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To: TotusTuus
Also, think of St. Bernadette

I do and you don't know whose account to believe. She was said to have gone catatonic after one of the visions at Lourdes and had to be carried to a home somewhere and was "out" for some time.

child Lucia from Fatima

Again, you don't know whose account to believe. The more I read about Fatima, the more I didn't know whom to believe. Some of Fatima was true prophetically, but the conversion of Russia hasn't happened. It still could in the future, but things on that front are looking pretty grim at the moment.

I don't pay much attention to any private revelations any more as most of it never comes true. That is the acid test for me.

Sometimes I wonder if a lot of them were deceived and the church went along with it because it promoted belief. I have come to believe that Guadalupe is a gigantic hoax that has been perpetuated down through the years, culminating in awarding sainthood to a person whose existence is doubtful. I used to be very gullible and it was easy to believe all that stuff. I think a lot of it isn't true. Some of it I can't explain and could be true but I wouldn't stake my life on any of it.

52 posted on 06/06/2003 9:32:56 PM PDT by Aliska
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To: Aliska
I have come to believe that Guadalupe is a gigantic hoax...

YIKES!!! a hoax?

Please go back and read about Our Lady of Guadalupe. I hope you change your mind and see what She has done.

63 posted on 06/06/2003 10:18:54 PM PDT by It's me
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To: Aliska
Your attitude is not necessarily all that bad. As you pointed out and understand, these are private revelations we are talking about. St. Paul tells us in Scripture to "test the spirits". Always and everywhere we are all to stick to the 'deposit of the Faith' contained in Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition as guided by the Magisterium of the Church. All private revelations must square with this.

Having said this, concerning Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadalupe, it is the message that we should primarily be focused on. The miracles are merely confirmation of the messages. Lourdes and Fatima seem to be calling Christians to do what they are supposed to be doing already - but are not. That is prayer, fasting, sacrifice, etc. Guadalupe appeared to be of Divine origen in converting a pagan people to the Gospel. I don't think that St. Juan Diego's existence is questioned by objective and serious people.

While revelations of this sort can be, and are, distorted for a variety of reasons by a variety of people, looking at each event objectively seems to suggest a valid concern on the part of the Mother of God for her children here on earth.

As one example, look at Fatima. Lucia claimed that the Lady said that errors would stem from Russia and affect many countries. Russia? Really? You mean that country which can't even feed it's own population? Russia? Last nation in Europe to free it's serfdom? Most illiterate country in Europe? Russia?

The children were made the laughing stock of the government and press in newly minted "scientific" Portugal and other Western nations. In 1917 the revolution in Russia was just beginning in seminal form as these predictions came out. Nobody could have guessed that they would lead to the atheistic state of the USSR and the Iron Curtain - but they did!

Nothing I've seen suggests they were hoaxes.

65 posted on 06/06/2003 10:27:36 PM PDT by TotusTuus (Veni Spiritus Sanctus)
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