Heaven does not leave us helpless

The Virgin Mary, with Jesus and St. Michael the Archangel, giving the Rosary to St. Dominic.  Statue in the church of Zabbar, Malta. Photo: Richard Faenza

International tensions increasingly escalate with various conflicts around the world, the latest being the “Islamic State” (ISIS) group, committing heinous crimes. (See page 20.) It is all of this that brought Pope Francis to repeat several times that World War III has already begun (see page 4), and yet, some financial circles dare to claim that wars are the only ways to revive the economy, even if it means sacrificing the lives of thousands and even millions of people. This is what convinced people like Saint John Paul II and Cardinal George that we now facing religious persecution by the State and its masters. (See pages 18 to 20.)

Yet the money is actually a number, a figure (see page 8), and the financial system should be nothing but a bookkeeping system to mobilize production (see page 16), so that the products pass from producers to consumers. Unlike monetary reforms proposed by other groups, Social Credit, or economic democracy, argues that the new money does not belong to the government but to the people. (See page 14.)

Since money is the right to live in today’s world, it is the families around the world who are caught in this debt-money system, which is a major cause of the difficulties facing families today as many bishops have mentioned the recent Synod on the family, including Bishop Madega of Gabon.

Pope Francis made quite a gift to the Canadian Church, canonizing its two principal founders, Bishop Laval and Marie of the Incarnation (see page 42) and encouraged Quebec to regain its missionary zeal. Heaven does not leave us helpless in the face of all these problems, since there is the Rosary of the Virgin Mary (see page 21), given 800 years ago to St. Dominic, which has operated wonders during history. According to Sister Lucia, one of the three seers of Fatima, the Rosary solves all problems. In the Rosary, we essentially meditate on the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary, and how it can be applied in our lives.

Bishop Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau and Chairman of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, has developed a beautiful series of meditations on the mysteries of the Rosary, so that today’s families may live the values of the Gospel (see page 28). These meditations should be continued throughout the course of the year, until the next Synod in October 2015. Many media have suggested that the recent Synod on the family would change the Church’s teaching, but Pope Francis confirmed in a masterful speech that the truths about marriage will not change. (See page 34.)

A great man of the Church who defended with courage the values of the family, is Pope Paul VI, who was beatified on October 19. (See page 38.) He had been the Vicar of Christ during a really difficult time for the Church.

The Work of MICHAEL is unique in its kind, and still continues because it is based on education and self-sacrifice, the apostolate work of visiting families from house to house, which is a real way to implement the new evangelization. (See page 6.) And console yourself, you will never be alone in this fight for social justice, as your guardian angel always accompany you. (See page 47.) Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to all!

Alain Pilote

Editor