Who is Pope Leo XIII?
Born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci. Pope Leo XIII is the 256th Pope and the oldest one currently holding office. He is well known for promoting Marian Devotion including the Holy Rosary where he stated as a powerful antidote against the attack of the devil on the church, family and society. And also, promoting the Blesseds Virgin Mary as “Mediatrix” and “Co-redemptrix”. He is the first Pope who embraces this title of the Holy Mother. He authored Providentissimus Deus as a means of countering non-Catholics’ study of the scriptures and preventing modernism. But later, he was popularly known as a Pope who heard the conversation about God and the Devil.
The Conversation of God and the Devil
In 1883, after Pope Leo XIII celebrated the Holy Mass, he stopped and stared at something above. His face is filled with horror and awe. When he came to his senses, he said: ‘What a horrible picture I was permitted to see!’ The Pope saw a vision in which Satan and his horrific demons attacked Rome. However, St. Michael appeared and cast Satan and his demons into Hell. He suddenly heard two voices conversing. One has a kind and gentle voice, which is our Lord, while the other has a harsh and guttural voice, which is Satan.
The guttural voice, the voice of Satan in his pride, boasted to Our Lord:
“I can destroy your Church.”
The gentle voice of Our Lord:
“You can? Then go ahead and do so.”
Our Lord:
“How much time? How much power?
Satan:
“75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service.”
Satan:
“To do so, I need more time and more power.”
Our Lord:
“You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will.”
After he saw the vision and heard this conversation, the Pope went straight to his office and wrote the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel and commanded to add this on the Leonine Prayers which was prayed at the end of the Holy Mass (Low Mass) while kneeling.
What happened in the 75th year after the vision?
On January 25, 1959, Pope John XXIII summoned a council which is the Vatican II Council to plan of reform which abandons most of the sacred tradition of the church in favor of modernism and protestanism. And when the Council started in 1962, many changes occurred mostly in the reign of Pope Paul VI including the removal of minor order, lessen the Catechism in the church including in schools and the reform of the Holy Mass according to the Protestant Mass. Vatican II does not hesitate to also remove the Image of St. Michael near the Church entrance and the removal of Leonine prayers at the end of the Holy Mass, including the Prayer to St. Michael which Pope Leo wrote to help us against the devil.
Why God accepted the challenge of the Devil?
Before I provide an answer to this question, I want to remind you first. God is not a deceitful God. He is the God who upholds truth and justice. He accepts this challenge because his church cannot be destroyed by anyone. Let’s go back to the time of Genesis when God created the Tree of Knowledge and warned Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit. This is where God evaluates their obedience. But they disobeyed God. The second example is from the Book of Job, where God allowed Satan to challenge Job’s faith. However, Job did not give up his faith even though he faced harsh challenges. During the discussion about God and the Devil, he accepts the Challenge. But because God is good, He gave Pope Leo XIII a warning by giving him the vision and letting him hear their conversation. It’s our responsibility to defend the Church from the devil.
What was the outcome of the 100th anniversary of the Vision?
The Devil has not been able to destroy the church in the 100th year since the vision. According to Matthew 16:18:
“That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
God’s church cannot be destroyed, even by the devil. He failed to destroy it, but he left damages that reflect the heretical views of Vatican II.
If the church has sustained damages, it means we must leave it just like what the protestants did.
We must refrain from leaving the church. The church was constructed by God. The church is comparable to a ship that travels through the sea. Life is represented by the sea, while the storm is represented by the challenges and sufferings. When the storm came, the ship was our only salvation. But if it was damaged, it does not mean we have to leave it. Because when you left by building a boat like a Protestant did, you will not survive in the storm (it means your soul will not survive in the storm or if you survive, it will wander around without a destination). Christ is the destination of the ship. What should we do if the ship is damaged? It needs to be fixed or restored.
How should we restore the church?
By returning to the Sacred Traditions before the changes of Vatican II. Promoting and attending the Tridentine Mass or The Traditional Latin Mass. Teach Catechism to the people, including young people (Catechism before Vatican II). Promote and recite the Holy Rosary, and bring back the Leonine Prayers after Mass.
Is Pope Leo XIII canonized as a saint?
The Vatican hasn’t recognized him as a saint and there is no beatification or canonization process for him. Which causes controversy because his biography shows that he is a candidate for canonization. Instead, they prioritize and fast-track the canonizations of Popes from Vatican II such as Pope John XIII, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John Paul II. According to Catholic writers, traditionalists, and theologians, there are two reasons why Pope Leo XIII did not undergo a canonical process. He also opposes the heretical viewpoints of modernism. He advocates for the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mediatrix or Co-redemptrix, which Vatican II opposes.
Brethren, the battle between good and evil is still ongoing. The devil is determined to destroy both the church and our souls. He is now influencing us to believe that darkness is good, that evil is good, and that good is evil. To save more lives and teach them how to be good, we must spread the traditional Catechism. To assist us in our fight against evil, let’s keep praying the Prayer for St. Michael the Archangel.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in the day of Battle;
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the power of God, cast into Hell,
Satan and all the other evil spirits,
who prowl through the world,
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
