Imaginary Friends

Sometimes there are memories that a person suppresses. This is especially true of childhood recollections that are very painful and/or scary. The story I'm about to relate to you is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief with only minor details changed; moreover, it is the first time I have revealed it to anyone outside my immediate family, and the first time I've even thought about it at length in decades. By "telling the world," so to speak, it might help me face it. Here is what happened: I was ten years old, living in a small apartment with my parents here in New York City. My married neighbors, "Jim" and "Lisa" (not their real names--I will not be using any actual names in this account--Introibo) were going to be having a cramped apartment for the next two weeks. Lisa's brother, Bob, his wife, and their two children (Sarah, age 11, and Timmy, age 5) would be staying in very tight quarters until they could move into their new apartment not too far away. It was cheaper and nicer than the apartment they had, but the timing was off between leaving their old apartment and entering the new one.

They found a storage place for their things and had just enough money to move in, but not anything more for a hotel room. Bob was a nice enough fellow. Like my father, he was a World War II veteran having served from 1944-1948. He was raised in a strict Irish Catholic home, but had no use for religion. While stationed in Occupied Japan, he met Hinata. She spoke broken English, and had a very limited vocabulary--mostly learned from the American soldiers after the war. Bob asked for her hand in marriage. Her parents agreed, and after his honorable discharge, he married her in a civil ceremony in California. In search of a better job, he soon moved to, and settled in, New York.  Hinata was a practitioner of Shinto, a pagan Japanese religion which is basically animistic, meaning they believe in spirit entities that inhabit all things. It is pantheistic and superstitious. They invoke many "spirits." Neither of their children were baptized or taught anything of Christianity.

It was a hot summer day, and I was playing catch in the street with a couple of neighborhood kids. Sarah was watching us with her brother and asked if she could play. We let her play, and she told her extremely well-behaved brother to sit on the curb and watch, because he was not allowed in the street. As it grew dark, we moved onto the sidewalk. Most of the adults were hanging outside as well, since the heat was oppressive and our building had no air conditioning; everyone used window fans. My parents were talking to the four adults who wanted to stay outside as long as possible before "squeezing in" for the night. Timmy was thirsty, and my mother asked me to use my key to enter our apartment and let Sarah, Timmy, and me all drink some milk.

When inside, I turned on the lights, and began serving my two guests milk, before filling my own glass. Timmy had his first bad moment I had ever seen. "I don't want this," he said, pushing aside the glass and spilling the milk. I went to get a towel, and Sarah got upset with her brother. "You had better behave or the Obake will come and get you."  "The what will come?" I asked. "The Obake. My mother tells us when we misbehave he can come for us." Timmy looked scared. I was thinking this was some Japanese "boogeyman" story to scare kids (and of which I strongly disapprove parents telling children). Sarah pointed into the next room and said to Timmy, "See the Obake!" Just then, the lights in my apartment went out, and the door to the apartment, which I had left open, slammed shut. There appeared to be a large shadow in the room. "What are you doing Sarah?" I yelled. She replied, "Nothing! It's him!" I said we needed to get out fast; Sarah picked up little Timmy and was screaming as we all ran towards the door. I tried opening the door, but it was like someone was on the other side pulling it shut. I cried out to Jesus for help, and at the mention of the Most Holy Name, the door suddenly opened and the lights went on. We ran outside, all three of us crying. Our parents and all the adults tried to comfort us. After a long time we told them what happened.

My parents thought we were making things up. No one reported any power outages, and the building superintendent said that the circuit breaker for our apartment was never tripped. My parents were angry with me. My mother wanted to punish me for lying, but my father talked her out of it saying that we were just three kids with overactive imaginations. Only one person didn't make any comment or accuse us of either imagining things or lying; Hinata.  "Obake" is translated as "ghost," but in Shintoism, it refers to a supernatural entity that can "shape-shift" and appear as different things. It is considered evil. Hinata called on such things as part of her religion. When Bob and his family left, I never wanted to speak of the incident again. I didn't want people to think I was a liar, a kid who imagines things, or worst of all, that I was crazy. It wasn't until the following summer that I was able to sleep again without a nightlight. I tried to put it out of my mind and was basically successful. But I know it happened.

As Traditionalist Catholics, we know all about our guardian angels. I had a picture of a guardian angel on the post of my bed as a little kid, in front of which I would say my prayers at night. These angels protect us, guide us, and so much more. However, no one seems to ask what the fallen angels are doing. If our angels are working non-stop to secure our salvation, wouldn't the forces of Hell be working just as hard to secure our damnation, especially now in the Great Apostasy? This post will focus on Catholic teaching regarding false religious practices and the occult. You must be very careful what you allow in your home by means of TV, radio, music, books, the Internet, and any other way. Bottom line: whatever you invite into your life may take you up on the offer. Evil may even come in the guise of a child's "friend."

Imagination or Incantation?

What caused me to write this post was an event told to me by a solid source, and I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the information. I was told about a young couple who had a five year old son. He was very shy and there really weren't many kids his age with whom he could play. His mother heard him playing in his room one evening and talking as if someone else was there. When she came to put him to bed, she asked him who he was talking to earlier. "Hannah. She's my new friend." His mom thought the imaginary friend was cute, and a way not to feel so lonely. One day, he looked rather sad. His mother suggested that he should play upstairs with Hannah. "I don't want to play with her anymore," he said. His mother inquired why. "She wants me to do bad things." The startled mother asked,"Bad things like what?" The boy said, "She wants me to kill myself." Immediately both parents took him to a child psychologist, who though his suicidal ideations were the result of possible early schizophrenia manifesting itself.

While awaiting testing, the parents left their son at his grandparents' house so they could get rid of cleaning agents, and anything else he could use to hurt himself. The last thing they did was to tie up all the knives in the kitchen and keep them locked up in their bedroom closet. They went and picked up their son. Mom slept in the boy's room. Dad stayed in the main bedroom. The next morning, he said to his parents, "You're trying to make it hard to kill myself; you hid the kitchen knives in the bedroom closet." The stunned parents asked him how he could possibly know that. His answer consisted of three words, "Hannah told me." (The dialogue is reconstructed by me from memory. The quotes are approximations of what the person relating the incident to me claimed was spoken---Introibo). My source would tell me no more, as he said he "wasn't at liberty" to reveal more. I believe the "friend" wasn't mere imagination.

After that story, I began doing some research into experiences like mine. In all of these frightening experiences, I have dug up one common thread: all of them (yes, all) had either the children themselves or the parents involved in pagan or occult practices. The most common experience is in the form of "imaginary friends." Let me be clear at the outset that I am not suggesting that all or most kids with imaginary friends are in contact with something demonic in nature. The Church tells us that we are to assume natural causes and not jump to conclusions causing a "satanic panic." Most imaginary friends are the result of lonely kids or very bright kids having some outlet  for their feelings and giving them harmless fun. In some cases, they are the result of mental illness. However, there are a growing number of disturbing accounts (some very serious) in which it seems there is no other explanation except for a supernatural cause.

The Bible and Church teaching condemn occult/pagan practices such as attempting to communicate with the dead or "spirits." "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you." (See Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Emphasis mine.) According to theologian Jone, "Spiritism claims to be able to communicate with the spirit world and endeavors to establish such commerce with it. Although spiritism is for the most part fraud, still the intention alone to enter into communication with spirits is gravely sinful. Therefore, it is mortally sinful to conduct a spiritistic seance or to act as a medium." (See Moral Theology, pg. 100; Emphasis mine).

Parents take note of three of the acts mentioned above that are detestable to the Lord; interpreting omens, witchcraft/spell-casting, and consulting spirits. Many parents have engaged in such things by using tarot cards, ouija boards, watching "mediums" on television, allowing their kids to read and watch shows depicting witchcraft (especially the odious Harry Potter), and attending the services of a false religion. Many people (even though calling themselves Traditionalists) will not adhere to Church teaching regarding these things. Do you want your children pretending to cast spells and be witches like Harry Potter?  Do you want them to view this detestable activity as "fun" and "cool"? How about playing with a ouija board? Harmless fun? What about watching your kid roll around on the floor being "slain in the spirit" as he or she imitates what happens in the false Pentecostal sects you let them attend out of human respect? Want your teenager to practice yoga in front of pagan statues?  Let's see what Satan can do.

Satanic Activity

 What exactly does Satan do? According to theologian Ott:

• The Devil possesses a certain dominion over mankind by reason of Adam's sin. The Council of Trent names, as a consequence of Original Sin, humanity's subjection to the power of Satan. The Church's belief finds liturgical expression in the ceremonies of Baptism. Christ calls Satan, "the prince of this world" (St. John 12:31), and St. Paul calls him "the god of this world." (2 Cor. 4:4). In the General Judgement the dominion of the Devil will be completely and finally broken. (2 St. Peter 2:4). 

• Satan and the fallen angels (demons) seek to do moral injury to people through temptation to sin. "Be sober and watch because your adversary, the Devil, goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5: 8).

• The evil spirits also seek to hurt mankind physically also, through the causing of physical evil (e.g., Tob. 3:8, Job 1:12, 1 Cor. 5: 5).

•  In some cases people are possessed, in which case the demon takes forcible possession of the human body, so that the bodily organs and the lower powers of the soul, but not the higher powers of the soul, are controlled by him. The possibility and reality of possession is firmly established by the express testimony of Christ, Who Himself drove out evil spirits and Who bestowed power over the evil spirits on His disciples (Church's power of exorcism---St. Mark 1:23; St. Luke 10: 17 et seq)        (See Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma , The Mercier Press, 1955, pgs. 121-122).

Demonic vexation. Fr. Gabriele Amorth (d. 2016) was ordained in 1954, and was a prominent exorcist. Unfortunately, he didn't want to see the demonic usurpers in the papal chair, and was part of the Vatican II sect. (I'll make that the subject of a future post). He did recognize that Wojtyla's revised Rite of Exorcism (1999) was useless and only used the Traditional Rite. He retained traditional teaching regarding the demonic. He correctly describes "demonic vexations" as, "...the second type of the demon's extraordinary spiritual aggression and are far and away the most numerous. They are caused by a person's cultivation of imprudent habits; by frequenting wizards or seances, through repeated and persistent serious sins, or by submitting to spells...Vexations are true and actual aggression, physical or psychological attacks that the demon works against a person. At times they can result in scratches, burns, bruises, or, in the most serious cases, broken bones." (See An Exorcist Explains the Demonic, [2016], pgs. 70-71).  As theologian Delaporte reminds us, Satan wants to hurt us out of his "malice..envy..and hatred." (See The Devil: Does He Exist and What Does He Do, [1871], pg. 32).

The Root of the Problem: Vatican II Strikes Again

There is a surge of those involved in the occult and paganism, and with it comes the corresponding rise in demonic activity. The culture of the world has been desensitized to evil by Vatican II and the false sect it spawned. Sixty years ago the idea of a Catholic participating in yoga before pagan Hindu "gods" would be unthinkable. Now, yoga classes are offered at the local parish hall, and in the Vatican II sect Archdiocese of New York, Diocese of Brooklyn, and Diocese of Rockville Centre (Long Island), the seminarians are encouraged to visit a Hindu temple and an Islamic mosque (some professors require it). They are to "witness how they worship" and write a paper on the "beauty of their faith tradition." Is it any wonder parents (including some Traditionalists I know) see nothing wrong with letting their kids actively participate in Protestant services with their friends?

According to theologian Delaporte, "For since none but the True Religion can be from God, all other religions must be from the Father of Lies; and therefore highly displeasing to the God of Truth (St.Matthew 24:5, 24)." (See The Devil: Does He Exist and What Does He Do, [1871], pg. 36; Emphasis mine). This has always been Church teaching. 

Today, the number of those those who identify as pagans (polytheistic, animistic, or pantheistic pre-Christian religions) is growing each year. Some studies suggest that there are at least 1.2 million pagans in the United States. (See Jason Pitzl-Waters, The Wild Hunt, "Parsing the Pew Numbers," http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/02/parsing-pew-numbers.html; Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, http://religions.pewforum.org/).

Also in the U.S., there are approximately 1.5 million Hindus, another 1.2 million are Buddhists, and 3.45 million Mohammedans.  The fact that there are currently millions of witches, animists, and other pagans in the country is reason enough for genuine concern. The Bible tells us, "But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils." (1 Corinthians 10:20). Let's not forget that Pope Pius XI clearly establishes Islam as dark (evil) as paganism in the prayer he composed for the Dedication of the Human Race to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, where we pray for those "still in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism."

The growth of these religions allows for greater demonic activity. Yet the Vatican II sect tells us that:

 "The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other [pagan] religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men...The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. (See Nostra Aetate, para. #2 and 3; Emphasis mine). Notice the absence of any mention to convert them to the One True Church (and now Bergoglio openly tells us "proselytism is nonsense"). Good people who were raised in the Vatican II sect thinking they are Catholic come to accept, rather than reject, paganism.

The main cause of the rise in paganism--and even Satanism--coincides with the Great Apostasy. It's no coincidence. There are three basic reasons for this cause and effect, based on sound theological principles.

