In this article I will answer one more of many objections made by a certain anti-Catholic sect.
Other objections previously made by this sect I have already answered in my articles called "The Papacy and the Papal States", “God is the Father of all Men”, “God is the Father of all Men. Part 2”, “Who May Preach”, “Pope Pius IX about Holy Mass”, and “The Holy Rosary vs Sloth”.
Objection:
"With the Fatima lady STATING that in the end her "Immaculate Heart WILL TRIUMPH" . . . . this is NOT a Roman Catholic Church Teaching, and no one in the Vatican, not even the pope in 1917 corrected this statement. . . . . where is it in the Holy Scripture, or in the church rubrics, or in the First Fathers' teachings that the Immaculate Heart will triumph? The Church teaches that It is God Almighty Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Who will triumph.”
Reply:
The authors of this objection say that they acknowledge only books published before or during the reigning of Pope Pius IX. They particularly like to refer to THE RACCOLTA published in1878.
I will also refer to such books, namely to THE HOLY BIBLE PUBLISHED WITH THE APPROBATION OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF IRELAND. The Douay Version of the Old Testament of 1609, and with the Rhemish Version of the New Testament of 1582, Given at Dublin, May 4th, 1857, THE RACCOLTA published in1878, and MEDITATIONS ON THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN by Most Hon. Brother Philippe published in 1874.
Yes, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost is The One, Almighty, Triumphing God, but there also many words written and said about the Immaculate Heart of Mary who is to triumph as well.
St. Luke the Evangelist testifies "But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart" (St. Luke 2:19). Every Catholic knows that Mary not only kept all words, said by the Angels and the shepherds about the New-born Savior, but the Savior Himself already dwelt in Her Heart. The Blessed Virgin Mary was privileged by God to become the Mother of God, and even before Her birth, He had given to Her the Immaculate Heart which was able to become the Chaste Temple of God.
The words of Our Lord "Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God" (St. Matthew 5:8) were said to the people of Israel who had gathered to listen Him, when His Mother had already accepted these words in Her Immaculate Heart and did realize them in the most marvelous way in Her life.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph at the end of this world, and this is a very clear spiritual axiom of the Catholic Faith, which does not require any additional evidence, and which is completely based on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. Only non-Catholics are trying to challenge this axiom.
The Blessed Virgin Mary will triumph as The Gracious Queen of Heaven, The Daughter of The Eternal Father, The Mother of the Divine Word, The Spouse of the Holy Ghost, full of grace, of virtue, and of heavenly gifts, and as The Chaste Temple of the Holy Trinity.
Pope Pius VII., by a rescript of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, Aug. 18, 1807, granted AN INDULGENCE OF SIXTY DAYS and A PLENARY INDULGENCE to those who shall say this prayer:
“May the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary be known, praised, blessed, loved, worshipped, and glorified always and in all places. Amen.” (THE RACCOLTA, 1878, p. 228)
The Mother of God is also the Mother of the Faithful on Earth, of the Souls in Purgatory, and of the Saints in Heaven.
She is fighting against the Devil on the side of the Faithful on Earth (The Church Militant), She is suffering with the Souls in Purgatory (the Church Suffering), and She is triumphing with the Saints in Heaven (.the Church Triumphant).
But the Mother of God is not yet triumphing with the Faithful on Earth and with the Souls in Purgatory. At the end of this world the Church Militant and the Church Suffering will triumph, and The Mother of God will triumph together with Her faithful children as well.
Holy Scripture teaches us:
"And the Angel being come in, said unto her: Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among women” (St. Luke, 1:28).
"For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed" (St. Luke, 1:48).
Unfortunately, not all people believe in Holy Scripture and obey the Commandments written in it. They sin and insult God, and as a consequence, they go to hell.
It is clear that the Mother of God suffers because of the sins and eternal damnation of the unfaithful and unrepentant sinners.
The Mother of God asked the little shepherds of Fatima to pray to Her Immaculate Heart for the conversion of poor sinners because She wishes that sinners would not go to hell, but would be saved. She knows that prayer is a spiritual work of mercy and that to cooperate with God for the salvation of souls is the highest of all works. "For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much." (St. James 5:16) and "charity covereth a multitude of sins" (1 St. Peter 4:8).
In the Litanies of the Blessed Virgin, the Church addresses to Her "Tu advocata peccatorum" - "Thou the advocate of sinners" (THE RACCOLTA, 1878, p. 267)
How then can one say that Her request at Fatima to pray for the salvation of sinners contradicts Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition?
Pope Pius IX recommended praying to Our Lady of Pity in following manner:
"Remember, O fondest of mothers! that we are thy children, purchased with the precious blood of thy divine Son. Pray, without ceasing, that the adorable Trinity may give us the grace ever to be victorious over the devil, the world and our unhallowed passions: that grace by which the just grow in holiness, sinners are converted, and heresy destroyed; by which the unbeliever is enlightened, and the Jews brought to the true religion." (THE RACCOLTA, 1878, p. 234-235)
For people, to be triumphant means to join the Church Triumphant, i.e., to be saved.
