Pick A Heretic. Any Heretic. The Coming Conclave

 

With the death of Jorge Bergoglio, the sixth false pope of the Vatican II sect, an equally false conclave is approaching to pick the seventh papal pretender after "Pope" Francis. Contrary to the media and the R&R, there are no "conservative" or "liberal" so-called "cardinals." All of them are non-Catholics and incapable of being a true pope. Will the next Petrine poser be the false prophet? The One True Church will have much to endure, I'm sure. Here is a list of the names being bandied about as the next leader of the Vatican II sect with a short (and certainly not exhaustive) explanation of how un-Catholic each one is according to their words and deeds. May the Blessed Mother and Her Divine Son protect us.

A List from Hell

The candidates will not be given their false title of Cardinal. The dates of the ordination to the "priesthood" and consecration as "bishop" are not to suggest they are either. All Vatican II sect orders in the Rite of Montini (Paul VI) are invalid since it was imposed on June 18, 1968. ---Introibo

1. Pietro Parolin. Born January 17, 1955. Ordained in 1980; Consecrated in 2009. Made Cardinal in 2014. From Italy. 

Parolin signed the demonic Declaration on Human Fraternity:

Declaration on Human Fraternity

ROME, St. Peter’s Square, June 10th, 2023

“We are diverse, we are different, we have different cultures and religions, but we are brothers and sisters and we want to live in peace” (Pope Francis).

Every man is our brother, every woman is our sister, always. We want all to live together, as brothers and sisters in the Garden that is the Earth. The Garden of fraternity is the condition for all life.

We are witnesses of how, in every corner of the world, lost harmony blooms again when dignity is respected, tears are wiped away, work is fairly remunerated, education is guaranteed, health is cared for, diversity is appreciated, nature is restored, justice is honored, and communities face their loneliness and their fears.

Together, we choose to live our relationships based on fraternity, fueled by dialogue and by forgiveness that “does not mean forgetting” (Fratelli tutti, n. 250), but renounces and does not “yield to the same destructive force” (FT, n. 251) whose consequences we all suffer from.

United with Pope Francis, we want to reaffirm that “authentic reconciliation does not flee from conflict, but is achieved in conflict, resolving it through dialogue and open, honest and patient negotiation.” (FT, n. 244) All this within the context of the human rights framework.

We want to shout to the world in the name of fraternity: Never again war! It is peace, justice, equality that guide the fate of all mankind. No to fear, no to sexual and domestic violence! All armed conflicts must come to an end. We say no more nuclear weapons, no more land mines. No more forced migrations, ethnic cleansing, dictatorships, corruption and slavery. Let us stop the manipulation of technology and AI, let us put fraternity before technological development, so that it may permeate it.

We encourage countries to promote joint efforts in order to create a society of peace, for example by instituting Ministries of Peace.

We commit ourselves to healing the land stained by the blood of violence and hatred, by social inequalities and corruption of the heart. Let us counter hatred with love.

Compassion, sharing, generosity, sobriety, and responsibility are for us the choices that nurture personal fraternity, the fraternity of the heart.

Growing the seed of spiritual fraternity begins with us. It is enough to plant a small seed each day in our relationships: our homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, public squares, and within decision-making institutions.

We also believe in social fraternity that recognizes equal dignity for all, fosters friendship and belonging, promotes education, equal opportunities, decent work and social justice, hospitality, solidarity and cooperation, social solidarity economy and a just ecological transition, a sustainable agriculture that ensures access to food for all, thus favoring harmonious relationships based on mutual respect and caring for the welfare of all.

In this perspective, it is possible to develop proximity actions and human laws, because “fraternity necessarily calls for something greater, which in turn enhances freedom and equality” (FT, n. 103).

Together, we want to build an environmental fraternity, to make Peace with nature, knowing that “everything is in relation to everything else”: the fate of the world, the care of creation, the harmony of nature and sustainable lifestyles. We want to build the future on the notes of Saint Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures, the song of eternal Life. The plot of universal fraternity weaves the threads of the Canticle’s verses: everything is in relation, and in relation with everything and everyone is Life.

Therefore, we, gathered on the occasion of the first World Meeting on Human Fraternity, call on all women and men of goodwill to embrace our appeal to fraternity. Our children, our future can only thrive in a world of peace, justice and equality, to the benefit of the single human family: only fraternity can generate humanity.

It is up to our freedom to want fraternity and to build it together, in unity. Join us in signing this appeal to embrace this dream and transform it into daily practices, so that it reaches the minds and hearts of all leaders and of those who, at every level, have a small or great civic responsibility.

This is Naturalism on steroids. There is no mention of humanity's Fall, and the supernatural remedy that can heal Man. The document discusses "peace" and "fraternity" without ever once mentioning Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Masonry must be proud of Parolin. The "cardinal" has close ties to the Lodge, according to the testimony of former grand master of the Grand Orient of Italy, Giuliano Di Bernardo. (See perma.cc/6VTT-LZGS).

A close advisor to Bergoglio, Parolin has stated that the actions of Francis cannot be undone, "“Precisely because it [Bergoglio's "reforms"] is the action of the Spirit, there can be no U-turn.”

(See vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-04/parolin-on-pope-francis-papacy-no-reversals-on-reforms.html#:~:text=Answering%20the%20question%2C%20%E2%80%9CWhat%20will,might%20worry%20%E2%80%93%20or%20hope%20for%20%E2%80%93; Emphasis mine).

2. Luis Antonio Tagle. Born June 21, 1957. Ordained 1982; Consecrated 2001. Made Cardinal in 2012. From the Philippines. 

Advisor to the Laudato Si  Movement, named after the heretical "Environmental Encyclical" of Bergoglio. The organization's stated purpose is “To inspire and mobilize the Catholic community to care for our common home and achieve climate and ecological justice, in collaboration with all people of good will.” Did you see the Blessed Mother and the Sacred Heart invoked for the spiritual benefit of humanity, and the necessity of the Church for salvation? Neither did I.  This is heretical "eco-spirituality" supported and advised by Tagle. To see how bad it really is visit the website: https://laudatosimovement.org/who-we-are. 

