Assad, Red Pope & Blue Scapular

TIA,

I am sending you a link to a news report in The Guardian of London, which is not receiving much dissemination in the U.S.

In it we read that the German magazines Bild and Sonntag report that German intelligence has evidence that the allegations by members of the American government that Syria's president had taken the initiative of using chemical weapons in the civil war are false.

No one can say that the Germans are partial and taking the side of Assad. On the contrary, nowadays they are generally our allies in matters of foreign affairs.

The link is here.

Keep up the good work and keep us informed about the truth, the pure and simple truth, without compromise.

     P.M.

Dear TIA,

I was perusing online some Italian papers to check for evidence I need for my job, when by chance I fell upon a news report from the Gazzetta di Mantova (September 9, 2013) affirming that, according to Archbishop Gerhard Müller, the Pope will receive Gustavo Gutierrez shortly.

You had highlighted that Gutierrez is writing in L’Osservatore Romano with the approval of his disciple Müller. Now, it seems that another strong papal support will be given for his Liberation Theology.

It also reported that Archbishop Romero is on the brink of being declared blessed.

Every day Pope Francis is definitively coloring his pontificate with a darker red…

Please find a link to the article in Italian here.

     J.R.

Dear TIA,

I hope you and your readers will enjoy this slide-show on Alaska. I just received it from a friend and am passing it on to you.

I am a daily reader of your site and am grateful for the great job you are doing to defend the Church.

Best regards,

     In Jesus and Mary

     P.H., Brazil

TIA,

I have been reading about and listening to the stories of Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres. I think I do a good job of celebrating the Mass devoutly. But after listening, I have resolved to do a better job in celebrating Eucharist.

Thank you for this series and page.

     God bless you,

     Laudetur Iesus Christus; semper laudetur

     Fr. T.H.

Hello TIA,

I have been wanting to share the following for months, but kept forgetting, and kept forgetting, to write down the inscription that you are about to read.

About four years ago, a 22-year-old woman from the novus ordo parish we attended at that time passed away suddenly from an aggressive form of cancer. As a tribute to their daughter, the parents of the young woman requested permission from the parish priest to make a type of cemetery marker that stands right behind the cemetery gates once they are opened. It cannot be missed, given its size and location. Two stone angels facing one another with their trumpets turned toward Heaven are situated on a tiered platform.

Below are several plants, a plaque that identifies the young woman, her birth date and date of passing, and a separate engraved marker is also placed on the lowest tier that reads:

Live with intension (yes, it is actually misspelled),
Walk to the edge,
Listen hard,
Practice wellness
Play with abandon,
Laugh,
Choose with no regrets,
Appreciate your friends,
Continue to learn,
Do what you love,
Live as if this is all there is.

Undoubtedly, the priest gave his permission for this to be constructed, but reading it gave/gives me chills, given its non-Catholic orientation, particularly the last line. I fear for the soul of that young woman, if this is how she truly lived her life

... but this would all fall in line with the progressivist agenda, now. Wouldn't it??

     E.S.

Hello,

How do you do?

I am a Japanese Catholic living in Japan. I got to know of you all from the website on this page. 

I sent an e-mail, but you did not send one to me. There is no answer for days from you. I will send the e-mail to you again.

I was reading this with great interest.

With that, I have some questions. Can you answer them for me?

1. I’ve not seen a Blue Scapular in Japan and cannot acquire one. Can it be bought in your country? If you do know of a place that sells it, could you please let me know of their name, E-mail address and address?
   
   
2. Can ordinary Catholics wear one?
   
   
3. Are priests outside of the Theatine religious order allowed to consecrate the Blue Scapular?
   
   
4. Also, I hear that those who wear the Blue Scapular can receive pardon, but are their sins forgiven?
   
   
5. To receive complete pardon when wearing the Scapular, does one have to enroll in a religious order of the Immaculate Conception and become a priest or member? Can sins be forgiven without entering a religious order? Is a sacrament needed for sins to be forgiven?
   
   
6. I would like to spread knowledge of the Blue Scapular as a representative of the Japanese Catholic Church.
   
   

I kindly ask of you to answer by replying to my email address below.

     Thank you.

      T.F.


TIA responds:

Hello T.F.,

Thank you for your e-mail. We are sorry we could not answer your questions before. We have more than 2,000 e-mails with questions to answer and neither time nor personnel to attend to all of them.

Regarding where to buy a Blue Scapular, if you do a search online, you should find a number of religious stores that sell the Blue Scapular – such as these here and here. Any Catholic can wear the blue scapular.

The rite of admission to the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception and Investiture with the Blue Scapular – which only need to be done once in your lifetime – should be performed by a priest of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, or a member of the clergy duly delegated by the Confraternity. It would only be necessary for you to contact them to arrange for your parish priest in Japan to perform the Admission and Investiture, since the Marians do not have any confraternities in Japan at the present time (see map here). We suppose that the Marians would be pleased to enter into communication with you and help you with the spreading of the blue scapular in Japan.

Special indulgences have been given by Popes for the wearing of this scapular. For this, one must be properly enrolled and invested with the Blue Scapular. To receive the benefits it gives, one must wear the Blue Scapular day and night, live a life of chastity according to one’s station in life, show special devotion to the Most Holy Virgin Mary in the mystery of her Immaculate Conception, and pray for the conversion of sinners and for God’s mercy on the world. You can read about these obligations here. The plenary indulgence is for Catholic laymen as well as religious, so long as the obligations are met.

We believe you have some misunderstanding about what an indulgence is. It is not a pardon or the forgiveness of sins, which only can take place in the Sacrament of Penance. This Sacrament is for all Catholics. Forgiveness of sins is granted when the priest absolves those who confess their sins with true sorrow and the intention of amendment, and perform the penance given.

An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven. So, even after your sins are confessed, there is still some expiation that must be made for sins, a penalty required by divine Justice, and this requirement must be fulfilled in the present life or in Purgatory. An indulgence forgives the penitent this debt. We recently published an article on Indulgences, which you can read here.

We congratulate you for your desire to spread devotion to the Immaculate Conception through the wearing of the Blue Scapular, and wish you good success in your project.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk