Friends,

I have enjoyed the slide-show on the Tilma and even included it on my blog. I regret that there is an error when it states that Mary's retina dilates with exposure to light. The same error is in the Spanish source.

The iris or pupil may dilate, but not the retina. No ophthalmologist would make such a careless statement and it makes one question the whole thing. Now we need a gynecologist to testify to the fetal heartbeat and a physicist to tell about the floating colors. It was easy to believe in a miraculous PICTURE but much harder to believe in a LIVING PICTURE! HELP!! I want to believe the slide-show but such carelessness makes the whole thing seem like poppycock.

Can you find some believable sources? Please let me know.

      D.V.



TIA responds:

Hello,

Thank you for the distinction you make, which we are passing on to our readers. It may be very important for some physicians, but for the normal Catholic devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe, it makes no difference to know whether it is the iris or the retina that dilates. It seems that you are exaggerating the importance of this detail.

Besides, your position of systematic doubt and sarcasm about the other affirmations in the slide-show seems to be influenced by a Protestant mentality of criticism regarding anything that touches the Most Holy Virgin.

When we have a picture such as the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe that for more than 400 years has worked countless miracles, the normal position is not one of systematic doubt about its extraordinary nature. Instead, any true Catholic would approach a possible doubt with respect, which we don't find in your caustic message.

We hope the myth of science to which you burn incense will not bring you to adopt a heretical, Protestant mentality.

You may find reliable sources either in Spanish or English here.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondent desk

Dear TIA,

I am so puzzled by most (if not all) of traditional Catholic women here in Europe especially in the German- speaking countries of Switzerland, Germany and Austria (and some parts of France) not wearing veils inside the Church.

Their argument, as I personally spoke to them, is that it has never been a practice to cover their heads in the Church even long before Vatican II, which I don't believe.

Do you know how this false practice and belief started here in Europe? As an expert in Western Civilization and Christianity, could you please shed some light on this, as to when and how this practice that deviates from Tradition started?

I look forward to your response.

     May Our Lord and His Holy Mother bless you.

     J.M.



TIA responds:

Dear J.M.,

There are two things that must be distinguished here: one is the academic rationale for women to wear a veil in church; another is why in practice they effectively stop using it.

We believe that women stop wearing veils because the priests stop demanding it. In their turn, priests stop doing so because they followed the Vatican II command of adaptation to the modern world. One of the characteristics of the modern world is feminism, which supposes that woman and man are equal. So, to foster feminism, Catholic priests stop demanding that women used veils in church.

In traditionalist or conservative churches, the priests tell women to wear veils, so they do.

The proportion of women who stop using the veil for academic reasons is, in our opinion, very small. Notwithstanding, you can find good reasons to wear the veil in an interesting series of articles by Mr. Donald Goodman whose conclusion is here or in another article here.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Hello,

I'm a bit confused about this movement. Are you members of the Society of Pius X or are you loyal to the current Popes even if you disagree with their personal progressivist stances which can't harm the infallible Church?

E.M.



TIA responds:

E.M.,

We are not part of SSPX movement; nor are we part of the sede-vacantist movement. We admit the last five Popes as valid Popes, but we recognize that they are teaching many things that go against the previous teaching of the Church regarding faith, morals, exegesis, liturgy, pastoral, catechesis etc. Thus, in these points we hold a position of resistance to their progressivist novelties and defend the perennial teachings of the Catholic Church.

If you surf our website a little more, you will find this position stated in many places.

For a position paper that explains why we took this stand, please read the book We Resist You to the Face.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

Thank you for the logical and understandable explanation of this perplexing situation [on attending Masses]. I was able to read this post and hope to inform others of where to look and of course to purchase your book on Resistance versus Sede-Vacantism.

I also thank you for the informing an inquirer of where to attend a traditional Roman Catholic Mass. Bravo!

Yes, I am enjoying the Manual on Civility and re-reading the book We Resist You to the Face.

I am praying a rosary to Our Lady of Good Success for our country.

Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat,

     C.F.

Dear Tradition in Action,

I am a Japanese living in Japan and a Roman Catholic faithful. I'm sorry I can't write right English.

