Monday, April 13, 2020

The Sacraments And Death


I write this post with a heavy heart. My best friend from law school is in the hospital suffering greatly from COVID-19. He has some children who are still minors. Neither his wife, children, nor I can see him because the hospital has banned visitors (as have all New York City hospitals) due to the inherent dangers. Please pray for his family and him. This past week, we remembered the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, and our thoughts turn to The Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell. This year, I'm reminded more than ever of these truths than I was in the past. New York City looks like a ghost town compared to what it was usually like just one month ago. The hospitals all have morgues around them to accommodate the bodies of the deceased. I've been working from home and haven't left the house in many days, in order to keep my family and myself safe. My friend is struggling to survive, and it pains me to no end.

Not to be morbid, but death will one day come for us all, and we must be prepared. "Give an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer." (St. Luke 16:2). One of the ways we must be ready is to make sure we, and our loved ones, receive the Sacraments; especially in danger of death. I see the bravery of the Traditionalist priests and the attendant cowardice of the Vatican II sect clergy, some of whose "bishops" agree they should not give the Last Rites (invalid anyway) to their parishioners in hospitals, but instead have nurses "pray for them" during this pandemic.  "But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flieth..." (St. John 10:12).

We all know when we should call for a priest when someone is in danger of death--or do we? One of my friends (much older than me), was one of the first male nurses in NYC. He worked in a Catholic hospital which, after 1964, fell as another "victim of Vatican II." It was 1972, and droves of priests started leaving the priesthood. The new "priests" were invalidly ordained, and they had embraced whole-heartedly the Modernism of the new sect. Almost all of the chaplains in his hospital left to cover parishes or left the priesthood. At this point they only had one chaplain left; a monsignor in his late fifties who was ordained in the early 1940s.  During an operation, my friend relates that the procedure was not going well for the patient. The surgeon, a member of the Vatican II sect, asked my nurse friend to "call the priest, I don't think he's going to make it." He called for the chaplain immediately and returned to assist the doctor.

Ten minutes later, the patient went into cardiac arrest, and they were working furiously to save his life. After twenty minutes or so, the doctor said it was no use, and he pulled the sheet up over the man on the operating table. My friend said a brief prayer for his soul, and went outside the doors to the OR. Just then, the monsignor arrived out of breath. "I'm here," he announced, "I had two other patients needing the Last Rites." My friend shook his head and said, "It's too late monsignor. He passed." The monsignor turned red with anger, "Stand aside!" he screamed. "It's never too late!" Stunned, my friend stood aside, and the priest went in to administer the Sacraments. This priest knew from his seminary training (and still believed it) that death is not as easy to determine as many assume.

This post will explore when, exactly, death occurs, and how the Last Rites are to be administered to those who are pronounced/considered dead.

Preliminary Considerations Concerning Death
Doctors themselves are not certain the exact moment death takes place. In the words of Dr. Cory Franklin, an intensive care unit director:

What is the exact moment when death occurs? The outer boundaries are obvious — a walking, talking individual is alive, a body with rigor mortis is not — but the precise instant when a person is considered dead is uncertain.

If the heart stops beating long enough, the person dies. But a stopped heart often can be restarted; this is routine during heart surgery. Likewise, someone who stops breathing can be kept alive by a mechanical ventilator. If both the heart and breathing cease, physicians may institute CPR. When the physician decides to stop CPR and declare a person "dead" is a matter of discretion, not an established fact.
(See https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/ct-xpm-2014-01-10-ct-death-jahi-brain-legal-perspec-0110-20140110-story,amp.html; Emphasis mine).

Dr. Franklin also correctly describes the two means of declaring death, "Death might now be declared in two ways — if a person's heart and lungs ceased functioning or if there was no brain activity." (Ibid). The former is called clinical death, and the latter is biological death. 