He believes those in "irregular sexual unions" (i.e., practicing sodomites and the divorced living in adultery) should be allowed to  receive "communion," and such reception will not change the Church's doctrine. He thinks each instance should be decided on a  case-by-case basis in “the sacrament of reconciliation (sic) ... so that a help, a pastoral response, could be given adequately to the person,” and he also insists that “we cannot give one formula for all.”  (See sspx.ca/en/news/two-cardinals-two-visions-church-5718; Emphasis mine). 

3. Peter Turkson. Born October 11, 1948. Ordained 1975; Consecrated 1993. Made Cardinal in 2003. From Ghana. 

Remarked that the "God" worshipped by the Modernist Vatican is the Masonic "Great Architect of the Universe."  …God’s Word transformed “chaos” at the dawn of creation into a “cosmos”, an ordered world system, capable of supporting human life, and suitable to be home for man (Is.45:18). And the lesson here is simple: Chaos with the Word of God becomes Cosmos. Conversely, Cosmos without God’s Word turns into chaos! (See https://zenit.org/2019/10/04/pope-marks-feast-of-st-francis-in-vatican-gardens/#google_vignette). 

"Order out of Chaos" is the motto of 33rd degree Freemasonry. The Masons themselves have this on their websites; see e.g., https://freemasoninformation.com/symbolism/ordo-ab-chao-symbols-and-symbolism. He wants priestly celibacy to be optional, and has stated that birth control is a way to solve "climate change."  He did not endorse artificial contraception outright, but thinks there should be less births and people. (bbc.com/news/science-environment-35040477). 

Turkson made it clear that he is part of Vatican II. "Most of us came to the church after the Second Vatican Council, so we do not look back at a well-established church that now has to adopt and implement the Second Vatican Council. Instead, we feel part of the council," he said. (See post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2012/09/30/Cardinal-Peter-Turkson-discusses-Vatican-II-at-Duquesne/stories/201209300229; Emphasis mine).

4. Peter Erdo. Born June 25, 1952. Ordained 1975; Consecrated 2000. Made a Cardinal 2003. from Hungary.

Seen as a "traditionalist" or "conservative" who admires the Traditional Mass, he is fully committed to the heretical ecclesiology of Vatican II. He participated in an "Ecumenical Week of Prayer" in which "Christian denominations" around the world pray together for "Christian unity." If you think this "unity means all become Catholic, better think again. (See katolikus.hu/cikk/januar-21-en-vasarnap-kezdodik-az-okumenikus-imahet). In my opinion, a man like this is more dangerous than an open apostate like Bergoglio.

5. Matteo Zuppi. Born October 11, 1955. Ordained 1981; Consecrated 2012. Made a Cardinal in 2019. From Italy.

Zuppi is a close friend of high ranking Italian Freemason Gioele Magaldi. He married Magaldi and his wife. (remember when Masons were excommunicated?). The Freemason is quoted in a 2020 interview saying  "among the cardinals, the one I esteem the most is Matteo Zuppi, who, among other things, married me.” Magaldi added, "He would make an excellent pope."

(See remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/7645-matteo-zuppi-papabile-or-decoy-name-of-the-progressives). 

Zuppi is a sodomite-lover who strongly supports sexual perverts being accepted without being celibate. He wants priests to be able to marry. Don't worry, however. In 2022 he offered the Traditional Latin Mass according to the 1962 Missal! 

6. Jose Tolentino Calaca de Mendonca. Born December 15, 1965. Ordained 1990; Consecrated 2018. Made a Cardinal in 2019. From Portugal. 

This says it all:

But Cardinal Mendonça also seems to have supported the expression of a number of positions that conflict with Church teaching. These most notably include statements he made in a positive preface to a 2013 book called A teologia feminista na história (Feminist Theology in History) by Catalan Benedictine Sister Maria Teresa Forcades i Vila. A religious sister who has long promoted the acceptance of homosexuality in the Church, Sister Maria Teresa is also opposed to legislation banning abortion, says all women should carry the “morning after” pill in their purses, and supports women’s ordination. (See ncregister.com/news/pope-francis-taps-a-like-minded-portuguese-cardinal-to-head-the-new-dicastery-for-culture-and-education; Emphasis mine). 

Last year, de Mendonca had a "World Children's Day," at which a drag queen danced for children. 

(See lifesitenews.com/news/male-drag-artist-dances-for-kids-at-vaticans-world-childrens-day).

He says that "theology needs the world" and is interested in what decadent, Satanic rock singer Bruce Springsteen "does with the Bible" (Op. cit.).

7. Mario Grech. Born February 20, 1957. Ordained 1984; Consecrated 2006. Made a Cardinal 2020. From Malta. 

Another so-called "conservative" who has "evolved" since Bergoglio was "elected." He openly supports female "deacons." He said that he supports a "...female diaconate and a different space for women in the Church” as “a natural deepening of the Lord’s will,” capable of demonstrating “the dynamism inherent in the history of the Church.” (See cdt.ch/societa/chiesa-cattolica-quale-futuro-non-e-piu-il-tempo-delle-elite-346578). He is for being "more open" to sodomites. 

8. Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Born April 21, 1965. Ordained 1990; Consecrated 2016. Made a Cardinal in 2023. From Italy (Patriarch of Jerusalem).

Committed to ecumenism and a sycophant for Judaism, he's quoted as saying, “No one can do anything alone. Since all society is shaken, we need to work together—to serve diversity, not to create uniformity, to reconsider relations between religion and laity.” (See americamagazine.org/politics-society/2023/09/28/pierbattista-pizzaballa-cardinal-latin-patriarchate-jerusalem-holy-land; Emphasis mine).

9. Robert Sarah. Born June 15, 1945. Ordained 1969; Consecrated 1979. Made a Cardinal in 2011. From Guinea.

Considered the "most traditional" and one who would be an "anti-Francis," It's all smoke and mirrors. Yes he likes the Traditional Latin Mass and defends some authentic Church teachings. Yet in 2021, Sarah showed his true colors:

He declared it “false” that he is opposed to the Second Vatican Council because he speaks of a sense of the sacred in the liturgy.

