South Africa Needs Our Lady

South Africa Needs Our Lady

Winning the heart and soul of South Africa for Mary by spreading the Fatima Message

Winning the heart and soul of South Africa for Mary by spreading the Fatima Message

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Our Lady of Victory

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Our Lady of Victory of Prague

FEAST DAY: 13 JANUARY

Among shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Victory, that at Prague has become world-famous because it is also the home of the statue of the Infant of Prague.

The story of the shrine is an unusual one. In 1620 the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand II and Prince Maximillian of Bavaria gained a major victory over a coalition of Protestant armies in the battle of the White Mountains near Prague. The previous day, Rev Fr Dominic of Jesus-Maria, a discalced Carmelite, had found in the castle of Strakowicz a picture representing the nativity of Christ. It showed the Blessed Virgin kneeling before her Divine Son, while St Joseph stood behind her holding a lantern. In the background were two shepherds. The Calvinists had shown their fanaticism by piercing the eyes of Mary and her spouse, St Joseph.

Carrying the picture to the camp, the monk held it up and urged the soldiers to restore Mary’s honour. His words decided the hesitation of the generals and gave courage to the men. They adopted Mary’s name as their battle cry and Mary blessed their efforts. In the moment of success, they hailed the painting as Our Lady of Victory and carried it in triumph into Prague, where their leaders adorned it with rich jewels.

In gratitude to God for his great success, and in recognition of the help given by Father Dominic, Ferdinand II founded several Carmelite monasteries, including one at Prague which was solemnly blessed under invocation of Our Lady of Victory.

Before this time, however, Father Dominic had taken the picture of Our Lady of Victory to Rome where it was first venerated in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, then carried – in the presence of Pope Gregory XV – to the church of St Paul near the Carmelite convent, on 8 May 1622. Pope Paul V subsequently changed the name of the church to Our Lady of Victory, and the feast was officially inaugurated.

The original painting was destroyed in a fire in 1833 and has been replaced by a copy. Another copy hangs in the church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague, in a building erected in 1706 replacing the earlier church.

From the Shrine of Our Lady of Victory in Prague, came to the entire world the devotion to the Infant of Prague.

Our need for Mary’s help continues as long as we live, and so long, too, we need her guidance. The struggle between the forces of evil and the forces of good will continue until the end of time. The devil whose intelligence and power exceed those we can command in our own right, has an acute appreciation of the value of our souls bought with a great price. Our sure way to defeat him is to range ourselves under Mary’s banner, to call on her to bring us victory, and to acknowledge her as Our Lady of Victory when she protects us from dangers and brings us triumphant through temptation.

Notes:

*from The Woman in Orbit

Credits:

Image of Infant of Prague: By Fotobanka ČTK, René Fluger; – http://www.pragjesu.info/image-infant-jesus-l.htm, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20428346

Front of the Church: By Ludek – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1511758

Chancel of the Church: By Balles2601 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86612035

Our Lady of Good Hope

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Our Lady of Dijon

FEAST DAY: 18 JANUARY

In the fifth century the Abbey of St Etienne of Dijon had a regular chapter which observed the Rule of St Augustine; it was given over to the secular Canons, and later Clement XI made the church the Cathedral of Dijon.

The image of Our Lady of Dijon in Burgundy was formerly named the “Black Virgin,” and “Our Lady of Good Hope.” In the year 1513, Mary miraculously delivered the city of Dijon, the ancient city of the Dukes of Burgundy, from the hands of the Swiss. The German and Swiss forces coming against them totalled 45 000 men, and although Dijon was well stocked for a siege, they only had perhaps 6 000 defenders. There were plenty of arrows, but little gunpowder, and most of the French cannon needed repairs.

The invading force was so sure of success that they there were columns of empty wagons pulled behind the army to bring back the loot they expected to take from the French towns and monasteries. The Monastery at Beze was not spared, as even dead monks were dug up in search of treasure.

The army arrived on 8 September, the solemnity of Our Lady’s Nativity. There were so many men that the defenders saw nothing but a vast sea of shining armour wherever they gazed. The Swiss opened up with heavy cannon fire the next day, yet there were surprisingly few fatalities. When breaches were made in the walls and the enemy attacked, they were repulsed with heavy loss of life.

On Sunday, 11 September, a procession was organized after Mass. The “Black Virgin” was carried through the streets as the French prayed to the Mother of God to spare them from their deadly enemies. The following day a treaty was signed, and the conflict ended unexpectedly. In thanksgiving for this favour, she was titled Our Lady of Dijon, and general procession to her shrine is made every year.