There are some things that happen prior to death that show (a) death is near and (b) the person is not as "out of it" as was thought. Cheyne-Stokes breathing is a cycle of anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes where the dying person's breathing deepens and speeds up, then gets shallower and shallower until it stops.Then there is a pause, which can sometimes stretch on so long that you think the person has stopped breathing altogether before the cycle resumes. It is sometimes called the "death rattle" because of the sound. This is because the dying person is not clearing their throat or swallowing. Take solace that there is little evidence of distress or discomfort.

Around this time, terminal lucidity, or lightening up may occur. It was first described in the medical literature as early as 1833. It refers to a period of awareness or consciousness, sometimes a complete return to form and personality in someone who may have been gone (for all intents and purposes) due to Alzheimer's disease, brain tumors, vascular dementia, etc. Just as a light bulb burns brightest before going dark forever, this happens in many people. How can brain damage magically repair itself, even for a short time? Many consider this a sign of the soul working outside the normal route of the brain.

The Lazarus Syndrome
This phenomena, described in the medical literature since 1982, is so named after Jesus' friend Lazarus, whom Our Lord raised from the dead after four days (the name "Lazarus Syndrome" or sometimes "Lazarus Phenomenon" was coined in 1983). (See St. John 11:38-44). There have been thirty-eight (38) confirmed cases since 1982 of people pronounced dead, but they were not. According to the Journal JRSM Open:

The Lazarus phenomenon or the unassisted return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest is a grossly under-reported phenomenon in medical literature which essentially implies the "resurrection" of an individual after cardiac arrest. Although there have been a handful of such cases reported, the clinical incidence and significance may be underestimated. Because of the presumed infrequency of this condition, there are no studies specifically researching Lazarus phenomenon in scientific literature. (See Vaibhav Sahni, The Lazarus Phenomenon https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2054270416653523). 

The cases are incredible:
  • 91 year old Janina Kolkiewicz was declared dead. Eleven hours later, she woke up in the morgue asking for tea and pancakes
  • In 2014, a 78-year-old man from Mississippi was declared dead after a hospice nurse found him with no pulse. The next day, he woke up in a body bag at the morgue
  • In 2014 came a report of an 80-year-old woman who had been "frozen alive" in a hospital morgue after being wrongly pronounced dead
And it's not only the cardiac arrest victims, but brain death as well:
  • St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse, NY came under fire in 2014 when incorrectly declaring a woman as brain dead following a drug overdose. The woman awoke shortly after being taken to the operating room for organ harvesting
  • In May 2015, 14 year old Taylor Hale was declared irreversibly brain dead. A friend of the family, a chiropractor by profession, went in and prayed for her. She awoke and made a complete recovery
(See https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/amp/articles/317645; See also, https://insider.foxnews.com/2014/03/10/syracuse-woman-wrongly-declared-dead-ny-hospital-opens-eyes-during-organ-harvesting; See also https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/13/hand-of-god-heals-iowa-girl/27274399/). 

What causes the Lazarus Syndrome? No one knows for sure; there is no medical consensus. The delayed return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after CPR has ceased in cardiac arrest patients, accounts for many cases of Lazarus Syndrome. What causes ROSC to happen after some time has passed? Some hypotheses include a pressure buildup in the chest caused by CPR. Once CPR is ceased, this pressure may gradually release and kick-start the heart back into action. It could be a delayed action of medication, or hyperkalemia, whereby blood levels of potassium are too high. (See https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/gravematters/tag/lazarus-syndrome/)

 For "brain death" or the apparent finding of someone dead, who then comes "back to life," there are other hypotheses, which include hypothermia. The low body temperature can cause heartbeat and breathing to slow to the point where it is almost undetectable. Another theory is catalepsy, which is characterized by a trance-like state, slowed breathing, reduced sensitivity, and complete immobility, which can last from minutes to weeks. The condition may arise as a symptom of neurological disorders. Finally, there's "locked in syndrome," whereby a patient is aware of their surroundings, but they experience complete paralysis of voluntary muscles, with the exception of muscles that control eye movement. (See medicalnewstoday.com/amp/articles/317645). All of this makes the person appear dead. 

