the island. (6) A reader noted to me that in January he said “something sad will happen in Sao Paolo.” She suggested that the recent “gay pride” parade attracted over 3 million people. Spiritually speaking, this is a sad event. Realistically, the message is vague enough that it is difficult to know whether or not this is what he referred to (it’s not a new event, it was the 14th year, so it’s not exactly something that could be categorized as a prediction of an unknown). (7) In March, he referenced a “great gap” that will get the attention of the whole world. It was one of those “what could this mean?” phrases. The same reader suggested the sinkhole in Guatemala. I’m not sure if that’s what this meant because the message seems more tied to Brazil, but in any case it highlights the fact that even if it’s referring to something else, weird things actually happen, and we probably don’t want to dismiss what sounds like a ludicrous prediction out of hand just because we don’t understand it. ( 8 ) Also in March, he said the following, which now looks like a remarkably direct hit: “Death will pass on the coast of the Golf (sic), and will leave a great trail of destruction.” Not only were there fatalities from the initial explosion of the rig, but there are plenty of animal deaths. And the oil spill is devastating the entire region along hundreds of miles of coastline.

These range from amazingly precise to vague possibilities. And we need to honest about their levels of accuracy, while still pointing out that discernment is a must. Many other messages contain prophetic messages that have not yet come true, and only time will tell whether or not these also come to pass. It’s already obvious that preconceptions don’t always explain things. I probably would have not guessed that death and destruction in the Gulf could refer to an explosion on an oil rig that led to an oil leak. It sounded like a hurricane to me, which is not an unusual event. The oil spill is unusual enough to bump this prophetic statement up on the credibility scale, in my opinion.

At some point, I’ll update my previous post that highlights the prophetic messages from September 2009 through April 2010, but for now I want to take a look back at his older messages.

Why? Because it would be a mistake to ignore previous prophecies if they were consistently mistaken, and so I believe it is important to review all the reported messages. Following is a summary of all the messages from the beginning – October 1987 through June 1994. As I continue to work through them, I’ll provide updates of my thoughts and findings.

General Summary:
What I find very interesting is that there are almost zero specific prophecies in the messages during the considered time frame. It will be interesting as I continue to advance through the years to see when a shift in the nature of his messages occurred. There is little to be found by way of specific prediction through June 1994.

The messages, overall, can be considered to be spiritual direction and guidance. This period of time covers over 800 messages. Quite honestly, those messages – with a few exceptions – can be condensed to the following points/themes. These concepts are repeated throughout the messages in some manner:

1) Appeal for conversion: conversion can bring peace to the world, and can allow avoidance of future chastisement (thus it appears chastisement prophecies are conditional).
2) The state of the world: Mankind is worse now than at the time of the flood. The world is headed towardes a great abyss, and without conversion it will be too late to stop it. The messages refer to Fatima, and more generally things stated by Mary “in the past”, by stating that the times foretold are near, or in some cases already here.
3) Prayer: We must pray more. Pray the Rosary. Conscrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart. Few pray, and this has grave consequences on humanity. Pray for the Pope.
4) Seriousness of the messages: nothing is an obligation, but instead a call. But the messages are serious (no joke) and the messages should be spread.
5) We are loved: Mary and Jesus love us so much we simply can’t comprehend it. Mary is our mother. Mary will help us if we heed her messages.
6) Obedience to the Church: Follow Catholic Church teachings and the Ecclesiastical leaders. Do not follow false ideologies or those who teach error. Participate with devotion in the Holy Mass.
7) Invocations: She calls herself the Queen of Peace. She invokes the names of the Holy Trinity at the end of each message.
8 ) Spiritual Direction/Call to Action: Be attentive. Be careful not to fall into traps of the devil. Have courage; don’t fear anything, despite your weaknesses. Great things await you. Be honest, and be a witness to the Lord. Live the Gospel – hear Jesus’ words in the Gospel. Your pain will be transformed into great joy. Renounce sin. Jesus will one day return in a glorious way.
9) Relationship with Jesus: Call on Jesus at all times. He is your friend. Have confidence in Him, and feel His love. Confide in Him. You are precious in His eyes. You can be sure that victory will belong to the Lord. Even with questions with no answer or unresolved problems, the Lord will not abandon you.
10) Urgency: Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Mary and God are both said to be in a hurry – there is no time to lose.
11) Living in this World: Don’t let the things of this world distract you. Lead a simple life. Don’t let material things get in the way. Don’t be preoccupied with problems – let God solve them.

Basically, this is what the vast majority of those 800+ messages can be condensed down to, from a spiritual perspective. I’m always curious about seers, like those in Medjugore, who get so many messages that say nearly the same thing. I know I’ve mentioned that before, but it’s one of those sticking points in my minute brain that I have a difficult time getting past.

It is vitally important to note that the main purpose of the messages during this time period were of a spiritual nature. It is very easy to get caught up in the more spectacular curiosities of the predective elements of messages, and so it can be easy to overlook the primary message that is being given. It is also very important to take the time to review and understand the spiritual aspects of these messages, because if there is a heretical aspect to them, then as a matter of discernment, it is best to stay away from them.

I am not a seminary-scholared theologian, but it is my perspective that all these themes/directives/points/whatever you wish to call them are well in line with Catholic teaching, and there is nothing troubling about them. Not only are they consistent with Catholic teaching, but they are edifying to the faith. Perhaps the one area of uncertainty is whether or not the world today is truly worse than the flood. I, for one, don’t doubt that. And while it may make for a fun debate, I’m guessing few of us can trace our lineage back to Noah, so we’ll never know anyway.

The following is a list of the parts of the messages during that time frame that are prophetic in nature. However, not every instance of references to prophetic events are included here. I did not include many duplicate statements that provided no additional information. So, just know that there are many similar statements sprinkled throughout the messages during this time period. I am quite sure I did not miss anything that isn’t included in one of the messages here.

General Prophetic Statements from October 1987 – June 1994:
There are no specific regions mentioned in any prophecy by Pedro Regis during this time, with the exception that there are allusions to Brazil (which is the home country of the seer), and one instance of a reference to Paris (which seems to be referenced because Pedro was visiting at the time). Most of what follows are what I call the “general prophecies” for the period reviewed. Many of these appear to be conditional, meaning that prayer and conversion could mitigate or even eliminate certain events:

Here in Brazil, the Holy Church is in danger of losing the true faith, and to avoid this, priests and bishops must unite themselves to the Holy Father. Many errors are being spread within the Holy Church,, and these errors are caused by shepherds who are not united to the Pope. I ask you, dear children, to pray much for priests, for many of them will lose the faith. Satan, the father of lies, and priests will be the target of his vengeance. June 29, 1988

The world is at the brink of great catastrophies. July 2, 1988

If priests and bishops don’t obey the Holy Father, the Holy Church could lose the true faith. July 9, 1988

The crisis fermenting in my church will come to open rebellion, coming especially from many of my Sons who participate in the priesthood of My Son Jesus. July 16, 1988