“I don’t believe that the struggle between progressives and conservatives has any meaning in the Church. These categories are political and ideological,” he stated, adding that “the Church is not a field of political struggle.”

“The only thing that counts is to seek God ever more deeply, to meet him there and humbly kneel down to adore him.”

It is unfortunate, Cardinal Sarah went on, that there are “idealogues” who set the pre-Council Church against the post-Council Church.

According to the cardinal, these people “are dividers; they are doing the work of the devil.”

“The Church is one, without rupture, without changing course, because her Founder ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,’” he said. “She goes towards God, she directs us towards him. From the profession of faith of St. Peter to Pope Francis through Vatican II, the Church turns us towards Christ.” (See catholicnewsagency.com/news/246804/cardinal-sarah-says-he-has-never-opposed-the-pope-in-first-interview-since-stepping-down: Emphasis mine).

There are other contenders, to be certain, but these were the names most often repeated. One thing is certain; none of them profess the integral Roman Catholic Faith. 

The Church Teaches: A Heretic Cannot Become (Or Remain) Pope

The Church has always taught that the pope, as a private theologian, can profess heresy and fall from office immediately by Divine Law:

Proof: 

Doctor of the Church St Alphonsus Liguori: "If ever a pope, as a private person, should fall into heresy, he would at once fall from the pontificate."Oeuvres Completes 9:232.

Theologian Iragui: "...theologians commonly concede that the Roman Pontiff, if he should fall into manifest heresy, would no longer be a member of the Church, and therefore could neither be called its visible head."

(See Manuale Theologiae Dogmaticae. Madrid: Ediciones Studium [1959], pg. 371). 

Canonist Badii: "A publicly heretical pope would no longer be a member of the Church; for this reason, he could no longer be its head."( See Institutiones Iuris Canonici. Florence: Fiorentina [1921], pgs. 160, 165). 

Theologian Prummer: "Through notorious and openly divulged heresy, the Roman Pontiff, should he fall into heresy, by that very fact [ipso facto] is deemed to be deprived of the power of jurisdiction even before any declaratory judgement by the Church....A pope who falls into public heresy would cease ipso facto to be a member of the Church; therefore, he would also cease to be head of the Church."(See Ius Canonicum. Rome: Gregorian [1943],  2:453). 

1917 Code of Canon Law: Canon 188, section 4: "There are certain causes which effect the tacit (silent) resignation of an office, which resignation is accepted in advance by operation of the law, and hence is effective without any declaration. These causes are… (4) publicly defects from the Catholic faith.” 

N.B. Theologian McDevitt writes:

"The defection of faith must be public. It is to be noted immediately that adherence to or inscription in a non-Catholic sect is not required to constitute the publicity that the canon demands." (See The Renunciation of an Ecclesiastical Office, [1946], pg. 139).

The great canonist Ayrinhac taught in his General Legislation in the New Code of Canon Law,:

Loss of Ecclesiastical Offices. Canons 185-191 “...applies to all offices, the lowest and the highest, not excepting the Supreme Pontificate.” (p. 346). 

Heretics cannot attain the papacy

Canon 188 simply restates that a heretic is barred by Divine Law from obtaining the papacy. The pre-Vatican II canonists affirm that it is not canon law, but rather God's Law that prevents a heretic such as Bergoglio from obtaining the office of pope in the first place.

Proof: According to canonist Coronata, "III. Appointment of the office of the Primacy. 1. What is required by divine law for this appointment: … Also required for validity is that the appointment be of a member of the Church. Heretics and apostates (at least public ones) are therefore excluded." (Institutiones 1:312; Emphasis mine)

According to Wernz-Vidal: "Those capable of being validly elected are all who are not prohibited by divine law or by an invalidating ecclesiastical law… Those who are barred as incapable of being validly elected are all women, children who have not reached the age of reason; also, those afflicted with habitual insanity, the unbaptized, heretics, schismatics…" (Jus Canonicum 1:415; Emphasis mine).

Conclusion

None of these so-called "cardinals" are Catholic. Not only are they bereft of the One True Faith, the nine above don't even have valid orders, all are layman---and I don't think there are any "cardinals" with certainly valid orders who can vote. These are the dark days of the Great Apostasy, and they will only grow darker. Pray hard to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to keep you spiritually safe and secure. God help us. 

Beware The Occult Practice of Dowsing

 

One of the reasons I frequently expose and warn of the occult is because it has never been more prevalent and accepted by those calling themselves "Christian." Many times occult aspects are not immediately obvious, and the Vatican II sect never warns of its many dangers. 

It was brought to my attention that some members of the Vatican II sect engage in a practice known as "dowsing." There are associations that promote it and claim it has scientific validity. In this post, dowsing will be explained and its occult connection will be exposed. (I have herein compiled my research on this topic from a plethora of sources, including pamphlets, books and Internet sources. I have condensed the information into a terse post. I take no credit whatsoever for the content.---Introibo).

What is "Dowsing"?

According to one source: Dowsing, also called “divining” or “witching,” refers to the practice of observing a pointer — often a forked stick, rods, bent wires, or a pendulum — move in response to some type of influence or transmitter. Some consider it a reliable method for locating underground items of interest, including water, oil, and ore. There are even those who believe that dowsing can help locate buried remains (sometimes called “grave witching”). 

(See leb.fbi.gov/spotlights/forensic-spotlight-dowsing-for-human-remains-considerations-for-investigators#:~:text=Dowsing%2C%20also%20called%20%E2%80%9Cdivining%E2%80%9D,water%2C%20oil%2C%20and%20ore)

The fact that the word "witching" is used should be an immediate red flag. In addition, some use the "dowsing rod" to bend in response to queries about the future--the occult practice of divination. Dowsers claim that they possess a natural sensitivity to alleged earth magnetism, water “radiations,” or some other natural phenomenon. They believe their dowsing stick or other device (often an occult pendulum) somehow “focuses” or otherwise identifies this energy so that one is able to find water or other substances or things that one is seeking — including oil, treasure, and lost persons or objects.

