Forget the Protestants! Save the Heathens!

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: While I'm a firm believer that we should always be ready to give an answer for our faith, especially to Protestant objectors, our real targets of evangelism should be the growing number of faithless and unchurched young adults sprouting up all around us in the Western world.

Most Protestants, especially those who still practice, have a built in resistance toward anything Catholic. They're difficult to reach at best, and in most cases downright impossible. It's as if they've been fitted with blinders for the time being that makes it extremely difficult for them to understand or appreciate the Catholic faith.

What do you think? Should we forget the Protestants and stop trying to actively reach them? Should we totally refocus our evangelistic efforts toward the rising Heathen population? If so, how?

This Present Darkness and Future Hope - Catholic Prophecy

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Readers of this blog know I have an interest in Catholic prophecy, and they know I'm a firm believer in it. Recently, I've read two books on the subject which I think summarize things quite well. The first is called The Secrets, Chastisement, and Triumph of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary written by Kelly Bowring, the narrator in the videos above.  It's an excellent book and does bear an Imprimatur.  The real selling point for this book is the overall message pointed out on the second video above.  Mr. Bowring does an excellent job succinctly relating the overall message of all Catholic prophecy and the Bible together.  He delivers a real message of hope in this present age of darkness, supplying a tangible "battle plan" for the Catholic home and family.  My only gripe about the book is Mr. Bowring's strict chronology of events. 

While Mr. Bowring nails the impending Great Chastisement coming soon upon the world, he tends to follow some private revelations so strictly that he leaves little room for flexibility, thus getting the events of the Great Tribulation of Antichrist mixed in with the Great Chastisement.  In fact, it would appear Mr. Bowring sees no real distinction between the Great Chastisement and the Great Tribulation of Antichrist, and that I think is the book's only major flaw.  Many prophecies of approved private revelation are conditional, meaning there is room for flexibility.  Because of this, I tend to favor Desmond Birch's book Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before, During, and After Antichrist.  Mr. Birch's book does not bear an Imprimatur, but it does carry some heavy endorsements from Fr. Michael O'Carroll, professor of theology at Black College in Ireland, and Fr. William Most, professor of theology and scripture at Notre Dame.  The book itself is a heavy hitter at 580 pages.

Basically, the whole controversy centers around the period of peace which is to follow the Great Chastisement and precede the Rise of Antichrist.  Mr. Bowring, following a strict interpretation of the private prophecies of Our Lady of La Salette sees the interim peace as lasting no more than 25 years.  Thus, the period of Great Chastisement and Great Tribulation of Antichrist practically run into each other, giving survivors of the Great Chastisement only a quarter century to catch their breath before the whole thing starts up again with the next apocalyptic phase.  In contrast, Mr. Birch interprets such prophecies more loosely, allowing for at least a couple centuries between the Great Chastisement and the Great Tribulation of Antichrist.  He too acknowledges the 25 year span prophesied at La Salette, however, he more loosely interprets this as meaning a 25 year period of absolute peace wherein the Great Monarch rules unquestionably and the world population appreciates what God has done.  He also cites other Church approved prophets and mystics that back this interpretation.  (The whole book is a much more thorough and exhaustive work on the subject of private revelation.)  After this 25 year period, the world starts it's downward decline again.  However, Birch recognizes that it may take a couple centuries for the depravity of man to reach the point where the final Antichrist makes his public appearance.

Both books correctly recognize the Jewish identity of the final Antichrist, (whenever that period of Antichrist is supposed to come), and the nature of the final apostasy that will lead to the Great Tribulation that concludes the Book of Revelation and sets the stage for the physical return of Jesus Christ.  The final apostasy of course is the rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah, in favor of a new Jewish "king" that will present himself as the "real Messiah."  Both books recognize that a future anti-pope will likely aid in this deception.  They just disagree on the timing .  Bowring thinks it happens strictly 25 years after the Great Chastisement, while Birch allows room for it to happen much later.

In my personal opinion, when we consider the magnitude of the Great Chastisement, and what this will ultimately do to the human race, it seems ridiculous to me that humanity would turn it's back on Christ totally within just 25 years.  I suppose it's possible when we consider the fallen state of mankind and what we're capable of.  Nevertheless, we're talking about a majority of the world's population being wiped out in the Great Chastisement.  We're talking about events so horrendous and catastrophic, indeed so "Biblical" in proportions, that it's sure to leave a scar on the survivor's memory so deep that falling totally back into depravity is unlikely.  There is one thing about the 25 year mark that makes logical sense, which is why I tend to agree more with Birch's interpretation of the period of peace.  Twenty-five years is exactly how long it takes for a new generation to be born and raised that has no personal memory of the Great Chastisement.  If anybody is going to start doubting, it's going to be this generation.  However, it is all together likely that the doubt, and subsequent slide back into depravity, will not occur overnight.  The generation that remembers the Great Chastisement is still around, and will likely still be around for another sixty or seventy years.  It is only after this generation is completely gone that the threat of doubt becomes a substantial danger.

So in review, I like the spiritual message of Mr. Bowring's book (The Secrets, Chastisement, and Triumph of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary), but find his chronology of events a little too strict.  I'm more inclined to the flexible chronology of Mr. Birch's book (Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before, During, and After Antichrist).  Both are excellent reads.  Go to Mr. Bowring for the overall spiritual message and then go to Mr. Birch for more details, which will give you more flexibility in the chronology of events.

Gay Marriage - The Game Has Just Changed!!!

(CNA) - The federal ruling which overturned California’s Proposition 8 cites a document by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, as evidence for the claim that religious beliefs about the sinfulness of homosexual relationships “harm gays and lesbians.” The claim is listed under a legal “finding of fact” and could win deference from higher courts.

Also cited as evidence of “harm” are other religions’ documents on the sinfulness of homosexuality and the wrongness of recognizing same-sex relationships.

The ruling, issued Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, overturned Prop. 8, the California measure which passed in November 2008 to define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The legal decision listed as its 77th “finding of fact”: “Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians....

read full story here

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The game has just changed. What this blog, and many others, have been warning about for years has just become reality. The Church is no longer on the offense. Now we're on the defense. From now on the issue will no longer be about whether or not gays should marry. From now on the legal issue will be whether the Biblical teaching that homosexuality is a sin should remain protected because it allegedly "harms" homosexuals.

This is now a 1st amendment battle and we are on the defensive. It's time to reformulate our argument. The homosexualists now have the legal system almost completely on their side. The U.S. Supreme Court WILL rule that state constitutional bans on gay marriage are unconstitutional. This is called the "full faith and credit clause." Google it! Within a very short time gay marriage will become the law of the land, from sea to shining sea, in all 50 states! Yes, even the so-called "conservative" supreme court justices will rule for this, and it will be their strict constructionist "conservatism" that will drive them to it.

It was a valiant effort, but in the end, we will lose. Gay marriage will become an American tradition in a very short time. Then the tables will turn, and our Church's own teachings will soon be on trial.

The Prophecies of Fatima - It's Not Over Yet!

Sixty-five years ago today...




THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT remains convinced that there is yet something more to the last secret of Fatima, and I believe it has something to do with the clerical sex-abuse scandals, the current pope, and a coming Modernist rebellion within the Church.  Your thoughts?

Mighty MO Sends A Blow To O'

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Speaking from the mighty state of Missouri, and as a citizen of this fine land, you're welcome! It was our pleasure (and honor) to fire the first salvo against the Obamanation that is Obamacare. Happy Birthday Mr. President!!! I haven't had that much fun wielding a pen at the polling station in years.

(The Catholic Key) - So, with little publicity and virtually no prodding, 7 out of 10 Missourians who voted yesterday sent an unmistakable rebuke to Obamacare. You can call that symbolic. You can say the federal courts will overturn it anyhow. And you might be right on both counts. But politicians who dismiss it are gonna have a heck of a time in November.

read full story here

Solar Storms On The Rise - 2013 Marks Height of Danger

(Telegraph) - On 1 August, almost the entire side of the Sun that faces the Earth erupted in a blaze of activity known as a "coronal mass ejection". These storms throw up to 10 billion tons of plasma - superheated gas - off the surface of the star and hurtling into space at around a million miles an hour. It covered the 93 million mile journey from the Sun to the Earth in just three and a half days...

...The flare which caused the eruption was relatively small, described as a class C3 by astronomers. Other flares, known as X or M class, are much larger, and capable of doing damage on Earth. C-class flares rarely have much effect on Earth beyond auroras - the glowing displays towards the poles, like the Northern (and Southern) Lights...

...While no damage seems to have been done by this flare, Nasa astronomers have previously warned that a much larger solar storm could cause havoc with electrical systems on Earth. In 2013, the Sun is expected to reach a stage in its roughly 11-year cycle when large storms are more likely.

In 1859, one huge flare burned out telegraph wires across Europe and the USA. The so-called "Carrington flare", named after its discoverer, “smothered two-thirds of the Earth’s skies in a blood-red aurora a night later, and crippled all global navigation and global communication, such as it was at that time. Compasses spun uselessly and the telegraph network went down as phantom electricity surged through the wire,” according to Dr Stuart Clark, author of The Sun Kings...

read full story here

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT:  It's not a matter of IF this happens, it's a matter of WHEN this happens.  It will happen eventually, someday, no matter what.  It is inevitable because it is the normal cycle of the sun.  It's happened perhaps thousands of times in human history, and it's certain to happen again within the next century.  The only question is when?  The latest solar cycle just began last year and will reach it's height in 2013.  While solar ejections can happen anytime during a solar cycle, it is believed the height of these cycles produce the largest and most dangerous effects.  What makes this solar cycle particularly dangerous is the especially long solar-low period we just passed through with no sunspots.  It was the longest in recorded history.  The fear of some scientists is that such an unusually long solar-low period may be the calm before the storm - a BIG storm.

Here is the good news.  These solar ejections, no matter how large, are virtually harmless to biological life on earth.  Thanks to earth's magnetic field, God has provided a shield of protection that is guaranteed to protect humans, animals and plants.  Here's the bad news, God did not include electrical grids and electronic equipment in that plan.  So when the great solar storm happens we can look forward to a disaster that will cripple the whole industrialized world and throw us back to a technology level comparable to the 1800s.  (Time to get out the old horse and buggy!)  Sadly, this transition will not go smoothly.  The industrialized world is highly dependent on technology.  The sudden loss of this, especially the electrical power grid, will be catastrophic.  Not even backup emergency generators and automobiles will last long.  Once the power grid goes, the ability to pump gasoline will disappear.  Whatever is left in your tank is all you'll have until it's gone, with no way to get more.  The food distribution system will be nonexistent.  Supermarkets will be emptied within hours.  Riots will erupts for food.  The entire industrialized world will be plunged into darkness, from which there is no escape, resulting in a massive loss of world population to violence, starvation and disease.  World war will inevitably erupt, if it hasn't already, as nations fight with what little resources they have left to gain more.  Eventually the jets and tanks will run out of fuel, leaving many soldiers to fight conventional style until all the bullets are gone.  Then they resort to old fashioned hand-to-hand combat with swords and bayonets. 

Our reliance on technology will become our final undoing. When the world emerges from this nightmare, it will be a simpler way of life, hearkening back to the 19th century.  Those that survive will have learned how to live in simplicity, without technology, and undoubtedly most people will never trust it again.  The Age of Technology will have come to a grinding halt. 

In the decades to follow the world will utilize technology again, but in a more guarded way.  Electrical grids will become a thing of the past, as power generation technology will become more localized for safety sake, in the event of another solar storm.  Most people won't need as much electricity anymore, as they will have learned to live without it.  A simple windmill or solar panel will provide enough electricity to run a refrigerator and a few power outlets.  That's all anybody will likely use it for.  Perhaps wireless communication will make a comeback eventually as well.  Who knows what becomes of the Internet.  There will be less of a need for long-distance travel, and it will be expensive anyway.  World powers will have been shaken, and the distribution of world strength will be considerably different after the solar event.  In every sense it will be a whole new world, emerging from this holocaust of unimaginable proportions.

Will this happen in 2013?  The Catholic Knight makes no predictions as there is no way I can know.  However, it is likely to happen this century, and it would seem the predictions of Catholic prophets throughout the ages have predicted just such a thing.  You can read the predictions of these Church approved prophets in Desmond Birch's book Trial, Tribulation & Triumph.

Is there any way to prepare for this event?  A lot of it depends on how dependent on technology you are.  I imagine if you're reading this, you are likely pretty dependent.  Probably the people who will do the best are the Amish, Mennonite and Plain Catholic communities.  As for the rest of us, we would probably do well getting some camping equipment and a pantry full of nonperishable foods.  This will hold us over for a week or two, which may give us some time to think about what to do next.  Beyond that, unless you plan to radically simplify your life in advance, probably the only thing left to do is pray and make good connections within your parish community.

Why I Support The Constitution Party - And You Should Too!

Signing of the U.S. Constitution

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT:  The founding fathers of the United States did not believe the Constitution was sacrosanct, and neither do I.  In fact, they were somewhat divided on the Constitution, some opposing it entirely, wishing instead to keep the United States under the original Articles of Confederation.  Nevertheless, when the Constitution was signed and eventually ratified by the states, it was viewed not as a sacred document, but rather as a working rule for good government.  The Bill of Rights were immediately added, and among them was the Tenth Amendment guaranteeing states' rights.

The purpose of the Constitution was twofold.  One, to specifically enumerate the powers delegated to the federal government by the states, because you see, according to America's founding fathers, all sovereignty and power resides in the states to begin with, and all federal powers are merely on loan from the states.  Two, to streamline those enumerated loaned powers and also restrain them.  Remember, the founding fathers of the United States had just successfully fought a war to secede from the British Empire.  They were especially sensitive to the problems associated with centralized power run amok.  The last thing they wanted to do was create a federal government that would do the exact same thing.

Unfortunately that's exactly what happened briefly during the Civil War and then more permanently during the 20th century.  In both cases, the problem laid in the failure of federal politicians to respect the restraints imposed on them by the Constitution.  We could go through a list of presidents for example, starting with Abraham Lincoln, then Andrew Johnson, to Woodrow Wilson, to Franklin Roosevelt, to Lyndon Johnson, etc.  Only a partial list of Senators and Congressmen would fill this page.  So the question begs to be asked, "is it even possible for a representative republic to avoid tyranny?"

Regular readers of this blog already know the answer.  No.  It's not possible.  Republics are inherently weak forms of government, and democracies are worse.  Some of the world's worst dictators, such as Adolph Hitler for example, came to power using democratic republicanism in a perfectly legal and legitimate way.  Tyranny is sadly, an unavoidable circumstance of the human condition.  It is possible, however, to get brief reprieves from tyranny, sometimes lasting a hundred years or more, if the right conditions apply.  Sadly, we've not yet seen this in the United States of America.

That may seem like a shocking statement, but it is true.  The English colonists originally suffered the tyranny of King George.  They fought a bloody revolution to escape his tyranny, and shockingly it actually worked!  They got a reprieve from tyranny for exactly eighty-five years, from 1776 to 1861 when Abraham Lincoln repeated the actions of King George and attacked his own people for asserting their right to independence.  After the Civil War, most of the American people (with the exception of Southerners for some time) got another reprieve from tyranny, this time lasting fifty-one years from 1865 to 1916.  That's when the income tax was started via the 16th amendment, and the state legislators were deprived of their right to appoint and recall U.S. senators via the 17th amendment.  In both of these cases, the states did it to themselves, by ratifying amendments to the constitution that ultimately deprived them of liberty.  In other words, they shot themselves in the foot.  This tyranny was more subtle and started very mildly, increasing throughout the decades, until it has now reached a point unbearable by the general American population.

It is possible to gain another reprieve from tyranny, and it's even possible to make it last quite a bit longer than a mere half century.  How?  Well, there are two ways.  The first way is to have another constitutional convention, cross our fingers and hope for the best.  That's a long shot, and one that will probably result in the nation fracturing into multiple countries.  For some that outcome may not be so bad, for others it could be a nightmare.  The second way is a less radical solution.  We simply go back to the original constitution, modify it just a little to bring it more in line with what the founding fathers originally intended, and then force our politicians to start following it.  Granted, that sounds easy enough, but getting it done will be a challenge.  It is nevertheless our best shot at getting another reprieve from tyranny and keeping our republic intact for a little while longer.

This is how it's done...

1. Support the nationwide TEA Party demonstrations.  These are merely demonstrations.  The TEA Party is not an organized political party, and it has no membership rolls.  You support it by simply showing up to a rally or demonstration.  That's all.  It's just a way of peacefully demonstrating our outrage to the federal government, and encouraging state governments to stand up and do something.  The more people who show up to TEA Parties, the faster we can get this reformation of our government underway.
2. Support state politicians who uphold states rights.  I'm talking about state politicians here, not federal politicians.  This means your governors and state legislators.  The federal government is never going to concede power back to the states on it's own.  It will never happen - ever!  The only way for the states to assert their sovereignty and get their power back is for them to just TAKE IT BACK.  They can do it.  It is recognized in the U.S. Constitution.  It's called the 10th amendment.  To make this happen, we must support the TEA Parties first, and then look to elect state politicians who also support state's rights.
3. Support the Constitution Party.  Part of the reason why the United States has gotten into this mess is because of the two-party system.  Both the Democrats AND Republicans are complicit in robbing Americans of their life, liberty and property.  They frequently work together, and neither one has a particularly good record at fixing America's problems.  Both have given us a bigger federal government, they just disagree on how much bigger and how fast it should grow.  In his presidential campaign of 1992, then candidate William Jefferson Clinton candidly told his supporters that the same people are controlling BOTH political parties.  He demonstrated this fact after becoming president by getting congressional Democrats to go along and ratify NAFTA, a Republican sponsored treaty drafted by the previous Republican administration, and later signed by his own hand.  If there is any doubt that the same people are controlling both parties then one need look no further than the financial bailouts started under the Bush administration and continued under the Obama administration.  The Constitution Party is the ONLY viable political party in the United States that is serious about radically reducing the size and power of the federal government and returning power to the states.  Neither the Democrats nor Republicans will do that. 

Now as a practicing Catholic who takes the social teachings of the Church seriously, I want to expressly state here that of the four viable options in American politics (Democrat, Republican, Constitution and Libertarian) the Constitution Party is the ONLY one most aligned with them.  I base this on the Church's primary social teachings of (1) Life, (2) Family and (3) Subsidiarity.

On the issue of Life, the Constitution Party is the ONLY viable political party in the United States that is 100% Pro-Life.  What does that mean?  It means it is against abortion 100% of the time.  It means it is against euthanasia 100% of the time.  It means it is against human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research 100% of the time.  See the party platform on the Sanctity of Life here.  You absolutely WILL NOT find that kind of commitment in any other political party in the United States -  not even the Republican Party which has recently reached out to pro-abortion politicians via it's "big tent" strategy.  Furthermore, the Republicans have historically used the "Pro-Life" banner as a means of getting their candidates elected, when in fact the Republican Party has had multiple opportunities to end Roe v. Wade while they had control of both the Congress and the Whitehouse.  Simple congressional legislation, signed by the president, could easily remove the jurisdiction of federal courts to hear any cases involving abortion.  That would effectively make Roe v. Wade a paper tiger, unenforceable and impotent, leaving the states free to legislate however they want.  The Republicans have known about this for decades, and yet they have done NOTHING.  Why?  Because removing the problem eliminates a key issue they've been using to garner political votes.  Without it, they may lose some elections.  