Recently, I read your a series of articles about "Imposter Lucia." I thank you for that, heartily.

I know that you are not dealing with "Imposter Pope Paul VI," but I found a suspicious photo of Pope Paul VI. See this "Center: Pope Paul VI in Rome at the Canonization of St. John Neumann, 1977" is not real Pope Paul VI at all! And see also this.

This does not mean that we must support the claim of TLDM, Our Lady of Roses (Bayside) or "The Warning from the Beyond" totally. But it suggests us that there is high possibility that there was an imposter of Pope Paul VI at the place for the canonization of St. John Newman in 1977.

     Thank you.

     Y.M.

Dear TIA,

I am wondering if the Church has any teaching on the theory and/or belief that there is a religious and prophetic message in the zodiac. There are some Protestant books written on the subject such as Bullinger's The Witness of the Stars, or Seiss' The Gospel in the Stars (I am not sure of the exact spelling of this author's name or the exact title of his book).

I would appreciate any information you have on the subject.

     Sincerely,

     E.L.



TIA responds:

Dear E.L.,

On the study of the influence of stars, which normally is called astrology, there are some true things and some wrong things. For instance, it would be childish to deny the influence of the moon over the tides, or that of the sun over the growth of plants. It is also known that the moon has such a strong influence over certain psychologies, changing behaviors radically during the full moon, that such persons are called lunatics (luna = moon). Thus, a certain influence is undeniable.

However, it is difficult to fully understand the influence of the stars on nature and a man's psychology, especially when astrology attempts to predict the future. This leaves the field open for the lies of the Devil and the exploitation of charlatans, who fish in these dirty waters.

This is why St. Thomas warns us to be careful about astrology, because it is often used by the Devil to bring people under his influence or control. St. Thomas sets out what is true or false in divinations by means of the stars here.

We hope that this will help you,

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

"...in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter..."

The above statement from Humani generis is extremely disturbing. In effect Pius XII does not exclude evolution - or what is theistic evolution: that is, that we humans evolved from primitive biological matter to monkey like creatures that were finally given souls by God. What else could "coming from pre-existent and living matter" mean? The current stand of the Novus Ordo is compatible with Pius XII's comments. So why just blame them alone?

The Biblical account of creation in Genesis is very clear. It has to be literally interpreted. Whether evolution is true or not: the issue is not open to debate as there is nothing to debate about. Evolution cannot be true because the Bible says otherwise. The theory of evolution is nothing more than that: a theory, a fraud being enforced on us. Biological systems are far too complicated to evolve.

Here is what one scientist has to say (James Shapiro, a biochemist at the University of Chicago): "There are no detailed Darwinian accounts for the evolution of any fundamental biochemical or cellular system, only a variety of wishful speculations."

     Dr. N.J.R., India.

Dear TIA,

On your web page titled "Catholic Customs", you have a most beautiful picture of girls receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. I wonder have you more information about this scene. I understand the picture is reproduced from a painting. The girls are wearing a blue sash which may indicate they are also members of a Sodality of Our Lady. I assume they are convent educated yet there are no Sisters in the scene. Perhaps they are there but out of sight. The girls' demeanor is quite beautiful, full of respect and total submission to the authority of the Bishop and Priests. In this scene, as the girls approach the Bishop, they of course kneel in his presence, but then they seem to approach the Priest to the side, as a group of girls can be seen returning from that point.

It is truly a delightful scene and one can sense from it the majestic authority of the traditional Catholic Church in all its glory. We must fervently hope and pray for a return to true clerical authority and the obedience of the faithful once again to all the laws of the Church. Only then will we see the Kingdom of God come on earth.

     Best wishes,

     C.M.P., Ireland



TIA responds:

Dear C.M.P.,

The painting you describe is titled First Communion, and was painted in 1867 by Theophile Emmanuel Duverger (1821-1901). Duverger was born in Bordeaux, France. This Catholic artist was mostly self-taught, finding his subject matter in the simple scenes of the people around him and his observations of nature. His paintings became popular for their finesse of expression.

You can purchase a print of the painting here.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondent desk

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