The fact that dowsing works is clearly its major defense. Dowsers think that if it works it must therefore be both a helpful and legitimate method: “What interests us about all dowsers is not the theories they develop but the results they obtain. It is these results which will attract more and more adepts [initiates] as well as less and less convinced adversaries.” (See Otis Brickett, “The Gift of Healing,” The American Dowser, August 1979, 116)

According to canadiandowsers.org:

Open-minded big businesses use dowsing, too. Hoffman-La Roche, one of the largest global pharmaceutical companies in the world, has used dowsing to locate water for its new plants. La Roche needs large quantities of good water to process the chemicals into drugs. A company magazine quoted Dr. Peter Treadwell as saying, “Roche uses methods that are profitable, whether they are scientifically explainable or not.”

According to a pamphlet from the American Society of Dowsers, there are three (3) types of dowsing:

• Field Dowsing — the “traditional” use of dowsing which involves locating water, objects, and so forth on a given terrain. 
• Remote/Map Dowsing — “witching the area” so to speak, is not required in this approach. Instead, the dowser locates the target from a distance using the rod and a map to narrow down what is to be found
•  Information Dowsing — the dowser obtains needed information on any subject with neither space nor time limits. Direct quote: The dowser is now trying to access the universe (or the collective consciousness, or God, or spirit guides, or Guardian Angels or...) for information to answer questions. (See americansocietyofdowsers.wildapricot.org/page-18193; 4-3-2-1-Dowsing pamphlet; Emphasis mine). 

How Does Dowsing Work?

According to one source:

It may sound like some rather hokey hocus-pocus, or something from, say, 500 years ago. But by one estimate, some 60,000 water dowsers are practicing in America today. [2023] That's almost 10 times the number of hydrologists, who provide many of the same services as witches, substituting science for dowsing rods.

Not all water witches use the forked branch of a tree these days, of course. Many dowsers locate the underground water based on movement of divining rods. Copper rods and pendulums are popular tools of the trade. Smartly contorted wire coat hangers might do the trick. Shovels. Pitchforks. Glass beads. A crowbar. These are simply channels for the power.

And not all dowsers go about their groundwater search the same way. Some actually incorporate science into their divining; they look at the topography of the land, the geology. They use maps. They may even have an understanding of local aquifers. They make drawings. Do tests.

All rely on some kind of unseen, perhaps divine, intervention to suss out the water. It's an innate ability, a "sense" or "intuition." Sometimes it's simple and quiet. Sometimes it's more theatrical. "You can see some of these folks performing on YouTube," Jarvis says. "Their bodies go into all sorts of contortions." (See science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/water-dowsing.htm; Emphasis mine). 

There wouldn't be 60,000 practicing water dowsers (not to mention those who use map and informational dowsing) if it didn't produce results. However, there is a serious conflict over the reason behind successes. There are three major explanations:

• The Ideomotor Effect. The pointers are typically held in a position of unstable equilibrium, and, therefore, a small movement, such as an involuntary vibration in the user’s arm, becomes amplified and causes the pointers to visibly move. This involuntary motor behavior is guided by the user’s perception. However, this does not explain why it is frequently right. (Source: leb.fbi.gov). 

• Chance. Worldwide, scientific testing of dowsing consistently disproves the dowser’s claim that it merely represents a natural or learned sensitivity to radiations or some other physical phenomenon. Moreover, The natural explanation of "successful" water dowsing is that in many areas water would be hard to miss. The dowser commonly implies that the spot indicated by the rod is the only one where water could be found, but this is not necessarily true. In a region of adequate rainfall and favorable geology, it is difficult not to drill and find water! (See pubs.usgs.gov/gip/water_dowsing/pdf/water_dowsing.pdf). 

• Demonic influence. As a form of occult divination, the forces of Hell would want to give confirmation to get more people involved and keep those using it satisfied that they have "power." I'm not suggesting that all dowsing is demonically directed. Some may be chance and others the work of a charlatan.

The Occult and Dowsing

As the power of dowsing is not some scientifically proven human ability, are there good reasons to believe that it is occult and its successes may be attributable (at least some of the time) to demonic forces? Yes, and they are listed below.

Dowsing is a form of Divination

Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. Interestingly, the members of the Vatican II sect have pre-Vatican II support that dowsing is not really sinful. Upon examination, however, the protest fails. 

According to theologian Jone, both divination and sorcery are per se grave sins because it involves either an explicit or implicit invocation of the devil to obtain knowledge. He explains an implicit invocation of Satan as follows: Implicit invocation of the devil is also a grave sin. Even though one protests against the influence of the evil spirit, one still invokes him by using evidently inadequate means to produce some definite effect. If there is a possibility that the effect is the result of some unknown powers of nature, one may use such means if he protests against any diabolical influence. Such a protestation is unnecessary if one is certain the effect is produced by natural causes even though the respective natural powers are little known, as happens, for example, in the use of the divining rod for the location of water or veins of metal. (See Moral Theology, [1961], pgs. 98-99; first emphasis in original, second emphasis mine). 

Theologian Jone's approval of dowsing is predicated upon the condition that it has natural causes of which science knows very little. (He also does not include dowsing for information wherein the future is to be told by the rod). Dowsing even fooled some Catholic clerics, which helps explain the conclusion of Jone. Fr. Alex Bouly (1865-1958), coined the term radiesthesia in place of dowsing back in 1927 and founded The Society of Friends of Radiesthesia. The coined term means "radiation perception" because that's how Fr. Bouly thought it worked. Since 1961,when Jone's theology manual was published, much scientific research has been done regarding dowsing. 

