CONTENTS:
I. Is The Bayside Apparition Condemned?
The Bishop (or his investigating committee, if any) did not interview Veronica or any of her associates before writing the condemnation. Even now, there is no report whatsoever. Just ask the Chancery Office of the Brooklyn diocese (now under Bishop Daley) for any report by any investigating committee on the Bayside Apparition. You will receive the answer that there is none.
In any organization or society, there are some accepted procedures that the authorities or supervisors must follow while making major administrative decisions concerning the subordinates. The purpose is to ensure fairness, unbiasedness, and to prevent the abuse of power on the part of the former.
In the case of apparitions, under the law of the Church, every Bishop is required to have an ecclesiastical investigation by a committee or commission of priests, with at least one Canon, and also several lay people with scientific expertise. And every person involved in the apparition is to be interviewed. Alleged seers and witnesses who are among the sources of information and proofs must be interviewed. But no such procedure in the case of Bayside was followed. No effort of gathering information was made. No proof was provided. No hearing or interview was organized. Yet the decision was still made.
Here there was no inquiry, yet Bishop Mugavero issued the negative statement on Veronica Lueken and her associates.
It can be concluded that the Bishop's action is contrary to reason, to the Sacred Scripture, and to the Canon Law of the Church.
Needless to say this is one of the worse, if not the worst, cases of abuse of power in the Catholic Church. Thus, to support Bishop Mugavero's statement is to support abuse of authority and destruction of the law of the Church. In this case, it is better to follow St. Peter and said: "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29).
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OUR LADY OF THE ROSES, Mary Help of Mothers Shrine P.O. Box 52, Bayside, New York 11361-0052 Telephone (718) 961-8865 - 24 hours.
_____________________________________________________________________________ "THE LOURDES OF AMERICA"
March 19, 1987
Dear Friends of Our Lady of the Roses: Concerning Bishop Francis J. Mugavero's official statement of November 4, 1986, reiterating the Brooklyn Chancery's negative judgment on the Apparitions of Our Lady and Our Lord to Veronica Lueken, we wish to state that this new declaration mandates no change in policy vis-à-vis the promotion and dissemination of the Bayside Message throughout the world. This latest pronouncement of the Diocese of Brooklyn on the Virgin Mary's Appearances at Bayside remains completely null and void (as were all the previous ones), as far as Our Lady of the Roses Shrine is concerned, for the following reasons:
1. Veronica and the Shrine have never been approached in truth and justice by the local Bishop or by any representative of his, in person or even by telephone. Therefore, there could not have been any investigation, as the principal witness, the seer herself, was not allowed to even defend herself. Being tried, in absentia, without a hearing would not hold up in any court of law, and can only be termed an utter travesty of justice. None of Veronica's workers, not even her personal secretary, Ann Ferguson, has ever been questioned or interrogated. No written document has even been produced factually showing that even the most rudimentary form of an investigation was conducted. It is impossible to obtain the names of the investigative committee, or even an accurate date when the said inquiry occurred; even the year of this event has not been established. Was it 1973? 1975? Or perhaps some other date? What is an objective onlooker to conclude when presented with slovenly-concocted and self-contradictory evidence? Or shall we say such a lack of evidence? How difficult it is to maintain the appearance of truth when one peddles the wares of deception and falsehood!
2. The fact that the Bishop of Brooklyn has personally affixed his name to the declaration on the Apparition (the first time in sixteen years!) does not bind Catholics under obedience to disbelieve in or remain away from the Prayer Vigils or the Apparition Site. The diocesan statement maintains that it is issuing the said letter in consultation with the Congregation for the Doctrine and the Faith, that the said Congregation confirms that the publication of religious materials still governed by principles that "maintain authoritative moral value prohibiting the endangering of faith and morals." If the prohibition has only "authoritative moral value", then the Diocesan authorities do not have legal and disciplinary powers over the offender. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon the local Ordinary to point out where we have done violence to the teachings of the Church. If we have undermined, as they say, the legitimate authority of Bishops and councils (i.e. Vatican II) by Jesus' statement in the June 18, 1986 Message that "Satan sat in on Vatican II and maneuvered all the outsiders to come in and distort My doctrines and distort the truth", then what is Pope Paul VI guilty of when he stated on June 29, 1972, in his weekly General Audience, that "the smoke of Satan had entered the Church"? He, moreover, confessed his disillusionment with the outcome of Vatican II: "We thought that after the Council there would be a day of sunshine for the history of the Church; instead we found new storms. . . An adverse power, the Devil . . . came to suffocate the fruits of the Vatican Council." Therefore, Pope Paul VI, the Bayside revelations, and the Third Secret of Fatima are in basic agreement that Satan has breached the walls of the Church (and Sister Lucy, and John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger can confirm this -- as the latter two have read the Secret), and is now using Cardinals in the highest places in Rome to command obedience to a new church, that is slowly evolving, gradually severing its ties with Tradition, a church based on the worship of man instead of the one true God. Obedience is always first and foremost to God in Heaven. One cannot obey directives that offend God, even when they are from the highest authorities. Our mission is to help keep the Barque of Peter afloat: to patch the cracks and bail out the water (to contain and repel the forces of modernism and their flood of destructive changes). We remain firm in our parish churches, giving a good example of piety, fighting to retain and restore the traditional Catholic beliefs and practices. As a last word, the Message of Bayside has stated that we have to give an account to no one for our mission, for it is directly from the Eternal Father in Heaven. And so we continue our work, serene and unperturbed by the waves and the roaring of the sea (i.e. persecutions), ever more determined to shout the Message from the rooftops, in obedience to the commands of Heaven. In filial submission to His Holiness John Paul II, we rest our case.
