Transcript:
Christopher Wendt: Your Excellency, thank you for coming on tonight. I also greet all the members of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima. I greet Dr. Sirilla. Thank you also for being here tonight, and to all guests, thank you for coming on. Tonight’s broadcast is going to be a Q&A session. We have consolidated over 200 questions and reduced them to about 25, and we hope to get 40 of them tonight. Before we continue, I’d like to turn it over to His Excellency to lead us in prayer.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen
Ave, María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum. Benedicta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.Sancta María, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto, Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen
Christopher Wendt: Thank you, Your Excellency. Just before we get started, I have a few announcements that I would like to make. We have some great news. First off, we have traditional Latin Mass communities in Dubuque, Iowa, and in Platteville, Wisconsin. I greet all of you. I’m very excited. You’re going to start your consecration tonight and will end on August 15th. There are over 100 of you, and I’m so excited about the energy there.
They’ve got huge plans: they’re putting the prayers of consecration every night on the Catholic radio station, and they bought so many consecration books that Tan Publishing does not have enough supply anymore. I just want to acknowledge and pray for them. We will be doing the consecration together.
If there are other communities out there, traditional Latin Mass communities, and you would like to make the consecration with your group, we have a program now with the Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima, where we can help you get the books that you need. We also have a four-part lecture series on St. Louis de Montfort’s book on the True Devotion to really help you understand who Our Lady is, what we’re doing, and what the consecration according to St. Louis De Montfort is. I promise you, you will never be the same if you make the consecration this way. Many of us have made the consecration, and you have done it; do it again. In light of what St. Louis De Montfort says about true devotion, I promise you, you’ll never be the same.
Next, for those of you in the Philippines, we now have a warehouse, and we have so many rosaries. If you have a community there in the Philippines and would like to give out rosaries to your people, whether it’s a school or your retreat center, or your parish, just reach out to us. Email us at info@livefatima.io. If you want to do a concentration in the United States, reach out to us. If you want some rosaries for your community in the Philippines, reach out to us; we now have a warehouse.
One final announcement is that you’ve got to get this book. His Excellency has just come out with another book called “The Springtime That Never Came.” I’m still on page 60, and I know Dr. Sirilla has already read the whole thing and has done some interviews with Eric Sammons in crisis.
I just can’t put the book down. I hope for more free time. I had a little free time last week to do some reading; you’ve got to get this book. We have it on the website, gloriadei.io. Just visit the site, click the link, and you’ll be able to order your copy of the book. I highly recommend it. It’s like a sequel to Christus Vincit, and it has a lot of the answers that you need in this time of crisis and chastisement.
And without further ado, I will turn it over to Dr. Michael Sirilla from Franciscan University to ask His Excellency these curated questions that we have.
Dr. Michael Sirilla:
Thank you, Christopher. God bless you. Take care of that voice there, and Bishop, thank you so much for joining us. Today is a special day for us at it marks the 105th anniversary of the July 13, 1917 apparition of Our Lady to the three seers of Fatima. Our Lady is in so many ways a blessing to all of us.