Various experiments prove there is no "natural cause" such as "radiation perception" that makes dowsing work. You can find the experiments here:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1279512/
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01134560

These are not all of them, just two examples. Yet, dowsing for water and information is sometimes so accurate, it cannot be dismissed as the ideomotor effect, chance, or chicanery. If theologian Jone had the knowledge of these experiments (especially since the 1980s), I'm sure his teaching on dowsing would have changed since we can now be certain that the effect is not produced by any natural causes as Fr. Bouly thought. 

What, exactly, are the reasons to think of an evil power source of dowsing's success? There are four (4) reasons.

1.  Many dowsers enter a trance when dowsing.

Altered states of consciousness are used by pagans and shamans to make contact with "spirits" (demons). According to literature put out by those who practice dowsing: The secret of good dowsing…is a curious state of mind….Dowsing has been compared to a mild state of hypnosis, or trance, or meditation. (See Gordon MacLean, “Dowsing Experiences and Problems,” The American Dowser, May 1976, pgs. 182-183).

2.  Dowsing requires using the rod like a Ouija Board.

Many indications exist that a personal spirit entity operates through the dowsing implement and that interaction with it is necessary for success. For example, the dowser is instructed to ask specific questions of his rod and get "yes" or "no" answers for information. What "natural cause" answers questions? This requires intelligence. It is identical to asking questions of a Ouija board and it points to "yes" or "no." If your questions are answered, it comes from a decidedly evil intelligence. 

3. Dowsing is linked to other forms of the occult. 

Dowsing is often linked with other forms of occult practice. For example, dowsers have made connections between dowsing and such practices as astral projection, remote viewing, shamanism, and yoga in their literature.

4. Some dowsers claim contact with "spirit entities." 

Some dowsers also admit connections to the spirit world. A report on one dowsing seminar confessed that ...dowsers…are always surrounded by discarnate entities eager to express themselves….They most easily accomplish this by breaking in and influencing the movement of whatever dowsing instruments are being used….(See William Vrooman, "Dowsing for Health: Mental and Spiritual Bodies of Human and Non-Human Entities," The American Dowser, November 1977, pg.151).

Conclusion

Dowsing is neither a scientific endeavor, nor some innate human ability. When it works, the evidence points to demonic influence, as it is now morally certain to be a form of divination. Knowledge and the testing of dowsing have grown greatly in the last 60 years. Those who practice dowsing will find themselves engaging in an activity condemned by the Church. Remember well the words of Sacred Scripture,  "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). 

The Holiness Of The Church And The Unholiness Of Speaking Against Our Neighbor

 

To My Readers: This week's post, by John Gregory, explains what it means when we say the One True Church is Holy. John also puts into perspective the Eighth Commandment of Almighty God. 

Feel free to comment as usual. If you have  a specific comment or question for me, I will respond as always, but it may take me a bit longer to do so this Holy Week. A Blessed Holy Week and Happy Easter to every one of you who reads my blog! 

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

The Holiness Of The Church And The Unholiness Of Speaking Against Our Neighbor

By John Gregory

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany 

 

1. Dogmatic Subject: The Holiness of the Church.—Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy (Colossians 3: 12).—The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field (St. Matthew 13: 24) 

 

2.  Moral Subject: The Eighth Commandment. Evilspeaking against Our Neighbor.—Above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection; and let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body (Colossians 3: 14, 15).—While men were asleep his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat, and went his way (Matthew 13: 25).  (Catechism of Trent [COT]).  Page xlii  

 

“HOLY”

 

The second mark of the Church is holiness, as we learn from these words of the Prince of the Apostles: You are a chosen generation, a holy nation.  (1 Peter 2: 9) 

 

The Church is called holy because she is consecrated and dedicated to God; for so other things when set apart and dedicated to the worship of God were wont to be called holy, even though they were material.  Examples of this in the Old Law were vessels, vestments and altars.  In the same sense the first-born who were dedicated to the Most High God were also called holy. Catechism of Trent (COT - p. 104) 

 

It should not be deemed a matter of surprise that the Church, although numbering among her children many sinners, is called holy. For as those who profess any art, even though they depart from its rules, are still called artists, so in like manner the faithful, although offending in many things and violating the engagements to which they had pledged themselves, are still called holy, because they have been made the people of God and have consecrated themselves to Christ by faith and Baptism.  Hence, Saint Paul calls the Corinthians sanctified and holy, although it is certain that among them there were some whom he severely rebuked as carnal, and also charged with grosser crimes. (1 Corinthians 1: 2; 3: 41) 

 

The Church is also to be called holy because she is united to her holy Head, as His body; that is, to Christ the Lord, (Ephesians 4: 15, 16) the fountain of all holiness, from whom flow the graces of the Holy Spirit and the riches of the divine bounty.  Saint Augustine, interpreting these words of the Prophet: Preserve my soul, for I am holy, (Psalm 85: 2) thus admirably expresses himself: Let the body of Christ boldly say, let also that one man, exclaiming from the ends of the earth, boldly say, with his Head, and under his Head, I am holy; for he received the grace of holiness, the grace of Baptism and of remission of sins.  And a little further on: If all Christians and all the faithful, having been baptized in Christ, have put Him on, according to these words of the Apostle: “As many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ” (Galatians 3: 27); if they are made members of his body, and yet say they are not holy, they do an injury to their Head, whose members are holy. 

 

Moreover, the Church alone has the legitimate worship of sacrifice, and the salutary use of the Sacraments, which are the efficacious instruments of divine grace, used by God to produce true holiness.  Hence, to possess true holiness, we must belong to this Church.  The Church therefore it is clear, is holy, and holy because she is the body of Christ, by whom she is sanctified, and in whose blood she is washed. 

 

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT 

 

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Exodus 20: 16) 

 

IMPORTANCE OF INSTRUCTION ON THIS COMMANDMENT 

 

The great utility, nay the necessity, of carefully explaining this Commandment, and of emphasizing its obligation, we learn from these words of Saint James: If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man; and again, The tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things.  Behold how small a fire, what a great wood it kindleth; (St. James 3: 2, 5) and so on, to the same effect. 