Frank Albas (signed)
Director
II. Is Dr. Mary Jane Even condemned by her local Bishop?
Dr. Mary Jane Even had been a college professor before she was called by Our Lord to retire from teaching in early 1980's and to live in seclusion from the world. She was taught by Our Lord and Our Lady in many things, and has been given messages by Them through locution. Her messages are read and approved by her Spiritual Director before they are distributed.
Much of the messages given to Dr. Even are for those who are on the mailing list. She does not want whole messages published on the Internet. These messages contain prophecies of future events and instructions by Our Lord and Our Lady on matters concerning faith, virtues, holiness, sacraments, Church's dogmas, God's commandments, prayers, and so on. Those who receive the messages have greater responsibility than others as they have received much grace and therefore are demanded much by God.
Thanks to some readers who forwarded to us the brief conclusion of the Diocesan Commission established to study Dr. Even's alleged locutions. The conclusion is that her locutions are not of "supernatural origin". We are investigating this matter and report to you what we find.
In the meantime, first, we have not found in these messages anything against the Dogmas of the Church, or anything against faith and morals, and totally conforming to the Apostolic Traditions. Secondly, the prophecies contained in her messages speak for themselves. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The worth of a prophet is in the realization of his/her prophecies. Let's wait and see if the prophecies contained in her messages unfold. Some are already unfolding. It only takes a few more months. And that is not too long. Thirdly, in judging any private revelations, we ought to look at their fruits. The fruits are abundant. Those who received her messages have grown in faith, charity, hope, wisdom, and virtue, and in the 7 gifts of the Holy Ghost. Finally, based on Pope Paul VI directive on private revelations (see below), we are entitled to publish these messages.
We believe that Dr. Even's messages are a precious gift from Heaven. Our Lord and Our Lady call everyone to holiness and salvation in the coming great tribulation already prophesied by the Sacred Scripture. Some of Dr. Even's messages are public but most are private reserved only for those who desire to grow in virtue and holiness. But of course, today there are many false prophets, so how can one discern who is true and who is false prophet. The first step is praying to the Holy Ghost to guide us, then examine the messages if they contradict the Dogmas of the Church and its Magisterium. Also see if the messages conform to the Sacred Scripture and Tradition, the two sources of authentic revelation. If the messages depart from the Tradition of the Church, they are suspect. Then look at the fruits which could come from the so-called seer or from the people who received the messages from the seer. The true seer must be pure in conduct and must not be involved in scandals. He/she must be humble, gentle, peaceful, joyful, and full of light. He/she must carry out the duties of his/her state. He/she must not glorify oneself and must refer all merit to God. See if he/she lacks submission to the Church, and to his/her superior such as the Bishop in his/her own diocese. However, this last criterion depends on the current state of the Church. Today, many Bishops are disobeying the Holy Father (see our article on major liturgical abuses) and are in material schism from Rome. Many are Masons who bend on destroying the Catholic Church from within (see our articles on this problem). If all seers have to obey the local Bishops, few would have been able to publish their messages, and God's plan will be thwarted. In fact, as we mentioned below, 99% the Bishops are against the Marian apparitions. This is truly The End Days when God's works are being undermined by His own priests. This explains why Our Lady and Our Lord did not appear to Bishops and Priests. The exception is Fr. Gobbi who is needed by Heaven in leading the Marian Movement of Priests. A lay seer to lead Marian Movement of Priests would be highly inappropriate. At this moment Our Holy Father is seriously ill as announced by the Vatican Authorities. This means that Vatican is completely in the hands of Masonic Bishops and Cardinals. The Curia has been under Masonic control for some time. The Vatican Authorities said that from now on The Pope would have to obey his doctors. The news that the Pope is seriously ill has never been broadcast by major news networks or newspapers. There is a conspiracy of silence while the Masons try to get rid of the Pope quietly and elect the Anti-Pope. He has been under pressure to resign for health reason, but he refused, which angered the Masons. Since it has been prophesied that the Pope will flee Rome, the Masons will take this golden apportunity to make sure that he won't be able to do do and that they won't have to stage a fake funeral. But his time has not yet come, so they won't be able to kill him. In the meantime, watch out for any directives from Vatican to local dioceses such as permission to merge the Catholic Church with other Christian denominations. It is a preparation for the coming the Anti-Christ and his unification of all religions. The question of obedience by a true seer to the local Bishops is now moot. As the experience of the Fatima children shows, the foremost obedience is to God, not to men, particularly men bent on destroying God's Church.
