Hanging Chads and Armageddon: Ripping Apart Father Ripperger

Our Lady of Fatima Who? Devotion to The Immaculate Heart What?

This Wolf used to like Fr Ripperger.  He had a rather excellent series of talks on Our Lady of Sorrows and also on Our Lady of Fatima.  But lately he seems to have forgotten all of that.  For some time this Wolf has been wondering what sort of Strange Brew the priories have been importing, because especially priests seem to have been afflicted over the last three years with a new malady that attacks Right Reason and the most basic fundamentals of the Catholic Faith.

This Wolf writes a lot on the coming Chastisement, and has been saying for quite some time that part of the Third Secret of Fatima is the vast majority of us are going to lose access to the Mass and Sacraments.  For years, he was generally told he was nuts.  God would NEVER allow His Church to be eclipsed in such a fashion.  After all, the Gates of Hell will never prevail.  But time marched onward and now, well, better late than never?  

First off, this Wolf ALWAYS refers people back to that seminal interview St Sr Lucia had with Fr Augustine Fuentes on Dec 26th, 1957, an interview that scared the Vatican so much that St Sr Lucia was permanently silenced and Fr Fuentes was put out to the proverbial pasture, losing his position as postulator of the Fatima Apparitions.  In the course of that interview St Sr Lucia says: "I repeat, there is no problem, as difficult as it may be, that we cannot resolve at this time by praying the Holy Rosary.  With the Holy Rosary we will save ourselves, sanctify ourselves, console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls."  This recalls what Our Lady said to St Dominic centuries ago: "One Day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the World."

This Wolf can safely say that Fr Ripperger does not regularly recall this interview, nor does he meditate very often on Our Lady of Fatima.  Incredibly, during an hour long talk, he mentions Fatima only ONCE, and that in passing.  Meanwhile, he gives convoluted explanations this Wolf sees as only doing harm to souls, depriving them of hope, and making it seem as though God is some sort of ogre who has it out for the mass of humanity.

In his opening remarks, Fr Ripperger says the following: "If the lay people don't stop attacking the clergy... eventually they will not have access to a priest..."  Huh?  How is the laity attacking the clergy?  And why would this cause them not to have access to priests?  Is he implying that limited access to priests would solely be due to "laity attacking the clergy?  He talks about "precursors" without elaborating, and also cites "draconian things... coming out of the Vatican".  

At any rate, Father says that: "Especially when things get more and more difficult geopolitically and things of that sort and even within the church as things become more and more crazy it's going to be harder and harder for people not to commit mortal sins of anger or despair..."  Obviously, this priest has been watching too many dystopian disaster movies which are programming people on how to act when normalcy is no longer an option.  Meanwhile, temptations then will be the same as temptations now, with those against purity topping the list.

Then Father launches into the most convoluted description of an Act of Perfect Contrition this Wolf has ever seen: "If you do commit a mortal sin, people say 'you just make a perfect Act of Contrition'.   Here's the problem.  The fact of the matter is that first of all you cannot make a perfect Act of Contrition without a special Grace. [Theologians] used to consider it extraordinary.   If you don't have the disposition (of being sorry for sin because it offends God) perfectly He won't Infuse it.   If [an act of Perfect Contrition was relatively easy] then there would be zero reason to institute the sacrament of confession.  If I could just turn to God and say I'm sorry and then automatically I was back in the State of Grace there would be no necessity of going to confession. The church says this is not the case.  Going to confession is the ordinary means of going from the state of mortal sin to being in the State of Grace."

First off, Father never mentions that part of the Act of Perfect Contrition is the desire to go to Confession as soon as possible.  An Act of Perfect Contrition does not replace Confession.  Secondly, Father acts as though being in the state of grace versus being in the state of mortal sin is some sort of ontological necessity, when in fact the State of Grace is essentially an orientation of the heart.  Yes, we can never be morally certain that a perfect contrition has restored us to God's grace, no matter how good we might feel.  That perfect Contrition, of course, must be filled with resolve to dispose of any occasions of sin, perseverance in prayer and good works, and a firm purpose of amendment, to the extent we are able.  Good grief, if you want the grace to make a perfect contrition, all you need do is ask for it perseveringly.  The easiest way to make an Act of Perfect Contrition is to place a Crucifix before our eyes and reflect on the sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ borne purely out of love for us.  We can also reflect on how sin grieves the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  In fact, even when Confession is available, we should endeavor to make an act of perfect contrition if ever having the misfortune to fall into mortal sin.  

The reason why Perfect Contrition is Extraordinary is simple.  Ordinary Christianity is extraordinary.  The desire to overcome the world and live out our baptismal vows must be continually nurtured, not something we contemplate only on Sundays and Ash Wednesday.  That is one reason the daily rosary is so essential- more essential, this Wolf asserts, than going to Mass even daily.  Grace is not a commodity; it is something born of compunction of heart, charity towards others, and enmity with our lower selves.

