Au Patai mo te Era

 

NGATI nga paatai ​​me nga whakautu mo te "wa o te rangimarie," mai i Vassula, ki Fatima, ki nga Matua.

 

Q. Kare te Hui mo te Whakaakoranga o te Whakapono i kii ko te “wa o te rangimarie” he tau te mano ka tuku ana i tana Panui ki nga tuhinga a Vassula Ryden?

Kua whakatau ahau ki te whakautu i tenei patai mai i te mea kei te whakamahia e etahi tenei Panui ki te whakatau i nga whakatau he mo te "waa o te rangimarie" Ko te whakautu ki tenei patai he rite tonu te whakahihiri.

Vassula Ryden is a Greek Orthodox woman whose writings, “True Life in God,” exploded on the scene as “prophetic revelations,” especially in the 1980’s. In 1995, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), after reviewing her works, posted a Notification that…

…brought out—in addition to positive aspects—a number of basic elements that must be considered negative in the light of Catholic doctrine. —Mai i Panui mo nga Tuhinga me nga Mahi a Mrs.Vassula Ryden, www.aticatic.va

Among their concerns, the Congregation noted:

Enei whakakitenga whakakitenga matapae i te wa tata ka te anatikaraiti ka riro i roto i te Ekalesia. I roto i te momo millenarian, e tohuhia ana ka uru mai te Atua ki te wawaotanga whakamutunga ka tiimata mai i runga i te whenua, i mua i te taenga mai o te Karaiti, he wa rangimarie me te pai o te ao. —Ibid.

The Congregation does not specify which passages of Vassula’s writings tend toward “millenarian style.” However, the CDF invited her to respond to five questions based on this Notification, and offer any clarifications on her writings. This seemed in the spirit of Pope Benedict XIV (1675-1758), whose treatise, On Heroic Virtue, has been used as a guideline in the beatification and canonization process in the Church.

Ko enei ahuatanga kee noa iho o nga mahi poropiti e kore e tika kia tau te he o te tinana katoa o te matauranga tipua e tukuna ana e te poropiti, mena ka aata mohiohia he tohu pono. Kaua hoki, i nga wa e tirotirohia ai aua tu tangata mo te whakamanatanga, hei whakakotahitanga ranei, kaua e whakakorea o raatau keehi, e ai ki a Benedict XIV, mena ka whakaae haehaa te tangata mo tana he ka whakaputaina mai ki a ia. —Ko ta Dr. Mark Miravalle, Whakakitenga Tuturu: Te Whakamaatauranga me te Hahi, wh. 21

Vassula’s answers, including her response on the “era of peace,” were submitted through Fr. Prospero Grech, renowned professor of Biblical theology at the Pontifical Institute Augustinianum. He was commissioned by Cardinal Ratzinger, then Prefect of the CDF, to put the five questions to the alleged seer. On reviewing her answers, Fr. Prospero called them “excellent.” More significantly, Cardinal Ratzinger himself, in a personal exchange with theologian Niels Christian Hvidt who has carefully documented the followup between the CDF and Vassula and initiated the meetings with her, said to Hvidt after Mass one day: “Ah, Vassula has replied very well!” ^[1]cf. “He korero i waenga i a Vassula Ryden me te CDF”Me te ripoata piri a Niels Christian Hvidt

In perhaps a unique insight into the politics of the Vatican, Hvidt was told by those in the heart of the CDF that “The millstones grind slowly in the Vatican.” Hinting at internal divisions, Cardinal Ratzinger later relayed to Hvidt that He ‘would like to see a new Notification’ but that he had to “obey the cardinals.” ^[2]kite www.cdf-tlig.org

It was confirmed in May of 2004 that a new Notification would not be forthcoming and that, rather, the positive response to Vassula’s clarifications would be “kept low-key.” That response was sent out by Fr. Josef Augustine Di Noia, undersecretary to the CDF. In a letter to a number of Bishops’ Conferences, it said:

As you know, this Congregation published a Notification in 1995 on the writings of Mrs. Vassula Rydén. Afterwards, and at her request, a thorough dialogue followed. At conclusion of this dialogue, a letter of Mrs. Rydén dated 4 April 2002 was subsequently published in the latest volume of “True Life in God”, in which Mrs. Rydén supplies useful clarifications regarding her marital situation, as well as some difficulties which in the aforesaid Notification were suggested towards her writings and her participation in the sacraments… Since the aforementioned writings have enjoyed a certain diffusion in your country, this Congregation has deemed it useful to inform you of the above. — July 10th, 200, www.cdf-tlig.org

When asked in a subsequent meeting with Vassula on November 22nd, 2004, if the 1995 Notification is still valid, Cardinal Ratzinger responded:

Well, we would say that there have been modifications in the sense that we have written to the interested bishops that one should now read the Notification in the context of your preface and with the new comments that you have made.” —Ibid.

This was confirmed in a new letter from the Prefect of the CDF, Cardinal Levada, who wrote:

The Notification of 1995 remains valid as a doctrinal judgment of the writings examined.

Mrs Vassula Ryden, however, after dialogue with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has offered clarifications on some problematic points in her writings and on the nature of her messages which are presented not as divine revelations, but rather as her personal meditations. From a normative point of view therefore, following the aforementioned clarifications, a case by case prudential judgment is required in view of the real possibility of the faithful being able to read the writings in the light of the said clarifications. —Teta ki nga Perehitini o te Huihuinga Episkopal, William Cardinal Levada, Hanuere 25th, 2007

From the above dialogues and letters, four conclusions can be drawn.

I. The Notification is in reference to Vassula Ryden’s writings and konei ake particular presentation of an “era of peace” among other aspects of her writings and activities. Those who claim the Notification is a map blanche rejection of all doctrines pertaining to an “era of peace” have made an erroneous extrapolation, and in the process, created their own set of contradictions. ^[3]kite Ka aha mena…? For one, to suggest that any concept of an era of peace is now rejected wholesale by Rome conflicts with the approved apparition of Our Lady of Fatima who promised a “period of peace,” not to mention the Pope’s own theologian:

Ae, i puta mai tetahi tohu i Fatima, te merekara nui rawa atu i roto i te hitori o te ao, ko te tuarua anake ki te Aranga. E taua semeio ra, e riro ïa ei tau no te hau o tei ore roa i horo'ahia na te ao nei. —Mario Luigi Cardinal Ciappi, tohunga whakapono papa mo Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, me John Paul II, Oketopa 9th, 1994, Ko te Whanaungatanga whanau a te Apotoro, wh. 35

Most notably, such faulty conclusions contradict Cardinal Ratzinger’s clear statement regarding the possibility of a “new era of Christian life” in the Church: ^[4]kite Millenarianism‚What it is, and is Not

Kei te tuwhera tonu te patai ki nga korerorero koreutu, na te mea ra kaore ano kia puta te kupu Tapu mo tenei korero. -Il Segno del Soprannauturale, Udine, Italia, n. 30, wh. 10, Ott. 1990; Fr. I whakaatuhia e Martino Penasa tenei patai mo te "rangatiratanga millenary" ki a Cardinal Ratzinger

II. Both renowned theologian, Fr. Prospero Grech, and the Prefect for the CDF, Cardinal Ratzinger, confirmed that Vassula’s theological clarifications were “excellent.” (I have read her whakamarama on this as well, and they properly explain the era in terms of an interior sanctification of the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit or a “New Pentecost,” not the reign of Jesus in the flesh on earth or some kind of false utopia.) However, Cardinal Ratzinger admitted that the Congregation itself was divided, which prevented any changes to the Notification.

III. The Notification on her writings, though still in effect, has been modified to the extent that Vassula’s writings can now be read under the prudential “case by case” judgment of the Bishops along with the clarifications she has provided (and which are published in subsequent volumes).

IV. The CDF’s original statement that “These alleged revelations predict an imminent period when the Antichrist will prevail in the Church” should be understood as a contextual statement as opposed to a condemnation of the possibility of the proximity of Antichrist. For in an Encyclical of Pope Pius X, he predicted the very same thing:

… Tera ano pea kua puta i te ao te "Tama a te Whakauru" e kiia nei e te Apotoro. —POPE ST. PIUS X, E Supremi, Maamaa Whakahou Mo Te Whakahouwhai O Nga Mea O Te Karaiti, n. 3, 5; Oketopa 4th, 1903

 

Q. If Medjugorje is related to Fatima, as John Paul II said in his comment to Bishop Pavel Hnilica, does the former have a role in the “end times” according to the eschatology of the Church Fathers?