Two points to be learned from the above:

1. Organ donation is good and honorable but don't let anyone know in advance of death. Someone should produce the legal documentation after death is certain.

2.  The soul may not leave the body when we think it does, thereby permitting the person to receive the Sacraments.

The Sacraments Administered to the Seemingly Dead
 This section is condensed and taken from the theological tome Death Real and Apparent in Relation to the Sacraments, written by theologian Ferreres in 1906, during the reign of Pope St. Pius X. Fr. Ferreres was Professor of Moral Theology and Canon Law, at the Collegium Maximum, in Tortosa, Spain. Also used is the work of theologian Halligan,  The Administration of the Sacraments (1962). Most of this section comes from those two theological works, and some small commentary added by me---Introibo. 

Thesis: It is possible to save, by administration of the Sacraments, the souls of adults apparently dead.  It is certain that an adult, whilst still alive and in possession of requisite dispositions, is capable of receiving some of the Sacraments, no matter how strongly outward appearances may indicate a state of death. It is certain, likewise, that on receiving or not receiving these Sacraments may depend the salvation of his soul. 


1. The Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism may be conditionally applied in the case of someone who appears (or has been pronounced) dead, and is not baptized, but there is reason to believe he implicitly desires baptism (not being a catechumen). Maybe he inquired about Catholicism or has Catholic relatives that he joined at Mass. If he also has attrition (sorrow for his sins because of the fear of punishments and Hell), Baptism would be valid if the soul has not left the body. Baptism of Desire (BOD) requires supernatural contrition, and is a rare miracle of God upon which no one should rely, as the Sacrament is the normative means of conferring Church membership and forgiveness of sins. Hence, the person who knows and may believe the essential truths of faith, may implicitly desire baptism and have contrition. Baptism may be conditionally conferred. In the case of someone who was mentally retarded or habitually insane from childhood, baptism would certainly be valid, and need not be conditional.

2. The Sacrament of Penance
A Catholic who is apparently dead, may have absolution given conditionally in the hope that he had at least elicited an act of attrition and needs the Sacrament. Perhaps he even elicits it in a kind of "locked in" state prior to the soul separating from the body. According to theologian Noldin, the first six minutes after what is commonly called "the moment of death," might not be real death (the soul not yet having left the body), and the Sacraments may be administered. Since brain cells don't start to die until oxygen deprivation reaches about 5 to six minutes, it is a reasonable hypothesis that the soul may still be functioning through the brain and has not left the body.

3. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction
A Catholic in the state of apparent death should be given Extreme Unction. It is universally taught by the theologians that Extreme Unction will wipe away even mortal sin, provided that the person had elicited an act of attrition, and is unable to confess or make an Act of Contrition.

4. How Long Must We Consider Someone "Possibly Alive"?
The common teaching of the theologians is that in cases of extreme necessity (which these cases fall under), the Sacraments may and should be administered conditionally, even though, through the apparent lack of one or more of the essential requisites, their validity be very doubtful--and this despite the fact that the Sacrament's validity be only slightly probable or have little foundation or be based on the opinion of others.

Conclusion
If faced with the possibility of death (you or a loved one) do not wait until you think it must be done immediately. Give the person reasonable time; as well as giving the priest time to get to the hospital/hospice/home. Remember that any  validly ordained priest can give the Last Rites in danger of death, or when someone appears dead,and no Traditionalist priest is available. This includes priests validly ordained prior to Vatican II, Eastern Schismatic priests, even a complete apostate who abandoned his vocation. If conscious, you cannot agree to accept their errors; if that is not imposed, you may receive the Sacraments from them. 