Even when it comes to venial sins Father seems to think Grace is a function of confessing every last fault and striving after a lengthy and scrupulous exposition of our faults.  This brings to mind a horrific book my mother was reading called "The Particular Examen". It was devoted to rooting out all our faults beginning with the most serious and obvious, and working towards the more hidden ones.  I told Ma that if you want to root out your faults, just go to Pop and tell him to candidly tell you all your faults, or go to the person you least like and ask the same.  Meanwhile, attempting to contemplate and keep track of all your failings is to pervert the spiritual life and turn it into an exercise in scrupulosity.  (I also now have some idea why I hear all these stories of the grumpy, neurotic nuns and brothers from the 1950's)

Ladies and Gentlemen the Spiritual Life is nothing other than having a Love Affair with the Things of Heaven.  That is why Our Lady of Fatima is so important.  Our Lady of Fatima recasts all things- our life, our loves, our destiny, our vocation- from the viewpoint of Eternity.  Fatima explains why this world is as it is, while simultaneously giving the remedy.  St Augustine said to Love God and do as you please.  That is also the rule of Fatima; it is not a formula of the purgative way but rather the Light of Truth piercing the soul.  And when the seed takes root all the virtues- particularly chastity and charity- will flourish!

Returning to Fr Ripperger, he is going to continue his convoluted presentation by giving hopelessly legalistic and canonical advice on baptism and marriage, which is illogical as well as being, in this Wolf's opinion, immoral.  Seriously, this priest seems to be too full of the importance he attaches to priests, bishops, and the pope.  He advises against hastily baptizing a child.  Dear God, Fr Ripperger, when the mushroom clouds are on the horizon or the shells are exploding all around if ever a time had come to perform an emergency baptism, that must be it.  Personally, I would not wait ten minutes.  And you would have people scruple over Canons?  Seriously?  And even if the only things that had happened were the lights went out and the pumps stopped, that is the equivalent in my book.  Every good Catholic should know the form of emergency baptism:  While pouring water over (preferably the head, but any part of the body will suffice) say, once: "(Name the individual), I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen."  Obviously, a layman cannot perform the exorcisms.  These should be supplied by a priest at the earliest possible opportunity.

Concerning the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, many Catholics are mistaken in the notion it is only valid and licit when performed by a priest using the Rites of Holy Mother Church.  Rather, Holy Matrimony is the consensual union of a man and woman for the purpose of begetting children.  The Council of Trent stipulated the marriage must be ratified in front of at least two witnesses, one being a priest.  Now, leaving aside the question of whether the church can stipulate additional conditions for the validity of a marriage, the church can certainly stipulate, within the bounds of right reason, the necessary conditions to avoid sacrilege.

If either these priests or the Vatican had an ounce of common sense, in light of what Our Lady said at Fatima and what Our Lord said concerning the end times: "But woe to them that are with child, and give suck in those days; for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people..." [Luke  Chapter 21, Verse 23]   "And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days."  [Matthew Chapter 24, Verse 19,  Mark Chapter 13, Verse 17], they would advise a moratorium on courting for two years or so in the advent of calamity.  Those already engaged should neither advance nor postpone their wedding date.  Here is a great mystery, for marriage is a sacrament, and St Paul did say part of its institution is to allay concupiscence.  So let all pray, and ponder in their heart.  And decide prudently.  But one should not have fear of legalisms.

Throughout the talk, Father talks about the sacraments, grace, and sin in a very disjointed manner, as though grace is conferred by a priest with no reference to sin and compunction of heart.  If this priest had any devotion to the Immaculate Heart whatsoever, he would not use such silly expressions as a "Get out of Purgatory Free Card".  God is perfectly just, and we will pay for every sin we commit, one way or another.  Relying on the merits and prayers of others is the height of folly.

This paragraph from Isaiah is most appropriate here: "Behold the hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have divided between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he should not hear.  For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity: your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue uttereth iniquity.  There is none that calleth upon justice, neither is there any one that judgeth truly: but they trust in a mere nothing, and speak vanities: they have conceived labour, and brought forth iniquity.  They have broken the eggs of asps, and have woven the webs of spiders: he that shall eat of their eggs, shall die: and that which is brought out, shall be hatched into a basilisk." [Isaiah Chapter 59, Verses 1 to 5]

In other words, our attachment to sin is what prevents forgiveness of sin, not lack of access to the Confessional.  The remedy for attachment to sin is devotion to the Immaculate Heart.  But Fr Ripperger discusses this... NOT ONCE!  He can cite "Our Lady of Akita" where she says that "The Living will envy The Dead", but he cannot dwell on Our Lady of Fatima for nary a minute.

Our Lady of La Salette called the priests "Cesspools of Iniquity".  And this Wolf suspects that the reason the Vatican has succumbed to the Rite of Sodomy is because "For the time is, that judgment should begin at the house of God.  And if first at us, what shall be the end of them that believe not the gospel of God?"  Saint Peter asked this question, but Our Lady of Fatima has answered it: "Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy Mercy."

Sanctification is not about "doing all the right things".  St James summed it best: "Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world."  [St James Chapter 1, Verse 27.]  Or as David put it: "For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me".  Yes, even AFTER we have exited the Confessional.  The Holy Council of Trent has declared that none of us can know for certain we are in the State of Sanctify Grace, priests, bishops, popes, masses and sacraments notwithstanding.

God, in defiance of these proud, pompous popes, who lord salvation over the flock, and behave as though they are indispensable, is about to strike these men.  And in their incredible blindness they do not even see the time of their terrible visitation swiftly approaching.  We must pray for these men.

Meanwhile, Our Lady of Fatima told us to always hope, and never worry.  "It WILL NEVER BE TOO LATE to have recourse to the HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY."

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.  You are our only hope!