The business of slander and revenge.

One more thing on the gay-ssa-Catholic problem.

I noted Church Militant seems to have ramped up their attack on U.S. Bishops and priests insisting they are promoters of the gay/homosexualist agenda.  Many Catholics like to identify this person or that as a homosexualist.  Recently I commented that some of those who seem to accept a lot of the gay-Catholic thinking 'mystify' me.  To be sure, I don't always get it when it comes to ministry to LGBTQ persons and or groups in parishes.  But it doesn't mean I am free to accuse and slander those who minister to these groups.  I just want that to be clear.  I can't control what happens nor can I account for how priests and bishops evangelize and direct an apostolate.

My sense is that there is a sort of vendetta against priests and bishops who seem to be more sympathetic to LGBTQ concerns.  Every now and then, I like to do a post as I did yesterday, on how pervasive 'queer ideology' has become in culture, saturating film and television and pop culture.  It is what it is, right?  Therefore, is it any wonder priests and religious are looking for ways to evangelize this group of people whom God loves?

I have always said, Courage Apostolate is not for everyone.  In my opinion, it is the best and the only apostolate approved by the Catholic Church, but not everyone is interested in a sort of self-help-religious-style-confraternity, if you will.  Especially since the organization has been associated with conversion therapy, or becoming an ex-gay.  True, that is not the founding premise, but it is often discussed and it freaks some people out.  Likewise, having a life-long recovery group to be part of isn't appealing to an otherwise well-balanced, stable person who simply identifies as gay or ssa.  There are healthy, mentally stable, deeply moral people who have homosexual inclination who have successfully integrated their sexuality and found a greater purpose in life, who also have a deep spiritual life and are faithful Catholics.  Whew!  That's a long sentence!

Anyway - if and when a Catholic organization shames and slanders a priest or a bishop as a homo-heretic, stay away from that organization.  Don't engage them, don't support them.  I recently just explained why I feel this way to a friend, telling him: "The revenge business and smearing the reputations of bishops and priests always plays into the hands of the enemies of the Church."  They are doing the devil's work.  I think the devil loves it when they can be so smug about exposing lies and falsehoods for a business.  I know that because I once or twice jumped on that band-wagon, and I found that out the hard way - how self-righteous anger and zeal masquerades as virtue.  Don't get sucked into Savonarola-style fanaticism.

Just saying.

Men kissing men.

Man In the Orange Shirt...

I watched the film on PBS last night.  I had some difficulty following it because I was doing something else while it was on.  I looked away at the sex scenes because they were soft porn.  I hate that.  But at least it shows that gay sex is not just kissing and hugging and ... it is what it is.

This isn't about the film however.  Oh - I didn't like the film, BTW.  Gay films are all over television on the re-run channels this month, because it's Pride month.  They are fairly superficial comedic-love-stories with sad parts - but wholesome gay stories.  Men kissing looks normal within that context.

However.

I have noticed over the past few years that men kissing and playing around with man-crush jokes is very common on television and in film.  What's up with that?  When I was little and one of my abusers tried to kiss me I pushed him away and said, 'Boys don't kiss!'  If I had been exposed to what kids are exposed to today, I probably wouldn't have said that.

Obviously I don't get out much, but it seems to me that this whole men-kissing stuff is an attempt to normalize sexual fluidity between same sex friends.

We claim to be a country concerned about the protection of children, and look at what we show them, look what we do to them.

Man In the Orange Shirt

soft porn scene.

Happy Father's Day!

Someone needs to write a book debunking those 'queer' saints stories.

Joseph Sciambra posted an article on Catholic LGBT ministry “Out at St. Paul” in NYC.

Joe says that St. Paul's is one of Fr. James Martin's favorite churches, and he is very supportive of the LGBTQ outreach in that parish.  Joe posted artwork and quotes from the church which give a really twisted view of Jesus - not the Christ, but 'queer Jesus'. 