The time is near when one brother will kill another, and a father will kill his own son. Many will repent of a life lived without God, but it will be too late. Be prepared, for the time of great events is coming; the time when great secrets revealed by me in various appearances throughout the world, will be realized. September 27, 1988

Now the moments of sorrowful purification are approaching you. Very soon apostasy will become apparent. December 17, 1988

If there be not a general return to God on your part, a great punishment will befall your country. January 1, 1989

Mankind is now at the vespers of the most terrible scourges and punishments. January 10, 1989

The world is in great stress and at the edge of great catastrophies. Soon there will be grave conflicts, but the just will gain the advantage. Peace in the world is in crisis. January 24, 1989

Humanity is at the brink of the destruction that it can provoke with its own hands. What I foretold to you in Fátima for this century has already begun. There is the danger for humanity of a new world war. I feel a great affliction for what awaits you, my poor innocent children, so threatened by hunger, war, hatred and violence. This is a terribly painful time for you. Pray and do penance. The punishment will come only if mankind does not convert. August 12, 1989

The angels in heaven are with sword in hand to annihilate those who corrode the earth. Woe to those who don’t repent and change their lives. You are a perverse generation and call upon yourselves the chastising hand that will not delay to strike you. If you don´t convert, without a doubt a punishment will come worse than the flood, such as never has been seen. Fire will fall from heaven and a great part of humanity will be destroyed…The church will be persecuted as never before and the Holy Father will suffer much. Pray for him. The vicar of My Son will have to suffer much, because the church will be victim of great persecutions. This will be the time of darkness, and the church will pass through a horrible crisis. October 24, 1989

If men are not converted, fire will fall from heaven and a great part of humanity will be destroyed. June 23, 1992

(in Paris) If you don´t convert, God will send a great punishment on your city. Fire will fall from heaven and Paris will be destroyed. What I predicted in former times will happen because the appeal I made here was not put in practice. I don´t say when this will happen, but from the way you live, the wrath of God will be anticipated, and you will be taken by surprise. June 30, 1992

Behold the time is coming for the great happenings which I announced in the past. Pray. THE WRATH OF GOD WILL NOT DELAY TO BEFALL YOU. September 19, 1992

when the chastisement from heavens comes, you won´t be able to bear it. October 10, 1992

I ask you once again to pray for the pope, because now, more that ever, he will suffer much. The church will pass through great trials, but fear not. My Jesus will always be present. Pray, pray, pray. What I have foretold you in the past is about to happen. December 15, 1992

All the means of communication that work to destroy the plans of God will be laid waste by the wrath of God which will come as a great bolt of lightning and everything will be destroyed. March 16, 1993

You live in a time worse the times of the flood, and if you aren´t converted, a great punishment will befall humanity. July 6, 1993

Be faithful to your church. Obey the Pope John Paul II. The world will be involved in a great scandal, and those who do not obey the Pope will not bear it. So listen to what your ecclesiastical superiors tell you. Participate in the Holy Mass with joy and devotion. Always confess when you feel the need to have a your soul purified. Find time to pray. The world goes badly because there are few who pray. A great chastisement is about to fall upon humanity. January 18, 1994

When everything seems lost, a great victory of The Lord will appear. May 13, 1994

References to events within a year, with respect to Fatima:
There are a couple curious statements regarding the immediate events of the world being related to Fatima. It has no been made clear what events during that time would specifically be those related by the Blessed Mother at Fatima. For discernment:

Within this year will happen great events which I foretold in Fátima. August 30, 1988
Great events which I foretold in Fátima will happen this year. September 10, 1988
Great events which I have foretold in Fátima will happen this year. January 1, 1990

A sign, or manifestation:
I will give you a sign. This sign certainly, will be visible and palpable. But be converted now. Don’t wait for the sign to be converted. The sign will be given, you can be sure. February 5, 1991

You are anxious for the sign I promised. Pray. I will give you this sign (promised in message 376) even if all convert as I desire. After this sign, many unbelievers will come to believe in My presence here. May 28, 1991

So I will manifest Myself here in an extraordinary way to convince the incredulous. June 22, 1993

Comment: I have no idea if any “sign” was ever given. Nothing was referenced in any later messages, at least through June 1994.

A special group to be formed:
Prepare yourselves because here in the future I will form a group of which I myself will be the spiritual director of each one of the participants. January 18, 1992

Comment: I have no idea if this ever came to fruition. Nothing was referenced in any later messages, at least through June 1994.

A reference to a future time of peace:
Very soon the world will be transformed into a new world, without hate or violence. The world will be a new garden and all will live happily. October 8, 1988

Dear Sons and Daughters, what I foretold in Fátima is about to happen, and so the time of the great triumph of My Immaculate Heart has come. October 13, 1990

Comment: a number of saints prophesy about an era of peace that comes after a great chastisement, but prior to the actual end of the time of a final Antichrist and ultimate return of Christ. This may be consistent with that.

Three Days of Darkness:
THERE WILL BE THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF DARKNESS THAT NOT EVEN SCIENCE WILL KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN. ALL OF YOU WILL SUFFER MUCH IN THESE DAYS. I PROMISE TO ALL WHO ARE AT MY SIDE THAT THEY WILL NOT LACK LIGHT. I ASK YOU TO ALWAYS KEEP CANDLES BLESSED BY A PRIEST IN YOUR HOUSE. December 3, 1988

Comment: A few saints have previously prophesied regarding a period of three days of darkness, and those same saints have talked about blessed candles. So, this is not new. It is the only reference to this event in the period of time we’re looking at here. Compared to the rest of the messages, this seems somewhat odd and out of place. For discernment.

Finally, though, it is fair to look at the instances of troubling items. The first one is not a prophecy of the future, but a statement about Protestantism. Here is the quote:

“Many people go to protestant churches thinking they are of God. They are wrong. The people who take part in these are on the way to perdition for sure. Dear children, the religion founded by My Son, and which is of living faith, is Catholic. The rest are from the devil” April 9, 1988

Let’s examine this. Let us first recognize that, as Catholics, we do believe that we have the fullness of truth, to the extent known and available to us, in our Catholic faith. Also, we believe that the Reformation was in error, and that the concepts of sola scriptura and sola fide are in error.

However, our Church does NOT teach us that the phrase “salvation is through the Catholic Church” means that anyone who is not Catholic is going to hell. Nor does our Church teach that people in these Churches are not of God. They may have some doctrinal flaws, but there are some very good, courageous, and devout Christians in non-Catholic churches, who I would be very hard-pressed to say are on their way to “perdition.”

It is probably true that the devil played a hand in the process of dividing the Church and Christian unity. But that is different from saying that all Christian denominations other than Catholic are “from the devil.”

The next, and possibly more serious example of concern appears to be a blatantly missed prophecy that was given more than once, regarding the martyrdom of Pope John Paul II.

