Fatima Crusader Special Supplement

Winter 2003

Why We Need the Rosary … NOW!        On July 13, 1917, Our Lady of Fatima, speaking about Herself in the third person told us "only She can help you." Mankind has turned away from Our Lady and now suffers the consequences.        As the news stories below indicate, the world stands at the brink of a terrifying war, the Catholic Church suffers continual harassment in Russia (see "Pope Decries Expulsion of Catholics From Russia" below), and the Catholic Church Herself is in alarming decline (see "Catholicism’s Decline Since the Council" below) due to the modernistic trends (or in Sister Lucy’s words, the "diabolic disorientation") that have swept through the Church over the last 40 years.

       This is why we have put together the Special Issue of The Fatima Crusader on the Holy Rosary, and have launched the campaign for 25 Million Rosaries (see the ad "25 Million Rosaries for Peace" in Issue 72 of The Fatima Crusader).

       Pope John Paul II declared a "Year of the Rosary", and there is no greater and more immediately available remedy for the evils that presently afflict all mankind and all the faithful of the Church, than to obey Our Lady’s repeated requests at Fatima to recite the Rosary every day. It must be prayed by more Catholics now, more than ever.

       The frequent recitation of the Holy Rosary, together with the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as specified by Our Lady of Fatima, is the only solution to the world’s downward spiral into war and apostasy.

       A report from Russia on May 14, 2003 by PRAVDA.Ru reproduced in its entirety on pages 2 and 3 of this Special Supplement is a warning of just how critical the world situation is. We could be under real, nuclear attack in the very near future if Our Lady’s Fatima requests are still ignored by even so-called good people.

       This report from the Russian Communist News Agency was not repeated after May 14, 2003 nor was it denied, nor was it repeated by any of the world’s major news media, as best as we at The Fatima Crusader could find out. But it is all the more ominous for that. Obviously the USA’s and other Western news agencies are officially ignoring it. They do not deny it exists, they just hope no one else noticed it.

       But we must take it seriously for the following reasons: First of all, we do know that Russia still does have the military power, the men, the will, and enough weapons to destroy all of the USA and Western Europe while being able to survive any counterattack. Secondly, we know that the rulers of Russia have not changed their goals since 1917. They still intend to dominate the world.

       We know that for two reasons. First, because in the Message of Fatima we are told by Sister Lucy “many times, the Most Holy Virgin told my cousins Francisco and Jacinta, as well as myself, that many nations will disappear from the face of the earth. She said that ‘Russia will be the instrument of chastisement chosen by Heaven to punish the whole world if we do not beforehand obtain the conversion of that poor nation.’”

       Obviously Russia will not attack the whole world if, in fact, it did not have the means to do so. Nor would it have the means unless it intended to use them. Thus we can deduce from Our Lady of Fatima’s warning quoted above that Russia still is a danger to the whole world, since Russia obviously has not converted. (See “‘Conversion of Russia’ UPDATE” and “Pope Decries Explosion of Catholics From Russia” in this Supplement. See also The Fatima Crusader, Issue 73 “PEACE OR WAR - It’s Up to You”, and “In the End” , also www.fatima.org for various articles on this point.)

       Secondly, we know from various scholarly, independent reports that Russia today, in this year 2003, is a military super power, in fact much more powerful than the USA, even though it generally cultivates the image of being less powerful than it is. The books New Lies for Old and The Perestroika Deception by Anatoliy Golitsyn explains this. For a briefer proof of Russia’s power go to www.fatima.org for the appropriate articles or see The Fatima Crusader Issue 73, “The Impending Great Chastisement Revealed in the Third Secret of Fatima” .

       We now give you the official Russian Communist news agency’s report of Russia’s recent preparations to attack the USA and Britain with nuclear weapons:

Russia to Deliver Attack Against
the USA: A Training One

The Russian Military Command Seems to
Have Learned the Lessons of the Iraq War

May 14, 2003

       The Russian military command seems to have learned the lessons of the Iraq war and now plans to demonstrate (to) the USA and its allies the whole of Russia’s resolve to strike back against any potential threat from the West, the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports. The newspaper says that as soon as NATO Secretary General George Robertson leaves the Russian capital, Moscow will immediately launch the largest military exercises it has seen in years. During the exercises, the newspaper says, Russian strategic bombers and submarine missile-carriers will simulate nuclear attacks against several military targets on the territory of the USA and Great Britain. They will also work on searching for and liquidating US Navy aircraft carriers transporting attack squadrons. (Emphasis added)

       It was expected that Russia’s Air Force commander-in-chief, Colonel-General Vladimir Mikhailov, will submit the plan for the exercises for the approval of the Minister of Defense Sergey Ivanov today. Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that the exercises are based on a scenario in which a regional conflict develops into a war.

       During the exercises, the Russian troops will work on a series of training missions aimed at disabling the US’ orbital surveillance satellites. This is important (in) order to disrupt the stable operation of the NAVSTAR global positioning system, optoelectronic surveillance Keyhole satellites and radar reconnaissance LaCross satellites. The Russian newspaper reports that, under wartime conditions, these actions might be able to blind the Pentagon and interfere with its usage of high-precision weapons against Russia’s armed forces.

       The exercises are scheduled for May 17-18. (Emphasis added) Four Tu-160 strategic bombers, nine Tu-95MC strategic bombers, 12 long-range Tu-22M3 bombers and four II-78 refueling ships will participate in the exercises.

       According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the commander of the 37th aviation unit, Major-General Igor Khvorov, says that the main objective of the exercises is to polish up cooperation of long-range aviation with the Navy and other groups of military personnel.

       End of May 14, 2003 PRAVDA.Ru Report

IRAQ WARNS:

IF YOU ATTACK,
SEPTEMBER 11 WILL LOOK LIKE A PICNIC

       January 24, 2003 - Iraq vowed yesterday to make September 11 attacks on America look "like a picnic" if the U.S. launches an invasion. The warning came in a front page editorial in the state-controlled newspaper Bebel run by Saddam Hussein’s son. The article was signed Abu Sarhan — a pen name for Uday Hussein — who acts as a mouthpiece for his father. It said, “The events of September 11 will be a picnic compared with what would happen to America if it commits aggression against Iraq.”

-Taken from the daily British newspaper The Mirror

Wars and Rumors of Wars

       A massive military buildup in the Persian Gulf is now underway. As we write, U.S. troops are being deployed in preparation for the United States’ war against Iraq. Some newspapers claim that the attack is set for mid-February, but the White House denies Mr. Bush has set a timetable for the war.

       U.S. war plans call for about 250,000 ground troops to be sent to the Gulf. "You’re talking about 250,000 men" said Chief UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix while in Iraq, "you talk about a lot of people killed and injured, a lot of damage."

       In his annual State of the World address on January 14, of this year, Pope John Paul II issued his strongest criticism to date of the possible war with Iraq, saying military force can only be used as "the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions". The Pope said the war would only harm ordinary Iraqis "already sorely tried" by 12 years of UN sanctions.

       Yet ordinary Iraqis would not be the only ones to suffer harm. The Chicago Tribune recently spotlighted the unpleasant reality of what this war may cost in U.S. lives.

       Not many people, it seems, are thinking about the potential casualties. The American public has grown accustomed to recent U.S. victories with relatively little cost in American blood. In the 1991 Persian Gulf war, the campaign in the Balkans and the anti-terrorist war in Afghanistan, there were relatively few casualties. The death toll of U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan, for example, presently stands at about 40.

       The Bush administration is careful not to address the question of casualties, and its battle plans appear to try to avoid a high U.S. death toll. "The White House" said the Tribune, "may fear such talk could weaken public support for the war."

       Despite the U.S.’s reliance on air power and precision bombs and missiles, there are some military leaders who have privately cautioned that a fight to the death with Saddam Hussein in Iraq could "reap a grim harvest in dead and wounded in terms of American military personnel and Iraqi citizens".

       The U.S. military has already sent thousands of body bags to the Middle East in anticipation that many thousands of U.S. military servicemen could die in battle.

       Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, recently said that if America attacks Iraq, Baghdad will launch strikes against Israel. Israel has said that, without a doubt, if they are attacked they will strike back, with every means at their disposal. There is no question they will strike fast and hard. In fact, Israel has said that if Saddam Hussein attacks them with weapons of mass destruction, they will use every means at their disposal to retaliate. That includes using their nuclear weapons. And that means we are just one Iraqi missile away from all-out war in the entire Middle East.

North Korea Threatens the U.S. with a "Sea of Fire"

       Recently, Communist North Korea’s President Kim Jon Il has let the world know that he has nuclear weapons and he is prepared to use them, particularly against the United States. Since December, the North Korean President has ripped up its international agreements on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, began reactivating its mothballed Yongbyon nuclear plant and expelled UN monitors. In plain words, North Korea is a Stalinist nation now building nuclear bombs.

       On this point, North Korea’s government-run Rodong newspaper said "the claim that we admitted developing nuclear weapons is an invention fabricated by the U.S. ..." But then threatened the U.S. with these nuclear weapons: "If the United States evades its responsibility and challenges us, we will turn the citadel of imperialism into a sea of fire." The next day, he ratcheted up the rhetoric with a warning of "thousand-fold" revenge against any U.S. aggression.

"Conversion of Russia" UPDATE

       Our Lady of Fatima promised that when the Pope, in union with the world’s bishops, consecrates Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, then Russia would be converted – that is, converted to the Catholic Faith – and a period of peace would be granted to the world. The Fatima Crusader insists that the consecration has not been done because,

1) Russia was not specifically mentioned in the 1984 Act of Consecration,

2) the bishops of the world did not participate.

       Despite these obvious facts, Fatima revisionists claim repeatedly that the 1984 consecration of the world fulfilled the requests of Our Lady for the Consecration of Russia.

       Yet we do not see the fruits of the fulfillment of Our Lady’s request. There is no peace, and there is no conversion of Russia.

       In fact, Russia’s hostility against the Catholic Church only escalates. Even the secular press chronicles Russia’s ever-growing belligerence against Catholicism.

Pope Decries Expulsion of Catholics From Russia

       Reuters reported that on January 13, 2003, Pope John Paul II decried the mistreatment of Catholics in Russia and demanded that Russian authorities stop expelling priests and bishops from the country.

       The Pope, speaking to diplomats at the Vatican, said he had been greatly pained by "the plight of Catholic communities in the Russian Federation, which for months now have seen some of the pastors prevented from returning to them ..."

       One bishop and several priests have been prevented from returning to their parishes or diocese in Russia and been declared persona non grata while traveling outside the country.

       "The Holy See" said the Pope, "expects from government authorities concrete decisions which will put an end to this crisis."

       In April 2002, Bishop Jerzy Mazur, a Pole who had been based in eastern Siberia since 1998, was prevented from returning to Russia from Poland. The move followed the expulsion of several priests.

       On the same subject, The Financial Times reported this past September that a total of five Catholic priests had been refused access to Russia in the preceding 9 months "in a campaign denounced by the Vatican as persecution". Reportedly, the priests were refused residency in Russia "for religious reasons". Father Stefano Caprio was told by Russian officials that he could only obtain Russian citizenship by marrying, which is hardly an option for a Catholic priest.

       The Times further said that in Russia, "local (Catholic) priests report periodic harassment by authorities; the construction of a Catholic cathedral in the northwestern city of Pskov has been held up; and the Kremlin appears sympathetic to the Orthodox church’s persistent opposition to a visit to Russia by Pope John Paul." Other reports tell of vandalism and destruction of Catholic churches in Russia.

       Hostilities between Rome and the Russian Orthodox Church intensified last year when the Vatican moved to strengthen its structures in Russia by creating four full-fledged Catholic dioceses. Russia’s Orthodox Church wants to block Vatican plans to strengthen the Catholic presence in Russia. The Vatican has denounced the expulsions as part of an organized campaign against Russia’s Catholic Church.

       The Catholic Church, in fact, cannot even reach into Russia by means of television air waves without coming under fire. In the spring of 2002, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II denounced the Pope’s televised broadcast into a Catholic church in Russia as "an invasion of Russia".

       There is no sign whatsoever of the conversion of Russia to Catholicism. The need for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is greater than ever.

Catholicism’s Decline Since the Council

       The esteemed Catholic author Pat Buchanan recently penned a fascinating column entitled "An Index of Catholicism’s Decline." It is a sober look at the bitter fruits of Vatican II. He writes, "Thirty-seven years after the end of the only Church council of the 20th Century, the jury has come in with its verdict: Vatican II appears to have been an unrelieved disaster for Roman Catholicism."

