Question: “Hello, Could you please tell me if there any Priests who
you have faith in, at present?? How does one go to confession in
these times? Can we be saved without Absolution?........Do you put
much faith in the promise attached to the Brown Scapular of Mount
Carmel?....St. Simon de Montfort, didn't seem to put much faith in
it. Do you believe people can be saved at the last minute?.....(Not
meaning to 'Promote' Presumption).....Could you tell me what the
In-forgivable sin Is? Very Hopeful of your response. Very Sincerely,
Michael.”
Hi Michael,
To your first
question: no, at present there are no priests I have faith in -
but that could change in the future.
As to your second
question, that was addressed in this post:
As to your third
question, yes, one can be saved without a priestly absolution
(provided no catholic priest is available) and you have a desire for
confession.
But there are some
requirements that are necessary to be fulfilled in order to be saved
and forgiven one's sin both with or without priestly
absolution. That is addressed in some detail in this article:
Please read it
carefully, since it specifically addresses your question.
The fourth
question. [If I put much faith in the Brown Scapular.] Yes I do,
since the Brown Scapular and praying the Rosary is part of the Fatima message, and, according to Sr. Lucia, there will be no other new
helps from Heaven in our day and age than the Devotion to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary (also part of the message) and
the increased efficacy granted to the Rosary (yes,
all problems can be solved by praying the Rosary - this was the
solemn promise by the Virgin and people who doubt this, or don't pray
the Rosary after having been informed, are missing tremendous graces
and risk damning themselves for their bad will and faithlessness).
I already addressed
some of these points in the most recent post, which can be accessed
in the below link:
You then say St.
Louis de Montfort did not put much faith in the brown scapular. I
don't know where you got this information from…. Just because he
did not write expressly on the benefits of the scapular as he did the
Rosary,
or the Consecration,
or the Virgin Herself, does not mean he did not put great confidence in it.
St. Louis de
Montfort is probably one of the greatest Marian saints in the Church,
considering the love and devotion he had for Her, and especially
considering the fact of the devotions and secrets of Mary he was
graced to make known to the world! Viewed in this light it is not
hard to see that he had great confidence and love with everything to do with Our
Lady, including the scapular—even if he did not expressly mention
it.
As to the
question whether people can be saved in the last minute, to this
I answer yes, but I add even more: people can be saved
even in the very last moment. This is not only the teaching of
Our Lord in Saint Bridget's Revelations, but is also the teaching of
the Church and Her theologians and saints.
Since it is
our last will that determines our destiny, all
that is needed for salvation is to stop resisting God and His will.
This "resisting", such as obstinate attachment to sin, can
be repented of even in the last moment.
Since all that is
needed is an act of the will, and an act of the will is made in a
moment (the decision of the fallen angels was also an act of the
will, and was an act of a moment) - that is why salvation is
possible even up to the last moment of life.
This truth is
explained by Our Jesus Christ thusly in St. Bridget's Revelations:
"My mercy also spares the evil for a threefold reason: First,
because of my great love, for their eternal torment will be long. For
that reason, because of my great love, I tolerate them until the last
moment so that their torment will be delayed by the long
extension of time here in the world." (Book 1, Chapter 25)
"In this way I patiently endure mankind even until the
last moment, since I am both father and judge. But my justice is
unchangeable, and even though it sometimes is postponed a long time,
I will still either punish sinners who do not better themselves or
show them mercy if they amend themselves." (Book 1, Chapter 56)
Speaking of a damned soul: "The voice of the sun seated on
the seat was immediately heard: ”There is more vice than virtue
here, and it is not just that vice should be joined to the summit of
virtue.” The Ethiopian answered: ”Then it is just for this soul
to be joined to me, for while he has some vice in himself, there is
total wickedness in me.” The knight answered: ”God's mercy
accompanies every person until death, until the very last moment, and
then comes the judgment. Soul and body are still joined together
in the man of whom we speak and he still has the power of
discernment." (Book 4, Chapter 7)
Speaking of a soul being saved at the last moment: "After
this sight, the Ethiopian replied: ”O Judge, the soul's sins have
now been punished according to justice. Now join the two of us, this
soul and me, so that we may never be separated!” But the armed
soldier replied: ”Hear, Judge, you who know all things! It
concerns you now to hear the last thought and feeling that this soul
had at the end of her life. At the very last moment she had the
following thought: 'O, if God would only give me enough life, I would
gladly make reparation for my sins and serve him all the rest of my
lifetime and never more offend him.' O Judge, such were her last
thoughts and wishes. Remember, too, Lord, that this person did not
live long enough to acquire a fully understanding conscience.
Therefore, Lord, think of her youth and treat her mercifully!” A
reply was then made from the book of justice: ” Last thoughts
such as these do not deserve hell.” Then the judge said:
”Because of my passion, let heaven be opened up for this soul once
she has undergone purgation for her sins for as much time as she is
bound to suffer, unless she receives assistance from the good works
of others still alive.”" (Book 4, Chapter 51)
A damned soul speaking of his will to sin even unto the last
moment: "The soul answered: ”My intention was to sin
unceasingly and never desist. However, because I knew that I
would not live forever, I decided to sin up until the very last
moment and that was my intention when I was separated from my body.”
Then the Judge said: ”Your conscience is your judge. Therefore, say
in conscience what sentence you deserve!” The soul answered: ”My
sentence is the most bitter, wretched suffering to endure without end
and with no mercy.” Then the devils went off with the soul after
hearing his sentence." (Book 4, Chapter 134)
"Answer to the fifth question. ”As to why I permit myself
to be blasphemed, I answer: It is written that when King David was
avoiding his son's persecution, a certain man cursed him along the
way. When his servants wanted to kill the man, David forbade them for
two reasons: first, because he had a hope of returning; second,
because he was mindful of his own weakness and sin and of the
ignorance of him who had cursed him as well as of the patience and
goodness of God. I am David, figuratively speaking. People persecute
me with their wicked deeds, like a slave who chases his master, and
they throw me out of my own kingdom, that is, out of the soul that I
created and that is my kingdom. Then they find fault with me, like a
criminal finds fault with his sentence, and they even blaspheme
against me, because I am patient. Because I am mild, I suffer their
foolishness. Because I am the Judge, I wait for them to
convert until the very last moment. Finally, since people in
general believe more in falsehood than in truth, and love the world
more than me, their God, it is no wonder if the wicked are tolerated
in their wickedness, for they wish neither to seek the truth nor to
recover from their wickedness.”" (Book 5, Interrogation 12)
Of a soul being saved in the last moment: "Then said Justice
again out of the Book: 'What did he love when he was in agony with
the pain of death?' Then both answered: 'He loved himself, for he was
more agonized with the sickness of his body and of the tribulation of
his heart, than he was of the Passion of his Redeemer'. Then
spoke Justice again and said: 'Still seek and look for what he loved
and thought in the last moment of his life, while he still had a
whole conscience and understanding'. Only the good angel answered:
'The soul thought thus. 'Woe', he said, 'to me, for I have been
overbold against my Redeemer. Would God I now had time in which I
might thank God for his benefits. Because it grieves me more that I
have sinned against God than the pain of my body; and though I should
never attain heaven, yet would I serve my God'. Justice answered
out of the Book: 'For as much as you, fiend, may not see the soul for
the brightness of his light, and you, my angel, may not touch the
soul for his uncleanness, therefore this is the judgement; that you,
fiend, purge it; and you, angel, comfort it until it be brought into
the brightness of bliss. And to you, you soul, it is granted to look
to the good angel and to have comfort from him; and you shall obtain
the blood of Christ and the prayers of his Mother and of his Church'.
... But the king obtained no charity until the last moment of
his life; for then his strength and his conscience were failing,
yet he obtained of my grace godly inspiration, by which he sorrowed
more of not worshipping God than of his own sorrow and harm. And this
sorrow means that light by which the fiend was blinded and knew not
where to lead the soul. Yet he said not that he was so blinded for
lack of spiritual understanding, but because he marveled how that in
that soul should be such clearness of light and so much uncleanness.
The angel knew well enough whether to lead the soul, but he could not
touch it until it was purged. As it is written, 'No man shall see the
face of God but he be first made clean.'" (Book 8, Chapter 48)
As to the
unforgivable sin, often misunderstood by protestants and
unbelievers and unlearned—as can be seen in the "blasphemy
challenges" made by God haters, i.e., they renounce or blaspheme
the Spirit, thinking that they thus damn themselves without hope of
forgiveness in an act of defiance against God and salvation—is not
simply to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and then, no matter what you do
afterwards, you cannot be forgiven and are damned! That is incorrect.
One can always be forgiven by God even up to the last moment,
provided you yourself want to be saved and give up attachment to sin.
Haydock Catholic
Bible commentary on Matthew 12:31-32 (on blaspheming the Holy
Spirit):
"Now this kind of sin is usually accompanied with so much
obstinacy, and such wilful opposing the Spirit of God, and the known
truth, that men who are guilty of it are seldom or ever converted;
and therefore are never forgiven, because they will not
repent. Otherwise there is no sin which God cannot, or will not
forgive to such as sincerely repent, and have recourse to the keys of
the Church. (Challoner) --- Whosoever he be, says St. Augustine,
that believeth not man's sins to be remitted in the Church of God,
and therefore despiseth the bounteous mercies of God, in so mighty a
work, if he continue in his obstinate mind till death, he is
guilty of sin against the Holy Ghost. (Enchir. lxxxiii. ep. 50.
in fine.)"
What the
unforgivable sin is, then, according to Catholic theologians, saints
and bible commentaries, is to die in obstinacy against the Holy
Spirit's willingness to forgive your sins and enlighten you with
His truths. All people who die in damnation dies with a will
obstinate against the Holy Spirit, and thus damns themselves. Since
they rejected the forgiveness of the Holy Spirit, they died with a
will against God and thus, will be eternally separated from God by
their own will.
Yes, all damned
souls choose to hate God and to be sent to Hell
(this is how much they hate God with their will!) and even could they
be forgiven, they would not want to be forgiven, as
explained by numerous examples in St. Bridget's Revelations of damned
souls. This is the mystery of damnation and dying without sanctifying
grace. Since only God's grace enables us to do and will and wish
good, those who die without this grace are hence unable to do good or
wish any good. They are filled only with evil and hatred, and cannot
want or wish but evil, and they will be united with their Father the
devil, who was the originator and creator of evil.
And yes, that is
another mystery, that even though God created only good, Lucifer, by
his own malice and will, created evil from his own free will (i.e, he
made that exist which hitherto had never existed--evil) when
he eternally set up his will in obstinate opposition against God's
will with an irreformable will that he (and all damned souls with
him) will never change. And he did all this only because he wanted to
be above God and because he did not want to humble himself and serve
Him!
That this is the truth of the fall of Lucifer (devil) is expressly revealed by the devil himself in the Revelations
of St. Bridget:
Then the devil appeared in the same moment. Our Lord said to him:
“You were created by me and have seen all justice in me. Answer me
now whether this new bride of mine is lawfully mine by proven
justice. For I allow you to see and understand her heart so that you
may know how to answer me. Does she love anything else as much as me
or would she take anything in exchange for me?”
The devil answered: “She loves nothing as much as you, and
rather than losing you, she would suffer any torment, if only you
gave her the virtue of patience. I see like a bond of fire descending
from you to her and it ties her heart so much that she thinks of and
loves nothing but you.” Then our Lord said to the devil: “Tell me
how she pleases your heart or how you like this great love I have for
her.” The devil said: “I have two eyes; one is corporeal,
although I am not corporeal, and with this eye I perceive temporal
things so clearly that there is nothing so secret or dark that it
could hide itself from me. The second eye is spiritual, and I see so
clearly with it that there is no pain so small that I cannot see and
understand to which sin it belongs. And there is no sin so small or
slight that I do not see it, unless it has been purged by repentance
and penance. But, although there are no body parts more sensitive and
vulnerable than the eyes, I would still much rather desire that two
burning torches without end penetrated my eyes than for her to see
with the eyes of the spirit.
