LIVING THE FAITH

A Catholic report of the Living the Faith Conference, Houston, Texas 8/30 - 9/1.2002. Raymond de Souza of Perth, W. Australia was one of the speakers. The audience particularly responded to his final address on the 'Angelic Warfare in the Sanctuary', in which he expounded on the crisis currently assailing the Church, especially in the United States.

Stemming from the principle that just as Rome was not built in one day, Mr de Souza pointed out that a Catholic priest does not become a homosexual paedophile overnight. He also quoted Cardinal Ratzinger, who pointed out in the 'Ratzinger Report', that "a process of progressive decadence has taken place in the Church in the aftermath of the Council."

Mr de Souza recalled that Pope Leo XIII had a vision of a terrible crisis in the Church, in which he saw devils in great numbers assailing the Barque of Peter. To fight back that invasion, the Pope composed the prayer to St Michael the Archangel and commanded that it be prayed after Mass, by both priest and congregation, kneeling before the altar.

The famous Leonine prayers were: three Hail Marys, one Hail Holy Queen, a short prayer asking God to defend the Church and the invocation of the Angelic Army led by St Michael to come to our aid to fight the demons in the Church.

De Souza thinks it unfortunate that "in the gusty winds that assailed the Church after the Council, those prayers were simply blown out the window. There was no Council decree, no Pontifical document, no instruction from any Vatican Congregation suggesting that the people of God should cease to invoke the protection of Our Lady and St Michael against the wickedness and snares of the devil."

The result, de Souza maintains, appears to be there for all to see: Shortly after the Council, Pope Paul VI denounced the presence of the smoke of Satan in the Sanctuary of the Church!

He asked, "What could one expect? Remove devotion to the Angels from the Sanctuary and their enemies will creep in. Yet, in spite of the Pope's denunciation of the smoke of Satan, very few Bishops - if any - have restored those prayers in their dioceses."

Mr de Souza then announced that he and his wife Theresa had already appealed to the Holy Father John Paul II asking that the Leonine prayers be restored throughout the Catholic world. Receipt of their letter has already been formally acknowledged by the Apostolic Nuncio in Canberra (Australia).

Thus, all Catholic Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals and Patriarchs in union with the See of Peter are now being approached by Mr and Mrs de Souza with the request to reinstate the Leonine prayers after Mass in their respective dioceses. God willing, soon the Catholic world will, once again, invoke She who is the Regina Angelorum et Terror Daemonum and He who is the Princeps Gloriosissime Caelestis Militiae, to intervene in our aid and expel the smoke of Satan from the Sanctuary of the Church.

The announcement of this worldwide campaign to restore the Leonine prayers was greeted by a long, standing ovation.