Given its explicit and implicit breadth, anyone now, even those who wallow in sin, accessible to a church blessing by the priest in persona Christi. To make a more graphic presentation, same sex couples who do acts of fornication or sexual acts permissible only to married couples can ask to be blessed and the priest should bless them. And this is only the beginning since the LGBTQ+ community is restless to have all their queerness and depravations palatable to the community as a whole without reservations. And what will they think of next?
Perhaps the bisexual would like his promiscuity blessed with both sexes represented. Who knows maybe the pedophile can now insist on his being blessed with one of victims or the bestial being blessed with his pet. A great Pandora’s box had been opened, thanks to the Argentines.
Perhaps, the significance of the Lipa apparitions becomes apparent when we apply its teachings still denied by the Church yet. We begin by using what is already being taught by the church concerning Our Lady as Mediatrix of all graces. When we do this, we are one with Church tradition when we define and accept that the Blessed Virgin Mary mediates between God and mankind in order to have mankind receive all kinds of graces (omnium gratiarum). No need to debate here because this article is supposed to be for Catholic readership, however let us just consider that not even Moses who is also considered a mediator between God and mankind (Hebrews and Egyptians) was attributed gratia plena (full of grace) and we do not have any problem with the scriptural “only one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. The only problem is when Christ admittedly, opts to assign another mediator, and then the Protestants will have their problem for some of their denominations have even the gall to insult the Mother of Christ.
But the problem becomes apparent when we consider the Virgin Mary’s many virtues as taught by the Church as she is most chaste, most pure, and most holy amongst women. And so, it will be out of her character to give out all graces to people who are not chaste, pure nor holy. Even with the title which is found by the Church as unproblematic, the cause of the new blessing put forward is how Our Lady could help in the dispensation of such graces especially that which is meant to sanctify a bond identified with fornication and unholiness. Perhaps, the new pastoral endeavor must necessarily exclude Mary, as Theotokos. Because including her in such endeavor will naturally impugn on her chastity, purity and holiness which God would naturally mean to maintain and preserve at all times for His Own Honor.
But in the light of the Lipa apparitions a new title is equated with Our Lady and this is her being the Mediatrix of All Grace which is considered by many as unprecedented in salvation history. It was unproblematic with all graces for there are indeed a multitude of graces (plural) given to mankind but the All Grace (singular) became a problem with those who investigated Lipa.
Not so, because in the view of our brotherhood the singularity of All Grace refers to Jesus Christ. In other words, it is very consistent with Our Lady to be refining the accolade of the centuries given to her by pointing to Our Lord as the beginning and end of all graces, hence, All Grace. And this doctrine is not only traditional but scriptural as well for consider 1 Peter 5-10 ending in “And God of All Grace, has called on you in his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
And thus, it is already outlined here what a blessed couple could expect as the fruits of priest’s invocation to God in order to sanctify a couple. As God of All Grace, is invoked their understanding of God’s Love and Truth descends upon them to make them recognize their faults and make them agonize unto the road to sanctity. The completion of this blessing, is the provision of mercy, when after a just reconciliation with God, they are mercifully accepted back into His fold. But in the light of the Mediatrix of All Grace, no strength (fortis), firmness (firmus) and steadfastness (constans, stabilis), will be forthcoming unless God’s Love and Truth prevail. God’s love (amor) is holy and His truth (veritas) is immutable. A real meritorious blessing can only be had if the bond between the couple is holy and truth is not compromised. The bond between same sex couples acting as married couples is never holy nor true and could therefore not merit for any true blessing (gratia)unless the part which my show a semblance of mercy.
Any attempt therefore, on the part of the priesthood to misrepresent the act of invocation and the intent of sanctification would be deceitful if he will only show the kindly act of “mercy” to make the couple feel good. Glazing the pudding with thick sugar-icing wouldn’t transform the pudding into a cake. And yet, many priests are being taught by their bishops into becoming woke now. “Don’t let the clients feel marginalized, make them feel good about themselves!” they have already achieved feeling good when they wallowed in sin, and so, is it a priest’s duty to keep them feeling good until they have no more feelings to reconcile with God?
Whose priests are you? When a Carmel-like situation should arise, will you remain true to your God in this test of fire?
Rico del Sol
Simon Fe Dolor
Felipe Fortitudo