       He then quotes Kenneth C. Jones who has compiled disturbing statistics in a slim book called, Index of Leading Catholic Indicators: The Church Since Vatican II. Jones’ findings, says Buchanan, "make prophets of Catholic traditionalists who warned that Vatican II would prove a blunder of historic dimensions, and those same findings expose as foolish and naive those who believed a council could reconcile Catholicism and modernity. When Pope John XXIII threw open the windows of the Church, all the poisonous vapors of modernity entered, along with the devil himself."

       Mr. Buchanan lists the following statistics:

• Priests. While the number of priests in the United States more than doubled to 58,000 between 1930 and 1965, since then that number has fallen to 45,000. By 2020, there will be only 31,000 priests left, and more than half of these priests will be over 70.
• Ordinations. In 1965, 1,575 new priests were ordained in the United States. In 2002, the number was 450. In 1965, only 1 percent of U.S. parishes were without a priest. Today, there are 3,000 priestless parishes, 15 percent of all U.S. parishes.
• Seminarians. Between 1965 and 2002, the number of seminarians dropped from 49,000 to 4,700, a decline of over 90 percent. Two-thirds of the 600 seminaries that were operating in 1965 have now closed.
• Sisters. In 1965, there were 180,000 Catholic nuns. By 2002, that had fallen to 75,000 and the average age of a Catholic nun is today 68. In 1965, there were 104,000 teaching nuns. Today, there are 8,200, a decline of 94 percent since the end of Vatican II.
• Religious Orders. For religious orders in America, the end is in sight. In 1965, 3,559 young men were studying to become Jesuit priests. In 2000, the figure was 389. With the Christian Brothers, the situation is even more dire. Their number has shrunk by two-thirds, with the number of aspirants falling 99 percent. In 1965, there were 912 aspirants in the Christian Brothers. In 2000, there were only 7. The number of young men studying to become Franciscan and Redemptorist priests fell from 3,379 in 1965 to 84 in 2000.
• Catholic schools. Almost half of all Catholic high schools in the United States have closed since 1965. The student population has fallen from 700,000 to 386,000. Parochial schools suffered an even greater decline. Some 4,000 have disappeared, and the number of pupils attending has fallen below 2 million –– from 4.5 million.

       "Though the number of U.S. Catholics has risen by 20 million since 1965" says Buchanan, "Jones’ statistics show that the power of Catholic belief and devotion to the Faith are not nearly what they were."

• Catholic Marriage. Catholic marriages have fallen in number by one-third since 1965, while the annual number of annulments has soared from 338 in 1968 to 50,000 in 2002.
• Attendance at Mass. A 1958 Gallup Poll reported that three in four Catholics attended church on Sundays. A recent study by the University of Notre Dame found that only one in four now attend.

       Only 10 percent of lay religious teachers now accept Church teaching on contraception. 53 percent believe a Catholic can have an abortion and remain a good Catholic. 65 percent believe that Catholics may divorce and remarry. 77 percent believe one can be a good Catholic without going to Mass on Sundays. By one New York Times poll, 70 percent of all Catholics in the age group 18 to 44 believe the Eucharist is merely a "symbolic reminder" of Jesus.

The Policy of "Updating"
is Against Our Lady of Fatima

       Marcel Prelot, a Senator of the Dobbs region in France, was a "liberal Catholic" who boasted after the Council that the "propositions and principles of liberal Catholicism" triumphed as a result of Vatican II.

       These "propositions and principles", reflected in the post-Conciliar program of "updating" (also called "aggiornamento") have been catastrophic for the Church. And this aggiornamento is the opposite program from that given by Our Lady of Fatima, whose Third Secret was spurned in 1960, two years before the Council convened.

       Regarding this disaster, the newly-released book, The Devil’s Final Battle, accurately observes: "There is a fundamental opposition between the ‘new’ Church ushered in by Vatican II and the Church of all time, as represented by the Message of Fatima." The Devil’s Final Battle is available for $14.95 U.S. from The Fatima Crusader.

       Let us pray, especially the Rosary, that our Church leaders will finally return to the true spirit of Our Lady of Fatima.

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