In the December 1996 issue of LIFE Magazine, pro-Marian writer Robert Sullivan closed his report, "The Mystery of Mary," with these words:
"I put on a Christmas CD and sit with a glass of unconsecrated wine, releasing a bit and thinking about [Forrest] Church's Mary. Such a Mary, in a world we cannot see, might lead to an ecumenical reunion of Christian churches. . . ."
Sullivan was referring to Unitarian pastor Forest Church's comments concerning the Protestant view of Mary:
"Interdenominational prayer groups are springing up throughout the world. Many Protestants, even some who still reject notions of a supernatural Virgin, miss Mary. 'I envy Catholicism its Mary,' says Forest Church, raised a Catholic but now a Unitarian minister. 'Protestantism has nothing that can replace the part that she could or might play in their churches. She lends the idea of God a feminine face and makes the idea more available, less exclusionary.'"
Though I wouldn't consider the Unitarian faith as Protestant, much less Christian, what Forrest Church says is true. For centuries the Protestant denominations have held to Mary in her simplicity as related in the Scriptures. She was not a wonder-working woman, except for the wonder of bringing the Son of God into the world through a simple faith-response to God. But the "Mother of God" has had a tumultuous ride through those centuries, and as she prepares to enter the 21st century, it seems her stock has risen. Sullivan writes,
"The 'idea' of Mary, so sparely drawn and therefore so open to interpretation, has roller-coasted through 2,000 years of Christian history, alternately elevated and demoted by the Catholic hierarchy, shunned and praised by the Protestant. But if her official standing has been in constant flux, her public image has been on a two-millennium rise. Mary belongs not to the priests but to the people. No matter what has been decreed in a given era, the popular passion for her has remained resolute. HER disciples - HER congregation, HER soldiers - have adamantly refused to let Mary recede" (CAPS originally italics).
But dreams do come true, and Forrest Church is working on one that may be closer to fulfillment than he thinks:
"Forrest Church has a dream - of a middle ground Mary, an Everymary who can transcend ideologies and give this tumultuous world the mother it needs. 'I would like to think that she could be a bridge between religions,' he says. 'Not right now, perhaps. Those hymns to her in Protestant hymn books - I wonder how many times they get sung. But someday, if we could get back to a human Mary who is like us, who represents our mothers, I think we can come together through Mary. Think about it'" (Sullivan).
Ironically, during the Vatican II Council of thirty years ago (1962-1965), battle lines were drawn over the Catholic emphasis on Mary. Many believed that devotion to her would only be a hindrance in "the march toward a reunification of Christian churches - toward ecumenism" (Sullivan). The Bishops of the Church split down the middle on the issue, and in the end, it was decided to "downplay" Mary. But the ecumenists needn't have worried. Mary's cross-denominational popularity is on an upswing, despite (or aided by) Pope John Paul II's strong emphasis on Marian devotion. According to Robert Sullivan, the pope's dedication to Mary is more than an emphasis and more than devotion; it is a way of life. He writes,
"Pope John Paul II has been the leader of the world's Catholics since 1978. He has also been the standard-bearer for the world's classical Marians. This Polish pope's view of the Virgin is so traditional it has caused concern within the Church. . . ."It . . . seems to some that the sentimental side of the pope's Marian devotion outweighs the objective. His motto is Totus Tuus (All yours - referring to Mary)" (p. 50; parenthesis in the original).
There's been an undeniable resurgence of Marian emphasis during the reign of the current pontiff. In the very last words of his new book, "Celebrate 2000!," Pope John Paul II tells us that, in the spiritual realm, it is Mary who has taken charge of leading the Church to Christ in the year 2000. Referring to all he'd written in the previous 267 pages, John Paul states:
"I entrust this responsibility of the whole Church to the maternal intercession of Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer: She, the Mother of Fairest Love, will be for Christians on the way to the Great Jubilee of the third millennium the star which safely guides their steps to the Lord. May the unassuming young woman of Nazareth, who two thousand years ago offered to the world the Incarnate Word, lead the men and women of the new millennium toward the One who is 'the true light that enlightens every man' (Jn. 1:9)" (1996, p. 268).
With John Paul's plans for Jubilee 2000 now set in motion, Forrest Church may not have to wait very long to see a Mary who will not only unite the churches, but lead them into the Third Millennium. But the pope's latest move wasn't made without objections. A January 31, 1995 newsletter on the Internet, "United For The Triumph Of The Immaculate Heart," quotes the pope regarding his three-year preparation for the Jubilee, and then tells us that the proposal met with almost immediate controversy:
"'Mary most holy, the highly favored daughter of the Father will appear before the eyes of believers [in '1999, the third and final year of preparation'] as the perfect model of love toward both God and neighbor . . . so that they will return to the house of the Father. . . . The mother of fairest love, will be for Christians on the way to the Great Jubilee of the third millennium the star which safely guides their steps to the Lord' (#54, #59 November 10, 1994 Pope John Paul II; brackets in the original)."The Holy Father laid down the gauntlet. In his last Apostolic Letter of 1994 he made clear his intention to guide the Church into the third millennium. Just two weeks before, an increasingly vocal movement in the church had been joined by several bishops calling for the Pope's retirement!" (http://web.frontier.net/Apparitions/Hnilica.Jan95.html [The Apparitions Mailing List])
Because of the pope's strong Marian emphasis, it appears that he is pursuing, knowingly or not, what was "prophesied" by the Catholic mystic, St. John Bosco, in 1862:
"There will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter between the twin pillars of Eucharistic devotion and devotion to Our Lady. This will come about one year before the end of the (20th) century" (parenthesis in the original).
We are now two years away from Bosco's prophesied target year, and therefore must consider the possibility of this prophecy being fulfilled through Pope John Paul II, who has spiritually united himself with Mary through St. Louis De Montfort's "True Devotion To Mary." John Paul has placed Mary in the forefront of both vital components of Jubilee 2000, the unity and the Eucharistic movements.
The pope has proclaimed that Mary "will be for Christians on the way to the Great Jubilee . . . the star which safely guides their steps to the Lord." So we must ask, "Where IS the Lord?" In Catholic theology, He IS the Eucharist, as we can see in this line from John Paul's letter on the Eucharist:
"This is in no way meant to refer to those who, RECEIVING THE LORD JESUS IN THE HAND, do so with profound reverence and devotion, in those countries where this practice has been authorized." (On The Mystery And Worship Of The Eucharist [Dominicae Cenae], promulgated by John Paul II On February 24, 1980 To All The Bishops Of The Church; emphasis mine).
In other words, Mary "will be for Christians on the way to the Great Jubilee . . . the star which safely guides their steps to the EUCHARIST." In the same vein, John Paul later published an encyclical stating,
"The piety of the Christian people has always very rightly sensed a profound link between devotion to the Blessed Virgin and worship of the Eucharist: . . . Mary guides the faithful to the Eucharist" ("Redemptoris Mater," delivered on March 25, 1987).
Investigation into Marian apparitions will show that this statement is consistently true. "Mary" always ties herself to, and points the penitent soul toward, the Eucharist. Accordingly, the linkage between this fact and the pope's call to the Christian churches for a global, ecumenical Communion service in 2000 ought to cause Bible-believing Christians some true anxiety. Why? Because all who cooperate in this plan, whether they favor the simple, holy Mary of the Bible or the supernatural wonder-woman, the Lady of Fatima, are even now being led by this spirit that calls itself Mary. Another reason is that the pope has said that "Mary WILL appear before the eyes of believers [in '1999, the third and final year of preparation'] as the perfect model of love toward both God and neighbor" (emphasis mine). Pope John Paul II is vigorously pursuing the unity of all the churches, centered around ecumenical Eucharistic celebration, and he has called upon Mary to bring about that unity. In the same newsletter quoted above, "United For The Triumph Of The Immaculate Heart," we read,
"She [Mary] told us in her first message of 1993, the year preceding the Church's first year of preparation for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000: 'I guide you into a new time!' In his homily in St. Peters that day, January 25th, the Holy Father spoke of 'the new times' [of unity] in the Church and"'the desire to hasten the journey towards unity. . . . All of us [have prayed] that the time of the full realization of the divine plan may hasten. An essential element of this plan is the unity of those who believe . . .' The pope concluded his Angelus Message the previous day (January 24th) by calling upon Mary: 'This is the time for a great conversion. It is time to be converted to the sentiments of solidarity . . . peace . . . fraternity . . . dialogue, to the search for everything that can unite human beings rather than divide them. . . . Let us ask Mary, Mother and disciple of the Redeemer to prepare our hearts for a true conversion.'"