For Mother of God, to be triumphant means to rejoice because of the salvation of the multitudes of sinners on Earth, who will rejoice with Her in the Kingdom of Everlasting Glory.
“When disheartening thoughts arise in our soul, let us recall Mary at the foot of the cross; let us behold her maternal heart pierced and transfixed with the sword of grief, and let us ask ourselves if, professing to be her children, we should not bear some share in her sufferings; if we must not weep with her on earth, if we desire to rejoice with her in the kingdom of everlasting glory." (MEDITATIONS ON THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN by Most Hon. Brother Philippe (p. 168). (2)
As long as multitudes of sinners go straight to hell because of their own sins, the Immaculate Heart of Mary is not yet triumphing.
Nevertheless, the end has not yet come, and the Mother of God is yet the Advocate of sinners, and She does wish that all the Faithful pray for the salvation of sinners so that they do not go to hell.
The Mother of God is not, however, an Advocate for those sinners who have already gone to hell, because there is no salvation for them.
Our Lady of Fatima did not ask for prayers for sinners in hell because She knows the Doctrine very well. She asked us to pray for the salvation of sinners who are yet living on Earth. The Church does not pray for the sinners in hell as well.
In the end, the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph, this world will be consumed according to God’s Will, and everyone will receive the final reward due his faith and deeds.
Fr. Valerii
Here the quotations from the books follow:
THE RACCOLTA, 1878:
PRAYER
Heart of Mary, mother of God, our mother; heart most amiable, delight of the ever-adorable Trinity, and worthy of all the veneration and tenderness of angels and of men; heart most like the heart of Jesus, whose most perfect image thou art; heart full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries! Vouchsafe to thaw our icy hearts, and change them to the likeness of the heart of Jesus. Infuse into them the love of thy virtues, inflame them with that blessed fire with which thou dost ever burn. In thee let the holy Church find safe shelter; be thou its guardian and its ever-sweet asylum, its tower of strength, impregnable against the assaults of its enemies. Be thou the road leading to Jesus; be thou the channel whereby we receive all graces needful for our salvation. Be thou our help in need, our comfort in trouble, our strength in temptation, our refuge in persecution, our aid in danger; but especially in the last struggle of our life, at the moment of our death, when all hell shall be unchained against us to snatch away our souls, in that dread moment, that hour so terrible, on which depends our eternity, - ah! then, most tender Virgin, do thou make us feel how great is the sweetness of thy mother's heart, how great thy power with the heart of Jesus, opening to us, in the very fount of mercy itself, a safe refuge, that so one day we too may join with thee in paradise in praising the heart of Jesus forever and forever. Amen.
ACT OF PRAISE TO THE SS. HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY
May the divine heart of Jesus and the immaculate heart of Mary be known, praised, blessed, loved, worshipped, and glorified always and in all places. Amen.
The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII., by a rescript of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, Aug. 18, 1807, granted:
AN INDULGENCE OF SIXTY DAYS, once a day, to those who, with at least contrite heart and devotion, shall say this prayer, together with the acts of praise to the SS. Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
A PLENARY INDULGENCE, on the feasts of the Nativity, of the Assumption and of the S. Heart of Mary, to all those who shall have said them, every day, during the year; provided that, on these feasts, being truly penitent, after confession and communion, they shall visit a church, or an altar in any church, dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, and pray for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
A PLENARY INDULGENCE at the hour of death, to those who, during life, shall have practiced this pious exercise every day.
PRAYER TO THE VIRGIN MARY, OUR LADY OF PITY
Kneeling at thy holy feet, O gracious queen of heaven! we offer thee our deepest reverence. We confess that thou art the daughter of the eternal Father, the mother of the divine Word, and the spouse of the Holy Ghost. Full of grace, of virtue, and of heavenly gifts, thou art the chaste temple of the holy Trinity. With thee are treasured God's mercies, and thou, too, dost dispense them. And since thy loving heart is filled with charity, sweetness, and tender compassion for us poor sinners, we call thee mother of holy pity. With the greatest trust, then, do I come to thee in my sorrow and distress. I beg that thou wouldst make me confide in thy love, by granting me ... if it be God's will, and for the welfare of my soul. Cast, then, thine eyes of pity upon me and upon all my kindred. That I may not perish, shield me from the attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil, who continually assail me. Remember, O fondest of mothers! that we are thy children, purchased with the precious blood of thy divine Son. Pray, without ceasing, that the adorable Trinity may give us the grace ever to be victorious over the devil, the world and our unhallowed passions: that grace by which the just grow in holiness, sinners are converted, and heresy destroyed; by which the unbeliever is enlightened, and the Jews brought to the true religion. Bestow upon us this boon, O most pure Virgin! through the infinite bounty of the Most High, through the merits of thy Son, by the care with which thou didst nourish him, by the devotion with which thou didst serve him, by the love with which thou didst cherish him, by thy tears and anguish endured in his holy passion. Obtain for us the great favor that the whole world may be made one people and one church, which shall give thanks, praise, and glory to the most holy Trinity, and to thee who art its mediator. May the power of the Father, the wisdom of the Son, and the virtue of the Holy Ghost, grant us this blessing. Amen.
His Holiness, Pope Pius IX., by a decree of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, March 26, 1860, confirmed and, as far as necessary, granted, anew, to all the faithful who, with at least contrite heart aud devotion, shall say this prayer:
AN INDULGENCE OF ONE HUNDRED DAYS once a day.
A PLENARY INDULGENCE, once a month, to all who, having said it every day for a month, on any day, being truly penitent, after confession and communion, shall visit a church or public oratory, and pray there devoutly, for some time, for the intention of his Holiness. (1)
MEDITATIONS ON THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN
BY MOST HON. BROTHER PHILIPPE:
“OBLIGED to quit the Temple and pass her life in the world, Mary always preserved in her soul the seclusion, the inward recollection, the devotion of the Temple. Her immaculate heart was the sanctuary in which she offered to God sweet sacrifice; the altar on which should burn, until the Divine Word descending from Heaven should make it His throne and His abode, the perfumes of prayer and of holy aspirations.” (p. 48)
" “Hail, full of grace,” said Gabriel to her, "the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women." (St. Luke 1. 28.) What words! Are there any to compare with them? He who pronounces them is a Prince of the Heavenly host, the representative of the Most High; she before whom he bows is a poor daughter of Juda, despised by the world, and living in obscurity and toil. Ah! it is because she is more exalted in the eyes of God than she is humbled in the eyes of men; it is because she is full of grace, and worthy to be the Mother of the Author of grace; it is, to borrow the thought of Saint Leon, because she has already received in her heart Him whom she is about to conceive in her womb." (p. 54-55)
"O Mary, you are indeed the Mother of Sorrows! Ah! but you are also the co-operatrix in the work of our redemption. Therefore it is that, subduing the tortures that agonize your heart, you will place yourself on the way that Jesus is to pass; you will gaze upon him under the weight of His cross; after Him you will ascend Mount Calvary, adoring and watering with your tears the traces of His footsteps; you will be present at His crucifixion, and place yourself near the altar of His sacrifice. And there you will remain, suppressing the anguish of your soul, subduing your immense grief, making yourself an involuntary associate in that bloody immolation; and all this, O heart-stricken Mother, for us, for so great is your charity that we can apply to you the words referred to the heavenly Father: "You so loved the world as to give up your only begotten Son for its salvation." (St. John iii. 16)” (p. 162-163)
"LOVE for Jesus is not measured by the consolations which He pours into our souls, but by the share that we voluntarily take in His sufferings; and as no creature ever loved Jesus so much as Mary, so no one could share in the same degree in His bitter chalice. "She was a martyr," says St. Bernard, "not by the sword of the executioner, but by the agony of her heart; for she suffered in the Passion of the Saviour tortures capable of causing death not once, but a hundred times." "The sacrifice of the martyrs, adds St. Antoninus, "was limited to their own self-offering, while the august Virgin sacrificed the life of her Son, which was infinitely dearer to her than her own." She was not on Mount Thabor, but she will soon be on Mount Calvary, where she can say in those words of Job which the Church applies to her: "My sorrow hath oppressed me, my face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim. * Office of our Lady s seven dolors, Job xvi. 8-17.” (p. 164) (2)
Sources:
The quotes from the Holy Scripture taken from: THE HOLY BIBLE PUBLISHED WITH THE APPROBATION OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF IRELAND. The Douay Version of the Old Testament of 1609, and with the Rhemish Version of the New Testament of 1582, Given at Dublin, May 4th, 1857.
(1) THE RACCOLTA;
OR Collection of Prayers and Good Works,
TO WHICH THE SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS HAVE
ATTACHED HOLY INDULGENCES.
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF HIS HOLINESS, POPE PIUS IX.
TRANSLATION AUTHORIZED AND APPROVED
BY THE SACRED CONGREGATION OF HOLY INDULGENCES.
WOODSTOCK COLLEGE, MARYLAND.
1878.
APPROVED AND COMMENDED.
+JOHN CARD. McCLOSKEY,
Archbishop of New York. New York, Sept. 5th, 1878.
Imprimatur: +JACOBUS, ARCHIEP. BALTIMORENSIS. Die xxii Sept., 1878.
pp. 227-229, 234-235, 267
(2) MEDITATIONS ON THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN
BY MOST HON. BROTHER PHILIPPE,
SUPERIOR-GENERAL OF THE BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS.
Translated from the French
BALTIMORE: KELLY, PIET & COMPANY,
174 BALTIMORE STREET.
1874
Approbations: Given at Montech, this 18th day of May, 1868.
D. BOUIX, Vicar-General of the Right Rev'd Bishop of Versailles.
IMPRIMATUR: +JACOBUS R. ARCHIEP. BALT.
Baltimori, 20 Junii, 1873.
p. 48, 54-55, 162-163, 164, 168.
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