 

From these words we learn two truths.  The first is that sins of the tongue are very prevalent, which is confirmed by these words of the Prophet: Every man is a liar, (Psalm 115: 2) so that it would almost seem as if this were the only sin which extends to all mankind.  The other truth is that the tongue is the source of innumerable evils.  Through the fault of the evil-speaker are often lost the property, the reputation, the life, and the salvation of the injured person, or of him who inflicts the injury.  The injured person, unable to bear patiently the contumely, avenges it without restraint.  The offender, on the other hand, deterred by a perverse shame and a false idea of what is called honor, cannot be induced to make reparation to him whom he has offended.  

 

TWO PARTS OF THIS COMMANDMENT 

 

The first forbids us to bear false witness.  The other commands us to lay aside all dissimulation and deceit, and to measure our words and actions by the standard of truth, a duty of which the Apostle admonishes the Ephesians in these words: Doing the truth in charity, let us grow up in all things in him. (Ephesians 4: 15) 

 

Negative Part of this Commandment 

 

With regard to the prohibitory part of this Commandment, although by false testimony is understood whatever is positively but falsely affirmed of anyone, be it for or against him, be it in a public court or elsewhere; yet the Commandment specially prohibits that species of false testimony which is given on oath in a court of justice.  For a witness swears by the Deity, because the words of a man thus giving evidence and using the divine name have very great weight and possess the strongest claim to credit.  Such testimony, therefore, because it is dangerous, is specially prohibited; for even the judge himself cannot reject the testimony of sworn witnesses, unless they be excluded by exceptions made in the law, or unless their dishonesty and malice are notorious.  This is especially true since it is commanded by divine authority that in the mouth of two or three every word shall stand. (Matthew 18: 16; Deuteronomy 19: 15) 

 

“AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR” 

 

In order that the faithful may have a clear comprehension of this Commandment it should be explained who is our neighbor, against whom it is unlawful to bear false witness.  According to the interpretation of Christ the Lord, our neighbor is he who needs our assistance, whether bound to us by ties of kindred or not, whether a fellow-citizen or a stranger, a friend or an enemy.  It is wrong to think that one may give false evidence against an enemy, since by the command of God and of our Lord we are bound to love him. 

 

Moreover, as every man is bound to love himself, and is thus, in some sense, his own neighbor, it is unlawful for anyone to bear false witness against himself.  He who does so brands himself with infamy and disgrace, and injures both himself and the Church of which he is a member, much as the suicide, by his act, does a wrong to the state.  This is the doctrine of Saint Augustine, who says: To those who do not understand (the precept) properly, it might seem lawful to give false testimony against one's self, because the words “against thy neighbour” are subjoined in the Commandment.  But let no one who bears false testimony against himself think that he has not violated this Commandment, for the standard of loving our neighbour is the love which we cherish towards ourselves. 

 

FALSE TESTIMONY IN FAVOR OF A NEIGHBOR IS ALSO FORBIDDEN 

 

But if we are forbidden to injure our neighbor by false testimony, let it not be inferred that the contrary is lawful, and that we may help by perjury those who are bound to us by ties of kinship or religion.  It is never allowed to have recourse to lies or deception, much less to perjury.  Hence Saint Augustine in his book to Crescentius On Lying teaches from the words of the Apostle that a lie, although uttered in false praise of anyone, is to be numbered among false testimonies.  Treating of that passage, Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have given testimony against God, that he hath raised up Christ whom he hath not raised, if the dead rise not again, (1 Corinthians 15: 15) he says: The Apostle calls it false testimony to utter a lie with regard to Christ, even though it should seem to redound to His praise. 

 

It also not infrequently happens, that by favoring one party we injure the other.  False testimony is certainly the occasion of misleading the judge, who, yielding to such evidence, is sometimes obliged to decide against justice, to the injury of the innocent. 

 

Sometimes, too, it happens that the successful party, who by means of perjured witnesses, has gained his case and escaped with impunity, exulting in his iniquitous victory, soon becomes accustomed to the work of corrupting and suborning false witnesses, by whose aid he hopes to obtain whatever he wishes. 

 

To the witness himself it must be most grievous that his falsehood and perjury are known to him whom he has aided and abetted by his perjury; whilst encouraged by the success that follows his crime, he becomes every day more accustomed to wickedness and audacity. 

 

“THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS” 

 

ALL FALSEHOODS IN LAWSUITS ARE FORBIDDEN 

 

This precept then prohibits deceit, lying and perjury on the part of witnesses.  The prohibition extends also to plaintiffs, defendants, promoters, representatives, procurators and advocates; in a word, to all who take any part in lawsuits. 

 

FALSE TESTIMONY OUT OF COURT IS FORBIDDEN 

 

Finally, God prohibits all testimony which may inflict injury or injustice, whether it be a matter of legal evidence or not.  In the passage of Leviticus where the Commandments are repeated, we read: Thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not lie, neither shall any man deceive his neighbour. (Leviticus 19: 2) To none, therefore can it be a matter of doubt, that this Commandment condemns lies of every sort, as these words of David explicitly declare: Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie. (Psalm 5: 7) 

 

THIS COMMANDMENT FORBIDS DETRACTION 

 

This Commandment forbids not only false testimony, but also the detestable vice and practice of detraction,—a pestilence, which is the source of innumerable and calamitous evils.  This vicious habit of secretly reviling and calumniating character is frequently reprobated in the Sacred Scriptures.  With him, says David, I would not eat; (Psalm 100: 5) and Saint James: Detract not one another, my brethren. (James 4: 2) 

 

Holy Writ abounds not only with precepts on the subject, but also with examples which reveal the enormity of the crime.  Aman, by a crime of his own invention, had so incensed Assuerus against the Jews that he ordered the destruction of the entire race. (Esther 13: 6) Sacred history contains many other examples of the same kind, which priests would recall in order to deter the people from such iniquity. 

 

VARIOUS KINDS OF DETRACTION 

 

But, to understand well the nature of this sin of detraction, we must know that reputation is injured not only by calumniating the character, but also by exaggerating the faults of others.  He who gives publicity to the secret sin of any man, in an unnecessary place or time, or before persons who have no right to know, is also rightly regarded as a detractor and evil-speaker, if his revelation seriously injures the other’s reputation. 