Why ask Mary for a "true conversion"? Because that is essentially the plan and goal of the Lady of Fatima and,
"John Paul II is the pope who has been chosen by Mary, prepared by her to be the apostle of consecration. Now he has need of each of our hearts so that through him Our Lady can bring to completion what she promised at Fatima: 'In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph'. This Triumph of Her Heart will be the Triumph of unity within Christianity" (http://web.frontier.net/Apparitions/Hnilica.Jan95.html [The Apparitions Mailing List]).
And why the need for unity? The answer magnifies our biggest concern: the global reign of Catholicism's Sacred Heart of Jesus, meaning "Mary's son" himself:
"We are called to unity now for the mission of the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart. Only her Triumph will usher in the reign of the Sacred Heart!" (Ibid).
The search for unity between Rome and what's known as Protestantism is both unscriptural and phenomenal. Although the move has been credited to the Holy Spirit by unity-minded non-Catholics, the pope says that it is the spirit of Mary who is preparing hearts, in order to fulfill Jesus' words in John 17:
"By a more profound study of both Mary and the Church, clarifying each by the light of the other, Christians who are eager to do what Jesus tells them - as their Mother recommends (cf. Jn 2:5) - will be able to go forward together on this "pilgrimage of faith." Mary, who is still the model of this pilgrimage, is to lead them to the unity which is willed by their one Lord and so much desired by those who are attentively listening to what the "Spirit is saying to the Churches" today (Rev 2:7, 11, 17) ("Redemptoris Mater," Pope John Paul II, March 25, 1987).
"Mary" will unite a globally divided Church. "Mary" will be the Model for preparing the Global Church. "Mary" will lead the globally united Church into the Third Millennium, when "the Lord" will fill them with himself through the Eucharist. "Mary" has ascended to the throne and begun her march into the promised Age of Mary:
"This is the Age of Mary and a Marian Church is to emerge from this crisis. In the Marian Church our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be worshipped and adored on a scale hitherto inconceivable. Mary is the short, easy, secure and perfect path to Jesus, but men have never trod this path before in great numbers" (Robert Bergin, This Apocalyptic Age, 1973, pp. 143-144).
John Paul II has asked Mary, not Jesus by the Holy Spirit, to "prepare our hearts for a true conversion." How will such a conversion come about? The world has already been prepared in the spiritual realm by the pope's consecration of all things to Mary, starting with himself. A recent posting on the Internet states,
"John Paul II has dedicated his papacy to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. His personal motto, Totus Tuus (Completely Yours), is a term illustrating the consecration of his life to the Blessed Virgin, a consecration that took place while he was still a Polish bishop" (http://members.aol.com/bjw1106/marian7a.htm).
Soul magazine, which propagates devotion to the Lady of Fatima, defined this Marian consecration in a 1981 Special Issue article, "Set Aside For Mary":
"CONSECRATION": "Consecration to Mary means 'set aside for Mary,' to be used by her to accomplish her holy purposes (which are the purposes of her divine Son)" (p. 11).
Pope John Paul II and others have clearly said that the Pontiff has given himself to and lives totally for the Mary of Catholicism. During World War II, he turned to the devotion promoted by St. Louis De Montfort, which is a step by step method on how this consecration to the "Mother of God" is accomplished: "Thanks to Saint Louis of Montfort, I came to understand that true devotion to the Mother of God is actually Christocentric."
What is the plan laid down by St. Louis De Montfort? Eddie Doherty explains that it involves walking the road that goes through Mary and ends in a fuller unity with Jesus. He describes this road in his adaptation of De Montfort's "Devotion":
"The road [Mary] is a perfect one by which to reach Christ and be united to Him. Mary is the most perfect creature, the purest and holiest. And Christ, Who came to us perfectly, chose that road. The Most High, the One Beyond All Understanding, the Untouchable God, He Who Is, came down, perfectly and divinely, to us mean little worms through the humble Mary. And He came down without losing anything of His divinity. Therefore it is through Mary that we little ones must, perfectly and divinely, and without fear, ascend to Him" (St. Louis De Montfort, "True Devotion To Mary," adapted by Eddie Doherty, Montfort Publications, 1956, P. 69).
Earlier in his book, Doherty describes De Montfort's way of getting onto "the road" to Jesus:
"As all our perfection consists in being conformed, united, and consecrated to Jesus, the most perfect devotion is, naturally, that which conforms, unites and consecrates us most perfectly to Him."This devotion consists in giving oneself to Jesus through [Mary]. We must give her our body, with all its senses and members; our soul, with all its faculties; our goods or riches and all we shall acquire; and all our inner assets, such as merits, virtues, and the good works we have done or may do. . . . And we must do this for eternity, without expecting or claiming any other reward than the honor of belonging to Jesus through Mary" (p. 53).
In light of all of this, it should be clear that the Apostate Church is in the very dangerous position of submitting to the headship of Mary, and thereby forsaking Christ. The pope has proclaimed that it is Mary who will lead the globally united Church into the Third Millennium. Therefore, those collaborating with Rome's agenda are already following another message, another spirit and another Jesus. The goal of De Montfort's centuries-old devotion to Mary is to unite a person with Jesus through Mary. Such is the spirit the Apostate Church is now following into the Third Millennium, as it continues in its unity bridge-building with Rome.
Pope John Paul II has asked Mary "to prepare our hearts for a true conversion." His hope of seeing such a conversion come about is based on his various acts of consecrating all things to her. Following is a string of quotes that reveal how thoroughly indeed the pope has carried out his acts of consecration to Mary, in order that she might finally bring peace to this world:
HIS PAPACY: In a "written interview" ("The Mother Of God") with Vittorio Messori concerning the pope's book, "Crossing The Threshold Of Hope," Messori says, "The renewal of Marian theology and devotion - in continuity with Catholic tradition - is another distinctive characteristic of the teaching and pastoral activity of John Paul II. Totus Tuus ('I am completely yours, O Mary') is the motto [he] chose for [his] papacy. . . .""On October 22, 1978, when I inherited the Ministry of Peter in Rome, more than anything else, it was this experience and devotion to Mary in my native land which I carried with me" (Pope John Paul II, Messori interview).
HIMSELF AND THE CHURCH: In October, 1996, Pope John Paul II was in the Gemello Polyclinic for an appendectomy, and at that time renewed his consecration to Mary: ". . . . I entrust the Church and myself as well to (Mary). . . ."
HIS MINISTRY AND THE CHURCH: "May the Holy Virgin receive the renewed offer of myself - Totus tuus ego sum (I am all yours) - and watch over my ministry and the Church with care. . . ." (parenthesis in the original; Vatican City, Oct 13, 1996 [VIS], Pope Prays Angelus From "Vatican Three").
HIS BISHOPS AND DIOCESES: "On June 13, 1994, two months before Our Lady's call to be united with her in prayer for the pope "whom I [Mary] have chosen for these times," Bishop Paolo Hnilica sent a "heartfelt appeal" to Mary's children throughout the world: "Today we are convinced and we thank God that this position of Our Lady is fully recognized by our beloved Holy Father. But we ought to pray so that Mary's role can be fully communicated and accepted by all the successors of the apostles. We pray that each bishop can have in his heart and so communicate to his diocese that same intensity of consecration to Mary that the Vicar of Christ, our Father and Brother in faith, personally lives as "Totus Tuus" (Bishop Paolo Maria Hnilica, S.J., "United For The Triumph Of The Immaculate Heart [Of Mary]").
HIS PRIESTS: "Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe said that beginning this year there would be meetings of the world's priests in preparation for the Jubilee 2000. In 1996 one will be held in Fatima June 17-21; in 1997 in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast; 1998 at the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico; 1999 in Jerusalem and 2000 in Rome for the Jubilee of all priests with the Holy Father" (VIS, March 21, 1996).