1. The False Ecclesiology of Vatican II.
The heretical ecclesiology of Vatican II tells us that the Church of Christ is distinct from the Roman Catholic Church, but "subsists" there because it has all the "elements" of the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ "subsists" elsewhere depending on how many "elements" the sect possesses. To have all the elements is best, but just having some elements is good too, and leads to salvation. (See Lumen Gentium of Vatican II). This explains why Nostra Aetate (cited above) could praise the false and diabolical sects of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. It also explains how "St." Wojtyla (JPII) could kiss the evil Koran--it contains some elements of truth. Using the same logic he could kiss the Satanic Bible because that has "some truth" as well. You will also frequently hear Vatican II sect clergy talking about baptism bringing someone into full communion with the sect. This clearly implies there can be partial communion. This notion is blatantly heretical. You can no more be "partially Catholic" than a woman can be "partially pregnant," or a man is "partially dead." You simply are or are not.

2. Religious Liberty. 
Dignitatis Humanae, the Vatican II sect document on so-called "religious liberty," overturns the perennial teaching of the Church on religious tolerance. Paragraph #2 of that damnable document states: "This Vatican Synod declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that in matters religious no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs. Nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits."

Vatican II not only says that no one should be forced to believe (which the Church has always taught), but also claims that no one can be restrained from practicing the religion of his choice. The Robber Council announces a "natural right" of the members of all false religions not to be hindered in their equally false/evil practices, which includes the "right" to proselytize and have false worship in public. Vatican II promotes something (once more) that the Church always condemned previously. The result was that Catholic countries were not only permitted, but encouraged, to remove Catholicism as the State Religion. When the Church was the religion of the State, only Catholicism could be practiced in public. Proselytism and public worship by sects was strictly forbidden. The result is both obvious and devastating, as the formerly Catholic countries of Europe (e.g., Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, etc.) are overrun with Mohammedans and other sects, with their morals returning to those of pagan times having abortion, euthanasia, and sodomite "marriage" all legalized.

3. The False "Mass" and "Sacraments" of the Vatican II sect.
When the True Church was driven underground, and the Modernists took over the formerly Catholic buildings, they evicted Christ. When the Mass was replaced by an invalid Novus Bogus bread and wine service, the grace that comes to humanity via the Unbloody Sacrifice of the Cross was diminished. As Christ decreases, Satan increases. Why else did missionaries have to perform so many exorcisms in foreign lands filled with pagans? As the Mass increased, demonic activity decreased. It should be no wonder then, that as the Mass decreases after Vatican II, demonic activity will increase.

Moreover, the sacraments have all been invalidated with the exception of most baptisms, and some marriages. Young people must try to fight all the modern evils and temptations without the grace of Confirmation. There are no priests and bishops to perform exorcisms and bless sacramentals. No graces from Holy Communion, and no forgiveness of sin outside of perfect contrition. It's a delightful time for the forces of Hell.

Satan Wants to Corrupt the Youth

Satan hates that which is pure. Children are pure and innocent, like Christ. What better way to approach a child than as a "friend"? "And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14). Here are two recent disturbing cases of "imaginary friends" gone bad. Both involved the occult.

1. The Slender Man attempted murder. On May 31, 2014, 12-year-olds Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, admitted that they lured their friend, Payton Leutner into some woods near a suburban Milwaukee park. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier urged her on, according to investigators. Leutner was left for dead but she crawled out of the woods and got help from a passing bicyclist. Geyser and Weier said they carried out the attack to curry favor with "Slender Man," a fictional online horror character typified by spidery limbs and a blank white face. They started seeing manifestations of Slender Man, who wanted to "help them." He then threatened their families unless they killed Leutner. Both girls were convicted and committed to a psychiatric hospital for 40 years. 

 What struck me is that two girls with no previous signs of being in trouble or having mental illness suddenly did something so unspeakably horrid; worse than a scene from a horror movie. Madness is not contagious. I'm not a psychologist, but it seems more than a bit odd that two young girls who are friends would both have severe psychological problems, to the point of sharing the same psychotic ideas and plotting the murder in all gruesome detail for five months. Where were the parents? Letting them dabble in the occult. They had "...sleepovers after bingeing on horror movies, of Ouija boards and Light as a feather, stiff as a board…" (See https://www.vqronline.org/essays-articles/2017/10/out-came-girls; Emphasis mine).

2. Murder and Suicide Pact with Satan.  In 2018, two young girls (11 and 12) whose names have not yet been released due to their ages, wanted to murder their classmates, drink their blood, and commit suicide to be with Satan. According to USA Today: 

Police say the girls — ages 11 and 12 — were found in a bathroom stall, allegedly with multiple knives, a pizza cutter and knife sharpener in their possession. The girls planned to commit suicide after stabbing other students, police say. "The plan was to kill at least 1 student but were hoping to kill anywhere from 15-25 students," an affidavit said. "Killing all of these students was in hopes it would make them worse sinners ensuring that after they committed suicide ... (they) would go to hell so they could be with Satan."