In the case of Vatican II priests, make sure they use the Traditional Rite for Extreme Unction. It is always good to invest in a Rituale Romanum published in 1962 or prior, as they probably don't have one and forgot how to properly and validly administer the Sacrament. Most might not have the valid matter to anoint. The proper matter is "Olive oil alone[blessed by a bishop]" (Catechism of the Council of Trent). The Holy Office declared (September 14,1842), that "it is rash and close to error, to assert that this sacrament could be valid with another oil." The Vatican II sect has virtually no more valid bishops to bless anything. In addition to this problem, according to "Pope" Paul VI's "Apostolic Constitution" Sacram unctionem infirmorum, November 30, 1972, "The sick are to be anointed with blessed olive oil or, as circumstances suggest, with another oil extracted from plants." (Emphasis mine). At least they can give a valid absolution. You're better off with an Eastern Schismatic where there is no Traditionalist priest. 

Most importantly, don't turn a priest away because the sick person "just died." As that priest rightfully yelled, "It's never too late!"



55 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I hope he can get better and recover.

    I knew a Novus Ordo priest (died many years ago) but was nevertheless a valid priest (ordained in the 40's) who happened to be from New York city who told an interesting sermon. He said that as he was driving home one day and he came upon a car crash, he at first he wasn't in the mood to investigate it as he passed by because it was in the winter time and a lot snow was on the ground and that he was trying to avoid crashing himself. As he was passing, he said he suddenly felt this remorse and regret passing the scene because he was a priest. He said he hit himself upside the head calling himself a jerk and turned around where he could to go back and check out the scene. As he stopped and got out the car, he walked over to where the car was. A policeman (who happened to be a Catholic) came over to him and told him what had happened. There was a couple in the car and that the driver lost control of the car because of the road conditions and that they slid into a guard rail. The woman was fine and had minor injuries but her husband had been crushed with the dashboard pinning him in. The woman told the priest that she was Catholic but that her husband was not Catholic and had not been baptised but that he was desiring to become a Catholic. The man was still barely alive but was at the point of death. The priest said he didn't have any water in a cup or any holy water in his car so he said he took some snow and the policeman who had a lighter help him melt the snow into a jar that the woman had in her car and once that was finished he baptised the dying man. A few minutes later the man ended up dying right when the ambulance came. The priest said this took place in the late 50's or early 60's. He then talked about how the hour of death is the most important part of ones life and that we should pray unceasingly for not a only good death, but also that we have all the graces and means (the sacraments) we need to secure it when that hour comes. He then ended the sermon with, Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH! AMEN

    I also wanted to point out that you posted this good article on the feast of St. Hermenegild (April 13th). It says in the St. Joseph Missal the following: "St. Hermenegild was the son of the Arian King of the Visigoths in Spain. He was put to death for refusing to receive Holy Communion from the hands of an heretical bishop in 586." With that said, what would one do if at the point of death and old valid priest or an Orthodox priest (if that is all there was to be able to give you the sacraments) were to administer not only last rites/confession but also attempted to give you Holy Communion? What if you're not fully conscience (out of it) to say no?

    Lee

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    1. Lee,
      Thank you for the kind words about my friend. Please pray for him. I also liked the story of the good priest baptizing the dying man.

      As to your question about Communion from heretics:
      1. St Hermenegild was asked to receive Communion specifically to show his adherence to false teaching. This is not the case in Last Rites. I’m not aware of any prohibition on Holy Viaticum. If you receive Viaticum from SSPX it does not automatically imply agreement with R&R.

      2. If you are out of it, Holy Viaticum is not given as the recipient must be able to recognize Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

      3. Finally, if it is given while you are “out of it” and there’s something wrong with receiving it because they want you to accept error in reviving the Host, since you have not full consent of the will, you would not be held responsible by God.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. Thank you for the clarification. I've always wondered about that.

      Lee

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  2. Introibo, is it okay to have your organs removed but not for donation?

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  3. Based on the references cited, does that mean it would be possible to administer Last Rites to a non-Catholic?

    Sincerely,

    A Simple Man

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    Replies
    1. Simple Man,
      There must be present some sign of wanting to belong to the Church and abjure their heresy. This would allow Baptism. In the case of validly baptized Protestants, The Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office declared on May 9, 1821 that such who are dying, and has given signs of repentance, can be absolved by any priest from any kinds of sins whatsoever, and that no one is to be then repelled from the Sacraments.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  4. Litany of the Sick

    Lord, have mercy on us.
    Lord, have mercy on us.
    Christ, have mercy on us.
    Christ, have mercy on us.
    Lord, have mercy on us.
    Lord, have mercy on us.
    Christ, hear us.
    Christ, graciously hear us.