During the French Revolution the church suffered the outrage of being transformed into a forage storage house. Afterward, in atonement to Our Lady for this insult, the faithful of France rebuilt the shrine, and pleaded that the Holy See grant numerous relics and valuable keepsakes to be placed there. Our Blessed Mother responded to the generosity and love of the people by granting favours and cures and extending her God-given miraculous power over the people.

In 1944 the German army occupied the city of Dijon. The people turned to Mary, praying: “Holy Virgin, Compassionate Mother, you who protected our knights of old and who delivered our city from enemy attack, you maintained our ancestors in their times of trouble…Our Lady of Good Hope, pray for us.” On 11 September the Nazi army unexpectedly left Dijon.

 

 

 

*from The Woman in Orbit

FOR SA PRESS RELEASE: DRAFT HEALTH REGULATIONS – WHERE TO FROM HERE FOR GOVERNMENT

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PRESS RELEASE

22 April 2022

For immediate distribution

DRAFT HEALTH REGULATIONS FACE MAJOR CHALLENGES – WHERE TO FROM HERE FOR THE GOVERNMENT?

The Minister of Health made an unexpected appearance before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Health on Thursday 14th April 2022.  This was in all likelihood precipitated by the extraordinary scale of comments and criticisms that have already been submitted to the Department of Health by over 275,000 individuals since the Minister first gazetted amended Draft Health Regulations on March 15th and gave the public 30 days for comment.  Religious communities and many other groups have severely criticized these regulations and the sweeping powers they will grant to the Minister to rule in the same unaccountable way that has been experienced during the COVID-19 State of National Disaster, without any parliamentary oversight or other public participation. 

The Draft Health Regulations themselves have been criticized for vagueness, inasmuch as several important terms, including “endemic” and “pandemic”, are undefined.  Treatment in the form of forced vaccinations and/or indefinite isolation in a State quarantine facility, based only upon being suspected of having a “notifiable medical condition”, is made possible, regardless of the severity of the disease itself. Gatherings continue to have numeric caps unless proof of vaccination is given, effectively forcing religious leaders to turn away people from their meetings and severely impacting on their religious freedom rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Lengthy jail sentences and unlimited fines can be meted out for non-compliance.

“These regulations are completely unnecessary and represent a serious overreach by Government  because, in the event that we face another pandemic, Government always has the option to declare a new State of National Disaster,” says Michael Swain, Executive Director of Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA).

The process for consultation on the Draft Health Regulations has also been severely compromised.  The Minister initially caused confusion by publishing a notice and gazetting a set of regulations on March 15th, which were almost immediately replaced on the same day by a second notice and set of regulations to cancel and replace the first set.  This could well have been because there were numerous typographic errors in the first document.  The Minister then added to the confusion by referring to the cancelled set of regulations when he said that he would grant an additional 10 days (until Sunday 24th April) for comment.  However, given that both sets of regulations under the notices issued on March 15th are substantively the same, it does NOT mean that the submissions which have already been made are invalid.  Were the Department try to claim this, it would simply further undermine their already deeply flawed public participation process, which may well end up with the regulations being set aside.

A further, potentially fatal flaw to the public participation process is the discovery that the Department has deleted an undefined number of email submissions without having opened or read them.  This is evidently a gross violation of the public participation process and will be sufficient grounds for taking these Draft Health Regulations on review should the Minister subsequently try to enforce them in their unamended state.

A challenge to the time period for public comment on the Draft Health Regulations has also been initiated by an organization called Action4Freedom, who has filed an action against the Minister of Health in the Cape Town High Court.  Action 4Freedom are seeking a declaration from the Court that the entire current public participation process is unlawful because – when the Minister invited public participation and comment on these Regulations – Regulation 90(4)(a) of the National Health Act requires that he gives a 90 day period for this purpose. 

In the event that Action4Freedom win their case on Tuesday 26th April, they are asking the Court to either order the Minister to give a further extension of time for submissions to be made (IE – a 90 day total period, as required by Regulation 90(4)(a)) OR a declaration that the entire process to date is invalid and that the Minister must issue a new notice and new regulations, with a new 90 day period within which the public can comment.  Either outcome will evidently significantly slow down the ability of the Minister to implement and enforce these new regulations.