On June 5, 2018, the official Facebook page for the Catholic LGBT ministry “Out at St. Paul,” located at the parish of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City, posted an image created by dissident former Presbyterian minsiter, now “Independent,” David Hayward, who goes by his blogger name – NakedPastor. Hayward is an author, cartoonist and life-coach; one of the titles of his books is: “The Art of Coming Out.” Many of his cartoons feature LGBT themes, including: “Gay? He Knew Before He Did” and “Making Paradise Fabulous.” The picture from Hayward that Out at St, Paul posted the day after the Supreme Court’s “Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission” decision depicts Christ with a rainbow-halo eating a layered cake comprised of the multi-colors from the gay “Pride” flag. Along with the picture, Out at St. Paul wrote: “I believe this means that we can be Catholic and eat our gay cake, too.” In addition, on June 5, Out at St. Paul posted an article from Cherry Kittredge that also featured the same image from the NakedPastor. In her article, Kittredge wrote: 

There is even a medieval European tradition that Jesus and his Beloved Disciple John were the bridal couple at the Cana wedding feast.

Kittredge is a longtime gay rights activist who advocates for ecumenical LGBT-inclusion within Christianity. A major focus of her work has been the exploration of so-called “Queer Saints.” She is also the author of “Art That Dares: Gay Jesus, Woman Christ, and More,” a collection of mostly homoerotic themed Christian-inspired images from various artists including Franciscan iconographer and Jesuit James Martin favorite Robert Lentz as well as gay Catholic priest William Hart McNichols. - Joseph Sciambra

Someone needs to intervene here.

This treatment of the saints has been going on far too long, without few, if any acredited hagiographer stepping in to correct - or debunk - the mythology which has been invented to recast saints and Biblical figures as gay heroes.  It is absolutely anti-Christ to suggest Jesus and the Beloved Disciple were a 'couple'.  It's absurd.  The Litany of the Holy Name venerates the chastity of Jesus, "Jesus, lover of chastity, have mercy on us."  "Jesus, purity of Virgins, have mercy on us."  Today virginity is mocked and only celebrated by hedonists as an erotic thrill to 'deflower', while chastity is often redefined permissively to include some degree of self-pleasure. 

I have written about the revisionist problem many times, go here.

That said, one of the advantages of being around for a long time is that I've read just about everything that is being regurgitated today as serious studies on same-sex relationships and evidence such unions were approved and accepted by the early Church right up to Medieval times. Swallowing that, one must accept the conspiracy theory that the Church destroyed all the evidence, suppressed by the wretched hierarchy over time, just as they did away with women priests and deacons. Gay conspiracy theorists know it all - and then they write their books. When the books are published, they are immediately accepted as absolute truth while scripture and doctrine are thrown by the wayside, only to be rewritten according to the newly discovered data. These days when everyone is a philosopher and theologian, we prefer to depend upon our own scholarship and academic expertise, rather than trust what the Church teaches.  It's anti-Christ.

I think we can pretty much blame this contemporary phenomenon on one scholar.

The late Yale professor John Boswell wrote extensively claiming the Early Church somehow approved of gay unions - even blessing them. He also tried to refute most Biblical condemnations of homosexuality. His 'research, studies, and conclusions have been repeated and expanded upon by gay advocates and academics ever since Boswell published them. It continues to be taught in gay studies programs in liberal church basements and elsewhere. It resurfaces periodically, as it did in 2012 here. Rumors and falsehoods never seem to die; they soon become myth, which somehow manages to be promoted and even accepted as truth. It is happening right before our eyes these days. 

Many people have refuted this research in Catholic literature on the homosexual person, but there is nothing comprehensive compiled debunking the myths and writing updated biographies of the saints lives, with references as to how the stories have become distorted.  For instance, the idea that Sebastian was gay pretty much developed because Western artists portraying him as a handsome youth, naked or nearly naked, in suggestive poses.  