I ask you to pray for the Pope because the hour of his martyrdom is coming closer. The church will lose a great treasure, but those who were faithful to My Jesus will remain firm. Pray. Pray for the Pope, the successor to the chair of Peter. He will have to suffer much. Pray and do penance. If men and women are not converted, fire will come from heaven and it will be late. The danger of a new world war is closer and closer. I am sad because of what awaits you. January 2, 1993

Above all, pray for the Holy Father who now suffers more than ever. Pray for the church that will lose this great treasure. February 5, 1993

Continue to pray for the Pope, above all now, as his hour of martyrdom draws nearer. February 8, 1993

Pray for the Holy Father, for the hour of his martyrdom is now coming closer… If you are not converted, a great chastisement will fall upon humanity, so be converted. June 29, 1993

From the “benefit of the doubt” camp: On Protestantism: Perhaps this is a translation issue. All these messages are given in Portuguese and later translated into English. Also, keep in mind that the seer here is not infallible. It is possible also that Mary expressed concerns about Christian unity and the importance of following the Catholic faith, and perhaps even admonished those who leave the faith for a number of reasons. The seer may have very clumsily and erroneously passed on the message she was trying to get across. It is the only such message like this, and it was very early on, so perhaps there was a difficulty in expression in an isolated instance. On the Pope: could be a translation issue in use of martyrdom. Truly, he did suffer much. He suffered for the Church, and this may be what was implied. It could also be that these were conditional statements. After all, there is an admonishment to pray, which could imply that prayer may affect the outcome. Edited note: A commenter, Matt, points out to me that Pope John Paull II is not specifically mentioned. The word “now” indicates to me that, at least in that one message, she was referring to JPII. However, one viewpoint on this is that the martyrdom being spoken of here is still a future event, and that the Pope in the messages is not specifically related to an individual, but of whoever the shepherd is in the Papacy at the time of fulfillment of this message.

From the “skeptics” camp:This is a very strong indication, if not proof, that there is a problem with the seer and his messages. It is an indication of confabulation, or at worst deceit. It may be a strong indication that we should not follow this seer or give him undeserved credibility. The simple fact is one statement is of dubious doctrinal merit and the other looks to be a distinctive “miss.”

This is where discernment comes into play. I don’t take these issues lightly, but I also do understand that there could be some possible explanations for them. I will definitely keep them in mind as I proceed through the remaining messages. As of June 1994, there were no statements in the messages that alluded to any kind of mitigation due to prayer, or for any other reason.

In full disclosure, I lean more towards the “benefit of the doubt” camp, with some caveats: (1) should the Church ever rule on these messages or the authenticity of the apparition, I defer to that judgment as the final word, and (2) I have a long way to go in studying the messages, and there may be more problematic things that change my mind, and (3) again, I just have a problem with hte concept that Mary feels it’s necessary to visit somebody 2-3 times a week and usually say the same thing she did a week ago. Despite that, I fully accept that I don’t fully understand God and His way of doing things, so I can accept that it’s just not for me to understand and I can live with that.

A Look at the “Prophetic Pulse”

I try to always start any discussion about prophecy – particularly when involving people who are not yet saints, venerables, or whose messages have not been given some sort of approval by the Church – with caution.

I’ve been interested in prophetic messages that have been documented throughout the ages for some time, and have spent my share of time reviewing them. You can find them in numerous places. But one thing I have been careful to do is to keep it all in perspective. First, if the Church or a Bishop has outright condemned any apparition, then run away. And if not, proceed with caution.

I had started a series discussing Prophecy from a Catholic perspective some time ago. I’m going to provide the links here, and I encourage everyone to review this first as a backdrop to things.
Part One: Introduction and brief high level discussion on what prophecy means.
Part Two: Sources. By no means exhaustive and definitive, and since that post I’ve read more things as well.
Part Three: Review of Catechism as regards to prophecy, part one
Part 4: Review of Catechism part two.
Part 5: Review of Catechism, continued. (part 3)
Part Six: Review of Catechism, continued (part 4)

Ideally, I would have kept that going. This post kind of jumps the gun by getting into private revelation. It would probably behoove me to proceed with that previous study.

Understanding that we’re jumping forward, I did want to address some of the current/recent “revelations” that have garnered attention. Let me provide a couple examples, before I look more closely at one recent seer who has intrigued me.

Example 1) Desmond A. Birch has written what I consider a masterpiece of scholarship in this area, called “Trial, Tribulation, and Triumph.” There are numerous prophecies documented, as well as early Church teachings on prophetic subjects that have since lost their momentum. He revisits things that were taught with a great deal of imminence and importance that have never been rejected, it’s just that we stopped talking about it through the ages. For example, the Antichrist was discussed in great detail in early centuries, because there was a feeling of imminence with Christ’s return. As centuries went on, people realized that we may actually be here for a while, so matters shifted to the spiritual needs of the world at hand. However, we can learn a great deal about what the early teachers said about certain prophetic subjects. More importantly, Birch focuses all his messages on either apparitions that have specifically been approved, or by individuals who have been recognized as Holy men and women (venerable, blessed, or Saint). This is not necessary addressing current revelation, though his work has helped make sense and compile many previous messages. A knowledge of this work really helps in evaluating and discerning some of the current messages people claim to be receiving.

Example 2) Medjugorje: I won’t say much about it here, as I have a previous post dedicated to my thoughts on it. But from a pure prophetic standpoint, let’s just say I’m just keeping watch. There is a definitive timeline in which this apparition will prove itself out one way or another. Basically, these visionaries won’t live forever, and everything needs to happen in their lifetimes. I honestly haven’t given a great deal of scholarship to these messages. At some point I’d like to find the time to really dig through it.

Example 3) Words From Jesus. I am in no position to render judgment on a particualr seer. All I can do is discern. At the Words From Jesus Web Site there is a supposed seer named Jennifer. She has posted all her messages. After a great deal of time following her messages, reading them over, and discerning them I have concluded that it is not something I am putting my full faith in. My reasons are multiple, but let me say a few things about what my opinion means and does not mean. First, there are no spiritual messages or doctrinal messages that I have seen that are contrary to the faith. So please don’t mistake what I am saying in that regard. It may well be true and I may be just a little too skeptical. The reasons I struggle with this one are (a) I see seven years of vague and similar messages. I never have been able to completely wrap my mind around the idea that God feels it necessary to just send the same message over and over and over to someone. But, I’m human and could be completely wrong. (b) The vagueness of the messages, in general, seem unconvincing, for the most part. It’s easy to fulfill “the earth will shake” any time there’s an earthquake anywhere. Again, it’s entirely possible that these are supposed to be simply general warnings, but I admit it has fueled my skepticism. (c) Any time some specifics are given, it seems hit and miss. In particular, there seemed to be a message that President Bush would be assassinated. Now, there is a later message that supposedly explains that this didn’t happen because of prayers. And to be frank, that’s entirely possible. Birch discusses at length in his book that much prophecy is conditional, and can be mitigated or reversed if certain requests for actions are heeded. And yet, since it’s one of the few specific predictions… (d) In 2006, it was announced that Jesus’ public messages to the world were ending. And the messages did, in fact, cease. Well, for a while. Then they started again. The explanation is that she got a new spiritual advisor who felt like the private messages to Jennifer should be shared, because they had relevance. Well, that’s all well and good, but if you read these private messages, they really are no different from the public ones (as far as I can discern). And most of them seem addressed to the world. So one wonders what the difference ever was. And they still pretty much just talk about the same general themes. (e) There is a stark absence of major events showing up in any prophetic messages prior to these events occurring. One would think that if someone gets 5 or 10 messages a month, and God wants attention drawn to the messages, that there would be an occasional reference to something that would cause people to connect the dots and say “Whoa! Maybe we should heed this person’s words!” The Tsunami a few years ago, Hurricane Katrina, any of the particular large earthquakes, the financial meltdown in 2008, major election results and implications, the icelandic volcano… some of these are referenced after the fact but not before. Seems odd. I am not trying to dump on her or sway others who may feel compelled to believe these messages. In fact, I will agree that the spiritual message in them is good, and there is much sound advice to live by in them. I just wanted to explain the reasons behind my own reservations. Finally, let me say that by expressing reservations I am not accusing Jennifer of falsehood. It’s always possible that it is false. In the event that these are not true, it could well be simply a situation where she strongly “feels” that she is given a message and, well, the mind can be very convincing. Given the faithfulness of the messages to Catholic doctrine, I am not inclined to believe there is a demonic source in any way involved. Of course, they could be entirely authentic.