I have here the privilege to read the questions: the first question we have is this, “If a lay person is the only person present at the time of an act of vandalism on the tabernacle in a church and the host is in danger of desecration, is a lay person permitted to touch the host to save it from being desecrated?”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes, I think it is possible. We have to protect a greater good: our Lord from desecration. In this case, a layperson can touch the Holy Eucharist and then afterward purify the fingers of the hand where it touched the blessed sacrament. This is in reverence of course, and in this case, it is an exception.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good. The second question is, “What is the difference between a low mass and a high mass?”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: The Traditional Mass has several forms. The simple form in Latin is called Missa Lecta in English, Low Mass. All the texts in the Order of the Mass are read, not sung. The priest is reading all the text in the Mass, and singing is not required. The High Mass in Latin is called Missa Cantata or Missa Solemnis, and all the texts are sung by the priest and by the people or by the choir.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good. “What is the best resource for helping folks to follow along with a traditional Latin Mass? We had recently joined Mater Misericordiae Parish in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: It would be good to have a Missal that is both in Latin and English translations in order to attentively follow the texts in the Mass. This will truly help you discover the richness of the prayers. For example, the prayers that the priest is saying in a low voice in secret, the missal will help you grasp the beauty and the depth of these prayers, which will also help you love the Traditional Latin Mass. You should read reputable explanations of the Holy Mass. There are books that discuss each of the intricately detailed sections of the Mass.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good, thank you. Here’s a question we hear from time to time: “What are we to do if the Latin Mass is banned and we’re told that we are being disobedient if we go?”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: The statement that ‘you are disobedient when you go to a traditional mass’ is not true. Even if the traditional mass will be forbidden by a bishop or by the Pope, you will not be disobedient. Because a Pope cannot simply forbid a rite that the church kept almost unchangingly for a millennium. It is a very, very long time – so long that the Pope cannot simply forbid it. This would be a simple act of violence and abuse of his power.
In the same way, when a bishop does this, we cannot obey such prohibitions. And then we will be obedient to all the saints and popes who protected these venerable rights. So you can, of course, seek a way that a priest can celebrate his mass, or travel to places where such a holy mass is offered.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Thank you, Bishop. Your response made me remember that Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is coming out with a new book through Tan Press entitled “The Once and Future Roman Rite”, and I think one of the central arguments he explains in one of the chapters is devoted to whether a pope can dismiss an ancient rite or change it at will. He then provides very clear principles, just like how you did. So, thank you for that.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: If I may add, the pope can change these rites, but he cannot forbid it totally. For example, the pope cannot simply abolish the praying of the Apostolic creed because the formula of this creed has been used since time immemorial, or the or the Nicean Constantinopolitan creed which we pray every Sunday during mass. The Pope cannot simply forbid the use of these creeds and create a new formula saying, “I am giving you now a new formula, use this, and I will forbid the use of the old formulas”, no. Likewise, the Pope cannot simply forbid a formula or the Mass itself that has been used for a very long time.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Right, the faith is unchanging; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and always.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: We can say that yes, the face does change, but we can also say that this is only a formula – an expression of faith. We can express our faith in various forms. We have the Athanasian symbol of faith, the Nicene symbol of faith, and the Apostolic, which all represent the same Catholic faith but in different forms.
But if the pope can simply forbid an old expression of faith is another issue. He cannot do this because of his age and its constant use for millennia. Analogously, the pope cannot simply forbid a formula or order of the Mass that has been used constantly for a very long time.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good. Here is another question.
Christopher Wendt: Maybe let us proceed to question no. 6?
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Sure. I think we’ve had some similar questions like this before. The person asks, “I’m personally opposed to receiving Communion in the hand so much so that I’ve been unable to receive Communion in my diocese since Lent of 2020. I believe that God is calling me to the priesthood, but because of my opposition to the Communion in the hand, I don’t think I should pursue a vocation in the Novus Ordo.
I would like to discern a traditional order, but that’s not possible due to my personal circumstances. Should I pursue a Novus Ordo vocation and hope for the best, or should I abandon my vocation?”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: If you truly have a vocation to the priesthood, you should not abandon this, because when God calls you and when you have personal deep reasons and convictions that make you unable to receive communion or to give communion in hand, you should not do this. You should find a way, and there are plenty of possibilities to follow your vocation, if this is a divine vocation, in a traditional community, or this would be the way you are to respond to the divine call altogether – the priesthood and to the issue of communion in hand. I repeat, there are different ways today in the church, thanks be to God, there are communities where you can still have this possibility.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good. This next questioner asks, “Would you please interpret paragraph 841 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which reads in part, “Together with us Muslims adore the one merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day,” the questioner continues, “In the Koran, one of the unforgivable sins for Islam is to acknowledge the Holy Trinity as God so how can the above statement be true?”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: This is not true; there is a reference from Lumen Gentium number 16, and I explained this in my book ‘Christus Vincit’; this is simply not true. It is highly ambiguous doctrinally because we cannot adapt together with the Muslims; this is impossible. Our adoration as Christians and Catholics is always on a supernatural level. We are always adored as adopted children of God through holy baptism. The Muslims are not baptized, they are not children of God, and they can only adore on a natural level.