Keeping in mind that the Church has made no definitive pronouncement on the alleged phenomena at Medjugorje, the Pope’s own words on the apparitions and those purportedly of the Blessed Mother point toward a master plan of peace and unity in the world before the end of time. ^[5]kite Te Toa - Wahanga III However, I would like to highlight one further aspect of Medjugorje that seems to tie directly into the theology of the Church Fathers on the era of peace.

In the early stages of the apparitions in Medjugorje, alleged seer, Mirjana, relates that Satan appeared to her, tempting her to renounce the Madonna and follow him with the promise of happiness in love and life. Alternatively, following Mary, he said, would “lead to suffering.” The seer rejected the devil, and the Virgin immediately appeared to her saying:

Excuse me for this, but you must realize that satan exists. One day he appeared before the throne of God and asked permission to submit the Church to a period of trial. God gave him permission to try the Church for one century. This century is under the power of the devil, but when the secrets confided to you come to pass, his power will be destroyed… -Words from Heaven, 12th Edition, p. 145

Ano hoki,

…a great struggle is about to unfold. A struggle between my Son and satan. Human souls are at stake. —August 2nd, 1981, Ibid. p. 49

The above echoes the vision Pope Leo XIII purportedly had when…

I tino kite a Leo XIII, i roto i te moemoea, i nga wairua rewera e hui ana i te Taone Mure (Roma). -Matua Domenico Pechenino, kaiwhakaatu; Ephemerides Liturgicae, purongo i te 1995, wh. 58-59; www.motherofallpeoples.com

The story goes, according to some versions, that Satan asked God permission to test the Church for a century. Hence, the pontiff immediately went to his quarters and penned the prayer to St. Michael to “thrust into hell, Satan and all evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.” This prayer, then, was to be said after Mass in every church, which it was for decades.

According to St. John’s vision in Revelation 12, he saw a battle between the “woman clothed with the sun” and a dragon.

Ko tenei Wahine e tohu ana i a Meri, te Whaea o te Kaiwhakaora, engari hei te wa ano ko te Hahi katoa, ko te Iwi o te Atua o nga wa katoa, ko te Haahi i nga wa katoa, me te mamae nui, ka whanau ano a te Karaiti. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Castel Gandolfo, Itari, AUG. 23, 2006; Zenit

But then, something “breaks” in the spiritual realm:

Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon
and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it. (v. 7-9)

The term “heaven” here most likely does not refer to Heaven, where Christ and His saints dwell. The most suitable interpretation of this text is e kore an account of the original fall and rebellion of Satan, since the context is clearly with regard to the age of those who “bear witness to Jesus.” ^[6][cf. Rev 12:17 Rather, “heaven” here refers to a spiritual realm related to the earth: the “firmament” or “heavens”: ^[7]cf. Gen 1: 1

Ehara hoki ta tatou i te pakanga ki te kikokiko me te toto, engari ki nga rangatiratanga, ki nga mana, ki nga rangatira o te ao o tenei pouri, me nga wairua kino. i nga rangi. (Epe 6:12)

St. John foresaw some kind of “Tuhinga o mua” that is not the definitive chaining of evil, but a lessening of Satan’s power. Hence, the saints cry out:

Na, kua tae mai te whakaoranga me te kaha, me te rangatiratanga o to tatou Atua, me te rangatiratanga o tana Karaiti. Kua akiritia atu hoki te kaiwhakapae i o tatou tuakana, teina ra i te aroaro o te Atua i te ao, i te po. (V.10)

However, St. John adds:

Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them. But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time… Then I saw a beast come out of the sea… To it the dragon gave its own power and throne, along with great authority. (Rev 12:12, 13:1, 2)

Satan’s power is then concentrated in a single individual whom Tradition identifies as the “son of perdition” or Antichrist. It is with tona defeat that Satan’s power is then chained for a time:

Ka wawahia e ia nga upoko o ona hoariri, kia mohio ai te katoa ko te Atua te kingi o te whenua katoa, kia mohio nga tauiwi he tangata ratou. Katoa tenei, e oku teina, E whakapono ana tatou, e tumanako ana, me te whakapono e kore e taea te whakangau. —POPE PIUS X, E Supremi, Encyclical "Mo Te Whakaora i Nga Mea Katoa", n. 6-7

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years (Rev 20:1).