The list could go on with all sorts of examples (e.g. Maria Esperanza), but the rest of this post focuses on the following example:

Example 4) A seer in Brazil. He only came to my attention a couple of months ago, and I have kept an eye on him ever since. Pedro Régis is a Brazilian seer, and you can find his full messages at this web site: http://www.apelosurgentes.com.br/english/mensagens_ing.php.

A couple notes: to my knowledge he has not received any kind of approbation regarding his apparitions/messages. So, again, we need to approach this with careful discernment. Also, he has a lot of messages, as well, but only since last September have they been released in English. I am going to highlight the more prophetic and specific nature of these messages here. By doing so, I risk boiling his messages down into a curious series of predictions. So, let me encourage you to go to his site and read the messages in their entirety. You will see that the messages have a primary purpose of calling people to prayer and repentance. I don’t want to in any way suggest that I am dismissing that. But there is nothing there contrary to Church teaching, so far as I can tell. And as wonderful as those messages are, the only “tool” we have to judge the authenticity of the prophetic messages are the portions of the messages that relate to that. This does serve a greater purpose: if they are accurate, we can be more certain that, not only should we pay special heed to these things, but we can more closely examine the rest of the message.

I have culled out all the different statements of interest for this exercise since last September. They are presented here. This is lengthy, but worth the read. My comments are in brackets following the date:

Difficult days are coming for you. You will be tried by great difficulties, but count on The Lord. My Jesus will never abandon you. He will be your comfort in difficult moments. You will find a great battle in your path. The church will confront a great storm and much will be lost. 9/18/2009 [emphasis mine. We will see a number of statements concerning the Church. I will bold these, as they occurred before the most recent scandal.]

The earth will be shaken and many places will cease to exist. 9/22/2009

great sufferings will come to Brazil because of an agreement. My poor children will carry a heavy cross. 10/01/2009 [This seems to be something we can judge for accuracy. Specific to Brazil, concerning some agreement.]

difficult days are coming and My poor children will experience a heavy cross. Continents will disappear and people will contemplate things that are not visible to the human eye now. These will be sorrowful times for you. 10/6/2009 [Continents? Seems pretty extreme. One thing to note is that these messages are originally in Portuguese and then translated into Englsh. My guess is that this is supposed to refer to “lands” or “countries” or “islands” or something like that. But I’m admittedly guessing a bit.]

The earth will pass through great and painful transformations. People will be confounded, because they have put themselves in the place of The Creator. There will be inexplicable phenomena on earth, and learned men will not find answers. 10/9/2009

Difficult days are coming and the suffering of the just will be great. Pray much for the church. The church will be persecuted. People will defy it and the suffering of the faithful will be great. 10/17/2009 [In many of these statements it sounds like the current scandal is simply the beginning. Whether it is to be immediate or more in the future, he speaks of even greater persecution and martyrdom.]

Something very sad will happen in Yugoslavia and many people with have their faith shaken. 10/24/2009

The faithful will be persecuted, and those who are against Christ will act with great fury against the Church of My Jesus. 10/26/2009

A great suffering will come for those who live in Italy. Something similar will come to those who live in Chile. The ground will be shaken and people will live in a time of great suffering. 10/27/2009 [Chile was specifically mentioned in relation to an earthquake before it happened.]

The force of nature will provoke phenomenens never seen before. Objects will be thrown from the earth by a force that no one can explain. Forces will arise from the depths of the earth that leave men preoccupied, but I want to tell you that God will not abandon His people. Pray. You will yet see things that human eyes have never seen. 10/31/2009 [Very intruguing. This is either specific in that this will be an unbelievably new phenomenon – something hinted at in other messages – or it is imagery of some awesome forces of nature, perhaps a supervolcano.]

A great happening will shake the faith of many people. It will be in the land of the Holy Cross. (Brazil) 11/3/2009 [Could well be linked to the previous message on Brazil. Remember, he’s from that country, so it seems likely that he’d be given messages related more specifically to his land, just as someone in the U.S. would likely be given messages relating to the U.S.]

A great discovery will happen for the good of mankind. It will be the object of one of the miracles of My Son Jesus. 11/7/2009 [I’m at a loss to even guess…]

A great sign from God will attract men and women who are distant. 11/12/2009 [Many contemporary prophecies talk of some sort of sign, or an internal awareness given by God, to everyone on earth as an act of Mercy to let them know He exists, and to allow them to see their souls as He sees them. This particular passage is pretty generic, but it could be consistent with that. This line of revelation is rather modern.]

The Church of My Jesus will walk on difficult paths and suffer much. When is looks like all is lost, The Lord will send a just man, and he will contribute to the spiritual growth of the Church. After all the good he will do for the Church, he will be assasinated, but the Church will remain firm, and its enemies will be defeated. 11/17/2009 [A pretty specific prophecy here about possible future events regarding a man who will help set the Church right, but will be martyred.]

The day will come when all people who have fallen away will have the Grace of repentance. The Lord will grant His children the chance to return. It will be a great miracle. 11/18/2009 [Perhaps another allusion to a “Great Enlightenment.” Amazingly, those who have suggested this say that most will pay little heed to it.]

humanity will drink the bitter cup of suffering because of unexplained phenomena of nature that will come. Bend your knees in prayer so you can support the weight of the cross. The Andes chain of mountains will descend and many nations will carry a heavy cross. The earth will pass through great transformations, but in the end victory will come to men and women of faith. 11/21/2009

If people are not converted, a terrible punishment will fall upon humanity. Rivers of fire will flow on the earth. The waters will be contaminated and in many regions of the world My poor children will carry a heavy cross. 11/22/2009 [This, along with the last prophecy, really seem to indicate a very high level of volcanic activity. Perhaps at a level unexplained by experts. If true, it could explain all sorts of other things, because this would really mess with the weather and atmosphere.]

