Now is the decisive battle

When Mary appeared at Fatima in 1917 to the three shepherd children, she gave them four basics for obtaining world peace. First, turn from serious sin and cease offending God. Second, pray the rosary daily, so she might protect and intercede for the faithful before God. Third, establish a devotion to her Immaculate Heart– including papal consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Fourth, partake in Holy Communions of reparation on the first Saturdays.

One of the ill-effects, she said, of not doing all she’d asked would be that “Russia would spread her errors throughout the world.” Many have wondered for years how that could materialize. Now it is stingingly obvious. In 2005, the last living Fatima visionary, Sister Lucia dos Santos, revealed shortly before her death: “… and the final battle between the Lord and … Satan will be about marriage and the family.”

And here we stand.

Chief aims of communism, centuries ago and now, are corruption of women, families, and of the Catholic Church. When many women collapse in morals, and renounce traditional family, marriage, or religious vocations, the rest is cake. Many men become easier targets, and family well being is in turmoil. The Soviet communists of the last century enacted a proven playbook: they silenced certain media and information; forced women to work in factories; allowed easy access to divorce; provided state-run childcare and schooling; jettisoned attraction to motherhood and home-keeping; popularized rejection of Catholic belief; and reframed sexual activity as unhampered by moral confines.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe spoke in the 1930s of such communist tactics, tracing them back to mid-1800s efforts by Freemasons. One of the Freemasonic documents of the time, the Alta Vendita, fell into the hands of the Vatican, and describes the Masons’ diabolical attack-plans on the family and the Catholic Church. The Freemasons knew it could take over a century to achieve it all, but put the gears in place. Action-items from the 1859 document are chilling:

“Catholicism can be overcome by corrupted morals. Destroy all teaching about God.”

“Keep the priest away from labor, from the altar, from virtue. Seek to occupy his thoughts, his hours, make him lazy … and politically active. … Corruption will one day enable us to put the Church in her tomb.”

“In order to destroy Catholicism, it is necessary to commence by suppressing women. [We] must … corrupt women – when the best are corrupted, they become the worst.”

Now flash to film clips from recent news coverage. We’re in the battle of battles.

It is why Pope Pius IX said, “Give me an army saying the rosary, and I will conquer the world.” And later his successor, Pope Pius XI added, “… If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, or in your country, say the rosary every day.” It’s won great Christian feats before.

She promised her Immaculate Heart would triumph in the end. But strong Catholic ambassadors must actively partner with Mary and her Son, against the critical forces of now. 

CHRISTINE VALENTINE-OWSIK is Legatus magazine’s editor.