Even the 'chaste', same sex attracted Catholic entertains the idea of a gay saint, a possible committed gay couple like Ss. Bacchus and Sergius.  Even though they know it to be revisionist - they adopt the devotion, influenced by the popular myth.  How they reconcile that with their otherwise orthodoxy in faith and morals and traditional liturgy is a mystery to me.  Just as much as Fr. Martin's, S.J. proposals for new Catholic teaching on gay relationships mystifies me.  

Be that as it may, one needs not follow their lead, but I do think it would be good for some academic to write a book on the lives of the saints debunking the gay myths which have developed around their cult - as well as the bad art that has been made celebrating these false histories.  

Let this be a call for artists and writers to debunk the revisionists corruption of the lives of the saints and Biblical figures.

The Pope on the Nazi mentality in family planning.

Everyone is concerned about the family these days.

I like what the Holy Father said about the trend to selective abortion:

“I've heard that it's fashionable, or at least usual, that when in the first few months of pregnancy they do studies to see if the child is healthy or has something, the first offer is: let's send it away,” the pope said June 16, referring to the trend of aborting sick or disabled children. 

This, he said, is “the murder of children…to get a peaceful life an innocent [person] is sent away…We do the same as the Nazis to maintain the purity of the race, but with white gloves.” 

“It's an atrocity but we do the same thing,” he said, according to Italian media. - CWR

We do the same thing.

No one wants an old guy like me to comment on family life.  

As a single, old man, no one is interested in my take on modern family problems, which is so influenced by popular culture and media, and so intent upon prosperity and luxury.  Old people are a drain on the economy and a waste of space for many today.

A new, state-of-the-art day care opened across the street from me, in the old church which has been completely rehabbed.  Big SUV's pull up, parents with infants and toddlers, who are dropped off to be cared for by strangers.  It's a Spanish immersion facility and all the care attendants are Latina.  (What a contrast with how immigrant children facilities are at our southern border - but that's another story - although the irony is not lost on me.)

Without detailing my reaction to the center, and after experiencing harsh criticism by parents in the neighborhood for objecting to the playground design of the center, which is directly across the street from my house, I have come to realize I'm on the wrong side of everything when it comes to American parenting.

That said,  I can only imagine what kids who are dumped in daycare from infancy, no matter how up-scale the facility and well trained the workers, will turn out. The daily routine of play and care provided by strangers, exposed to other kids and habits at such an early age, and separated from parents, it must have some effect.  Therefore, the experience of being semi-institutionalized from infancy just may account for gender identity problems and other  disturbances and disorders, which seem on the increase generation after generation.

I remember when I was in school we were told how bad the Soviets were for taking children from their parents to be raised/educated by the state.  Daycare seems to me a modern equivalent on some level - kind/sorta.  On a neighborhood site I simply expressed my incredulity that only weeks old infants are left at daycare, subsequently I was attacked by several parents - women and men - calling me ignorant and that I should mind my own business. I looked up the profiles of those people, they are fashionable young couples who have nice houses, nicer cars, great jobs, most likely gym memberships, along with other expenses - therefore they need to work to make daycare costs of $1400- per month, per child.

Nazi poster:  "60000 RM. This is what this person 

suffering from hereditary defects costs

 the Community of Germans during his lifetime. 

Fellow Citizen, that is your money, too."

Back to the point of this post, but it is no wonder modern families wouldn't want a sick or disabled child to mess up their life.  The Pope is right on the Nazi mentality thing.  BTW - if you want another clarification on Amoris, read this:

The pope, the paper reported, said it is “painful” to think that society would accept the killing of children simply because they are sick or disabled, but this is the current mentality. 

On the family, he noted that in modern society “one speaks of different types of family,” defining the term in different ways. “Yes, it's true that family is an analogous word, yes one can also say 'the family of stars,' 'the family of trees,' 'the family of animals,'” he said, but stressed that “the family in the image of God is only one, that of man and woman…marriage is a wonderful sacrament.” 