Something frightening will happen in Europe and three countries will be struck at the same time. People will have to weep and lament. 11/28/2009 [If authentic, I personally believe this alludes to civil unrest. This would be consistent with many other prophecies of Saints.]

The day will come when people will receive a great Grace. A great miracle of God will transform hardened hearts. Each one will see his errors and will receive the Grace of repentance. It will be a great opportunity that The Lord will give to His wayward children. 12/8/2009 [He is getting more specific on this point. There’s little doubt that a Great Enlightenment as a gift and miracle of God is what he is referring to.]

When the giant boulders melt, mysterious things will appear. Don´t flee from the truth. 12/11/2009 [This is kind of vague, and I don’t want to try to attach anything specific to it, so I’ll just throw out the general possibility that this refers to the two Icelandic volcanoes. One’s erupting now, and a second is being watched and could be worse than the first if that goes. But it’s conjecture. It could be symbolic – perhaps something secularly built or something with the Church. I guess, unless it’s a no-brainer when it happens, this is one of those where you just note it and tuck it away as interesting to the overall work.]

Days of suffering are coming. Don´t lose confidence. The prophets who have gone, will return to announce the day of the great warning. God will give you a chance to repent. Pay attention. 12/12/2009 [Some Saints have prohesied that Enoch and Elijah will return at the end of time. Others have actually claimed that for a time, Peter and Paul would return. He isn’t specific here.]

A great incident will happen in this earth and people will marvel. 12/14/2009

A man who seems to be good and just will come, but he will be a traitor, and lead mankind to suffering. 12/19/2009 [People always like to immediately assume “The” Antichrist is being described. Could be. It could also be “an” antichrist. Certainly, we’ve had other world leaders in the past lead a great deal of people to suffering. So we needn’t assume this is referring to the end, though it’s a possibility.]

Humanity will drink a bitter chalice of suffering. Fire will rise from the depths of the earth and many regions will be destroyed. 12/22/2009 [More volcanoes.]

science will advance and create a manner of transportation frightening to the eyes of man. What is visible will become invisible to human eyes. Behold difficult times for humanity. 12/25/2009 [This is one of the more bizarre ones. It sounds like Star Trek with transporters! I have my doubts on this, but I guess we’ll see. Or not see, as the case may be…]

Something sorrowful will happen in the land of the queen (England) and will be repeated in the capital of Brazil. 12/26/2009 [More on this later]

The crust of the earth will split in many regions of the earth. Energy coming from the interior of the earth will bring suffering to many of My poor children. 12/29/2009 [It sounds like he’s basically saying we’re going to see volcanos everywhere. If so, there’s not much to say except that it really sucks! For one thing, even the home gardener who knows how to fend for himself could be really in a bad situation.]

You are heading towards a future of great trials. The death of a great leader will cause great confusion. The fall of a prophet will be necessary for the good of many souls. You cannot understand the mysteries of God. Bend your knees in prayer. Seek strength in the Eucharist and in the words of My Son Jesus. The church will encounter a great problem in the revolt of a famous congregation. Stay firmly with the truth. Don´t let anything take you away from the truth. Listen to Me and I will lead you on a sure path. Courage. Whoever is with The Lord will never be defeated. B lood will fall from above and fire will flow on waters. 1/1/2010 [not sure if this literally means a “congregation” or a large mass of followers in one area. For example, it could mean Ireland. But the death of a great leader? And it looks like a prophet – perhaps the one previously alluded to – is separate from the great leader, though I’m not completely certain on that. Trying to figure out what “leader’s” death would cause great confusion.]

You will yet see horrors on earth. A sorrowful event will shake Italy. People will weep and lament. 1/2/2010 [Shake doesn’t necessarily mean earthquake. It could mean that people are “shaken.” However, in an earlier message he linked events in Italy and Chile, so this would seem to imply an actual earthquake.]

A sorrowful event will occur in the west of Bahia. 1/5/2010 [A local prophecy]

The land of the mountain will be shaken, and mountains will come down in many places. 1/7/2010 [I have not verified this, but I have seen in a few discussions about this prophecy that Haiti was called “The land of the mountain.” If so, this is a direct hit.]

A sorrowful event will shake the faith of many people. The church will weep and lament. 1/9/2010

A revolt will cause destruction and death in various countries of Europe. 1/12/2010 [As mentioned, civil war/unrest in Europe is prophesied by a few saints. This supposedly affects France, Italy, England, and ultimately spreads throughout all of Europe. In fact, the prophecies further state that this unrest eventually provides an opening for outright attack on the Vatican. So the precursor to some of the martyrdom in the Church may well be European civil unrest.]

Death will appear in Guatemala and My poor children will carry a heavy cross. 1/14/2010 [Guatemala specified. Cause of death uncertain.]

Great suffering will come for the inhabitants of Chile. Similar suffering also will come for those who dwell in Lisbon. 1/16/2010 [Lisbon specied – connection to Chile suggests earthquake.]

the island of Madeira will be devastated, and the dwellers of a big city on the banks of the Tejo river will experience a heavy cross. 1/21/2010 [This happened shortly after this message. It just seems like an odd place to pinpoint, which to me carries great weight. The island was devastated by flooding.]

Something sad will happen in the city of São Paulo. 1/23/2010 [Sao Paulo specified, but very vague.]

Europe will be poor and there will be great despair everywhere. 1/26/2010 [Could civil unrest cause destitution?]

The middle east will shake with great atomic holocaust. 1/28/2010 [This is a pretty short, but specific and startling, prediction. A precursor to an attack by or on Iran, perhaps.]

Something sorrowful will happen in the house of The Lord and people will have to weep and lament. Enemies will open the doors and bearded men will act with great fury. 1/31/2010 [Seems a reference to the Church, perhaps the Vatican. Bearded men probably implies Muslims.]

Death will go through Ásia and My poor children will weep and lament. Waters will rise and humanity will live moments of pain. Califórnia will face a heavy cross. The ground will rise and the mountains will descend. 2/2/2010 [Tsunami in Asia, and earthquake in California?]

It will happen in Japan and be repeated in Paraíba. Shouts of despair will be heard on all sides. 2/5/2010 [He links Japan with a state of Brazil, Paraiba. He later says there will be a megaquake in Japan. Uncertain if this ties to that message, or if this is unrelated and referring to something else.]

The day will come when an apparently good and just man will appear. He will deceive many people, for he will realize great prodigies. He will come from the southern hemisphere and many people will consider him as a savior. Pay attention and don´t be deceived. 2/6/2010 [While we still can’t be certain that this refers to “The” Antichrist, the guy sounds a lot like him. Though, the reference to being from the Southern Hemisphere is interesting, because I don’t think that’s a conventional belief of “The” Antichrist.]