On the issue of Family, the Constitution Party is the ONLY viable political party that opposes homosexual marriage and civil unions across the board 100% of the time.  Furthermore, the Constitution Party opposes homosexual adoptions, and special laws giving special rights to homosexual persons.  See party platform on Family here.  Furthermore, the Constitution Party supports the traditional family 100%, affirming the rights of parents to raise their children without government interference.  In addition, the Constitution Party has pledged to protect families against pornography, against gambling, against narcotics, and against Marxist socialism in all it's forms.  No other political party in the United States has made this pledge - not a single one.  The Constitution Party is 100% Pro-Family, and you simply will not find another party as committed to the traditional family. 

On the issue of Subsidiarity, the Constitution Party is unquestionably the most seriously committed to this cause.  The Catholic social doctrine on Subsidiarity simply states that it is IMMORAL for larger governing institutions to interfere in the internal life of smaller governing institutions (see catechism).  In the American sense, this is most clearly represented in Federalism (or Anti-Federalism) in which the sovereignty and rights of the states are affirmed ABOVE that of the federal government.  This is a principle that nether the Democrats nor Republicans subscribe to.  It would seem the Republicans have given lip service to it, especially after the Reagan administration, but have done very little to support it in any real substantive way.  Meanwhile, the Democrats don't seem to know what Federalism is anymore, let alone Anti-Federalism.  Of course the entire Platform of the Constitution Party could be considered a lesson in Federalism and Subsidiarity, but it's one single plank on State Sovereignty sums it up nicely.

No other viable political party in America so clearly takes it's stand with the core of Catholic social teaching and the warnings of Our Lady of Fatima against social immorality and Marxist socialism.  No other viable political party in America so clearly represents the vision of our founding fathers and the hopes and dreams of hard working Americans today.  No other viable political party in America so clearly identifies with Christian values and the Biblical worldview.  No other political party in America is more aligned with a well formed Catholic conscience based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  No other viable political party in America so clearly represents our core Catholic values than the Constitution Party.

On a personal note, I have written to the leaders of the Constitution Party and expressed my faith as a practicing Catholic to them.  They have communicated to me their unwavering support of our faith and our Church as their ally in this war against big oppressive government.  Their commitment to our religious freedom is unmistakable and rock solid.  While Evangelicals once made up the core of the Constitution Party's base, that has already changed, and the party has seen a large influx of conservative Lutherans and traditional Roman Catholics.  They have assured me that they welcome all Christians of good faith, as well as people of other faiths who respect our Christian heritage and adhere to our Christian moral values. High profile Roman Catholics around the nation are already supporting the Constitution Party, and the party itself consistently runs solid Roman Catholics for political office.  It's a party any Roman Catholic can be proud to be a member of.  

As a practicing Catholic I unreservedly support the Constitution Party, and I firmly believe you should too.  The Constitution Party is a viable party.  It is the third largest party in American politics.  It's larger than all other third parties,  It has gained permanent ballot access in seventeen states and is rapidly gaining access in others.  It's closest rival is the Libertarian Party, which it has outpaced in growth significantly even though the Libertarian Party had a two-decade head start.  At it's current rate of growth it will surpass the Libertarian Party in ballot access before the 2016 election.  The Constitution Party is a REAL political party with a REAL chance at making a significant impact in the near future.  It needs our support, and that's why I'm encouraging you to join the party and actively support it both morally and financially, but especially with your prayers.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE CONSTITUTION PARTY NATIONAL WEBSITE