Turning to his 2016 post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis said that some have reduced the document to “you can, you can't,” referring to the debate surrounding access to the sacraments for the divorced and remarried in the document's eighth chapter.

“They have understood nothing,” he said, explaining that his exhortation “does not hide problems,” but goes beyond mere case studies. To understand the text, he said, one must read chapter four on the spirituality of everyday life, which he said is the “is the core” of the document. - CWR

Something is wrong with modern families, no doubt, but they don't want to be told anything they don't want to hear.  My mother had to work when I was little because my dad was always in trouble or between jobs.  I remember being dropped off at daycare and it was a bit traumatic at first, but it was a family situation - home daycare provided by a neighbor.  I adjusted rather well I suppose.  I just can't imagine leaving infants and babies to be cared for by strangers.

Devotion to the Infant Jesus for the immigrant children separated from their parents.

Santo Nino Cautivo,

release those held unjustly

and unite those families who are separated.

On the 16th of every month, some Carmelite monasteries and other people devoted to the Infant Jesus, begin a novena in honor of the Holy Childhood of Jesus.  It is a devotion similar to what many do for their annual Christmas novena.

This month I intend to pray for those children kept in detention centers, separated from their parents who are incarcerated, as they attempt to enter the United States.  The Bishops of the United States have condemned this treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers. 

I will honor the Infant Jesus in this novena with the titles of Santo Nino Cautivo and Santo Nino Atocha.

Traditionally, the Santo Nino Cautivo has been petitioned by those seeking release from some sort of impediment, restriction, or trap, especially financial problems or drug addiction, alcoholism.  Many pray for the release of a friend or family member who may have been abducted and held for ransom, or imprisoned unjustly.  Santo Nino Atocha is also a friend of those imprisoned and many stories of him visiting and consoling prisoners seems to me an important reason to implore his mercy for those who are detained by ICE.

Santo Nino Atocha,

have mercy upon us.

Visit those children who

are alone and frightened,

and unite them with their families.

Just a few thoughts without links or footnotes.

I wonder if I lost my sense of humor?  Or is it just because old men get grumpy?

I sometimes react rather than respond these days, especially when it is unlawful to say anything some one else will disagree with.  At least it seems that way.  If you say one thing against Trump, you're labeled a liberal.  Same thing when you support the Pope and the U.S. Bishops - you're a liberal.  I always like to think I do not fit those labels - but then again, it's other people who apply them.  That's all I need to say on that.

June, being gay pride month is all about the gay.  

Ask Church Militant and Michael Voris, who have a campaign against it, which includes defaming priests and bishops who are now labeled homosexualists.  The first concern here has to be the outright attack on bishops and cardinals who seem to support lgbtq concerns.  This carries over to the apparently general consensus among 'conservative' Catholics that the bishops are the enemies of Christ.  It's not a stretch to carry that over to looking upon Pope Francis as the enemy in chief.  The damage done with this line of thinking, speaking and acting, is soul-destroying.  It is not only divisive in the extreme, it does nothing for the defense of the Faith.  That Catholics subscribe to sites such as CM, 1P5, and Canon 212 which condemn the episcopate is scandalous.

I was searching online last night for some photos of Rome to post and a few images of Pride celebrations in Rome popped up.  I noted the typical parade of drag queens and speedos and the blatant sexuality which reminded me of the Pompeii frescoes depicting sexual license and sodomy.  I couldn't help but make the comparison of how Western culture has once again fallen into paganism, very similar to what is read in today's first reading from Kings - culturally we too have 'forsaken God's covenant, torn down the altars' and abandoned traditional morality.  The Pride celebrations mirror Carnival - be it men or women in provocative dances, parading their nakedness.  We look, and then look the other way when it appears, yet if it is appealingly heterosexual and theatrical - it somehow gets a free pass.  Today Gay Pride takes advantage of that permissiveness.