If there are, let us say, simple Muslim people who don’t know, let us say, the Quran, and they simply adore God, according to them, in the light of natural reason; they can adore the Creator, but they can only do this on the natural level. So, they have different levels of prayer. So substantially different that we cannot be together. And this is a wrong statement in Lumen Gentium, that we can, together.
Well, we could say that we Catholics and Muslims adore the same God. It could be in the sense that these Muslims are simply adoring the Creator, according to natural reason. These could be, but not together. They adore God according to the natural level, according to the light of natural reason, and we adore God on the supernatural level, substantially different, as the Trinity. It is the same God because there is only one God. They (Muslims) cannot acknowledge Him as the Trinity; we (Catholics) believe Him as God, the Trinity.
On another aspect, there are Muslims who have a wrong knowledge of God Himself. Based on the Quran, they have an erroneous understanding of God. And so, their worship is a deficient work. This is also another aspect, not only with their natural level of worship but also with their erroneous image of God, and therefore, there is an erroneous act of worship according to this wrong image of God. So, you see, there are different aspects; therefore, this statement is wrong and should be corrected.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good. Bishop, to be clear, you’re saying that the precise issue with the term “Together with”.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes, the precise issue is “Together with” as I have mentioned; the acts of adoration a different, the natural and supernatural differences, and as I have mentioned, their wrong understanding of what God is. This is a very important issue.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Magisterial teachings need to avoid ambiguity as much as possible. Sometimes, there may be
no clarity on disputed issues like predestination. A magisterial document cannot always be unambiguous, but in this case, with the Muslims, your description is very clear. I think it is a necessary and important duty of the magisterium, of which you are a member, the College of bishops, to be unambiguous. The ambiguity is confusing the faithful, so thank you for that clarity.
The next question is related, I guess, it says, “Vatican II had errors, and from what I understood, we do not have to follow it. Is that true?”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Those clear affirmations in the documents of Vatican II that are obviously wrong, we cannot follow. But in general, we can state the following: Vatican II was not a dogmatic council, and it did not have the intention to be a dogmatic council. Vatican II wanted only to be a pastoral council – to give a concrete pastoral application of the Catholic doctrine to the current circumstances of our time. And these can change, so they are, by definition, pastoral decisions where you can change them, you can improve them, and they can be wrong.
So, this is the first important principle that you have to take into account. Well, of course, we have to also obey the church in things that are not strictly dogmatic, like in Canon Law or in pastoral norms. But in cases where the Vatican Council has some expressions (thanks be to God that there are not many) which are wrong or highly ambiguous, we cannot follow them. We have to follow the truer, clearer, analogous statements of the previous Magisterium, and they are.
So, we mentioned that once the adoration is together with the Muslims, we cannot follow these. Or the highly ambiguous affirmation about religious liberty – that everyone has a natural right, not to be impeded, and to exercise and to even spread a wrong religion, and the wrong religion can be idolatry and even Satanism, a wrong religion. So no one has a natural right. Natural right means that God wants these positively; it is a natural right. So no one has the natural right not to be impeded from spreading a wrong religion that offends God, a wrong religion.