    God the Father of heaven,
    Have mercy on us. *
    God the Son, Redeemer of the world, *
    God the Holy Ghost, *
    Holy Trinity, one God, *
    Jesus, Who art near to all those who invoke Thee, *
    Jesus, Who through mercy helpest all who confide in Thee, *
    Jesus, Who didst go to seek and cure the sick, *
    Jesus, Who didst stay up the weak and suffering, *
    Jesus, Who dost refresh those who labor and are heavily burdened, *
    Jesus, Who didst console the stricken hearts, *
    Jesus, Who didst raise the dead unto life, *
    Jesus, Who didst bear all our pains, *


    Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus.
    Be merciful, hear us, O Jesus.
    From all evil,
    Deliver us, O Jesus. **

    From all sin, **
    From all diseases and infirmities, **
    From impatience and despondency, **
    From the snares of the devil, **
    From a sudden and unprovided death, **
    From eternal damnation, **
    Through Thy toils and hardships, **
    Through Thy affliction and tears, **
    Through Thine agony and bloody sweat, **
    Through Thy holy wounds, **
    Through Thy precious blood, **
    Through Thy Passion and cross, **
    Through Thy bitter death, **
    Through Thy glorious resurrection, **
    Through Thy marvellous ascension, **
    In the Day of Judgment, **


    We, poor sinners, beseech Thee, hear us.
    That Thou wouldst spare us,
    We beseech Thee, hear us. ***

    That Thou wouldst pardon us, ***
    That Thou wouldst bring us to true penance, ***
    That Thou wouldst give us a contrite heart, ***
    That Thou wouldst strengthen us in our weakness, ***
    That Thou wouldst preserve us in patience, ***
    That Thou wouldst relieve our pains, ***
    That Thou wouldst restore us to health of body and soul, ***
    That Thou wouldst grant us perseverance in good, ***
    That Thou wouldst grant us a happy death, ***
    That Thou wouldst receive our spirit into Thy hands, ***
    That Thou wouldst preserve us from the fire of purgatory, ***
    That Thou wouldst bring us to the joys of heaven, ***
    Son of God, ***


    Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, 
    Spare us, O Lord. 

    Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, 
    Graciously hear us, O Lord. 

    Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, 
    Have mercy on us.


    Christ, hear us,
    Christ, graciously hear us.
    Lord, have mercy on us,
    Christ, have mercy on us.
    Lord, have mercy on us.

    Our Father (secretly).

    V. And lead us not into temptation,
    R. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
    V. Save, O Lord, Thy servants.
    R. Who hope in Thy mercy.
    V. Lord, hear our prayer.
    R. And let our cry come unto Thee.


    Let us Pray:

    O Heavenly Father, have mercy on Thy servant, who is sick. Confirm him [her] in faith, strengthen his [her] hope, fill him [her] with the fire of Thy love. Give him [her] enduring patience, that he [she] may victoriously go through the fight and suffer everything for Thy greater glory and the salvation of his [her] soul. Lessen his [her] pains, forgive him [her] his [her] sins, and bring him [her] to life everlasting. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

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  5. Prayer to the Blessed Virgin to obtain a good death

    Oh Mary, sweet refuge of miserable sinners, at the moment when my soul departs from this world, my sweetest mother, by the grief that thou didst endure when thou wast present at the death of thy Son upon de cross, then assist me with thy mercy. Keep far from me my infernal enemies, and come thyself to take my soul and preset it to my eternal Judge. Do not abandon me, oh my queen. Thou, next to Jesus, must be my comfort in that dreadful moment. Entreat thy Son that in His goodness, He will grant me the favor to die clasping thy feet, and to breathe out my soul in his sacred wounds, saying, Jesus and Mary, I give you my heart and my soul.
    - From "The Glories of Mary"

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  6. Contrition Act

    O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee; and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good, and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

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    Replies
    1. poni,

      Thanks much for the above prayers.