 

But of all sorts of calumnies the worst is that which is directed against Catholic doctrine and its teachers.  Persons who extol the propagators of error and of unsound doctrine are guilty of a like crime. 

 

Nor are those to be dissociated from the ranks of evil-speakers, or from their guilt, who, instead of reproving, lend a willing ear and a cheerful assent to the calumniator and reviler.  As we read in Saint Jerome and Saint Bernard, it is not so easy to decide which is more guilty, the detractor, or the listener; for if there were no listeners, there would be no detractors. 

 

To the same category belong those who cunningly foment divisions and excite quarrels; who feel a malignant pleasure in sowing discord, dissevering by fiction and false hood the closest friendships and the dearest social ties, impelling to endless hatred and deadly combat the fondest friends.  Of such pestilent characters the Lord expresses His detestation in these words: Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. (Leviticus 19: 16) Of this description were many of the advisers of Saul, who strove to alienate the king’s affection from David and to arouse his enmity against him. (1 Kings 24 and 26)  

 

THIS COMMANDMENT FORBIDS FLATTERY 

 

Among the transgressors of this Commandment are to be numbered those fawners and sycophants who, by flattery and insincere praise, gain the hearing and good will of those whose favor, money, and honors they seek, calling good evil, and evil good, as the Prophet says. (Isaias 5: 20) This class of persons do not, it is true, speak ill of their neighbor; but they greatly injure him, since by praising his sins they cause him to continue in vice to the end of his life. 

 

Of this species of flattery the most pernicious is that which proposes to itself for object the injury and the ruin of others.  Thus Saul, when he sought to expose David to the sword and fury of the Philistines, in order to bring about his death, addressed him in these soothing words: Behold my eldest daughter Merob, her will I give thee to wife; only be a valiant man and fight the battles of the Lord. (1 Kings 18: 17) In the same way the Jews thus insidiously addressed our Lord: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth. (Matthew 22: 16) 

 

Still more pernicious is the language addressed sometimes by friends and relations to a person suffering with a mortal disease, and on the point of death, when they assure him that there is no danger of dying, telling him to be of good spirits, dissuading him from confession, as though the very thought should fill him with melancholy, and finally withdrawing his attention from all care and thought of the dangers which beset him in the last perilous hour. 

 

THIS COMMANDMENT FORBIDS LIES OF ALL KINDS 

 

In a word, lies of every sort are prohibited, especially those that cause grave injury to anyone, while most impious of all is a lie uttered against or regarding religion. 

 

God is also grievously offended by those attacks and slanders which are termed lampoons, and other defamatory publications of this kind. 

 

To deceive by a jocose or officious lie, even though it helps or harms no one, is, notwithstanding, altogether unworthy; for thus the Apostle admonishes us: Putting away lying, speak ye the truth. (Ephesians 4: 25) This practice begets a strong tendency to frequent and serious lying, and from jocose lying men contract the habit of lying, lose all reputation for truth, and ultimately find it necessary, in order to gain belief, to have recourse to continual swearing. 

 

THIS COMMANDMENT FORBIDS HYPOCRISY 

 

Finally, the first part of this Commandment prohibits dissimulation.  It is sinful not only to speak, but to act deceitfully.  Actions, as well as words, are signs of what is in our mind; and hence our Lord, rebuking the Pharisees, frequently calls them hypocrites.  So far with regard to the negative, which is the first part of this Commandment. 

 

Positive Part of this Commandment 

 

JUDGES MUST PASS SENTENCE ACCORDING TO LAW AND JUSTICE 

 

We now come to explain what the Lord commands in the second part.  Its nature and purpose require that trials be conducted on principles of strict justice and according to law.  It requires that no one usurp judicial powers or authority, for as the Apostle writes, it were unjust to judge another man’s servant. (Romans 14: 4) 

 

Again it requires that no one pass sentence without a sufficient knowledge of the case.  This was the sin of the priests and scribes who passed judgment on Saint Stephen. (Acts 7: 59) The magistrates of Philippi furnish another example.  They have beaten us publicly, says the Apostle, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privately. (Acts 16: 37) 

 

This Commandment also requires that the innocent be not condemned, nor the guilty acquitted; and that (the decision) be not influenced by money, or favor, hatred or love.  For so Moses admonished the elders whom he had constituted judges of the people: Judge that which is just, whether he be one of your country or a stranger.  There shall be no difference of persons, you shall hear the little as well as the great; neither shall you respect any man’s person, because it is the judgment of God. (Deuteronomy 1: 16) 

 

WITNESSES MUST GIVE TESTIMONY TRUTHFULLY 

 

With regard to an accused person who is conscious of his own guilt, God commands him to confess the truth, if he is interrogated judicially. [This decision is conditional, as the judicial forms vary in different countries] By that confession he, in some sort, bears witness to, and proclaims the praise and glory of God; and of this we have a proof in these words of Josue, when exhorting Achan to confess the truth: My son, give glory to the Lord the God of Israel. (Josue 7: 19) 

 

But as this Commandment chiefly concerns witnesses, the pastor should give them special attention.  The spirit of the precept not only prohibits false testimony, but also commands the truth to be told.  In human affairs, to bear testimony to the truth is a matter of the highest importance, because there are innumerable things of which we must be ignorant unless we arrive at a knowledge of them on the faith of witnesses.  In matters with which we are not personally acquainted and which we need to know, there is nothing so important as true evidence.  Hence the words of Saint Augustine: He who conceals the truth and he who utters falsehood are both guilty; the one, because he is unwilling to render a service; the other, because he has the will to do an injury. 

 

We are not, however, at all times, obliged to disclose the truth; but when, in a court of justice, a witness is legally interrogated by the judge, he is emphatically bound to tell the whole truth.  Here, however, witnesses should be most circumspect, lest, trusting too much to memory, they affirm for certain what they have not fully ascertained. 