There is partly a truth: only the Catholics have a natural right not to be impeded to lift the Catholic faith and to spreading the Catholic faith. Only this affirmation is true of Vatican II, but only to the Catholic faith and not to idolatry and other faiths. And also that no one can be forced to believe this is true. This is traditional teaching; it’s nothing new in the Vatican Council. Because even God is not forcing you to love Him and to believe in Him.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: I think this is a related issue. I do not know if you have heard of it, but the United Arab Emirates is launching the Temple of the Three Abrahamic Religions in Abu Dhabi. It is very concerning and very disturbing. Do you have any thoughts about that?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes. This is a relativization of the truth, because there is only one truth. We have to worship only one God, the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is no other worship that is approved by God. Those who simply venerate God according to natural reason are a different matter. However, officially, God calls everyone to accept and believe in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus has also required this condition of everyone in order to save everyone without exception.
Jewish people have to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved. They cannot simply appeal to the covenant or to Abraham in order to reject Jesus Christ. They will not be saved in that way. Such temples are simply means for relativism and indifferentism – putting all of them on the same level. This contradicts divine revelation and divine will.
The other expression is ambiguous, false, and at least leads to misunderstanding, this concept of the Abrahamic religions. There is only one true Abrahamic religion, and that is Christianity, the Catholic faith. These are the true children of Abraham, children of the promise and not of the flesh.
As it was written in the Holy Scripture in the New Testament, Abraham saw Jesus Christ, the incarnate Lord and Savior, and he rejoiced. Jesus himself said, Abraham saw me and rejoiced. People who see Jesus Christ like Abraham in the faith are the children of God. This is the only Abrahamic Religion. The other religions are not true, and they are not the true children of Abraham.
The Jews and Muslims are children of Abraham according to the flesh, but they are not the true children of Abraham.
Christopher Wendt: I have a follow-up question on this, just for the average person or Catholic, “What should they take away from Vatican II when they do not know the real details of the errors that might be investigated? How should they kind of respond to Vatican two??
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: I think there are (thanks be to God, not that many) problematic affirmations in Vatican II, only some. These are the most important, the two that I have mentioned. And we have to clarify these because these statements were not meant by the council to be a definitive teaching. So there is no big problem that can be improved, changed, and corrected. And there are many good affirmations of Vatican II that we are accepting, of course, and we are following.
I also think that we do not have to pay too much attention to Vatican II because it is only a pastoral council, and there were before Vatican II, 20 councils. Therefore, we do not have to overstate Vatican II and speak continuously about it. We have to simply look at the Catechism, to read the statements of the previous Popes, the saints, the doctors of the Church, and the Church Fathers. There are plenty of short texts in the Catholic tradition, and today we will stick to them and follow them.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: For this next question, I know a lot of people are going through this kind of situation, and it is increasing in number, at least in the West. “My wife and I are godparents to my niece, who is nine years old and wishes to go by the name of ‘Tyler’ using only male pronouns. With all her intentions and purposes, she appears to be a boy. My sister and her husband are fully supportive of what she’s doing. I’ve expressed my concerns and reiterated the Church’s stance on transgenderism. When my judgment day comes, will I be faced with the question: ‘Why didn’t you fight more for her soul?’ What culpability does a godparent have in this world today? I remember the promises I made during their baptisms, but I don’t know how far I should take those promises. I also know that the situation is grave because of my failure to do penance for her soul, which constitutes a mortal sin.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: I think of it as not a mortal sin, but it could be an omission. I would not consider this a mortal sin. But in this case, I think your duty is, of course, you advise the parents about this grave error and abuse that they are doing with the child. And then you cannot do more than when you have given advice. You did your duty, and then of course, pray for your niece – that God may touch her and illuminate her that she will grow above this error and that she will save her soul.
I think that when you pray instantly for her continuously, it will be sufficient. Of course, you can do penance, but I think this is up to your decision. You are not obliged under mortal sin to do penance. It depends on your health conditions, but by praying, you can always do it sufficiently. When your physical and psychological situation can do an act of penance for her, then of course it would still be more important. When you feel this appeal to do penance, you can do this, but I think you are not under the obligation of mortal sin.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Thank you, Your Excellency. Before we move on to question no. 11, I want to mention that there are some very good and important questions that we won’t be able to answer today that are coming in through our Facebook viewers and our YouTube viewers. So, Christopher, would you mind taking a brief moment to tell them how they can submit a question, because some of them look very urgent, but we have already selected the questions for this session.
