Why the Pope chose the name Benedict

April 2010 01:40 GMT-05:00

General Audience: Pope tells why he Chose Name of Benedict
In his first general audience, which was held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 15,000 people, the Pope again gave thanks to God for having elected him as Peter's successor, and explained why he chose the name of Benedict.

The Holy Father spoke of the feelings he was experiencing at the beginning of his ministry: "awe and gratitude to God, Who surprised me more than anyone in calling me to succeed the Apostle Peter; and interior trepidation before the greatness of the task and the responsibilities which have been entrusted to me. However, I draw serenity and joy from the certainty of God's help, that of His most Holy Mother the Virgin Mary, and of the patron saints. I also feel supported by the spiritual closeness of all the people of God whom, as I repeated last Sunday, I continue to ask to accompany me with persistent prayer."

"Resuming the Wednesday general audiences," he went on, "I wish to speak of the name I chose on becoming bishop of Rome and pastor of the universal Church. I chose to call myself Benedict XVI ideally as a link to the venerated Pontiff, Benedict XV, who guided the Church through the turbulent times of the First World War. He was a true and courageous prophet of peace who struggled strenuously and bravely, first to avoid the drama of war and then to limit its terrible consequences. In his footsteps I place my ministry, in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples, profoundly convinced that the great good of peace is above all a gift of God, a fragile and precious gift to be invoked, safeguarded and constructed, day after day and with everyone's contribution.

"The name Benedict also evokes the extraordinary figure of the great 'patriarch of western monasticism,' St. Benedict of Norcia, co-patron of Europe with Cyril and Methodius. The progressive expansion of the Benedictine Order which he founded exercised an enormous influence on the spread of Christianity throughout the European continent. For this reason, St. Benedict is much venerated in Germany, and especially in Bavaria, my own land of origin; he constitutes a fundamental point of reference for the unity of Europe and a powerful call to the irrefutable Christian roots of European culture and civilization."

The Pope appealed to St. Benedict for help "to hold firm Christ's central position in our lives. May he always be first in our thoughts and in all our activities!"

Before concluding, Benedict XVI announced that, just as at the beginning of his pontificate John Paul II had continued the reflections on Christian virtues begun by Pope John Paul I, in coming weekly audiences he would resume "the comments prepared by John Paul II on the second part of the Psalms and Canticles, which are part of Vespers. From next Wednesday, I will begin precisely from where his catechesis was interrupted after the general audience of January 26."

The Holy Father read out brief summaries of his catechesis, which he had delivered in Italian, in various other languages: English, French, Spanish and German. He then gave brief greetings to various groups in Croatian, Slovenian and Polish and concluded by addressing the 1,000 faithful from the archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia, Italy, who were accompanied by Archbishop Riccardo Fontana.
Catholic News Agency

Catholic priest preaches about messages of Our Lady of Akita

Prophecy of Popes, Roman Papacy by Irvin Baxter

Michaelangelo: The Creation of Adam

In 1990 a physician named Frank Lynn Meshberger noted in the medical publication the Journal of the American Medical Association that the background figures and shapes portrayed behind the figure of God appeared to be an anatomically accurate picture of the human brain, including the frontal lobe, optic chiasm, brain stem, pituitary gland, and the major sulci of the cerebrum. Alternatively, it has been observed that the red cloth around God has the shape of a human uterus (one art historian has called it a "uterine mantle"), and that the scarf hanging out, coloured green, could be a newly cut umbilical cord.

...on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel has long been recognized as one of the world’s great art treasures. In 1990 Frank Lynn Meshberger, M.D. described what millions had overlooked for centuries — an anatomically accurate image of the human brain was portrayed behind God. On close examination, borders in the painting correlate with sulci in the inner and outer surface of the brain, the brain stem, the basilar artery, the pituitary gland and the optic chiasm. God’s hand does not touch Adam, yet Adam is already alive as if the spark of life is being transmitted across a synaptic cleft. Below the right arm of God is a sad angel in an area of the brain that is sometimes activated on PET scans when someone experiences a sad thought. God is superimposed over the limbic system, the emotional center of the brain and possibly the anatomical counterpart of the human soul. God’s right arm extends to the prefrontal cortex, the most creative and most uniquely human region of the brain.