If you are interested in obtaining Dr. Even's address, please send us e-mail. Her messages are mainly for the Catholic faithful who desire to grow in holiness and virtue in imitation of Our Lord and Our Lady. To survive the coming Great Chastisement requires one to be holy and virtuous. Remember "Many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 20:16)
III. Why should we publish private revelations?
[Note: Nowadays, the words Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur on a book provide no guarantee that there is no error. For instance, Christ Among Us, by the then Fr. Anthony Wilhelm, C.S.P. bore Archbishop Peter Gerety's Imprimatur. It is the major religious text for Catholic High School students and for adult education in America. First published in 1967 by Paulist Press, it has sold over 2,000,000 copies. A few years ago, after the Vatican insisted that Archbishop Gerety's Imprimatur be removed, the book was switched to the secular publisher Harper and Row. Take a look at some of its erroneous teachings on salvation:
There are other ways of being united to God besides baptism. Most of the human race has never heard of or cannot believe in Christ or baptism. As the world population increases, Christians become proportionately less. The Christian life begun by baptism is becoming more and more the privilege and responsibility of a few. Most of humanity is united with God in other ways. (op. cit., p. 199).
Many men come to God in this way through other, non-Christian religions ... So, too, one who cannot believe in a personal God, through no fault of his own, but is committed to following his conscience, receives God's grace-presence ... God lives within many ... unbelievers, though they may oppose him or those who try to work for him. (p. 200).
Theology has no complete answer as to how, or even whether anyone may be damned forever. (p. 289).
It can be easily shown that each of these heretical statements is contrary to the Dogmas of the Church and to the Sacred Scripture. It is no surprise that Archbishop Gerety of the Archdiocese of Newark granted Imprimatur to such heretical text. He had initiated the Renewal Program in which heresy and doctrine were mixed in equal parts. This program was adopted by a significant number of parishes in the U.S. during 1980s. See the pamphlet by Cornelia R. Ferreira, "RENEW: Rooted in Modernism and the 'New Age' Movement." Not only that, the Archbishop was one of the original organizers of the "Call to Action" conference.]
Acts 2:16-21. "But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And upon my servants indeed and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit: and they shall prophesy. And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord to come. And it shalt come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Joel 2:28-32. "And it shall come to pass after this, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Moreover, upon my servants and handmaids in those days I will pour forth my spirit. And I will shew wonders in heaven; and in earth, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood: before the great and dreadful day of the Lord doth come. And it shall come to pass, that every one that shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
1 Thessalonians 5:19-23. "Extinguish not the spirit. Despise not prophecies. But prove all things: hold fast that which is good. From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves. And may the God of peace himself sanctify you in all things: that your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. "
Constance Cumbey has detailed extensive information about the New Age Movement and its Anti-Christ in her two books: The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, the New Age Movement and Our Coming Age of Barbarism (published by Huntington House, Inc., P.O. Box 53788, Lafayette, LA 70505), and A Planned Deception, the Staging of a New Age "Messiah" (published by Pointe Publishers, Inc., 22317 Kelly Road, East Detroit, MI 48021; Mailing address: P.O. Box 3078, Center Line, MI 48015-0078; Phone: (313) 445-6724.) Randy England also documented extensive activities of the New Age Movement inside the Catholic Church in his book: Unicorn in the Sanctuary, The Impact of the New Age on the Catholic Church, (published by Trinity Communications, Manassas, VA 22110.)
Created July 16, 1996. Twelfth update: August 22, 1997 Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Latest update: November 17, 1997.