The girls allegedly hatched the plot after watching scary movies over the weekend, detectives said. The plan involved lying in wait for smaller students, mutilating their victims' bodies and drinking their victims' blood, according to authorities. (See https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/10/24/florida-girls-plotted-satanic-school-stabbings-police-say/1756036002/). Where did they get such disturbingly sick ideas, and why did they want to do something so incredibly evil at such a young age? "When asked about motivation, the girls reportedly told police that they were Satan worshipers. According to police, the girls planned to drink their victims’ blood out of the goblet they were found with. They also discussed eating their victims' flesh and leaving body parts at the school's entrance before killing themselves." (See https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/bartow/pd-2-satan-worshiping-girls-armed-with-knives-plotted-to-kill-15-students-at-middle-school-). It began with watching horror movies depicting witchcraft and Satan worship. Thinking it was "cool" they began researching Satanism, and thought Satan was their "friend." Where were the parents? Good question.

Can demons take control of children? In the Gospel of St. Mark 9:17-21 we read, "A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." "You unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me." So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered." (Emphasis mine).

We are also warned as to what we allow in our homes. In Deuteronomy 7:26, God warns what will happen if a false idol (referred to as a "detestable thing") is brought into the home of a Jew, "Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction." (Emphasis mine).

Learn to Discern

If a child has an imaginary friend, there is no need for alarm. It's probably an innocent imaginative phase. However, since Vatican II we are experiencing an "occult invasion" and the demonic forces that come with it. Please make sure that you keep out all things forbidden by God as "detestable." In particular avoid the Ouija board, tarot cards, and TV shows, films, and books regarding witchcraft and Satanism (from horror movies to the "evil is good" Harry Potter). In particular, make sure they stay away from the so-called "Charlie, Charlie Challenge." The "Charlie Charlie Challenge" has inspired millions of ­youngsters to dabble with satanic rituals by using a simple Ouija board made from a sheet of paper divided into quarters. They write “Yes” in two corners and “No” in the remaining squares. They then make a cross by stacking one pencil on top of another and summon the demon “Charlie” who answers questions – or even gives them instructions – by turning the top pencil to point to “Yes” or “No." Even the Modernist Vatican commented on this one. "Fr." Jose Antonio Fortea, said spirits could continue to haunt or harm players after the game ended.

The Daily Mirror reports: "Players have reported strange phenomena after contacting Charlie, especially if they believe they failed to sever the spiritual link after the game. One player from Buckinghamshire claimed her laptop malfunctioned, then the power failed. When she tried to call her parents the phone cut out. Another from Texas said he had seen a black figure with red eyes at the top of the stairs. Others reported hearing sinister laughing and objects moving without any obvious explanation."

Never send a child to a Waldorf School. This alleged "non-denominational private school" teaches children to "make contact with the spirit world." The philosophy is based on occultist Rudolf Steiner who influenced a man called--Angelo Roncalli! (See my post http://introiboadaltaredei2.blogspot.com/2018/06/an-education-in-evil.html)

Be concerned if the child:

• has a change in behavior for the worse
• claims his "friend" wants him to do bad things
• knows things he couldn't possibly know on his own (personal details of your life you never divulged, etc)
• wants to hurt himself and/or others

Make sure to bring him/her to health care professionals first to check for psychological disorders. Alert a Traditionalist priest as well.

Conclusion

We are living in unique times, for both the Church and the world. The regular readers of my blog know I'm not an alarmist or conspiracy theorist. However, Vatican II has so desensitized the world into accepting evil, it affects our culture. Traditionalists must be extra vigilant as to what they permit in the home. Those who have children must be alert and knowledgeable regarding everything to which the kids are exposed.

Invite evil into your life and it will seek you out. Theologian Delaporte tells us to have in our home the things of God, especially Holy Water, relics of saints, and to be in the state of grace by staying close to the Sacraments. Moreover, consecrate your home to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Have a blessed statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Make use of all the sacramentals the Church has to offer. Pray to St. Michael the Archangel.  Instruct your children in the truths of Faith. In this way, you will be showing Satan a "No Trespassing" sign on your home and family.  The learned Fr. Delaporte leaves us with this truism, "Ignorance is not excusable when instruction is to be had; and heedlessness is very unreasonable, when there is a question of our immortal soul." (Ibid, pg. 176)