      JoAnn

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    2. Poni,
      I second Joann’s sentiments. Thank you for the beautiful prayers!

      —-Introibo

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  7. I hope your friend recovers and returns to his family. I will say a prayer for him.
    Dr. Paul Byrne is a renowned Catholic physician who has been on the forefront of pro life in the area of when death occurs, and his belief is that "brain death" is a contrived status assigned to comatose patients (especially those who have "living wills"), that allow transplant surgeons to take vital unpaired organs from patients who are not really dead according to traditional, honest criteria. His writing on this topic can be easily found on the internet.
    I hope everyone in Introibo's readership had a very happy and holy Easter.
    God bless,
    Jannie

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    1. Jannie,
      Thank you for your prayers for my friend. I fully agree with Dr Byrnes.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  8. Introibo,
    Praying for your friend's recovery.

    This article is very timely, but not a subject, especially, last rites that I have ever witnessed being carried out in the best of times. I don't have an inspiring story, but quite the opposite. My paternal Grandmother was a very devout Catholic. She walked to Mass 1 mile each way every day. She went to Confession monthly. If it wasn't for this devout Catholic lady, I would never have attended Cathecism, received first Communion or Confirmation as neither of my parents cared or believed. When I was in my early teens she got stomach cancer and was home waiting to die. She had 12 children. The men did not go to Church, however, the women did, but mostly out of a sense of obligation than really possessing the Faith or believing. Two of her daughters were caring for her. One daughter was a Nurse. I remember my Dad getting a call at 5 a.m. saying my Grandmother was dying and to go to her house immediately. Knowing how devout my Grandmother was, not one of her children called the Priest who was only 1 mile away. I was devastated. These were selfish people who didn't care about my Grandmother's wishes, evidently only their own.
    When my Mother-in-Law who lived in Ireland was dying at home 10 yrs ago, one of her sons and one of her daughters were caring for her. When it was time for her to die, not one of her 7 children called for a Priest. I realize it was the NO she attended, nevertheless, her children did not attempt to reach out to a Priest. Another example of selfish people not caring for the beliefs of others or even attempting to.
    I realize if I find myself in the same situation as my Grandmother or Mother-in-Law, I too will die without a Priest as I am surrounded by selfish, faithless people who don't care about the wishes of others. Sad, but that is my reality.

    JoAnn

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    1. JoAnn,

      It is indeed sad what you said with regards to your family members. Don't give up hope. God may arrange for you to receive the last rites when that hour comes. I fear that I may not be able to receive the sacraments also some day considering the circumstances. I've come to the conclusion that I need not worry about it and resign my will to trust in God. What is most important is to stay in the state of sanctifying grace, wear your brown scapular, and with a contrite heart constantly seek forgiveness from God of your sins while doing as much penance for them as you can. That's what I try to do.

      Lee

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    2. Too sad. Pray to St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother.
      At least she didn´t die like Judas.

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    3. Joann,
      Very sad story. Hopefully, you will be capable of calling for a priest on your own. This is one good thing about cell phones!

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    4. Introibo, Lee and Poni,

      Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.

      Introibo - A cell phone won't do me much good as there are no Traditional Priests near the City where I live. I do know a pre-Vatican II Priest, nearby, however, he is 90 yrs old!

      JoAnn

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    5. Poni you are right. St Joseph is the patron of a happy death.
      Joann, do not worry. Remain strong in the True Faith and call on St. Joseph if no priest is available to you at the time God calls you. You will be provided for.
      Jannie

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    6. Jannie,
      Thanks much. Regarding St. Joseph, I remembered that after my Grandmother's death, I was given the choice by an Aunt of choosing something of my Grandmother's to remember her by. I chose a St. Joseph medal that she wore!! I had the medal in my possession for years until I lost it changing residences. I am going to purchase a St. Joseph medal to replace the one that was my Grandmother's! Does anyone know a good online store to purchase it from? Thanks.