How do they submit questions for future sessions?
Christopher Wendt: What you have to do is just email us at info@livefatima.io. We’re gonna take those questions and His Excellency will respond to some of these that are new in the broadcast in September.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Thank you. I just wanted to get that in there because some people are watching and have their own questions, and I’m glad about that.
This is a very good question. We hear this a lot, “I have friends who are faithful Catholics who are considering embryo adoption. It seems unclear what the Church’s teaching is on this. On one hand, they would be saving a life from being terminated, but on the other hand, it is unnatural and is against natural order to put a fertilized egg into another woman’s body through surrogacy. We’d love to know your thoughts. God bless.” By the way, I’m not sure that the church is unclear on this. I think that there have been some documents from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on this question. Is there such a document, Your Excellency?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: There is a document of the congregation on the doctrine of faith, Donum Vitae, where this procedure of in vitro fertilization is condemned as immoral. In any case, it’s immoral. But now, there is this aspect, as you know, they produce in these so-called ‘In vitro fertilization centers’, a lot of embryos that are then frozen. In these embryos, they have a soul, a human soul, and so they are in danger of being killed. We have to say this very concretely.
To save this child, I don’t know if we can do this. Of course, there is another aspect – to implant an embryo in the womb of a woman so that she can carry this child and give birth to it, it could be possible in this case to save the life of this child. If it is done for this purpose – to adopt this child and then to educate this child, it could be possible. In exceptional cases, maybe when you know concretely that you want to adopt such a child.
But there is another issue now in the industry: they’re taking women as a business now, and they give their wombs for this purpose. And this is immoral, of course, this industry. We have to condemn this. But in a specific case, when a couple wants to adopt such a child, there could be a possibility to save this child from death.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Thank you. Would that fall under the “Double effect” in moral theology?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes, I think we can apply the same principle in this case.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: So you would not be necessarily cooperating in the evil, but rather, you would be doing something good in and of itself?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider:
Yes. Of course, the conception was already made in a sinful way, but when the child is conceived, the child still has an immortal soul. Giving the child a possibility to be born, to be baptized, and to know God and Jesus Christ, the woman, who is not the biological mother, can carry this child, and giving birth is not intrinsically evil per se. It is only the circumstances that are wrong because, according to natural order, the biological mother has to carry her child in her womb, and the other thing that I have mentioned, about the danger of this industry, which is a pressing issue.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good. This is a very fascinating question. “Here at my local parish, I recently requested that a mass be dedicated for the intention of the repose of the souls of babies whose kidney cells were harvested for the cell line HEK293 and for babies whose retinal cells were harvested for the cell line PER. C6. The request was refused, saying that I could only make a general pro-life request. Is my specific request valid, and could that mass serve as a penance for those specific killers?”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: What does it mean to offer Mass for the repose of the soul? It means that these souls are in Purgatory. But the little children today are not in purgatory as such because they have no personal sins; they only have the original sin of Adam. And in this question, the church did not yet clarify definitively the issue of unbaptized children. Either they are already born and baptized or unborn, unbaptized children; what is the destiny of these in eternity? But surely they will not be condemned because they did not have personal sins to expiate.
Usually, the masses for the souls repose are Masses for the expiation of personal sins. Therefore, I think such a mass intention is not correct. It would be better to make a mass intention for the expiation, for the reparation, of the sins of these horrible acts, which were done on these unborn children. It is for those people who did these horrible acts, for their souls, that they will not be condemned, for example, or that they will convert; or if they are already in the other world deceased, for the forgiveness of sins. There is a special Mass also in the missal for the forgiveness of sins.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Yeah. We should probably offer that mass as often as possible. Thank you for that clarification.