Thus, the message of Medjugorje that foretells the breaking of Satan’s power is consonant with the events of the “end times”, as taught by the Church Fathers:

Na, ko te Tama a te Atua, te Runga Rawa, ka kaha, ka whakangaro i te he, ka whakaputa i tana whakawa nui, ka mahara ano ki te hunga tika, ka uru nei ki nga tangata kotahi mano nga tau, ka whakahaere tikanga i runga i te tika. whakahau… Me te rangatira o nga rewera, nana nei i tuku nga kino katoa, ka herea ki nga mekameka, ka mauheretia ki te mano tau o te kingitanga o te rangi ... I mua o te mutunga o nga mano tau, ka wetekina ano te rewera, ka whakahuihui i nga iwi etene katoa ki te whawhai ki te taone tapu… “Na ka tae mai te riri o te Atua ki nga iwi, a ka tino whakangaromia e ratou” ka heke te ao ki te mura o te riri. —Te Kaituhi Kaituhi o te rautau 4, Lactantius, «Te mau Haapiiraa a te Atua», Nga Papa-Anahi-Nicene Fathers, Vol 7, p. 211

Ka taea e taatau te whakamaori i nga kupu, "Ko te tohunga o te Atua me te Karaiti hoki, ka kingi tahi me ia, kotahi mano tau. A, ka pahemo nga tau kotahi mano, ka wetekina a Hatana i roto i tona whare herehere. na te mea e tohu ana ko te kingitanga o te hunga tapu me te here o te rewera ka mutu i te wa kotahi ... no reira i te mutunga ka haere atu ratou ehara nei i a te Karaiti, engari ki te anatikaraiti whakamutunga… —St. Augustine, The Anti-Nicene Fathers, The City of God, Book XX, Chap. 13, 19

 

Q. You have written about an “illumination of conscience” in which every soul on earth will see itself in the light of truth, as though it were a judgment in miniature. Such an event, one would think, would change the world for a time. Couldn’t the time after this event be considered the “period of peace” spoken of at Fatima?

Since the “period of peace” prophesied by Our Lady is considered precisely that—prophecy—it is subject to interpretation, one of which the above is possible. For instance, “illuminations” of people’s consciences are not infrequent already, such as for those who have had “near-death” experiences or been in accidents where their lives have flashed before them. For some people, it has changed the course of their lives, while others, not. Another example would be post-September 11th, 2001. Those terrorist attacks shook the consciences of many people, and for a time, churches were packed. But now, as Americans tell me, things are pretty much back to normal.

As I have written elsewhere ^[8]kite Ko nga Hiri e whitu o te Whakaputanga, there is another period spoken of in Revelation following what does indeed seem to be some sort of “illumination” where everyone on earth sees a vision of Jesus crucified or something related, “a Lamb that seemed to have been slain, " ^[9]Rev 5: 6 when the “sixth seal” is broken ^[10]Rev 6: 12-17 What follows, writes St. John, is some break in the chaos of the preceding seals:

A i tana wahanga i te whitu o nga hiri, kahore he aha i rangona i te rangi mo te hawhe haora. (Apo 8: 1)

This “pause”, however, seems to be more a time of sifting and choosing sides, if not which “mark” one will take… ^[11]cf. Apo 7: 3; 13: 16-17 than it does the certain Triumph of peace and justice that will come after Satan is chained. It is only my opinion, but I believe the “exorcism of the dragon” as I explained in the previous answer, is the same event as the “illumination” since the “light of truth” will scatter the darkness in many souls, setting many free from the oppression of the oppressor. This event will be like the Transfiguration in which the glory awaiting the Church in the Era of Peace is anticipated before her passion, as it was for Our Lord.

Alas, regarding these things, it is better to spend more time in prayer than speculation.