I searched to find the speech or address of Paul VI containing the following quote now circulating online:
“The tail of the Devil is functioning in the disintegration of the Catholic world. The darkness of Satan has entered and spread throughout the Catholic Church, even to its summit. Apostasy, the loss of the Faith, is spreading throughout the world and into the highest levels within the Church”. - Attributed to Paul VIPaul VI supposedly said that in a speech on October 13, 1977. Interestingly enough, many trads and Fatima people pretty much dismiss Paul VI for everything else, yet they are grabbing onto this quote, which fits well into their narrative that Pope Francis undermines Catholic teaching and 'Francis-bishops' are apostates. I think a couple of prelates may even ascribe to this theory and call for a re-consecration of Russia. You know.
As one comment on Fr. Z's post highlighting the "Pauline' quote noted:
I have heard this quote as well as the now-famous 1976 Cardinal Wojtyla comment from America (about the battle between Church and Anti-Church).
Both quotes can be traced, apparently, to newspaper articles, but no one, as far as I know, has ever found the originals.
In fact, I have looked for the supposed 10/13/77 speech on the Vatican website; not there. I also read Wojtyla’s speech in American in 1976; not there.
The Paul VI “smoke of satan” is authentic, although it is found in a summary of a homily he gave; found on the Vatican Website. - SourceI did the same search and had the same results. The address of Pope Paul on 10-13-77 was to the German Bishops in Latin, and despite my limited knowledge of Latin, I saw nothing of the quote there.
The reason you can't find it is because it has been removed from the Vatican website. If you think that the online versions of the homilies and speeches of past Popes aren't edited, you're crazy. Your best bet to find the original is to go back to the old editions of the Acta (which are in Latin for the most part). Then you will find the full, unedited versions. The wicked men in the Vatican are unscrupulous men who will do anything to hid the evils being perpetrated there. We live in wicked times.
ReplyDeleteSorry to disagree with you, but I have never run across this quote in its current attribution to Bl. Paul VI before. In 1977 I would have been in Rome and I was most definitely interested in Garabandal, Fatima, etc.. It would have been huge news - never heard a peep. Of course the 'smoke of Satan' quote has been widely circulated since - I've included it in several paintings - never, ever heard or read this quote. Similar quotes from Bayside perhaps, or San Damiano, but nothing attributed to Paul VI. Believe me, it would have been repeated in the Fatimist literature. For instance - it is not in "The Great Facade" nor "The Devil's Final Battle". If it was an actual quote, it would have been in every single publication concerning Vatican II, the 'Novus Ordo', and Fatima. Not there.
DeleteOops! I was in Boston in '77 - but still avidly interested and devoted to Fatima and surrounded by Baysiders and Neceedah followers - and "Michael Fighting" people from Quebec. Never heard this quote - it would have been widely discussed and repeated - even shouted from the roof-tops. Believe me. The North End would have been jumping on this news. It's made up.
DeleteI always insist that quotes be linked back to their original source. I hate the use of urban legends in transmitting the Faith.
ReplyDelete"Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary." St. Francis never said this. In fact, he was a fiery preacher who preached in up to five villages a day. Yet even Pope Francis has used this quote.
"Here Comes Everybody" is James Joyce's way of describing the Catholic Church. Maureen Dowd, among many others, have repeated this myth. I've actually read "Finnegans Wake" and "Here Comes Everybody" is not about the Catholic Church but about the cyclical nature of history. While steeped in Catholicism, Joyce was not in the least enamored of the Church.
Mother Teresa said "the person who was going to cure cancer was aborted." False.
Mother Teresa told Hilary Clinton that "there would have been a woman president, but she was aborted." I read this fantasy in Crisis Magazine. I challenged the author to provide a source but he could only come up with secondary references. But he asserted that it was "plausible". I responded that Christians should be playing the "fake but accurate" game.
"If it's only a symbol, then the hell with it." This quote from Flannery O'Connor is TRUE; I've sourced it back to her letters. I use it all the time in catechesis.
Same here - this one is not sourced.
DeleteThe problem with quotes on the internet is that no one can confirm their authenticity - Abraham Lincoln
ReplyDeleteSnopes. haha! That's where Abe plagiarized the Gettysburg Address from, he set out to look for his friend's address in the Public Record of Gettysburg and came up with that speech after an argument in the club-car of the train.
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