Know that a great miracle of God will happen in favor of those who are devoted t o Me. In the great tribulation, My chosen ones will not experience suffering. 2/9/2010 [“My chosen ones” does not necessarily mean ALL followers. We should never expect that we should or will escape persecution. God may choose a select few to be sheltered from suffering. Other prophecies do suggest that there will be a manner of protecting a faithful remnant.]

A frightening event will occur on the old mountain. 2/11/2010 [Google tells me that “The Old Mountain” is Mt. Stara Planina, separated from the Carpathian mountain range by the Danube River. Located on the border of Serbia and Bulgaria. There. You learned something.]

The calvary of humanity will begin on a Friday 2/13/2010 [I suppose Friday makes sense. There is a later reference to a Friday.]

the eagle (U.S.) will not fly tranquilly. Its nest will tremble and there will be great fear. 2/16/2010 [Pretty vague. I guess he just wanted us to know that it won’t be all rosy here, either.]

the land of the Holy Cross (Brazil) will live difficult moments. I suffer because of what awaits you. Don´t get away from prayer. Return to My Son Jesus through the sacraments. This is an opportune time for your conversion. Don´t back away, but seek strength in the Eucharist and the words of My Jesus. Pay attention. Listen to what I am saying. The day will come when the furious Lion will lay at the feet of the dragon. A union of beasts will bring great suffering to My poor children. 2/17/2010 [Local prophecy, followed by something unclear. I don’t know what “the furious lion” would refer to, but whoever or whatever it is looks to be subordinate to China (dragon). Together(?), they will bring suffering – unless the union of two beasts is separate from the note of the Lion laying at the dragon’s feet. Russia is the Bear so they are not the prime candidate here, unless the “union” isn’t in reference to the “Lion.” Google gave me no good references for the Lion.]

A frightening event will happen in Spain and will spread to various countries of Europe. France will drink a cup bitter with pain which I announced in the past. 2/20/2010 [I’m guessing a reference to revolution.]

Your nation (Brazil) will drink a cup of bitter pain. A great revolt will spread over Brazil, and death will be present in many plazas and streets. 2/23/2010

Pray much of the Church of My Jesus. The Church will drink the bitter cup of suffering. The darkness of lack of faith and of infidelity will spread more and more within the Church. A great scandal will shake the faith of the people and the church will lose much. I ask you to keep your flame of faith alive. Don´t go away from the truth. 2/25/2010

Death will pass through Spain. Costa Rica will live moments of anguish. A sleeping giant will bring suffering and death to África. 2/27/2010 [Not sure what “sleeping giant” means, but there is another later reference as well.]

A frightening event will happen in Uruguay, and be repeated in Espírito Santo. Death will pass through three states in Brazil accompanied by great destruction. 3/1/2010 [Espirito Santo is another State in Brazil on the Eastern edge, as was Paraiba. Paraiba was linked to Japan, which is predicted to have a megaquake. This implies a quake in Eastern Brazil and in Uruguay.]

You are heading towards a sorrowful tribulation. You will yet see horrors on earth. Entire nations will disappear and humanity will drink a bitter cup of pain. 3/2/2010

Death will pass through Teixira de Freitas (a town in Bahia) and My poor children will weep and lament. 3/4/2010 [Bahia is in Eastern Brazil, between Espirito Santo and Paraiba. Three states next to each other… linked to earthquakes via a link to Japan.]

Those who dwell in a great city in Brazil will live moments of great tribulations. Scientists will give the warning and everybody will flee. The Discovery of a great gap will get the attention of the whole world. 3/6/2010 [A great gap? I dunno.]

Those who dwell in the land of the queen will live moments of great tribulation. It will be on a Friday, and men will weep and wail. 3/7/2010 [Link here to a Friday, which is the day the world’s Calvary begins. So, should some event causing suffering – especially if this is a civil unrest thing – occur on a Friday in England, this could be the one thing that tells us to buckle up and get ready for a rough ride from that point on. That could be the precursor to many of these other predictions, though since some have occurred already, there isn’t a specific timeline for some individual events.]

From the depths of the earth will come immense rivers of fire. Many regions will be completely devastated and the destruction will cross over many countries. 3/9/2010

Death will pass the San Francisco (river) and My poor children will live moments of great tribulations. 3/13/2010 [Interesting here in that San Francisco is the earhquake prone area in the U.S., but this is more likely referring to the San Francisco River in Brazil, which runs through Bahia.]

Ásia will shudder and there will be great suffering for My poor children. 3/16/2010 [This is admittedly kind of vague. There was an earthquake in China recently. Tough to say if that’s what this refers to or not.]

Death will pass on the coast of the Golf, and will leave a great trail of destruction. 3/18/2010 [I assume this was supposed to be “Gulf.” So, is this a hit on the recent oil rig disaster? A number of people died in the explosion and they now estimate up to the equivalent of 5,000 barrels per day is leaking into the Gulf waters. We will find out over the next few weeks just how devastating this will be. It could also refer to hurricanes in the Gulf Coast in the U.S., which might imply a very active hurricane season this year.]

A megaquake will shake Japan and My poor children will weep and lament. Greater pain never existed. 3/20/2010 [In retrospect, the tie of Japan to the state in Brazil, which was then tied to other spots, makes this an important prediction.]

Humanity is heading towards a sorrowful future. The earth will shake and abysses will appear. My poor children will carry a heavy cross. The earth will lose its equilibrium and frightening phenamena will appear. 3/23/2010 [Lose its equilibrium? Tough to say exactly what that means. It could be used in many contexts. One assumes that he’s referring to a state of unbalance that results in volcanic activity and other activity in the crust/mantle of the earth. Well, we know this is always in a state of flux, but we also know that the north pole has shifted and the magnetic field has decreased, which is created by the flow of metals inside the earth. We don’t know what this all means, but it could mean a shifting of the poles, which in itself is probably no major issue other than we’ll need new compasses. But the problem might be related to the cause of the shift in the first place – maybe earth gets “out of sorts” and corrects for it with a period of high seismic and volcanic activity, not because of the polar shift, but due to the same underlying cause of the polar shift.]

The time of great spiritual confusions has come. Bend your knees in prayer, the only way you can attain victory. I am your Mom, and I am tireless. I come from heaven to call you to a sincere conversion. Open your hearts and let the Grace of The Lord transform you. Tell everyone that God has sent Me to alert you that now is a good time for your return. I suffer because of what awaits you. Flee from evil and belong only to The Lord. Something marvelous will happen in the land of the Holy Cross (Brazil) During Holy Mass in the shade of a brazil tree, the first and only Eucharistic miracle in Brazil will happen. Because of this miracle, many wh o have left the church will return. 3/27/2010 [local prophecy, but a nice one, for once! The promise of a Eucharistic miracle.]

Pray for the Church. The Church of My Son Jesus will drink the bitter cup of suffering. A most sorrowful for it will come. The Church is heading towards calvary. You will yet see great spiritual confusion, and friends of the king will reject him. I am your Mom and I know what awaits you. In these days, seek to live more intimately with My Son Jesus, in prayer, and in listening to and meditating on His Word. Don´t lose heart. After the pain, victory will come for those who are just. 3/30/2010

I ask you to keep on praying for the Church. The fury of the enemies will affect the Church and many who were fervent in faith will become indifferent. The Church will be taken to calvary and the faithful will see the death of many consecrated persons. 4/2/2010 [Multiple martyrs, the way it sounds, of those consecrated.]