I'm not moralizing here.  Just pointing out what I see happening.  I think it's why I react sometimes, to the more conservative sites, who condemn everyone else - or look down upon others - yet subscribe to the same permissiveness when it suits them; whenever they take a fall or sneak out to satisfy their lusts.  These same people support conservative ideology and mock others who do not - yet they have the exact same propensities as those they judge.  They indulge in the same pagan entertainment.  They love the same sins and fetishes of those they damn.

The hypocrisy of our times is a grave sin.  Because Pope Francis is so attuned to it and frequently brings it to our attention is perhaps the main reason so many people despise him and seek to 'kill' his teaching.  The Holy Father talks about discernment, and everyone is too busy trying to tell others what to think, pointing out error, and calumniating their pastors, to actually discern what they are doing.  They blame the pastors for apostasy but they are the ones listening to false teachers who rely on dubious locutions and interpretations of signs and apparitions.

That said, looking online at all the homo stuff - pro and con, and seeing photos of Pride parades and festivities is indeed a real turn off.  I totally understand how Christians, striving for authentic holiness can be "tormented in soul at the lawless deeds that they see and hear," day after day.  Those who strive for holiness and chastity likewise struggle and are tormented, yet they need to stop promoting what they insist they are leaving behind.  They need to stop pretending.  Posting pious thoughts and political and ideological anthems does nothing for one's conversion.  Maybe one feels better for it, but it's unproductive and is a scandal.

It's like this blog.  I keep writing this stuff, but it's unproductive.  Except for the fact I think I have sorted through enough to finally see through the illusion - delusion of Gay Pride - and those who use it to promote themselves.  When you look it straight in the eye - or rather, with straight eyes - you can't help but see it for what it is.  You can see how it, and every other disorder which affects people, is opposed to the image and likeness of God.  The Holy Father has been teaching clearly on this, how we are made in the image and likeness of God - God made us that way, male and female.

The Image of God - that is it!  That is the secret made known in Christ - made visible!  That is why we must be 'rooted and grounded' in Christ - to be conformed to that image.  "Christ, . . . in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, makes man fully manifest to himself and brings to light his exalted vocation." It is in Christ, "the image of the invisible God," that man has been created "in the image and likeness" of the Creator. It is in Christ, Redeemer and Savior, that the divine image, disfigured in man by the first sin, has been restored to its original beauty and ennobled by the grace of God." - CCC 1701

So grow up.

What?

News for the heterosexually disabled.

Michael Voris says you can't be Catholic and gay.

He will be hosting a webinar this evening on the subject, going after the homo-heretics in the American hierarchy.

We are holding this webinar specifically to debunk all the homoheresy propaganda being peddled by the likes of Fr. James Martin and the whole clerical pro-gay crowd in the Church. If you look at any studies — usually done for political research, but still helpful for understanding conditions in the Church — you will find that the vast majority of Catholics in the U.S. and throughout the west are extremely supportive of gay sex. 

And we are going to be direct about this topic because it is precisely through being indirect that the homoheresy gang has been able to make such inroads and corrupt the minds and souls of so many Catholics. Martin and company, for example, are always presenting the case that this is about love and equality and so forth, thus pushing the propaganda themes of the political Left. - Vortex

Mike says you can't be both Catholic and gay, but there seem to be a lot of gay-Catholics around these days.  I've never come across that statement in the Catechism of course, so it may be just Church Militant's position.  Voris also slams Cardinal Dolan - coming close to suggesting Dolan might be a little light in the loafers as well.  Accusing people of heresy is a big deal - the Holy See usually rules on such matters - especially when it concerns bishops and priests.  They rarely go public with accusations, but CM seems to believe there is a state of emergency.  As Mike makes clear:

As we've covered many times before, one reason they keep silent is certainly because many of them, including bishops, are homosexual themselves. Today's leading bishops were in seminary and in formation — which was really quite often malformation — at a time when homosexual men ran the roost in seminaries and screened out good orthodox men and loaded up the classes with gay men. - Vortex

Good mother of Randy Engel!  Sounds like a cult!