 

LAWYERS AND PLAINTIFFS MUST BE GUIDED BY LOVE OF JUSTICE 

 

Attorneys and counsel, plaintiffs and prosecutors, remain still to be treated of.  The two former should not refuse to contribute their services and legal assistance, when the necessities of others call for their aid.  They should deal generously with the poor.  They should not defend an unjust cause, prolong lawsuits by trickery, nor encourage them for the sake of gain.  As to remuneration for their services and labors, let them be guided by the principles of justice and of equity. 

 

ALL MUST SPEAK TRUTHFULLY AND WITH CHARITY 

 

To all conscientious persons is addressed the divine command that in all their intercourse with society, in every conversation, they should speak the truth at all times from the sincerity of their hearts; that they should utter nothing injurious to the reputation of another, not even of those by whom they know they have been injured and persecuted.  For they should always remember that between them and others there exists such a close social bond that they are all members of the same body.  

 

INDUCEMENTS TO TRUTHFULNESS 

 

In order that the faithful may be more disposed to avoid the vice of lying, the pastor should place before them the extreme lowness and disgrace of this sin.  In the Sacred Scriptures the devil is called the father of lies; for as, he stood not in the truth, he is a liar and the father thereof. (John 8: 44) 

 

To banish so great a sin, (the pastor) should add the mischievous consequences of lying; but since they are innumerable, he must be content with pointing out the chief kinds of these evils and calamities. 

 

In the first place, he should show how grievously lies and deceit offend God and how deeply they are hated by God.  This he should prove from the words of Solomon: Six things there are which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief, a deceitful witness that uttereth lies, etc. (Proverbs 6: 16) Who, then, can protect or save from severest chastisements the man who is thus the object of God’s special hate? 

 

Again, what more wicked, what more base than, as Saint James says, with the same tongue, by which we bless God and the Father, to curse men, who are made after the image and likeness of God, so that out of the same fountain flows sweet and bitter water. (James 3: 9, 11) The tongue, which was before employed in giving praise and glory to ‘God, afterwards, as far as it is able, by lying treat Him with ignominy and dishonor.  Hence liars are excluded from a participation in the bliss of heaven.  To David asking, “Lord! who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? The Holy Spirit answers: He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue. (Psalm 14: 1, 3) 

 

Lying is also attended with this very great evil that it is an almost incurable disease.  For since the guilt of the calumniator cannot be pardoned, unless satisfaction be made to the calumniated person, and since, as we have already observed, this duty is difficult for those who are deterred from its performance by false shame and a foolish idea of dignity, we cannot doubt that he who continues in this sin is destined to the unending punishments of hell.  Let no one indulge the hope of obtaining the pardon of his calumnies or detractions, until he has repaired the injury which they have inflicted on the honor or fame of another, whether this was done in a court of justice, or in private and familiar conversation. 

 

But the evil consequences of lying are widespread and extend to society at large.  By duplicity and lying, good faith and truth, which form the closest links of human society, are dissolved, confusion ensues, and men seem to differ in nothing from demons. 

 

HOW TO AVOID LYING 

 

The pastor should also teach that loquacity is to be avoided.  By avoiding loquacity (talkativeness) other evils will be obviated, and a great preventive opposed to lying, from which loquacious persons can scarcely abstain. 

 

Excuses for Lying Refuted 

 

THE PLEA OF PRUDENCE 

 

There are those who seek to justify their duplicity either by the unimportance of what they say, or by the example of the worldly wise who, they claim, lie at the proper time.  The pastor should correct such erroneous ideas by answering what is most true, namely, that the wisdom of the flesh is death. (Romans 8: 6) He should exhort his listeners in all their difficulties and dangers to trust in God, not in the artifice of lying; for those who have recourse to subterfuge (deceit), plainly show that they trust more to their own prudence than to the providence of God. 

 

THE PLEA OF REVENGE

 

Those who lay the blame of their own falsehood on others, who first deceived them by lies, are to be taught the unlawfulness of avenging their own wrongs, and that evil is not to be rendered for evil, but rather that evil is to be overcome by good.  (Romans 12: 17, 21) Even if it were lawful to return evil for evil, it would not be to our interest to harm ourselves in order to get revenge.  The man who seeks revenge by uttering falsehood inflicts very serious injury on himself. 

 

THE PLEAS OF FRAILTY, HABIT, AND BAD EXAMPLE 

 

Those who plead human frailty are to be taught that it is a duty of religion to implore the divine assistance, and not to yield to human infirmity. 

 

Those who excuse themselves by habit are to be admonished to endeavor to acquire the contrary habit of speaking the truth; particularly as those who sin habitually are more guilty than others. 

 

There are some who adduce in their own justification the example of others, who, they contend, constantly indulge in falsehood and perjury.  Such persons should be undeceived by reminding them that bad men are not to be imitated, but reproved and corrected; and that, when we ourselves are addicted to the same vice, our admonitions have less influence in reprehending and correcting it in others. 

 

THE PLEAS OF CONVENIENCE, AMUSEMENT, AND ADVANTAGE 

 

With regard to those who defend their conduct by saying that to speak the truth is often attended with inconvenience, priests should answer that (such an excuse) is an accusation, not a defence, since it is the duty of a Christian to suffer any inconvenience rather than utter a falsehood. There remain two other classes of persons who seek to justify lying: those who say that they tell lies for the sake of amusement, and those who plead motives of interest, claiming that without recourse to lies, they can neither buy nor sell to advantage.  The pastor should endeavor to reform both these kinds of liars.   He should correct the former by showing how strong a habit of sinning is contracted by their practice, and by strongly impressing upon them the truth that for every idle word they shall render an account. (Matthew 12: 36) As for the second class, he should upbraid them with greater severity, because their very excuse is a most serious accusation against themselves, since they show thereby that they yield no faith or confidence to these words of God: Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6: 33) (COT p. 454 – 465) 

Conclusion

We must strive to be holy, as we are members of the One True Church which bears the Mark of Holiness. In order to be holy, we must be ever mindful of the duties we have imposed on us by the Eighth Commandment.