The next question is, “Is it okay to use a gun in self-defense? Can parishioners or ushers be armed to protect the congregation?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: This is a traditional teaching of the Church: that you can defend yourself. This is morally allowed. Our father even had some (guns) for the duty to defend his children and his wife when they are attacked by other people who would want to kill them or harm them for their life or to endanger life.
And so in these extreme cases, defend only from killing. You can defend yourself with this as an appropriate means. In this case, a gun or what you have, but only to defend; you’re not to do other excessive things to defend yourself. So, in this case, analogously, when the congregation is attacked by a terrorist and you have a weapon, you can defend yourself and the congregation from this terrorist.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Good. I like this question a lot, “What is unnecessary servile work on Sunday? What should someone do and not do on a Sunday to keep holy the Lord’s day? Thank you very much.”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: When it says unnecessary work: do not do unnecessary work on Sundays – servile work. And so, to express the difference between Sunday and weekdays, even in the manner of work, is different from expressing the holiness of Sunday. So definitely we have to reduce to the minimum the bodily work on Sunday, and also on the other aspect – that Sunday should also be a day of repose.
It’s also wise that we can concentrate better on God and glorify Him. Also, therefore, to do exhaustive work, let us say, sports and so on that, you are completely exhausted on Sunday and then you have to start a new week of work, and you spent all Sunday on such sports where you are completely tired; It’s also against the meaning of the Sunday: simply to repose, that you have more strength to serve God in your work during the week, and also to concentrate more on God on Sunday.
Of course, you can do a walk or sport in a moderate way. But it should be moderate. I would say moderate to prepare you to be more concentrated on Sunday as a day of holiness and repose.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: So there are two features that are there: One, is to avoid unnecessary servile labor and other things that can take away the holiness of the day, as you mentioned, Bishop; on the other hand, one can do positive things, to worship God at mass and even somehow carry that throughout the day in different ways, right?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes, of course. The Holy Mass is necessary and obligatory, then you can make a walk or visit someone or use this day to relax, or to repose psychologically. What this means is to always prioritize the sanctity of the day and to repose psychologically and physically so that you are able to do better work the following week for the glory of God. All of our work has to be done during the week for the glory of God and also for your family duties.
Christopher Wendt: I think we should proceed to questions 15 and 18, then we’ll see where we will end up.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: Okay, great. So the next question is, “When saying daily prayers, is it permissible to ask your guardian angel to pray with you at this time? I have no one in my family to pray with, and sometimes, it would be nice to have someone to pray with.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Of course, it’s not only permissible, I would very much advise doing this. And the saints did this, and in the Holy Scripture, it is written that the angels are carrying our prayers to the throne of God. In the Holy Mass, the church is inviting the angels to sing with us the Sanctus, explicitly inviting them. So they sing with us and pray with us the Sanctus in every Holy Mass explicitly. And of course, also, in the other prayers, they are present in the Holy Liturgy, and therefore it is evident that you can, and it would be very good in your private prayers to invite your angel to accompany you to pray.
And so, we have another example; in Fatima, the angel of Fatima prays together with the children this beautiful prayer, ‘My God, I believe, I adore you,’ and so on. So we have this beautiful example.
Dr. Michael Sirilla: That’s wonderful. Here is the next question: “How is it that so many prelates have lost the supernatural faith? And as sheep who looked up to them for guidance, are scandalized. How do we conduct ourselves in such perilous times?”
I know you’ve heard this question so often, but your answers to it are so, so helpful.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: They (lay faithful) have to have pity on this bishop or priest who has lost the supernatural view and has so weakened his faith. They have to have pity and pray for him, for his conversion, that God may have mercy on him and grant him again a conversion – illumination. This is the first for now; we cannot do other things because, in this way, when a bishop loses the supernatural view, here only God can intervene. Our works in this case will not help because he is blinded; he does not have a view of the supernatural. And so we have to pray for him to do penance – to do reparation.