Source: Catholica

Catholic Prophecy of Islam Invasion of Europe in the End Times

There are a number of old Catholic Prophecies that foretell of a time where Islam does overrun Europe, in particular Rome and the Catholic Church. Yves Dupont's book Catholic Prophecy is one of the best books available that details a great number of these prophecies. Many of these prophecies have been passed down through the generations and the authenticity may be questionable. Even so, there is a good deal of consistency when read as a whole and they certainly talk of a time which even fifty years ago couldn't be imagined but are truly possible now. Here is one such prophecy by Monk Hilarion (15th century) with commentary by Yves Dupont to follow:

Before the Christian churches are reunited and renovated, God will send the Eagle who will travel to Rome and bring much happiness and good. The Holy Man will bring peace between the clergy and the Eagle, and His reign will last for four years. After his death God will send three men who are rich in wisdom and virtue. They will spread Christianity everywhere. There will be one flock, one shepherd, one faith, one law, one life and one baptism throughout the world.

"The people of the peninsula of Europe will suffer by needless wars until the Holy Man comes. The Lion will come from a high mountain in the enlightened nation. Then will the people of the half-moon of the tribe of Agar overrun many nations towards midnight and commit many atrocities. They will stay three years destroying everything. Yet, in the third year will one of the unconquerable Eagles who reigns over the enlightened nation between the Rhine and the North Sea, with a great army meet them by the mouth of the River Rhine and, in a fearful battle, almost entirely annihilate them.

Commentary by the Author Yves Dupont:

[T]he Eagle who is often called the Lion, is the Great King, at first disliked by the Clergy, but who will be supported by the pope, of this pope it is said elsewhere, that he will be very holy (hence Holy Man), yet firm (will rule with a "rod of iron") He will restore the former disciplines (apparently abolished by a previous pope) and he will censure the bishops who refuse to submit to his rule. It is under this leadership that the church will be reborn. He will reign only four years, and three more popes are to follow him. Then the scriptural prophesy "one flock, one pope, one faith" will be fulfilled.

"Before the reign of the Holy Man however Europe, and Italy in particular will suffer greatly through wars. The Mohammedans will take advantage of the complete anarchy in Europe and invade the land (a great many prophesies say so). But they will eventually be thrown back into the sea by the great king who who comes from the Ardennes...

Former Jordanian minister insists Rome will be conquered by Islam

CNA STAFF, May 10, 2008 / 04:58 pm (CNA).
A former Jordanian minister has seized upon commentary about the decline of Western power, saying on Arabic-language television that Islam will conquer Rome. He went on to say that Spain is an Islamic land that should be retaken and that America has begun to realize its “end is near.”

The remarks by former Jordanian Minister of Religious Endowment Ali Al-Faqir were broadcast on Al-Aqsa TV on May 2.

According to a transcript prepared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Al-Faqir said Palestine from the Jordan to the Mediterranean is an Islamic land. “Spain – Andalusia – is also the land of Islam,” he said.

“Islamic lands that were occupied by the enemies will once again become Islamic. Furthermore, we will reach beyond these countries, which are lost at one point. We proclaim that we will conquer Rome, like Constantinople was conquered once, and as it will be conquered again.

“America has occupied, thundered, and foamed with rage, and proclaimed, like Pharaoh, ‘I am your supreme God,’ but it will come to its end, and they have begun to realize that their end is near,” he said.

Al-Faqir then alluded to commentary about the declining prominence of America and Europe.

“We have begun to read in American and European newspapers that ‘our glory is on the wane, and there is nothing we can do about it,’” Al-Faqir said, according to the MEMRI transcript.

“This morning on Al-Jazeera TV, I saw American scientists and strategic theoreticians, who said that America would soon come to its end. They said it before about the USSR, and, indeed, it has come to its end, and we say now that America and the EU will come to an end, and only the rising force of Islam will prevail.”

American and European pundits and commentators have recently discussed the perceived decline in American power, especially economic power.

Writing in the Los Angeles Times, national security columnist Fred Kaplan said President George W. Bush’s “follies” had accelerated the decline of American influence. “For half a century, we had been a super-power," Kaplan wrote. "Now we're upper-middle management in a world without bosses.”

Parag Khanna, a research fellow at the New America Foundation, wrote in the New York Times that the U.S. is “competing—and losing—in a geopolitical marketplace,” arguing that globalization has eroded American primacy.

Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, published excerpts from his new book in the May 12 issue of Newsweek. Zakaria argued that a “seismic shift” in power and attitudes has transported the world into a post-American phase where the United States will not have the vastly unequal influence it has enjoyed in recent decades.

Other writers argue that American economic and cultural dominance will continue. The American Enterprise Institute’s economic policy director Kevin Hassett has advised readers to “ignore the obituaries.”

A video of Ali Al-Faqir's remarks can be viewed at: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1761.htm
Source: Catholic News Agency

Feast of Divine Mercy

During the course of Jesus' revelations to Saint Faustina on the Divine Mercy He asked on numerous occasions that a feast day be dedicated to the Divine Mercy and that this feast be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. The liturgical texts of that day, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, concern the institution of the Sacrament of Penance, the Tribunal of the Divine Mercy, and are thus already suited to the request of Our Lord. This Feast, which had already been granted to the nation of Poland and been celebrated within Vatican City, was granted to the Universal Church by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the canonization of Sr. Faustina on 30 April 2000. In a decree dated 23 May 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments stated that "throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come." These papal acts represent the highest endorsement that the Church can give to a private revelation, an act of papal infallibility proclaiming the certain sanctity of the mystic, and the granting of a universal feast, as requested by Our Lord to St. Faustina.
Concerning the Feast of Mercy Jesus said:

Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (Diary 300)

I want the image solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it. (Diary 341)

This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies. (Diary 420)

On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.* [our emphasis] On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will I contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary 699)

Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it. (Diary 742)

I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. (Diary 1109)

As you can see the Lord's desire for the Feast includes the solemn, public veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy by the Church, as well as personal acts of veneration and mercy. The great promise for the individual soul is that a devotional act of sacramental penance and Communion will obtain for that soul the plenitude of the divine mercy on the Feast.
*The Cardinal of Krakow, Cardinal Macharski, whose diocese is the center of the spread of the devotion and the sponsor of the Cause of Sr. Faustina, has written that we should use Lent as preparation for the Feast and confess even before Holy Week! So, it is clear that the confessional requirement does not have to be met on the Feast itself. That would be an impossible burden for the clergy if it did. The Communion requirement is easily met that day, however, since it is a day of obligation, being Sunday. We would only need confession again, if received earlier in Lenten or Easter Season, if we were in the state of mortal sin on the Feast.
Diary, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul (c) 1987 Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Holy Thursday Plenary Indulgence

Indulgences for the Year for Priests

Steps for the lay faithful to receive indulgence

On the first and last days of the Year for Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, on the first Thursdays of the month, or on any other day established by your local ordinary:

• Attend Mass
• Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation
• Pray for priests
• Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father

What “duly approved prayers” might priests use to obtain the partial indulgence?

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, several worthy prayers that may be recited by priests seeking to obtain the partial indulgence during the Year for Priests include:

• Prayers of Thanksgiving After Mass, found in Appendix I of the Roman Missal (Sacramentary)
• The Rosary
• The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
• “A Priest’s Prayer” approved by the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations
• Or any other prayer found in the Manual of Indulgences

Divine Mercy Chaplet

1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.
2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

(Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).

4. Conclude with (three times):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In 1933, God gave Sister Faustina a striking vision of His Mercy,
Sister tells us:

I saw a great light, with God the Father in the midst of it. Between this light and the earth I saw Jesus nailed to the Cross and in such a way that God, wanting to look upon the earth, had to
look through Our Lord's wounds and I understood that God blessed the earth for the sake of Jesus.

Of another vision on Sept. 13, 1935, she writes:

I saw an Angel, the executor of God's wrath... about to strike the earth...I began to beg God earnestly for the world with words which I heard interiorly. As I prayed in this way, I saw the
Angel's helplessness, and he could not carry out the just punishment....

The following day an inner voice taught her to say this prayer on
ordinary rosary beads:

First say one 'Our Father', 'Hail Mary', and 'I believe'. Then on the large beads say the following words:

'Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.'

On the smaller beads you are to say the following words:

'For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.'

In conclusion you are to say these words three times:

'Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world'.

Jesus said later to Sister Faustina:

"Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most
hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to
those who trust in My Mercy...."

"....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior".

Rules and Rituals of the Brown Scapular

• People are enrolled in the Scapular only once by a priest or authorized person.
• The Scapular can be replaced afterwards by a medal, which has on one side the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the other, the image of Mary.
• The Scapular holds us to live as authentic Christians in line with the teaching of the Gospel, to receive the sacraments, to profess our special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, which should be expressed each day, at least by saying the Hail Mary three times.

Short form of giving the scapular

 Receive this Scapular, a sign of your special relationship with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whom you pledge to imitate. May it be a reminder to you of your dignity as a Christian in serving others and imitating Mary. Wear it as a sign of her protection and of belonging to the family of Carmel, voluntarily doing the will of God and devoting yourself to building a world true to his plan of community, justice and peace.

--------------------------------
The Carmelite Scapular is not:

• a magical charm to protect you
• an automatic guarantee of salvation
• an excuse for not living up to the demands of the Christian life

It is a sign:

• which has been approved by the Church for over seven centuries;
• which stands for the decision to
• follow Jesus like Mary:
• be open to God and to his will
• be guided by faith, hope, and love
• to pray at all times
• to discover God present in all that happens around us.

Value and Meaning of the Brown Scapular

The Blessed Virgin teaches us:

• To be open to God, and to his will, shown to us in the events of our lives;
• To Listen to the Word of God in the Bible and in life, to believe in it and to put into practice its demands;
• To pray at all times, as a way of discovering the presence of God in all that is happening around us;
• To be involved with people, being attentive to their needs.

The Scapular finds its roots in the tradition of the Order, which has seen in it a sign of Mary’s motherly protection. It has therefore, a centuries old spiritual meaning approved by Church.

• It stands for a commitment to follow Jesus, like Mary, the perfect model of all the disciples of Christ. This commitment finds its origin in baptism by which we become children of God.
• It leads us into the community of Carmel, a community of religious men and women, which has existed in the Church for over eight centuries.
• It reminds us of the example of the saints of Carmel, with whom we establish a close bond as brothers and sisters to one another.
• It is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayers of Mary.

Source: http://carmelnet.org/scapular/value/value.htm

The Brown Scapular as a Sign of Mary

One of the signs in the tradition of the Church from many centuries ago is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is a sign approved by the Church and accepted by the Carmelite Order as an external sign of love for Mary, of the trust her children have in her, and of commitment to live like her.

The word scapular indicates a form of clothing, which monks wore when they were working. With the passage of time, people began to give symbolic meaning to it: the cross to be borne every day as disciples and followers of Christ. In some religious orders, such as the Carmelites, the Scapular turned into a sign of their way of life. The Scapular came to symbolize the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God, and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as the desire to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus it became a sign of Mary.

In the Middle Ages many Christians wanted to be associated with the orders founded at that time: Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and Carmelites. Groups of lay people began to emerge in associations such as confraternities and sodalities.

All the religious orders wanted to give these lay people a sign of affiliation and of participation in their spirit and apostolate. That sign was often a part of their habit: a cloak, a cord, a scapular.

Among the Carmelites, the stage came when a smaller version of the Scapular was accepted as the sign of belonging to the Order and an expression of its spirituality.

Source: http://carmelnet.org/scapular/mary/mary.htm

The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The world in which we live is full of material things that have symbolic meaning: light, fire, water... there are also, in everyday life, experiences of relationships between human beings, which express and symbolize deeper realities such as taking part in a protest march (as a sign of solidarity), joining together in a national celebration (as a sign of identity).

We need signs and symbols to help us understand what is happening at present, or what happened before, and to give us an awareness of who we are, as individuals and as groups.

Jesus is the great sign of the Father’s love. He founded the Church as a sign and instrument of His love. Christian life also has its signs. Jesus used bread, wine, water to help us understand higher things, which we can neither see or touch.

In the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments (baptism, confirmation, reconciliation, matrimony, orders, the sacrament of the sick) the symbols, (water, oil, the laying on of hands, the rings,) all have their own meaning and bring us into.

As well as liturgical signs, the Church has others related to some event, to some tradition or some person. One of these is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Source: http://carmelnet.org/scapular/brown/brown.htm

Martyr of the Eucharist: Blessed Imelda

Blessed Imelda was born into an aristocratic family in Bologna in 1322. She was unusually pious as a child and was placed in Dominican convent of nuns to be educated at her own request when she was nine years old, and she received the Dominican habit soon after her entry.

Blessed Imelda had a particular devotion to the Blessed Eucharist. Her greatest wish was to receive Holy Communion, but this was not possible as she was too young according to Church law at the time (the minimum age was about 12 until the decree of Pope St Pius X “Quam singulari” in 1910).

On Ascension Day when she was eleven years old she remained in the convent chapel after Mass with the other sisters. After Mass and Holy Communion the sisters began to leave, but one of them noticed what appeared to be a host hovering over Imelda’s head who was found to be in a state of ecstacy. The priest hurried forward to receive the host on a paten. Experiencing such a miracle, he felt obliged to give Imelda her first Holy Communion.

It was to be her last because she died during her thanksgiving after Communion. Blessed Imelda was beatified in 1826.
 
Her Feast Day is May 13th and she is patroness of First Holy Communicants.

Great Miracle Possible Dates

Here's a link to a comprehensive list of possible dates for the Great Miracle. I've been watching some of the Saint's feastdays listed here for the past couple of decades during which time I've been fascinated with Garbandal. The closest fits seem to be Saint Hermengild and Blessed Imelda, as being martyrs of the Eucharist and having their feastdays within the Garabandal-given dates.

I realise the following subject matter is not as important as changing our lives and improving our faith, however I have included it mainly for interest.

Many people have heard that Our Lady has promised to perform a miracle at the pines in Garabandal and also on Apparition Hill at Medjugorje. There is some speculation that both will occur at the same time. Only at Garabandal did She give any idea when the Miracle at the Pines would occur. There are 2 variations on the day being reported. Firstly St Michael's Garabandal Center reports that it is on a Thursday between (and including) 8th to 16th April. Secondly, Joey Lomangino's Garabandal Website and the Australian Garabandal Website are both mentioning March, April and May. It will be on the feast of a Eucharistic Martyr and will coincide with an important event in the church. Some sources have also mentioned that the martyr is "little known" and hence martyrs which don't have much available detail have been flagged in this list as possibilities. The important event has occurred before but not since Conchita was born. Given this information, we can at least start looking into what Martyrs have feasts in this range of dates. The feast days have been obtained from the list of feast days at Catholic Online and there are some in the list which may not be Eucharistic Martyrs. Over the next few months, this list will be reduced as further research is done. If you wish to help please contact me ldaly2@bigpond.net.au

Click on an underlined date to see the list of Saints for that date. If a date is not underlined, there are no relevant saints on that date. Dates in bold have possible Martyrs under them

We do also know that on the day of the Miracle, Joey Lomangino will recover his eyesight. He is currently about 74. I have only included 10 years in the charts below as I am sure, Our Lady would not want Joey to recover his eyesight and then die only a short time later. We also know the Pope will see the miracle from whereever he is. The visionaries of Garabandal indicated that Pope John Paul 2nd would be the last Pope and then would come the end of time. This has been given a different meaning to the one previously given here. It is assumed, the end of time indicates an end of an era. The claim that he would be the last Pope indicates he is the last Pope of that era not the last Pope that would ever exist. Given it is only a few years since his death, it is still hard to work out wether a particular era has ended. Keep watch on this page for updates.

Full link is here

Prophecy for Today

Another terrific book on Catholic Prophecy. Along with Yves Dupont's "Catholic Prophecy", this is one that I've found myself referring back to on many occasions.

Catholic Prophecy

In my opinion this is probably the best of prophecy that I've read.

It covers the Great Catholic Monarch, the Holy Pope, and the period before Antichrist, with excellent, excellent commentaries by Yves Dupont. It's amazing that so many prophecies from various countries and different centuries all speak about the same time and the same historical characters. It also shows the coalescing of Saints' prophecies on our times and our immediate future.

The Great Warning and Great Miracle this year?

There's been a lot of chatter on the Internet during the past two years about 2010 being strong candidate for the Great Miracle. Much of it comes from Joel Keene (the author of Cosmic Locusts) Ron Conte (who runs the Catholic Planet website). Both were incorrect in predicting the Great Warning for 2008 and 2009 (respectively). This idea however ran contrary to the statement that the Great Warning and Great Miracle would being within one year of each other.

I'm reluctant to set dates so instead I'll present what they use to base their assumption, some thoughts of which matches my own ideas over the years. Full details are available on Joel Keene's articles and Ron Conte's website.

1. April 2nd and April 3rd, 2010 will be Good Friday and Holy Saturday in both the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox calendars. In thinking about this, it does makes sense Warning might happen when consecration wouldn't be interrupted. The two calendars only align rarely so that there is a day where no valid communion is going on anywhere in the world.


2. Good Friday is the fifth anniversary of John Paul II's death. Five years needs to ordinarily transpire before one is beatified.

3. 40 days after that is May 13, 2010. This will fufill the Miracle date in numerous ways.

4. It will be the 93rd anniversary of Fatima.

5. It will be the 29th anniversary of the assasaination attempt on John Paul II.

6. It will be 5th anniversary since Benedict XVI sped up the canonization process for John Paul II.

7. It will be Blessed Imelda's feastday, a young saint martyred for the Eucharist. This fufills the Garabandal clue of a feast day of such at Miracle time. Imelda died not only on May 13, but it was also an Ascension Thursday. In most years her feast does not coincide with Ascension Thursday. Blessed Imelda is probably the best known martyr of the Eucharist and is the patroness of First Communion recipients. Interestingly, the Pines at Garabandal were planted to commemorate the first communions of children

8. There's a strong possibility that John Paul II will be beatified May 13, 2010, thus fufilling the Garabandal clue of a rare church celebration (a Pope beatification) coincident with the Miracle occurring. Recently the Vatican announced that Benedict XVI will visit Fatima on May 13, 2010. This would be the perfect time and place to beatify JPII. It will be ten years to the day that JPII was there beatifing the first two of the three Fatima visionaries. In the ensuing ten years both JPII and the third visionary have passed on. Lucia may thus be beatified also, since it will be exactly meeting the five year requirement for waiting on beatification. Also the clue of the Pope seeing the miracle will be fufilled as he will be just a short distance from Garabandal and it should be very bright. Lastly, the Garabandal visionary Conchita told a cardinal in Rome when the Miracle date was to be. So, there is little doubt that Benedict XVI is aware. Remember that the last Pope who was named Benedict was the one at the time of the Fatima apparitions.

9. There are some clues from Medjugorje since it calls for Consolation day three days after the Warning. This would work out to Easter. Additionally, the 2nd and 25th of the month are Medjugorje vision days work in nicely as April 2-3 for the Warning. If the announcement to the priest who will announce to the world would be told on March 25 this just happens to be the feast of the Annunciation. The Medjugorje visionaries have stated that the calendar dates of their visions will be recognized as significant when the prophesied events come to fruition.

10. There will be closed door in March at the Vatican regarding a new Marian Dogma being released. This would also be considered a very rare event in the Church.

The Sacraments: The Eucharist

Part 10 of 10 - Mary Loli 1984 Part 2

Part 09 of 10 - Mary Loli 1984 Part 1 of 2

Part 08 of 10 - The Message of Garabandal Part 4

Part 07 of 10 - The Message of Garabandal Part 3

Part 06 of 10 - The Message of Garabandal Part 2

Part 05 of 10 - The Message of Garabandal Part 1

Part 04 of 10 - Conchita Speaks Part 3

Part 03 of 10 - Conchita Speaks Part 2

Part 02 of 10 - Conchita Speaks Part 1

Part 01 of 10 - Introduction

Garabandal Film 24 - Conchita with Children

Garabandal Film 23 - Early Garabandal Movies