Anyway, it should be a drama-filled webinar - especially for the heterosexually-disabled person who can't be gay and Catholic.

Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

If then you ask for miracles,

Death, error, all calamities, 

Leprosy and demons fly, 

And health succeeds infirmities.

The sea obeys and fetters break, 

And lifeless limbs do you restore; 

While treasures lost are found again, 

When young and old your aid implore. 

All dangers vanish at your prayer, 

And direst need does quickly flee; 

Let those who know your power proclaim, 

Let Paduans say: these are of thee. 

To Father, Son, may glory be 

And Holy Spirit, eternally. 

Pray for us, blessed Anthony. 

Make us worthy of the promises of Christ.

Summer Saints

Saint Onophrius by Master Darmsatdter circa 1460

Some of the saints went around naked - in summer and winter.  They were usually termed 'Fools for Christ' and their nakedness was penitential, an expression of extreme humility - and of course, poverty.

Today is the feast of St. Onuphrius the Great, a desert father saint.  He was quite hairy, and a bit more modest, since he also wore a loin cloth made of leaves.  Some saints didn't, but I doubt they would be a temptation against chastity for anyone.

Onuphrius, Macarius, and Peter

Basil the Fool

Mary of Egypt

Francis of Assisi

Brother Juniper, who gave his tunic to a beggar.

'Nude Beach' - T. Nelson

Repeat offenders ...

Why we keep repeating the same sins.

We lack charity - the one thing necessary.  As St. Catherine of Siena reveals to us, we lack self-knowledge.  Getting old and constantly striving to know oneself, gradually unmasks our self-delusion.  It really is a problem of charity.

In knowing yourself, you will come to know better the overflowing generosity of my charity. But if you make no effort to know yourself, [you won’t know me]. Because you don’t know me, you won’t love me. And because you don’t love me, you won’t serve me. As soon as you are deprived of me, you automatically return to your wretched selfish love for yourself, since you cannot live without love….

This is how viciously I am offended by my creatures! - Meditation June 12, 2018

A good man.

Not too hard to find.

This weekend I came across a notice of the death of a man I knew from church.  He attended daily Mass, he was a sacristan and lector, he attended devotions and events at the parish, and he was active in many charities.  A retired teacher, he lived around the corner from me with his partner who died about ten years ago.  Later he moved into a condo, and just a year or two ago I heard that he signed himself into a home for Alzheimer's patients.  Today is his funeral Mass.

We weren't really friends, we just said hello and chatted.  I think he wanted to be friends but I kept a distance because I knew he was more 'liberal' about being gay and Catholic.  He would have no problem identifying with gay, and I expect he'd fit right in with Fr. James Martin's POV on the subject.  He would agree that people are born that way and nothing is wrong with same sex unions.  I had great respect for him, but it has always been my experience that once people knew my POV, they more or less shunned me as too narrow, and/or tried to convince me I would be happier if rejected all of that.  I wanted to be friends, but he pretty much left me alone.  When he moved away, he became more active at a more liberal parish where his priest-friend helped out at in Minneapolis.

Despite our differences on Catholic teaching - which I would never have tried to 'covert' him to - he was a good man, a much better man than myself.  (I really mean that.)  He was generous and as I mentioned, very active in the parish and devoted himself to very real charitable works which demanded sacrifice.  I mention him today because he is receiving a Catholic burial - as he should.  The surprising thing about that is his obituary mentions he was preceded in death by certain relatives and his 'life-partner'.  In some places, that note alone would have caused some priests or parishes to refuse him a Catholic burial.  Thank God that is not how this diocese treats people.

I was so pleased this did not happen to my friend/acquaintance/neighbor who just died.  Rest in peace BD.  May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

I wish I had accepted his friendship.

Pope Francis on Friday cleared an Italian layman for sainthood.