A shocking event will happen Germany. Death will pass through and My poor children will experience a heavy cross. 4/3/2010 [Germany named, but unspecific.]

a frightening event will happen in Geneva and be repeated in Pernambuco. Geneva will live moments of great tribulation. The fury of an invisible enemy will attack My poor children. 4/6/2010 [Switzerland and Pernambuco are now tied, and Pernambuco is East Brazil, right next to the other states discussed, and probably tied to earthquake activity.]

A devastating force will cross Europe causing destruction and death. 4/7/2010 [Civil unrest?]

You will yet see horrors on earth. The evil of men will bring suffering and pain to My chosen ones, but don´t lose heart. Stay with the Church. The weight of sorrow will be great for the Church, but it will not be defeated. The triumph of the Church will be great and its enemies will fall to the ground. 4/10/2010

Humanity will drink the bitter cup of suffering. A frightening event will happen to Iran, in Paquistan and in Angra dos Reis. The happenings will be in different times, but will be alike. My poor children will live moments of anxiety. I suffer because of what awaits you. 4/11/2010 [Interesting. Angra dos Reis is Southeast Brazil, quite a ways from the otehr locales discussed. Whatever happens in Iran and Pakistan will be similar to what happens there. One thinks earthquake, but it is uncertain.]

Those who live in the land of riches will experience a heavy cross. The earth will shake and death will be present. The will drink the bitter cup of sorrow. In the west, near the Pacific, shouts and wailing will be heard. 4/13/2010 [This has to be the U.S. California was already specified as having an earthquake.]

A sleeping giant will arise in Indonésia and My poor children will drink the bitter cup of pain. No greater tragedy existed. Be strong and firm in faith. I will always be with you. A great destruction will be seen in Japan. 4/17/2010 [Repeating the warning for Japan. Sleeping Giant was noted for Africa, too, so I’m guessing the nature of the events between Africa and Indonesia are related. Could be anything.]

Something sorrowful will happen in a famous sanctuary in Brazil. My poor children will cry and lament. The west will shake and Bahia will live moments of pain. 4/20/2010 [In a sanctuary? Interesting. Local prophecy.]

When all seems lost a great victory of God will arise for you. There will be no defeat for My chosen ones. The hour of calvary will come to humanity. Great and sorrowful happenings will come to you, but don´t lose heart. The angels of The Lord will come from heaven and His chosen ones will not experience physical pains. In the great and final tribulation people will see the powerful hand of God in action. 4/22/2010

It may seem that these jump all over the place, but a more careful reading of them seems to tie a few themes together: (1) The Church will go through a great time of trial, starting with a scandal that will shake peoples’ faith. Then there will be persecution, which becomes severe enough to actually lead to martyrdom of consecrated persons, and in particular one person who does great things to lead the Church back. In the end, there will be victory. Certainly the first part of that is correct. It remains to be seen whether or not the persecution is something separate in the future, or if it is an outgrowth of the current scandal. (2) Something will occur in England on a Friday that seems to set a chain of related things in motion. References to something sweeping across Europe, and then in three countries at the same time, and simialr things probably is a reference to extreme civil unrest. I suggest this because it ties in with many prohecies in the Birch book. (3) Natural disasters – particularly volcanoes and earthquakes – will occur in many places. He is fairly specific on many of these.

Other observations: Some language is interesting and could mean a few things. He uses the term “sleeping giant” to reference something that will happen in both Africa and Indonesia. That’s one of those things we’ll know when we see it, I suppose. Volcano? Civil War? Strange disease? Also, he does get global on some things, regarding the earth being off balance or something, and strange phenomena, and other items that are kind of interesting. Some of this may be a translation issue, some may not be.

Again, we need to discern. I am not on my soapbox proclaiming this to be true, but I am pointing out that certain things have happened as stated, and it bears watching.

We, the Hierarchy, The Pope, Apparitions and Medjugorje

Most Christians, even if not Catholic, have heard of Medjugorje. From there, one may have a very thorough familiarity with all the details and history surrounding the claimed appearances of Our Lady, and the messages given to a number of seers. Some probably have heard passing reference to it without much thought.

I won’t go into all the details about the messages and secrets associated with Medjugorje. You can find all that here. I will say, in summary, that the claim is that Our Lady (Mary, for non-Catholics among us) first appeared in 1981, and has appeared ever since. These messages are for the whole world, and published accordingly. Each of the seers have been promised 10 “Secrets” to be revealed only under certain timing and instructions. The nature of these secrets range from pleant to unpleasant. Some of the seers have received all 10 secrets, while 3 of the seers have received 9 of the 10. Only once all of them have received all 10 will events transpire. Some details have been allowed to be released, but some are strictly forbidden to be released at this time.

So, what does this all mean? Well, it means a lot of things.

There are many balancing points with regard to Medjugorje. We must be honest about what it is and what it isn’t. Firstly, we must realize and appreciate that Catholics are not bound by faith to believe in any apparition. These events are extr-Scriptural, and outside of Tradition. They do not (and cannot) add anything new to our faith, particularly if contrary to previous doctrinal teachings. They may, and often do, reinforce doctrinal teachings of our faith. One example of this is when Our Lady of Lourdes referred to herself as the Immaculate Conception to a girl, Bernadette, who didn’t understand what this meant at a time shortly after the Pope declared this ex cathedra.

Having said that, there are certain apparitions that are so well confirmed and recognized by the Church, that to not believe it would be fairly unusual for any devout Catholic. Lourdes is one, but Our Lady of Fatima is probably the most distinct of these. The messages of Fatima carried so much weight, and the miracle of the sun witnessed by so many, and Pope John Paul II carried such a devotion to Our Lady in this capacity that it seems almost unthinkable for a Catholic to reject this particular apparition as anything but true. However, the important point is that Catholics may choose to question apparitions, even approved ones.

Second, speaking of approvals… The approval of the Catholic Church is a very strong sign to the faithful that you can submit your trust in the messages of a given apparition. There are not as many firm approvals as you may think. I haven’t cross-checked this list, but from my own reading, it seems correct to my understanding. Basically, an approval does a couple things (1) it’s a stamp of authenticity, and (2) a stamp of approval of any messages.

Authenticity is obviously important, because if it didn’t really happen, we shouldn’t suggest that it did even if the message being shared is a positive one. The Church takes a long time to discern authenticity. Numerous interviews, cross-checking of facts, revelation of certain miracles, and a close review of all messages play an important role. Messages are reviewed to determine the nature of an authentic apparition. It is conceivable that an apparition is authentic, but NOT from a source we would wish to involve ourselves with. I have been told that a good spiritual advisor tells someone who claims to be receiving messages will have the recipient challenge the visitor in the name of Christ. The demonic can be very subtle, masking themselves in goodness only to pervert messages in such a way as to cause spiritual warfare of one kind or another. Seldom will a demonic apparition appear as anything but something good. And thus, great care and discernment is needed, as well as a fearlessness in having the apparitions defend their words in Jesus’s name. Thus, even if the Church is convinced of the apparition, great care is taken to ensure protection of the messages of Scripture and Tradition.