During the meeting in Fatima, the pope sent a letter of encouragement to his priests in which he "[underlined] the importance of this event . . . [and invited] priests to renew their personal consecration to the Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As a sign of his closeness, John Paul II sent a rosary to each priest" (Vatican City, June 18, 1996 VIS).
PARISHES, FAMILIES, DIOCESES: The pope prayed that Mary would "'visit'...as a 'pilgrim of faith' [in the Fatima Pilgrim statues] each and every one of the dioceses, parishes, ecclesial communities and families of America...May she favor the unity of the Church by bringing together, as in a new Pentecost, those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who need to be renewed by the Spirit" (VIS, February 11, 1996).
THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: In every part of the world, individuals, homes, parishes, dioceses, even entire countries have been consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 1981, John Haffert reminded the readers of Soul magazine that three modern popes have called for a universal consecration to Mary, including Pope John Paul II: "And now John Paul II has repeatedly spoken of the importance of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in each country where he has traveled he has repeated the Act of Consecration" (An Historic Parish Event, May-June 1981).
There doesn't seem to be an area or people which the pope has not consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Why? Because Pope John Paul II is looking to Mary for "a New Advent" in the year 2000. In a letter entitled "The Coming of the Third Millennium: Preparation for the Jubilee of the Year 2000," John Paul writes,
"Since the publication of the very first document of my pontificate I have spoken explicitly of the Great Jubilee, suggesting that the time leading up to it be lived as "a new Advent." This theme has since reappeared many times, and was dwelt upon at length in the encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem. In fact, preparing for the year 2000 has become as it were a hermeneutical key of my pontificate" (Article 23, released on November 10, 1994).
And in his encyclical, Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II said, "Mary . . . should inspire all who cooperate in the Church's apostolic mission for the REBIRTH OF HUMANITY. . . ."
We are not just heading for a celebration of Jesus' 2000th birthday, but for a New Advent, a "rebirth of humanity," and the spirit of Mary will be the one who will usher it in. As the pope has stated,
"The mother of fairest love, will be for Christians on the way to the Great Jubilee of the third millennium the star which safely guides their steps to the Lord" (Pope John Paul II, As The Third Millennium Draws Near).
We can expect this Marian theme to surface more and more as we head into the years of preparation for the Jubilee celebrations in the year 2000. Here is an example of what to expect. In a letter to the Archdiocese Of Singapore (25 February 1996) concerning the Jubilee Year 2000, Archbishop Gregory Yong ended his communication with this prayer: "May Mary, the mother of Jesus, intercede for us, asking God to bless us all as we journey with faith, hope and love towards the Year 2000." Included with the letter was a prayer of preparation for the year 2000:
"Jubilee Year 2000 Prayer: Abba, Father, You bless our journey into the third millennium. Today we offer you ourselves to continue the mission of Jesus. We ask you, Father, to renew the whole church in holiness, fellowship and unity, in evangelistic fervour and action for the deprived and oppressed. Your Spirit empowers us to build a new world with all people of good will. Through the witness of our lives may all experience your Fatherly love and the redeeming grace of Jesus whom you have sent. Together with Mary the Star of Evangelization we make our prayer through Jesus your Son who lives with you and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen" (Internet URL: http://www.veritas.org.sg/yr2000.html).
Note these words: "asking God to bless us all as we journey with faith, hope and love towards the Year 2000." They will be heard over and over again as this "journey" is pushed toward completion under the guidance of Mary, the star showing the way to Christ. In fact, according to the "Universal Schedule For Preparing For The Year 2000 Celebrations," (below) Mary is the model of "faith, hope and love" in preparing for the 2000th celebration of Jesus' birth (December 4, 1996 Denver Catholic Register):
The theme of rebirth with Mary as the Model will continue throughout the Church's preparations for the year 2000. Featured on the front page of the Denver Catholic Register was a large picture of Mary with the Christ Child in her bosom. Above the picture were the words "The New Advent" and the years "1998, 1999 and 2000." On page two, a section entitled "What each Catholic can do to support 1997 as the year of Jesus Christ" lists the supports for these preparations, which include the following Marian supports:
