An appeal from Fr. Christopher Hartley wrote in 2017.

 You can check the source of this text here.

You can help Fr. Christopher Hartley's mission here. 

 

Lent 2017

 

Dear Friends of the Mission,

For the last year and a half, not a drop of rain has fallen in Gode and the Somali region of Ethiopia.

Here everything is dying.

It is dramatic to see people arrive at the rickety hospital of Gode, by any means of transport, including carts driven by donkeys, carrying squalid and dying patients.

People arrive with their last breath and sometimes they die within in a few minutes, in the hands of helpless doctors, because of the magnitude of the tragedy.

It is so sad and heartbreaking to see the fields devastated by the drought. Here nothing grows, neither corn, nor soybeans, no cereals, here everything is swept away by gusts of wind in giant clouds of dust that soil and clothe it in coats of gray.

Every morning when I leave the house, before dawn, to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, I see the dead cattle on the roadside … cows, goats, sheep … The stench is dreadful and the spectacle so terribly sad.

At this time, all that Gode breathes is death and desolation.

For a few months now, we have had a young English doctor working with us. He spends mornings and afternoons at the public hospital. Thanks to him we are receiving firsthand information on the magnitude of the drama that these people are experiencing.

Thursday, March 2, he warned us that an unusual number of patients were dying (in fact, the first six of them died in the Gode hospital that afternoon), brought from the Afder area, whose capital is Hargele.

We soon learned that the problem was that, because of the desperation to bring water in trucks to the most remote villages, some NGOs had taken water from a dam near the city of Hargele, which was completely polluted and infected.

This particular NGO was the Islamic Relief Service.

That same night I loaded the off-road vehicle of the mission with all the medicines that we had at that moment at our disposal and at 5:00 am last Friday I went to Hargele. It was 230 kilometers (143 miles) of terrible road. Before 10 in the morning, I was already in the hospital of the city. I met the medical director and gave him the medicine. It was very sad to hear this man, Abdisalem Mohamed, tell of the tragedy of all those hundreds of people who came every day infected with terminal typhus.

Delivery of medicines to the hospital director. In the red bag, down to the right, there are medicines brought in my suitcase.

He accompanied us to visit some of the patients. Above all, seeing the children was heartbreaking. The anguish of the parents who had already seen their children die by the cursed polluted water of the NGO. The director begged us, almost on his knees, to try to send more medicines and food for the patients.

In these days when the whole Church, as a faithful bride of Jesus Christ, accompanies his way of the cross through the countless painful paths of this world, it is not difficult to recognize the face of the Passion of Christ in the small macerated bodies of these children.

By mid-morning, I decided that it was imperative to look for the villages from where the sick people arrived, to really understand the problem. What no one had told me was that there was no real roadway to get to those settlements. So, with the 4×4 ready and gritting our teeth, we trudged those 40 endless and unforgettable kilometers (25 miles).

We finally arrived drowned in dust from head to toe and scorched with heat. The people immediately swirled around us to tell us about their tragedy. We went to the polluted well and saw the putrid water that had caused so much death and desolation.

This is the new pool where they receive uncontaminated water. It seems a sad irony to call this clean water. Please note the woman down to the left. She is collecting water with a cup and a plate from the mud, where goats and sheep also urinate…

The men of the town told us details of the tragedy and asked for urgent help: drinking water, food and medicines. I promised to help them in what was within the reach of the Church.

On the way, we saw many animals that had died of thirst and starvation. People said to us: “Abba (Father), when the camels are dying of thirst is when we do not have much life left.”

I asked to visit the sick who were too seriously ill to be taken to Hargele Hospital. They showed me a cabin in which several sick people lay on the ground.

There were two very young boys in ragged white nurse robes. I asked them about the symptoms. “Do they have a fever?” I asked. One bowed his head in embarrassment and said, “We do not know because we do not have a thermometer.”

I gave them the few medicines we still had and some clean water. We had to return to Gode and we had more than five hours of road. You feel so powerless, so disturbed inside when you see these scenes … You simply ask “Why?” Why these people, why do millions of people live like this? Why while this woman does not even have a thermometer, other women spend a fortune on an absurd cosmetic surgery?

We live in a crazy world. Definitely.

As we made our way back from the villages to Hargele, out of nowhere, from behind the bushes, came children running behind our vehicle,  screaming at us with despair written on their faces, “biyo, biyo, biyo” (water in Somali).

We distributed more than 15 bottles of water, through the window of the vehicle, to shepherd children.

We distributed more than fifteen bottles of water like this one, through the window of the vehicle, to shepherd children.

We still had a five-hour drive back to Gode. I thought of all the water I had seen in my life: rivers, swimming pools (my house, for example…), ponds, beautiful fountains of so many cities, lakes … As much water as I had seen … water that no one will ever drink, water for the fun it, even water parks! Water for the aesthetic adornment of a square … And seeing desperate children, running after my car begging a liter of water … It seemed all so grotesque and absurd …

What a world we live in!!

And everywhere, dead animals, in a state of putrefaction, under a merciless sun of more than 45 °C (113 °F). Fertile ground for the spread of anthrax and many other contagious diseases, so dangerous for the survival of these poor people.

Before a spectacle like this, one does not know, what to think, or what to say, or what to do …

My head was spinning, while I was thinking of solutions, of the help that could befall them.

The medicines that we still need are: Ceftriaxone IV, gentamicin IV, ringer lactate, DNS, normal saline, 40% glucose, oral amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, co-trimoxazole, ibuprofen syrup, paracetamol syrup, amoxicillin syrup.

If we had the resources, we could transport them to the Hargele hospital from Gode, as most of these drugs are accessible here. We would need funds to pay for the fuel for our vehicles coming and going to emergency areas and, finally, funds to buy basic food.

On the way back, I thought, with profound emotion, amidst the horror I had seen that day, that it was the first time these people had seen the face of charity, by the presence of a Catholic priest.

It was the first time in history that the Catholic Church had reached the Somali area of ​​the Afder. And I thanked God that, as St. Paul says: “He trusted me and entrusted this ministry to me.”

And it came to mind the words I had just meditated on in previous days of our Holy Father Pope Francis in his message of this Lent:

 

[…] Lazarus teaches us that other persons are a gift. A right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value. Even the poor person at the door of the rich is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and to change. The parable first invites us to open the doors of our heart to others because each person is a gift, whether it be our neighbor or an anonymous pauper. Lent is a favorable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ. Each of us meets people like this every day. Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and love. The word of God helps us to open our eyes to welcome and love life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable. But in order to do this, we have to take seriously what the Gospel tells us about the rich man.[…].

 

I returned home dead tired and broken with grief from what my eyes had seen. From the very moment I arrived at the mission again, I have not stopped turning around what can and should be done as the Church of Jesus Christ that we are. Witnesses of the merciful love of God, who is Father and loves each one of these people. These people may be non-existent people, irrelevant to the world. Perhaps their tragedy is at best a mere statistic. Not for God, not for the Church.

They are people whose faces come out of anonymity in the encounter with a missionary Church, always ready to go further, where no one has reached. The Church is the only one who can see in all this tragedy that every life, every face, is an icon and transparency of the crucified Lord.

I beg you for the love of God to please do everything in your power to help us. Any help, however small or seemingly insignificant, may help save a life.

I am the voice of those who have no voice, or have only a drowned groan, like a lump in the throat, a shrill groan, where they not only have no water, but have no more tears to cry.

The stench was unbearable. It was horrible to see village after village, by whose banks the cattle died of thirst and starvation. This makes for dangerous infections for these people whose immune systems are weak.

The Church, like Our Holy Mother Mary, always walks with her Son, who in the painful via crucis of the life of these dusty paths, falls and rises again and again. Sometimes she has things to give, other times empty hands (I well know it!). But hands empty or full, the Church will always walk in each missionary, adhered as a mother and bride, to the crucified body of her Son in each one of the brethren.

Every day in every Holy Mass I offer in the paten and chalice, the death and the life of these poor people. In that same offering, I offer each one of you, who with your charity, clothe the naked with us, give drink to the thirsty with us and feed the hungry with us.

For God’s sake, help us as much as you can!

Before the Tabernacle of the mission we pray for all of you and with Our Lady, Queen of the Missions, we ask that she hide us under her blessed mantle.

We wish for all of you a Lent in which our hearts be torn, so that we may bear fruits of conversion, sharing with the poor so much that we can all spare.

 

With my blessing to all,

 

Fr. Christopher

Like Toys in the Hands of the Child Jesus

 On the feast of the Epiphany, the Three Wise Men visit the Child Jesus bearing gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And what shall we offer the divine Infant? Perhaps... a toy — since children are so fond of them?

Christo Nihil Præponere Team — January 6, 2023

Ypu can read the original source (in Portuguese) here. 

 

On the solemnity of the Epiphany, the Three Magi who come to adore the Christ Child bring Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh — offerings which, as Pope Benedict XVI once observed, are somewhat unusual for a child. But this child was no ordinary one: He was God made flesh (hence the frankincense), destined to reign from the wood of the Cross (hence the gold), and to die for all mankind (hence the myrrh).

Despite the peculiar nature of these gifts from the East, what remains is their gratuitous character. “The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people with all kinds of wealth,” says Psalm 45 (v. 12). Our baby showers express the same sentiment: we delight in giving gifts to children. And there is no better way to celebrate this Epiphany than by offering our own gift to the Child born in Bethlehem.

And why not toys, if children delight in them?

Our readers might find the suggestion humorous, but it was the Child Jesus Himself who made it to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque on the day she was admitted into religious life, November 6, 1672. She recounts the moment in her Autobiography:

 

On the day I received the long-desired grace of admission, my divine Master wished to accept me as His spouse — but in a way I cannot express. I can only say that He presented Himself to me and treated me as a bride of Tabor, which was more painful to me than death, for I saw myself so unlike my Spouse, whom I saw before me all disfigured and torn on Calvary. But He said to me: “Let Me do all things in due time. I want you to be a plaything in the hands of My love, which desires to amuse itself with you as children do with their toys, as it pleases them. You must surrender yourself without resistance or hesitation, and allow Me to take My delight at your expense. But you shall lose nothing.” He promised never to leave me, saying: “Always be ready and eager to receive Me, for I desire to make of you My dwelling place, to converse and delight Myself with you.” [i]

 

Notice, however, that the gift Jesus desired was herself — with the level of surrender that a toy gives. Jesus compares Himself to a child, longing to play with us as one might with dolls, toy cars, or building blocks. And the remarkable thing is that, during the Epiphany (and indeed, throughout the Christmas season), we contemplate God not as a child merely by analogy, but as a real child — wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, cradled in Mary’s arms. The eternal Son of God did not compare Himself to a child — He became one.

Just consider how the story of our own lives unfolds to see how apt this analogy is. At times, certain events — whether joyful or painful, but especially the painful ones: losses, accidents, tragedies, financial hardships — leave us with the impression (especially if we are believers) that we are indeed at the mercy of a child’s whims, someone in heaven who “arranges and rearranges” things down here as He pleases; who plays with one of us for a while, enjoys Himself a bit, then suddenly shakes us roughly, tosses us into a corner, and forgets all about us... (A bit like young Andy in Toy Story, who gradually grows tired of some toys as he gets new ones.)

Yet what may seem like the erratic behavior of a whimsical God is in fact the supremely wise and perfectly ordered plan of His Providence. We are not in the hands of a tyrant, but of a loving Lord who even makes use of our sins — and of what we consider great “misfortunes” — to pour out His grace and fulfill His will in us.

In the Italian literary classic I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) by Alessandro Manzoni, the main thread running through the story is precisely Divine Providence. Neither Renzo nor Lucia, neither the heroic Father Cristoforo nor the cowardly Don Abbondio, are the true protagonists of the novel: the lead role is played by the Creator Himself, guiding His creatures through paths and “detours” of His own design. For the characters, things often make little sense (indeed, they frequently make no sense at all), but in the end, everything fits together. As the narrator explains:

 

After much discussion and reflection, [Renzo and Lucia] concluded that many troubles arise because people invite them, but that the most cautious and innocent conduct is not enough to keep them away, and that when they come — with or without fault — trust in God softens them and makes them useful for a better life. This conclusion, though reached by humble folk, seemed so wise to us that we decided to include it here as the meaning of the entire story. [ii]

 

For instance: had Don Abbondio not cowardly refused to marry Renzo and Lucia, the fearsome Unnamable would not have converted — a cruel and mysterious man who repents of his sins, confesses to Cardinal Federico Borromeo, and changes his life in one of the most beautiful passages in the entire novel. Literary critic Otto Maria Carpeaux writes of the work:

 

It is one of the most complete worlds ever created by a poet: held in perfect balance by the hand of God. Manzoni, a Catholic of firm faith, believed in Divine Providence; and thus, one never doubts the happy outcome of the tragedy, and this faith transforms the novel into a symbol of heavenly harmony [...]. In The Betrothed, all the infernal sufferings of humanity are present: tyranny, violence, passion, injustice, plague, and even the most terrible enemy of mankind — cowardly foolishness — embodied in Don Abbondio, a creation worthy of Cervantes. But these horrors are softened by the historical perspective, and even the trivialities of the common folk are transfigured by ironic, indulgent humor. In a cosmic way, Divine Providence and human action are intertwined [...]. It is the greatest historical novel ever written. [iii]

 

As we’ve said, this perfectly ordered and harmonious universe is not merely a literary creation of Manzoni. If we look at our personal experience, this is exactly how things unfold in real life. Isn’t our very existence the result of countless chance events and seeming accidents? How many of us were brought into the world by the sole desire of God — “disrupting” the plans of many? How many of us are the outcome of others’ grave sins — just like Christ, whose genealogy includes King David’s adultery and the prostitute Rahab (cf. Mt 1:5–6)? And on a supernatural level, how many encounters and “missed encounters” were necessary for us to convert and begin living in a state of grace?

In this sense, Jesus’ request to Saint Margaret (and to each of us) is nothing other than a call to collaborate personally in this beautiful divine work within us. A few pages before this revelation, the saint’s spiritual mistress had said to her: “Go place yourself in the presence of Our Lord as a canvas before the painter.” [iv] Another beautiful image for meditation: God as the artist; we, the blank canvas! And shortly after, speaking of obedience to her superiors, Christ told her:

I am pleased that you preferred the will of your superiors to My own, especially when they forbade you to do what I had told you. Let them do with you what they will: I shall find a way to fulfill My plans, even if I use seemingly contradictory and opposing paths. [v]

Let us not be afraid, then, to surrender ourselves to the divine Infant, like “toys” in His hands — truly, this is a fitting “program” not only for this Epiphany, but for the whole of our lives.

 

References:

i. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Autobiography. Translated by Lucas Ferreira. Dois Irmãos: Minha Biblioteca Católica, 2022, pp. 73–74.

ii. Alessandro Manzoni, The Betrothed. Translated by Francisco Degani. São Paulo: Nova Alexandria, 2012, p. 669.

iii. Otto Maria Carpeaux, History of Western Literature, 3rd ed., Brasília: Senado Federal, 2008, p. 1486.

iv. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, op. cit., p. 66.

v. Ibid., p. 72.

 Today this blog celebrates his first anniversary.

Blessed be God forever! 

 

Prayer composed by Pope Saint Pius X - and granted indulgences by him in 1914* - in reparation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Co-Redemptrix of the Human Race.

 You can read the original source here AAS 06 [1914] on page 108.

 

 

Preghiera di riparazione alla beata Vergine Maria.

Vergine benedetta, Madre di Dio, volgete benigna lo sguardo dal cielo, ove sedete regina, su questo misero peccatore, vostro servo. Esso, benché consapevole della sua indegnità, a risarcimento delle offese a voi fatte da lingue empie e blasfeme, dall'intimo del suo cuore vi benedice ed esalta come la più pura, la più bella e la più santa di tutte le creature. Benedice il vostro santo nome, benedice le vostre sublimi pre rogative di vera Madre di Dio, sempre Vergine, concepita senza macchia di peccato, di corredentrice del genere umano. Benedice l'eterno Padre, che vi scelse in modo particolare per Figlia, benedice il Verbo incarnato, che vestendosi dell'umana natura nel vostro purissimo seno vi fece sua Madre; benedice il divino Spirito che vi volle sua Sposa. Benedice, esalta e ringrazia la Trinità augusta che vi prescelse e predilesse tanto da innalzarvi su tutte le creature alla più sublime altezza.

O Vergine santa e misericordiosa, impetrate il ravvedimento ai vostri offensori e gradite questo piccolo ossequio dal vostro servo, ottenendo anche a lui, dal vostro divin Figlio, il perdono dei propri peccati. Amen.

 

Prayer of Reparation to the Blessed Virgin Mary

O Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, cast thy gentle gaze from heaven, where thou reignest as Queen, upon this poor sinner, thy servant. Though he knows full well his unworthiness, yet, in reparation for the injuries done to thee by impious and blasphemous tongues, he blesses and exalts thee from the depths of his heart as the purest, the fairest, and the holiest of all creatures. He blesses thy holy Name; he blesses thy sublime prerogatives as true Mother of God, ever Virgin, conceived without stain of sin, Co-Redemptrix of the human race.

He blesses the Eternal Father, who chose thee in a singular manner as his Daughter; he blesses the Incarnate Word, who, taking our human nature in thy most pure womb, made thee his Mother; he blesses the Divine Spirit, who took thee as his Spouse. He blesses, exalts, and gives thanks to the august Trinity that foreknew and loved thee above all creatures and raised thee to the most sublime height over every created being.

O holy and merciful Virgin, obtain repentance for those who have offended thee, and graciously accept this humble homage from thy servant; win for him also, from thy divine Son, the forgiveness of his own sins.

Amen.

 

Virgem bendita, Mãe de Deus, volvei benignamente o vosso olhar desde o Céu, onde estais sentada como Rainha, sobre este mísero pecador, vosso servo. Embora consciente da sua indignidade, ele Vos oferece, em reparação das ofensas feitas contra Vós por línguas ímpias e blasfemas, as bênçãos e louvores que brotam do mais íntimo do seu coração. Ele Vos bendiz e exalta como a mais pura, a mais bela e a mais santa de todas as criaturas. Bendiz o vosso santo nome, bendiz as vossas sublimes prerrogativas de verdadeira Mãe de Deus, sempre Virgem, concebida sem mancha de pecado, e de Corredentora do Gênero Humano. Bendiz o eterno Pai, que Vos escolheu de modo tão especial para sua Filha; bendiz o Verbo Encarnado, que, revestindo-se da natureza humana em vosso puríssimo seio, Vos fez sua Mãe; bendiz o Espírito Divino, que Vos quis por sua Esposa. Bendiz, exalta e agradece à Augusta Trindade, que Vos escolheu e amou de tal modo que Vos elevou acima de todas as criaturas à mais sublime dignidade.

Ó Virgem santa e misericordiosa, alcançai arrependimento para os vossos ofensores e acolhei este pequeno ato de homenagem do vosso servo; obtende-lhe também, do vosso divino Filho, o perdão dos próprios pecados.

Amém!

 

* A Suprema Sagrada Congregação do Santo Ofício, em 22 de janeiro de 1914,comunicou que o Santo Papa Pio X, em audiência concedida ao Reverendíssimo Assessor do Santo Ofício, dignou-Se conceder benignamente aos fiéis cristãos que, com o coração ao menos contrito e devoto, recitarem a oração acima transcrita, alcancem indulgência de 100 dias, aplicável também às almas do purgatório, todas as vezes que a recitarem.

Este presente decreto tem validade perpétua, sem necessidade de emissão de breve apostólico, não obstante quaisquer disposições em contrário.

D. Cardeal Ferrata, Secretário.

D. Arcebispo de Seleucia, Assessor do Santo Ofício

Comic Books and Warrior Priests: An Interview with Douglas Ernst

 

 

by Jared Zimmerer, July 30, 2019.

You can read the original source here. 

 

 Comic book heroes have taken the cultural imagination by storm over the past century. The genre is not often seen as a source of truth and beauty. However, Douglas Ernst, the author of a new sort of comic book, sees the power of comics and hopes to provide a piece of culture that speaks to beauty, goodness, and truth.

 

Tell us a little about the kind of guy who writes graphic novels about combat veterans turned exorcists. What is your background and the inspiration for Soulfinder: Demon’s Match?

Douglas Ernst: The short answer is that I’m a Catholic man who grew up loving superhero tales before enlisting in the US Army when I was eighteen years old. The more detailed response is that I’m a writer by vocation, I care about our culture, and I want to tell tales that inspire the next generation’s G.K. Chesterton or J.R.R. Tolkien. I worked for many years in Washington, DC, dealing with media, political issues, and nonprofit organizations, but I believe the saying “Politics is downstream from culture.” Much of my free time is spent trying to reach people who have marinated in a culture of moral relativism and bring them to a kind of psychological and spiritual epiphany like the one Thomas Merton details in The Seven Storey Mountain.

I think Bishop Barron’s YouTube channel—particularly its movie reviews—were far ahead of the power curve. My YouTube channel doesn’t have the same reach, but I’d like to believe that we both share similar goals.

 

Tell us more about Soulfinder: Demon’s Match, its genre, and what you hope to accomplish through your artistic expression.

Douglas Ernst: We become, for all intents and purposes, the stories we tell about ourselves. The problem is that so much of the fiction we consume these days is intellectually and morally confused. It’s hard to know the difference between heroes and villains. Stories seem to give audiences endless shades of grey, which on top of everything else is incredibly boring. Soulfinder in many ways is a rejection of the cultural poison that Hollywood has been pumping out for years. The book flirts with many different genres—mystery, horror, action, and adventure—in much the same way the Indiana Jones films did over the years.

One of the things that I love about Word on Fire is its clarion call to value the good, the true, and the beautiful. All too often, however, it seems that many Catholics underestimate the value of the beautiful. One way to combat Hollywood’s deleterious effect on our culture is for people with functioning moral compasses to support quality writers and artists.

Comic books are often the inspiration for films that gross hundreds of millions of dollars, sometimes over $1 billion, at the box office. The cultural power of such films and comics cannot be understated. My hope is to provide a quality story with a tinge of moral imagination to awaken the hearts and souls of my readers. Soulfinder, which has already raised more than $25,000, is my attempt to get the ball rolling.

 

Tell us more about how you went about crafting a narrative.

Douglas Ernst: Much of the comic book genre today falls into the postmodern ideals of a flattening of the power of good and evil. When I first started crafting Soulfinder I wanted to make it very clear that evil does exist—and there is no better way to do that than to pit my heroes (i.e., Catholic priests Patrick Retter and Reginald Crane) up against demonic forces.

The next step was to try and focus on universal questions and big ideas. I decided on the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” and the idea that bearing our crosses with grace and dignity is inherently virtuous. The book is informed by my faith, but I never wanted it to come across as preachy. The goal was to tell a multi-layered story that entertains on whatever level the reader wants to examine it. Readers who solely want to be enthralled by Catholic priests battling demonic king cobras can do that; others who want references to well-known Trappist monks will also walk away smiling if I did my job right.

My hope regarding the beautiful is that the art speaks for itself. Everyone who contributed to the book—Timothy Lim, Brett R. Smith, Dave Dorman, and Matt Weldon—are total professionals.

 

You mentioned The Seven Storey Mountain as an inspiration, but are there any other religious books that guided your thinking during the creative process?

Douglas Ernst: There are a few books off the top of my head that I know influenced the script. The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Your Life is Worth Living; Hubert Van Zeller’s Suffering: The Cross of Christ and Its Meaning for You; St. John of the Cross’ Dark Night of the Soul; Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation; and numerous works by C.S. Lewis all shaped the creation of Soulfinder. I also did quite a bit of research into exorcisms and ran the script by three Catholic friends I respect to make sure I didn’t inadvertently say something heretical.