A third point is that just because a vision is NOT approved, doesn’t mean the Church has judged negatively on it. The Church will condemn visions that clearly teach things antithetical to Church teachings. Whether it’s a judgment of lack of authenticity or in message is irrelevant at that point. Both seers and followers are to immediately cease activity associated with that apparition. At other times, there may not be a condemnation, but a certain Bishop may step in and place limitations on activities. One good way of discerning the nature of an apparition’s validity is to reflect on the reaction and the obedience to these things, even when the bishop may be wrong! Humble obedience, or a proper channel of disagreement in a respectful manner, reflect a humility that suggests that this will all happen with God’s timing. Pubic clashes with the hierarchy suggest something else.

That brings us to Medjugorje.

There are many conflicting views of this, and there seems to have been somewhat of a roller-coaster ride in whether or not the faithful should be devoting time and spiritual energy to it. For a time, pilgrimages were not allowed to be organized by churches, though I am not aware of any time where individulas were prohibited to go. In practical terms, this is rational. The messages and secrets have not yet been fulfilled, and the apparition has not been approved. Even if all things look good to this point, it is reasonable on the part of the Church to protect the faithful from deception, at least to the extent of giving the perception that everything has been approved. Some have read into this a form of “condemnation.” It certainly may be true to suggest that the Church has yet to be fully convinced, but it’s really more of a cautionary measure.

Many thousands of pilgrims go to Medjugorje each year. Many have claimed to witness or experience miracles. That is for discernment. It cannot be questioned that many have had a revitalizing experience of faith. And so the phrase “by their fruits, you shall know them” comes to mind. On the other hand, many have also said that it is a commercialized circus, and don’t take much away from it.

There has been much made of the differences in opinions of different bishops. The resident bishop has gone so far as to ask the visionaries to stop making their claims. Clearly, he is an authoritative figure, and has his public doubts. He has more recently softened the language, but still clearly has his doubts.

Case closed, right? After all, he is the bishop at hand.

This is where Medjugorje is somewhat unique. I previously mentioned that obedience to a Bishop – even if wrong – is important. And it seems as if there is some differences among the seers in this area, but all in all it doesn’t seem as if they are all that much out of line. After all, if the visions are truly real, obedience can’t possibly go so far as to lie about their validity simply to please the Bishop. But beyond that, the Church hierarchy itself does not seem to universally respect the local Bishop’s opinon. In fact, a Cardinal recently visited, causing all sorts of heartburn to the local bishop.

There is even debate about whether or not the Cardinal’s follow-up letter to the Bishop was an apology.

Why the fighting? Well, on the one hand it is somewhat difficult to believe that a lie could be perpetuated this long, and with such solidarity. If someone were that rotten of soul, they’d be able to cash in substantially on breaking the news that this is a farce. That, and the messages by all accounts are affirming of the teachings of the Catholic Church. There is nothing there to suggest falsehood, save the scenario that the Secrets simply don’t come true. but on the other hand, let’s face it: this has gone on for nearly three decades. If we look to Lourdes and Fatima as our example of an approved apparition, we see a very limited number of appearances, with a pretty direct message and directive. To believe in the apparition at Medjugorje, we must convince ourselves that there is some purpose to essentially the same messages – with a fewnotable exceptions – being repeated on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis for 28+ years. The question can reasonably be, “What’s the point?” The perception is a “crying wolf” attitude. These last few secrets have taken seemingly forever to be completed. Is that God’s plan, or is it a realization by the visionaries that once the last secrets are completed, they’ll be exposed? I’m just offering the reasons for the differences in opinions, I’m not suggesting in any way that I can determine the truthfulness of the visionaries.

It’s an interesting question ,which begs the question as to where the Pope stands on this. Well, even this question is not perfectly clear, and is up for debate.

A good article from last August explains the initial opinion that Pope John Paul II was of the opinion that the Medjugorje phenomenon was legitimate, while then Cardinal Ratzinger shared the opinion of the local bishop that the apparitions were not authentic.

Dr. Jones asserts that when he met with Bishop Pavao Zanic, then-ordinary of the Diocese of Mostar (in which Medjugorje is situated) in 1988, the bishop said Cardinal Ratzinger agreed with him and did not believe the alleged apparitions were authentic.

But Pope John Paul II did not respond to Bishop Zanic in the same way. This would make sense considering certain seemingly pro-Medjugorje notes and letters JPII wrote to friends of his years ago…

There is a lengthy interview in that article more fully explaining the opinion of Jones, who sees the beginnings of the Church’s attempts to delegitimize Medjugorje.

If true, it certainly appears that Benedict XVI is not endeared towards ratification of this any time soon. However, citing a personal opinion as a Cardinal in a personal conversation is a far cry from any kind of condemnation or indicator of any campaign of delegitimization as Pope. Further, it is the opinion of others on the basis of other statements that Benedict XVI is in no way against Medjugorje, but instead has more or less framed his remarks in a neutral way that suggests investiagion is needed and prudence required.

Another interesting development, though, is the sudden public affirmation by the aforementioned Cardinal Schönborn. In fact, he has now come out and said that Pope Benedict XVI may visit Medjugorje. Clearly, if that happens, it may not be a message of outright approval, but it is certainly a positive message for devoted followers of these apparitions.

So where does that put us?

Quite honestly, it should put us where we’ve been all along: constant prayer and discernment. In the end, the faithful need to pay heed to the ultimate authority of the Church in this matter. As long as we are allowed to take an individual pilgrimage there, we are free to do so. Accept happily the spiritual fruits of such a pilgrimage, as well as the messages of Our Lady. As long as the message is one consistent with the teachings of the Church, we can heed the calls to prayer without any problem at all. If we choose to believe that this is true, we do so under the condition that we will ultimately follow the Church’s decision should she rule contrary to our own personal conclusion. Always be respectful to authorities in the Church, even a priest or bishop who may not feel your own conviction in the matter. Obviously, if the Church approves the phenomenon, we can then celebrate this devotion quite freely. Such approval also carries a call to heed the messages as well.

Quite honestly, for us laypeople to debate its legitimacy to the detriment of our spiritual community only clouds the question about its validity even more. So I would ask that any debate be respectful, and no matter how devoted a follower you may be, and however much you believe the truth of it, please respect those who have their doubts, or even outright don’t accept it. Question them, of course, but be respectful. And those who don’t believe it, please do not belittle those who do. Faith can be a very simple thing. That doesn’t make it wrong.

That we may all be one doesn’t necessarily mean we all think the same thing about everything, even with regard to our faith. It means we are united in Christ, and the doctrinal teachings of the Church. When we allow dissention to rule over something that isn’t doctrinal, it harms us all.