Thank you Blessed Nunzio for your patronage.

Yes!

My favorite young saint - a simple man, very much abused and very holy.

A decree recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Italian layman, Blessed Nunzio Sulprizio. He was born in Pescosansonesco (Italy) on 13 April 1817 and died in Naples (Italy) on 5 May 1836. Blessed Sulprizio is now cleared for canonization, the date for which will be fixed later in a consistory of cardinals with the Pope. - VR

Dear Blessed Nunzio, pray for us!

Thank you Fr. Horgan for your prayers and kindness to us.

A special thanksgiving for:

A miracle through the intercession of Venerable Servant of God, Maria Concepcion Cabrera de Armida was recognized. The mother of a family who later became a widow was born in San Luis Potosí (Mexico) on 8 December 1862 and died in Mexico City (Mexico) on 3 March 1937.

Low Fatima Theology?

Or High Fatima Theology?

I hate it when academia takes over and dissects and reconstructs a correct exegesis on events such as Fatima - not that it's a bad thing - but distinguishing between low and high theological interpretations somehow diminishes the simple urgency of the fundamental message.  I may be wrong about that, but it seems to me to distract and even detract from original spirit.  Of course, Our Lady intended that the Church interpret the events and secret of Fatima, as she indicated to Sr. Lucia as she wrote the secret,  Our Lady told her not to offer her own interpretation as she understood it, but instructed her to simply write what happened.  "Be at peace and write what they order you, but do not give your opinion of its meaning."  Therefore any exegesis on the texts is to be expected - but in our day it can add to the confusion.

I'm reacting here to a post by Fatima exegete Kevin Symonds, concerning his response to author Michael Lewis of Where Peter Is, who wrote: “While the term [apostasy] appears often in the claims and writings of the Fatima conspiracy theorists, the word appears neither in the Church-approved messages of Fatima or in any of the subsequent elocutions or statements by Sr. Lucia….”

Mr. Symonds takes issue with that, writing: "An examination from the “high” Fátima theology perspective demonstrates that one can discern a warning against the danger of apostasy within Our Lady’s message even if the actual word is not used. Lewis’ desire to clarify some misconceptions about Fátima is noble and he makes some other Fátima-related observations in his article that are noteworthy. His one argument on apostasy, however, emanates from the perspective of a “low” Fátima theology, which provided a short-sighted vision of the message of Fátima unequal to the argument being made. As one sympathetic to Lewis’ desire to dispel myths and falsehoods among us, I respectfully and charitably encourage him to exercise caution before taking such a heavy-handed public stand on Fátima and its relation to apostasy."

"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ."47 This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome." - CCC

Urban legends and conspiracy theories have corrupted the Fatima message.

To be sure, Mr. Symonds analysis is well done and fairly balanced. I never read the Where Peter Is article until today, though I was aware of it, but I don't see Lewis being any more heavy handed than some of the papal critics and dubious Fatima exegetes he takes aim at. Quite frankly, I'm just not sure the prophecy of a genuine, outright apostasy can be discerned in the Fatima message - be it 'low or high Fatima theology'.  I think it rather to be the responsibility of the Holy Father and the CDF to make that determination and to guide the faithful accordingly. Blog posts and social media commentary not withstanding. Apostasy was never discussed in the Holy See commentary after the Third Secret was revealed under Cardinal Ratzinger.  If any one would have, could have, should have warned the faithful of apostasy it would have been Ratzinger.

It's an unfortunate distinction to make regarding low and high Fatima theology, another bit of academic snobbery and exclusion, I would say.  One must remember, the Blessed Virgin revealed herself to small, uneducated children, and as Sr. Lucia always insisted, "The part necessary for the people to know was already known since 1917."

Anyway - if you are truly concerned about Fatima and its continued relevance in our day, follow Our Lady's requests, stop offending God, do penance, pray the rosary, and practice the First Saturday devotion.  Little children understood that in 1917, and those like them understand it in 2018.