“It is evident that Government’s intention is to switch seamlessly from the transitional regulations issued by the COGTA Minister at the end of the State of National Disaster when these expire on May 4th and then to continue to rule under the Draft Health Regulations.” Says Swain, “But they may find it difficult, if not impossible, to do so.”

FOR SA points out that there are some real problems and challenges that Government now faces:

  • Due to the fact that the State of National Disaster for the COVID-19 pandemic has been officially ended, the COGTA Minister will not be able to extend the period of the transition regulations beyond the 30 days gazetted.  At this point, all regulations and restrictions issued and applicable during this period (until May 4th) will fall away – EG – mask wearing indoors, limits on gatherings etc.
  • If Action4Freedom win their court case on Tuesday 26th April and the Minister is ordered to allow further time for public comment on the Draft Health Regulations, these cannot come into force before the new deadline for comment has expired or when the matter before the Court is resolved.
  • The law dictates that the Minister must consider public submissions that have been made. The Department of Health will have to prove that they have done this.  However, the sheer volume of submissions they have received requires a significant amount of time (and a large number of staff, specifically assigned for this purpose) that will need to be allocated.  This will certainly not be possible in [EG] the ten-day period from the current closing date for submissions (Sunday 24th April) and the expiry date for the “transition period” under the final Lockdown regulations (Wednesday 4th May).

FOR SA therefore continues to encourage everyone to take advantage of the additional time granted by the Minister and to make submissions before Sunday 24th April.  As we have said from the beginning, the more submissions that are made, the louder the voice becomes. 

“Sending in submissions is vitally important” says Swain. “This is because, in the event that the Minister either ignores the concerns of tens of thousands of citizens or tries to proceed without being able to prove that he has given these concerns the due consideration required in law, it immediately opens up the opportunity for another Court challenge to have them reviewed and set aside.”

Submissions can be made via the www.forsa.org.za website and clicking on the link to the DearSA platform – or by downloading the template text from our website and emailing your submission directly to the Department using either (or both) the email addresses provided. 

 

For further information, contact:

Michael Swain (Executive Director – FOR SA)

Tel: 072 270 1217

Email: Michael.swain@forsa.org.za

Consecrations in History

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Louis XIV of France

An interesting historical anecdote comes to mind on the question of consecrations and the consequences of failing to act. On 17 June 1689, the Sacred Heart of Jesus manifested to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, the great apostle of the Sacred Heart, His command to the King of France (Louis XIV) that the King consecrate France to the Sacred Heart. For 100 years to the day, this seemingly “unimportant” command was ignored. Thus in 1789 did France erupt in a frenzy of bloodshed, a diabolical assault on the Altar and Throne and the ensuing complete disruption of life in France and Europe.

In 1917, Our Lady at Fatima delivered to the world a peace plan. This plan has however in large part been ignored, or shunted sideways. This, despite dire warnings about the threats hanging over humanity for non-compliance, including the prophesied eruption of World War II and the prospect of “annihilation of many nations.” No amount of petitions, reason, appeals or prayers has motivated the last seven popes to honour this request, at least in its fullness.

 

One is reminded of Our Lord’s words when He appeared to Sister Lucy, one of the Fatima seers, regarding the preceding: “Make it known to My ministers given that they follow the example of the King of France in delaying the execution of my command, like him they will follow him into misfortune.” 

Successive French Kings failed to obey Our Lord and the reader will recall that during the Terror of the French Revolution, Louis XVI was guillotined on 21 January 1793. In prison, and finally realising the enormity of his predicament and that of his glorious country, he promised to formally consecrate France in a promissory note he wrote in prison, if Our Lord should restore his freedom. It was however too late…

King Louis XVI

 

 

 

 

ABORTION – INDIAN BISHOPS PROPOSE BOLD ACTION

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 This year South Africa marks the 25th “anniversary” of the passing of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act – euphemistic language for legalising the killing of the unborn…

Abortion always stops a beating heart!

An anniversary which certainly demands mourning and reparation more than anything else, as this ignominious law majorly degraded the sanctity of human life, resulting in approximately 100 000 pre-born deaths annually.

There can be no lasting peace in a country where the laws of God Almighty are so flouted and the most basic of human rights – “The Right to Life,” is made irrelevant from the very beginning…!