 

Do you have any advice for other Catholic writers out there?

Douglas Ernst: Have patience! Patience is a virtue. I wanted to write a graphic novel years ago, but as time has gone on I realize that God knows far better what I need and when I need it than I do (understatement of the year nominee). Keep reading, keep writing, keep plugging away and cultivating honest and sincere relationships, and things will work out as they’re supposed to in the end. With that said, I’m always happy to lend an ear to a fellow writer. I can be reached at douglasernst@douglasernst.blog for any questions regarding Soulfinder, the craft of writing, funding independent projects, or anything else along those lines. If I can find a way to give back, then I will.

Texts of the Supreme Pontiffs on Mary Co-Redemptrix

(Compilation by Father Jorge Hidalgo)

You can read the original text (in Portuguese) here. 

 

Pope Pius IX
“Just as Christ, the mediator between God and men, having assumed human nature, blotted out the handwriting of the decree that stood against us and triumphantly affixed it to the Cross, so too the Most Holy Virgin, united to Him by a most intimate and indissoluble bond, waging with Him and through Him her eternal enmities against the venomous serpent and triumphing fully over it, crushed its head with her immaculate foot.” (Bull Ineffabilis Deus, 8 December 1854)

Pope Leo XIII
“The Virgin, free from the stain of original sin, chosen to be the Mother of God and thus associated with the work of the salvation of the human race, enjoys with her Son a favour and a power so great that neither men nor angels have ever attained, nor ever shall attain, anything comparable.” (Supremi Apostolatus, 1 September 1883)

“She who had been the co-operatrix in the mystery of man’s redemption would also be the co-operatrix in the dispensation of the graces that flow from it.” (AAS 28 [1895–1896], 130–131)

Pope Saint Pius X
“The consequence of this communion of sentiments and sufferings between Mary and Jesus is that Mary deserved to be the most worthy reparatrix of the lost world and, therefore, the dispenser of all the treasures that Jesus won for us by His death and by His blood.” (Ad diem illud, 2 February 1904)

Pope Benedict XV
“The Doctors of the Church generally teach that the Most Holy Virgin Mary, who seemed to be absent from the public life of Jesus Christ, was nevertheless at His side when He went to His death and was nailed to the Cross, being there by divine disposition. Indeed, in communion with her suffering and dying Son, she endured sorrow and almost death; she renounced her maternal rights over her Son to obtain the salvation of men; and, to appease divine justice insofar as it was fitting for her, she immolated her Son, in such a way that it can rightly be said that she redeemed the human race with Christ. And therefore every kind of grace we receive from the treasury of redemption comes to us, as it were, from the hands of the sorrowful Virgin.” (Epist. Inter sodalicia, 22 May 1918)

Pope Pius XI
“O Mother of pity and mercy, who accompanied your sweet Son while He accomplished upon the altar of the Cross the redemption of the human race, as our Co-Redemptrix, associated with His sufferings… preserve within us and increase each day, we beseech you, the precious fruits of the redemption and of your compassion.” (Radio Message, 28 April 1935)

Pope Pius XII
“Since God willed that, in the accomplishment of human redemption, the Most Holy Virgin Mary should be inseparably united to Christ, in such a way that our salvation is the fruit of the charity of Jesus Christ and of His sufferings intimately joined to the love and sorrows of His Mother, it is perfectly reasonable that the Christian people, who have received divine life from Jesus through Mary, after offering due homage to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, should also manifest to the most loving Heart of the heavenly Mother corresponding sentiments of piety, love, thanksgiving, and reparation.” (Haurietis Aquas, 15 May 1956)

Second Vatican Council
“Conceiving Christ, giving Him birth, nourishing Him, presenting Him to the Father in the temple, suffering with her Son as He died upon the cross, she cooperated in a wholly singular way in the work of the Saviour, by obedience, faith, hope and burning charity, to restore supernatural life to souls. For this reason, she is our Mother in the order of grace.” (Lumen Gentium, no. 61.)