Christopher Wendt: Good. Let us take one question from the audience. It kind of captures a lot of the sentiment of some of the people who are watching tonight. I believe this is from a grandmother, she says, “I have a heavy problem about my four grown-up children and my grandchildren: they do not go to mass with the sacraments anymore?”
Can you speak to her and to all those parents who are suffering from the apostasy of their children and their grandchildren?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes. Dear mothers and grandmothers, in these cases, God expects that you remain faithful to Him, and your task consists in these painful situations when you have children or grandchildren who have abandoned the faith – pray for them. This is your power. You know that prayer is the greatest power in this world. You have to believe in the power of your prayer and also invoke, oftentimes, the guardian angels of your children and grandchildren – to send your own guardian angel to their guardian angel, to protect them from dangers – from mortal dangers; that they will not grow worse so they can be kept from great dangers of their souls.
What you can do – you can ask the Lord earnestly, that at least your children and grandchildren when they die, will die repented, that they will have a repented soul, and that their soul will be saved for all eternity. When you do this, we can believe that God will hear your prayer, at least that they will die repentant. And you have already done the greatest work – you have saved the soul for eternity. Of course, we do not have here the absolute sureness; only God knows who is saved, but we have to believe and trust in this.
I would recommend, in a vicarious way, to consecrate your children, every one of them by name, or the grandchildren, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. So you substitute them, as a mother and as a grandmother. You have the right before God to do this act of consecrating your children and grandchildren to the Immaculate Heart with the specific intention that their souls will be saved for eternity.
Christopher Wendt: I think that’s it, Michael, unless you have something else in mind?
Dr. Michael Sirilla: I would say one thing: I’m very convicted. There are people whose conversions I’ve prayed for every day for many years, over 20 years, and I’m not going to give up. I just want to encourage people that if you offered them up by name in the Rosary and at Mass, especially at the offering of the sacrifice of Calvary represented on the altar at Mass, you’d be like that woman who keeps on knocking or pleading with a judge. God will listen, but you just have to not give up. It could go on for many decades, but I’m convinced that He will hear your prayer, just don’t give up.
Christopher Wendt: Okay, thank you. Let’s close this with a prayer, Your Excellency, with the prayer to hasten the Reign of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: In the name of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Holy Mother of God, and our tender Mother, look upon the distress in which the whole of mankind is living due to the spread of materialism, godlessness, and the persecution of the Catholic Faith.
In our own day, the Mystical Body of Christ is bleeding from so many wounds caused within the Church by the unpunished spread of heresies, the justification of sins against the Sixth Commandment, the seeking of the kingdom of earth rather than that of heaven, the horrendous sacrileges against the Most Holy Eucharist, especially through the practice of Communion in the hand, and the Protestant shaping of the celebration of the Holy Mass.
Amidst these trials appeared the light of the consecration of Russia to thine Immaculate Heart by the Pope, in union with the world’s bishops. In Fatima thou didst request the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays of the month. Implore thy Divine Son to grant a special grace to the Pope, that he might approve the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.
May Almighty God hasten the time when Russia will convert to Catholic unity, mankind will be given a time of peace, and the Church will be granted an authentic renewal in the purity of the Catholic Faith, the sacredness of divine worship, and the holiness of Christian life. O Mediatrix of all graces, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and our sweet Mother, turn thine eyes of mercy towards us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer.
Amen.
Dominus vobiscum!
Christopher Wendt and Dr. Michael Sirilla: Et cum Spiritu tuo.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Et benedictio Dei Omnipotentis, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, descendat super vos et maneat semper. Amen.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Christopher Wendt and Dr. Michael Sirilla: Now and Forever!
Christopher Wendt: Well, thank you all again, all the members and guests, for coming on. Next August or on August 13th, we will have a broadcast: it will be concluding the Creed – we will be looking at the “Life everlasting”, so until then, thank you.