The culture of death is on the march all over the globe with ever more liberalization of abortion laws assuming the full might of law. Many countries have now adopted the most radical measures by which “inconvenient” unborn babies can simply be eliminated – all the way till nine-month gestation. It is a horrendous and catastrophic assault on the weakest and most defenceless, with unimaginable and unforeseen consequences!

 Sharing an infamous anniversary this year is India, having 50 years ago promulgated abortion legislation which reputedly results in 16 million abortions per year! Can we even begin to get a handle on what kind of offence this presents to God Almighty?

Amidst the gloom and general impotence of how and what to do in order to arouse horror at the extent of this crisis as well as taking concrete actions to roll back this diabolical scourge, the Catholic Bishops of India have put forward some bold proposals. As these are imaginative and inspiring, we make them our own and encourage all those in South Africa dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable, to heed and try to emulate…     

According to LifeSiteNews, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, President of the Catholic Bishops of India firstly invited the country’s Bishops to observe the anniversary date as a day of mourning, “so that the Indian Church can “express our sorrow at the killing” of pre-born babies through various means, and promote the Culture of Life in our society.”

In a circular letter bemoaning the tragic situation of abortion in India, the Cardinal notes that “millions of abortions have taken place in our country after that legislation and there is no sign of slowing down of this anti-life trend.”

To awaken consciousness and arouse opposition to this catastrophe, the Cardinal proposes some suggestions which could accompany and mark this day of mourning, including:

  • A campaign of prayer and reparation for the decades of innocent bloodshed.
  • Holy Mass to be offered in very parish on August 10, 2021, in memory of the pre-born babies killed to make reparation for the sin of abortion.
  • The ringing of funeral bells in our churches for 1-2 minutes on that day.
  • A homily to be preached in all our churches on Pro-life on a Sunday close to August 10, 2021.
  • Organizing Pro-Life formation programs.
  • Presenting Pro-Life programs on Catholic media channels.
  • Observing “Mercy Hour” in all parishes. religious houses, seminaries and Catholic institutions on or around August 10, 2021.

Taking an excellent position behind which the Faithful can rally, Family Commission Chairman, Archbishop Sebastian Kallupura of Patna, urged a commitment to pursuing legislative and constitutional changes that will prohibit and restrict the terrible practice. He also stated that “Catholic educational institutions must “help the young generation to form their conscience” and affirmed the necessity “to promote life “right from its beginning ‘till it returns to its Author.’”

LifeSite also heard from moral theologian Fr. Dr. Scaria Kanniyakonil, Rector of St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, in of Kerala, “that in the last few years the changes in legislation or verdicts regarding abortion, homosexuality, adultery, euthanasia etc. are not promoting the culture of life in India. He added that the seminary has an active pro-life ministry and has planned to commemorate August 10 as a “Day for protection of Life” beginning with the Holy Mass for the reparation of the sin of abortion and formation sessions for seminarians.”

Unless, such imaginative initiatives are taken to heart, with an urgent appeal to the nation to face evil of abortion and change direction, we will simply be faced with increasing hand-wringing and resignation… 

 

Louder than words

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Either we must speak as we dress,
or dress as we speak.
Why do we profess one thing and display another?
The tongue talks of chastity, but the whole body reveals impurity.
St. Jerome

Holy Rosary Crusade of Reparation

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After World War II, Austria was divided between four countries: America, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia. At the time, Russia was still communist. The section of Austria controlled by the communists was the richest, and included the city of Vienna. The Viennese were subject to the all the atrocities and tyrannies of communism. However, in 1946, Fr. Petrus Pavlicek, after making a pilgrimage to Mariazell, the principle Marian shrine in Austria, was told by an interior voice:

“Do as I say and there will be peace.”

To obey this inspiration of Our Lady, Fr. Pavlicek founded the Holy Rosary Crusade of Reparation in 1947. This Crusade consisted of the Viennese faithful coming out of their homes in order to participate in a public Rosary procession in the streets of the city. The intentions of the Rosary were for the end of communism in their country and in the world.

At first, the processions were minuscule, but in time they grew to staggering proportions. In 1955, after eight years spreading the word about the Crusade throughout Austria, the Rosary processions would reach sizes of half a million people, about 1/10 of the Austrian population. Finally, through the help of Our Lady, the Soviet forces pulled out of Austria in October of 1955, leaving the country for good.

Through the Holy Rosary, Save South Africa!

How to avoid fear of death

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I die with joy,
for I desire to be united to my God.
Live so as not to fear death.
For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening,
but sweet and precious.

St. Rose of Viterbo