I also have two ears. One is corporeal, and no one can speak so
secretly and silently that I do not immediately hear and know it
through this ear. The second ear is spiritual, and no one can have
such a secret thought or desire for any sin, that I do not hear it
through this ear, unless it has been washed away by penance. And I
would gladly prefer that the suffering of hell, surging forward like
a stream and spreading the most terrible hot fire without end flowed
through my ears than that she should hear anything with the ears of
the spirit. I also have a spiritual heart, and I would gladly let it
be ceaselessly cut to pieces and constantly renewed to the same
suffering in order for her heart to grow cold in your service and
love.
But, since you are righteous, I now have a question for you that
you may answer. Tell me, why do you love her so much? Why did you not
choose someone holier, richer and prettier for yourself?” Our Lord
answered: “Because justice demanded this. You were created by me
and have seen all justice in me. Tell me, while she is listening, why
it was justice that you should have such a bad fall and what you were
thinking when you fell!”
The devil answered: “I saw three things in you. I saw your
glory and honor being above all things, and I thought about my own
glory. For this reason I became proud and decided to not merely
become your equal, but to be even higher than you. Second, I saw that
you were mightier than all others, and therefore I desired to be more
mighty than you. Third, I saw what would happen in the future, and
since your glory and honor are without beginning and would be without
end, I envied you and thought that I would gladly be tortured forever
by the most bitter punishment if, thereby, you would die. And with
such thoughts and desires I fell, and immediately hell was created.”
Our Lord answered: “You asked me why I love my bride so much.
Assuredly, it is because I change all your malice into good. For
since you became proud and did not want to have me, your Creator, as
your equal, therefore, humiliating myself in all things, I gather
sinners to myself and make myself their equal by giving them my
glory. Second, since you had such an evil desire that you wanted to
be more mighty than I, therefore I make sinners more mighty than you
and partakers in my power. Third, because of your envy against me, I
am so full of love that I offered myself up and sacrificed myself for
the sake of everyone through my death.” Thereafter, our Lord said:
“Now, devil, your dark heart is enlightened. Tell me, while she is
listening, what love I have for her.”
The devil answered: “If it were possible, you would gladly
suffer the same pain in each and every limb just as you once suffered
on the cross in all your limbs, before losing her.” Then our
Lord answered: “Since I am so merciful that I do not refuse my
mercy and forgiveness to anyone asking for it, ask me then humbly for
mercy yourself, and I will give it to you.” The devil answered:
“Never shall I do this. For when I fell, a punishment was
established for every sin and for every worthless word and thought.
And every spirit or devil that fell will have his punishment. And
before I would bend my knee before you, I would rather swallow all
the punishments in me, as long as my mouth could be opened and closed
in punishment, so that my punishment would be forever renewed.”
Then our Lord said to his bride: “See how hardened the lord of
the world is and how mighty he is against me because of my hidden
justice. I could indeed destroy him in a moment through my power, but
I do no more injustice to him than to a good angel in the kingdom of
Heaven. But when his time comes, and it is now approaching, I shall
judge him with his followers. Therefore, my bride, may you always
persevere in good deeds. Love me with all your heart. Fear nothing
but me. I am namely the Lord over the devil and over all things
created.” (Book 1, Chapter 34)
Also: "A
primary reason that Hell must be eternal is that the only condition
that matters to man is the present condition. But the real reason why
Hell is eternal is because at death the will will be fixed for
eternity. "It is because our wills" a lost soul said "were
fixed for eternity at the moment of death. We had made our final
choice. Our obstinacy will never leave us." (Cry of a Lost
Soul). Thus, the damned will never repent and will never cease to
hate God and will never seek forgiveness for their sins even if it
were granted to them, "because he [the soul] was rejected by Him
[God], such a person cannot but hate Him with all the strength of his
wicked will. We died with willful resolve to be separated from God.
Do you now understand why hell lasts forever!" (Cry of a Lost
Soul). This is the real reason why Hell must be eternal."
(http://www.catholic-saints.net/why-hell-is-eternal/)
I highly encourage
you to read St. Bridget's Revelations if you have not done so
already, since it is one of the best books one can read in order to
learn the Catholic Faith and grow in the Love and Fear of God:
Related books and
articles:
I hope this answers
your questions. God bless!
Sincerely,
Jerome
In Jesus, Mary
and Joseph!