      JoAnn

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    7. Please contact CMRI or Fr. Francis Miller in Louisiana at Christ the King Church. When you make a purchase you can ask them to bless the medal for a separate donation. Blessed medals are not supposed to be sold. Best wishes.

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    8. JoAnn,

      The sisters of CMRI have you covered: https://miqcenter.com/collections/medals/products/st-joseph-medal-1-silver-oxidized-md02-m022js?variant=39003182599

      (This is just one type; they also carry other varieties of medals for St. Joseph.)

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

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    9. A Simple Man,

      Thanks for referring the CMRI website. Much appreciated!

      JoAnn

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    10. Anon @2:31,

      That is a great suggestion as I would like the medal blessed. Thanks very much!!

      JoAnn

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    11. Mother of our Saivor
      Catholic mail order
      https://www.traditionalcatholicpublishing.com/

      -Andrew

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    12. Andrew,
      Thanks much for referring the website, Mother of Our Saviour.

      JoAnn

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  9. Introibo,

    How can a person prevent being cremated? I specified in my Will "no cremation". However, I am surrounded by faithless Novus Ordo types who see nothing wrong with cremation and can't or won't understand why I am against cremation. Is there any way I can assure that I won't be cremated? I have seen too many people not carry out people's intentions listed in their Last Will & Testament.
    Thanks.

    JoAnn

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    Replies
    1. Joann,
      Public Health Law section 4201(2) in New York provides for the designation in a written instrument of a person who shall shall have the right to control the disposition of the remains of a deceased person. You can appoint anyone of your choosing including a priest or a Traditionalist Society such as CMRI. That person’s directives MUST be followed under NYS Law. See if your state has a similar law. Call a local estate attorney. They can answer your question on the phone for free.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  10. MEMORARE
    Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

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    Replies
    1. Add this to it:

      Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary

      My Queen and my Mother,
      I give myself entirely to you;
      and to show my devotion to you,
      I consecrate to you this day my eyes,
      my ears, my mouth, my heart,
      my whole being without reserve.
      Wherefore, good Mother,
      as I am your own,
      keep me, guard me,
      as your property and possession.
      Amen.

      Lee

      Delete
  11. I find it telling that the NO establishment shut down access to their “sacraments” when they were needed the most. Maybe Bergoglio and Co know their “sacraments” are worthless to begin with. If only R&Rers would listen to those they claim have authority over them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom,
      Useless clergy and useless “sacraments.” When will the R&R wake up?

      —-Introibo

      Delete
    2. Perhaps I am late on the scene, but I just came across the below article and it is absolutely horrendous. Peter's Pence is being sued in a Class Action lawsuit for fraudulently misappropriating donations. It seems Peter's Pence was invested in producing the movie Rocketman about sodomite Elton John's life which includes explicit sodomite sex scenes!! How can the R&R crowd recognize these actions as coming from the Catholic Church?? How can reporters report on such and still recognize Francis as "Pope"?? It boggles my mind!!


      "Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported in December 2019 that $1.1 million from Peter's Pence was invested into producing the movie Rocketman, a story about homosexual singer Elton John's life that contains "the most explicit gay love scene since Brokeback Mountain in 2005."

      https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/u.s-bishops-conference-sued-for-lying-and-stealing

      JoAnn

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    3. Joann,
      Wow. Just when you think they hit rock bottom..,

      —-Introibo

      Delete
    4. Conservative Novus Ordo and R&R really need to wake up and consider if they want their donations to Peter's Pence going to fund sodomite movies. Since Peter's Pence has stooped so low as to fund Rocketman, I don't even want to contemplate what else this false sect masquerading as the Catholic Church may be involved in funding. "Come out from among them and be ye separate". The Novus Ordo is a fake counter church and ALL Vatican II "Popes" are fakes. Yes, even Benedict!
      Introibo, if people continue to support and donate money to Peter's Pence and the Novus Ordo after they know of the Peter's Pence scandal, don't they then become complicit in such abominable actions?
      Thanks.

