Blogposts

The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. And when the Pilgrims landed in New England in November, they found, according to William Bradford's detailed journal, a cold, barren, desolate wilderness. There were no friends to greet them, he wrote. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning. During the first winter, half the Pilgrims – including Bradford's own wife – died of starvation, sickness or exposure.

Christ must reign until all enemies are brought under His feet and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Pope Pius XI who established the feast of Christ the King reminds us: The empire of our Redeemer embraces all. To use the words of Our immortal predecessor, Pope Leo XIII: “His empire includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons who, though of right belonging to the Church, have been led astray by error, or have been cut off from her by schism, but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ.” Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society. … If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ. … When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony. (Quas Primas 18-19)

The Particular Judgement

1021 Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ.592 The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith…

1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death ....

Rupert Mayer was born in 1876 and became a Jesuit in 1900. He was known as ‘The Apostle of Munich’. In the First World War, he was an Army Chaplain working courageously in the trenches from where he used to crawl out into no-man’s-land moving among the wounded administering the sacraments; “My life is in God’s hands,” he used to say. He was the first German chaplain ever to be awarded the Iron Cross for bravery. In 1916 a grenade caused the loss of his leg and forced him to leave the front lines.

More and more people are neglecting to have Masses offered for the deceased members for their families or even a funeral Mass! The reasons for this are sometimes a loss of faith about the afterlife or the fact that many people assume their deceased are in heaven. Some clergy preach at funeral Masses that the deceased person is in heaven, which (except in the case of canonized saints and baptized infants/children who have not attained the use of reason) is a serious departure from Catholic doctrine. In a response to this crisis the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on May 17, 1979 noted the following: The Church excludes every way of thinking or speaking that would render meaningless or unintelligible her prayers, her funeral rites and the religious acts offered for the dead. Prayer for the dead is one of the Spiritual Acts of Mercy which is part of love of neighbor.

Purgatory is the purification of the person’s love for God after death. It is a very consoling teaching and part of the Catholic Faith. St.Catherine of Genoa can help us appreciate more this great sign of God’s love and mercy. Prayer for the souls in purgatory is an act of love neighbor and a work of mercy. Click here to find out more about purification after death.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has reminded Catholic voters that abortion remains the “preeminent issue” in this election. Sadly many claiming to be Catholic have embraced the Planned Parenthood abortion-mentality which includes the candidates running for public office in the upcoming election who claim to be devout Catholics. They must not be supported.

Catholic politicians have an obligation to fight against abortion and euthanasia, while applying the whole of Catholic social teaching in their political work.