      JoAnn

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    5. Joann,
      They become an accessory to another’s sin. In this case it would be MORTAL sin, in my opinion.

      —-Introibo

      Delete
  12. I'm very sorry to hear of your friend and hope he makes a recovery.
    The recovery rate is very high if someone does not have preexisting conditions.
    Personally I know from history the first sign of Communist Revolution within a country is the attack upon and shuttering of Christianity.
    For the past 7 weeks straight I've travelled 300-400 miles,5 nights per week,and no one at my job or home are sick.
    Media outlets are talking about a
    "new normal" and a perfect time to shut down the nuclear family.
    President Trump needs to open the country back up.
    God bless
    Andrew

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew,
      Thank you for the prayers for my friend. I just got good news from his wife that his condition has improved greatly! Deo gratias!

      I agree we need to start some kind of safe reopening.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. I think at this point, I am more afraid of the politicians than the virus!

      JoAnn

      Delete
    3. @Introibo Glad to hear of your Friend's recovery!
      @Joann I'm the same as you.

      -Andrew

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    4. Even if COVID-19's impact appears to be vastly overstated, it's ended up in the cancellation of this year's "Gay Pride Parade" (aka 'Celebrate and ratify our sodomitical vice, or else!') in Sam Francisco, and that's a silver lining I'll take all day long.

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

      Delete
    5. Simple Man,
      That is one thing positive.

      —-Introibo

      Delete
    6. The answer to 1984 is 1776.

      Delete
    7. The virus has also resulted in the all the Novus Ordo churches being closed. Alleliua! Deo Gratias!

      Delete
    8. 1776 is heresy.
      -Andrew

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    9. Andrew,

      The phrase regarding 1776 references to the 2nd amendment.

      Delete
  13. It seems that the cure for COVID-19 could be worse than the disease. The below article regarding a possible cure is using placental cells.

    https://www.jpost.com/Tags/Pluristem

    JoAnn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joann,
      Sickening—morally and ethically.

      —-Introibo

      Delete
    2. JoAnn, Introibo,

      In the interest of fairness, there is a great moral difference between embryonic stem cells culled from the unborn, and adult stem cells culled from the discarded placenta and umbilical cord post-birth.

      In this particular instance, the company in question (Pluristem) exclusively advertises itself and its products as being derived entirely from postnatal placental stem cells, precisely so as to avoid the religious and ethic controversies associated with embryonic stem cells.

      With this in mind, is there anything indicating that Pluristem used embryonic stem cells for their COVID vaccine? Or (to be general) is there something inherently immoral about using the placenta (after the baby has already been born, at which point the placenta is usually discarded), albeit at a much lesser degree than embryonic stem cells (which result from killing the embryo)?

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

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    3. Introibo & A Simple Man,

      The following is a statement taken from Pluristem's website regarding placentas:
      Pluristem.com

      "We collect donated placentas at the time of delivery of healthy, full-term babies, and harness the remarkable capabilities of placental cells to make our cell products. Derived from the placenta, our PLX cells have low immunogenicity and immune-modulatory properties, so they can be administered to patients without the need for HLA-matching."

      JoAnn

      Delete
    4. Based on that, given the presupposition that the placenta was from a mother who had successfully given birth to a healthy baby, what would be the moral difference between donating said placenta and - for example - donating your blood, or one of your kidneys?

      Sincerely,

      A Simple Man

      Delete
    5. Joann and A Simple Man,
      It's true that the morality of the act, in this instance, is dependent upon whether or not the cells are taken from ABORTED babies (inherently evil) or babies who were born healthy and not harmed (morally good).

      ---Introibo

      Delete
  14. To My Readers:
    Thank you for your prayers! My best friend is out of danger! He is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon!

    Thank you and God all you all,

    —-Introibo

    ReplyDelete