POPES, THE MOST ABANDONED OF ALL?
Never in my life have I heard someone utter that dead Popes may be in Purgatory and may be in need of prayer to relieve and release them. I have had fellow Papists tell me that such a Pope is definitely in Heaven, or I have heard the total opposite and been informed with assurity that such a Pope may well be damned. Both sides have had much corroborating evidence for their opinion presented as fact, but neither of them have allowed that such a Pope may be in Purgatory. I would wager that Popes are the most forgotten of all the souls in Purgatory.
At least one Pope was sentenced to time there. T'was Pope Innocent III. Now, Innocent was not a bad sort. He was a great friend of St Francis of Assisi. Innocent gave Francis permission to found the Franciscan order. But a short time after Innocent's demise, he appeared to St Lutgarda who was known for her ability to levitate, and he begged her prayers. He bemoaned the rigors of his purification, "Alas! It is terrible and will last for centuries if you do not come to my assistance."
Last for centuries!? Surely that instructs as to the searing pain endured even by those who lived holy lives. Pope Innocent revealed to levitating Lutgarda that t'was the Virgin Mary who gave him the grace to seek her prayerful supplications, "In the name of Mary, who has obtained for me the favor of appealing to you, help me!" (St Lutgarda's biographer, Thomas de Cantimpré included this event in his biography of her)
If you have a Pope in mind who you would like to pray for, you may pray the following:
PRAYER FOR A DECEASED POPE
O God, in Thine all-wise providence Thou didst ordain that Thy servant, N., should rule the See of Peter, holding the supreme office of Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Pastor of the Universal Church. We beseech Thee to read his labors for Thy sheep and to deal mercifully with his faults, admitting him speedily into the company of the blessed, there to rejoice exceedingly in Thy holy presence and to enjoy forever the recompense of his holy labors. This we ask through Jesus Christ Thy Son, Our Lord. Amen.
Pope Innocent III placed England under interdict so the churches were closed for several years. Perhaps this story should serve as a warning to the bishops who have closed our churches!
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteFirst as you read this on November 8, 2020, recall that this Sunday the 8th is also the feast day of Bl. John Duns Scotus, OFM, who died on this day in 1308 in Cologne, Germany.
Second, when I was in college at St. Bonaventure University back in the 1980s, I told Father Conrad Harkins, OFM that no popes went to hell or purgatory and he laughed at me and told me of Pope Innocent III being in purgatory.
Third, the visionary of purgatory, Maria Simma was interviewed in a book titled "Get Us Out of Here!" She stated, to wit:
"I've been visited by other famous people too. Once a man came, and although I could not know where he came from or when he had lived, I knew immediately that he was someone important because of the way he moved and because of his clothes. When I asked him what he needed from me, he told me and then added, "I am Pope Paul.
At first I hesitated, thinking it might be a hell of a hoax: "No, you're not," I said. "I met Pope Paul and you're not him!" "I am Pope Paul IV, not Paul VI." He had been in purgatory since the mid-16th century because during his pontificate he could have done much more than he did. It seems to me that he had also ordered the Jews of Rome to be grouped in ghettos, which was certainly not in God's plan."
So it looks liek Pope Paul IC who died on August 18, 1559 was in purgatory for over 400 years!
In this same book "Get Us Out of Here!", Maria Simma told us that a mystic seer friend of her confided that she once was blocked praying for the soul of a recently deceased cardinal when this cardinal appeared her surrounded with flames saying: "Stop praying for me since (that's scary) I AM IN HELL because I have the death of popeS (yes, several popes) on my conscience". This was confirmed by a priest who was atttending at this cardinal's deathbed. In the very moment the cardinal died, he loudly screamed. This priest was so scared that he went tell all the scene to Pope John Paul II.
DeleteI suspect the said cardinal possibly was Sec. of State Jean Villot who was involved in the very suspicious death of Pope John Paul I (see the book "In God's Name" of David Yallop) . Documents found after his death hinted to his belonging to the freemasonry.
Jac, Thank you for your fascinating comment. I will make it a priority to read, Get Us Out of Here.
DeleteMary, Jac is correct, I recall Maria Simma talking about how Pope John Paul I was murdered. I have heard rumors and tales since the 1980s with three consistent part
Delete1.) It was Poison
2.) Cardinal Marcinkus was involved along with other Cardinals
3.) The Mob, both Italian and American, was involved.
Imagine my surprise when I found a story that corroborated Maria Simma:
https://nypost.com/2019/10/19/meet-the-mobster-who-claims-he-helped-whack-pope-john-paul-i-over-stock-fraud/
Just more people to pray for.
James Ignatius, Thank you for adding a comment supporting Jac's. The elements of the nefarious surrounding John Paul I's demise are too much for me to think he died of natural causes.
DeleteGet Us Out of Here is my favorite book! If you go to archive.org there is a free book you can read called My Experiences With The Poor Souls by Maria Simma. I am attaching the link here. https://archive.org/details/MyExperiencesWithThePoorSouls/page/n74/mode/1up
ReplyDeleteI prayed the prayer you featured, for Pope Pius XII. Actually I don't think he is in Purgatory any more, so the prayer probably went to someone else.
ReplyDeleteSt Padre Pio had a vision the night that Pius XII died . He said that this pope went straight to heaven, where he was greeted by Pius XI
DeleteHi, Joe, Thank you - Padre Pio reported that he saw Pope Pius XII in Heaven. I wrote about it in this post: https://thepathlesstaken7.blogspot.com/2011/12/padre-pio-on-pope-pius-xii-i-have-seen.html
DeleteBut no where have I heard or read that Pius XII was greeted by Pius XI. I think this part may be suspect.
Mr. Rega, I think you made an understandable mistake.
DeleteAccording to Father Charles Murr, who recently was interviewed by Inside the Vatican, Sister Pascalina (also known as Mother Pascalina), Pius XII's housekeeper, wrote to Padre Pio after the death of Pius XII asking if knew that Papa Pacelli was in heaven. This has been documented in Ms. O'Regan's lovely article with she links. Father Murr writes that Padre Pio replied and said that he received a vision during his morning mass of Pius XII entering heaven and being greeted by Pius IX (Pius IX not Pius XI). Pius IX had defined the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception; Pius XII defined the doctrine of Our Lady's Assumption. Then a carpet of roses. . . well, I perhaps shouldn't say more lest I completely spoil your read of "The Godmother: Madre Pascalina, A Feminine Tour de Force" by Father Charles Murr. Please, please, read this book. I enjoyed it so much. Fr. Murr had many conversations with Sister Pascalina in the late 1970s and early '80s which make up most of the book.
There is a chapter entitled "Pius and Pio" in which Sisteir Pascalina explains the beautiful relationship between St. Padre Pio and Ven. Pius XII. Buy the book!
Ms. O'Regan, thank you very much for your article on Padre Pio saying Pius XII is heaven. Is your book on Padre Pio published? I can't wait to read it.
Lastly, your post on praying for popes is so appropriate. Not all popes are saints. On the topic of Pius XI, in Sister Pascalina's memriors, "His Humble Servant", Pius XII, who was Pius XI's Cardinal Secretary of State, said this after Pius XI's death, "Pius XI is a great and saintly pope." Then again, Pius XI was known to be prideful at times and also angry. A particularly angry experience Pacelli had with Pius XI is documented in "The Godmother" I would love to be able to say that Pius XI is in heaven. After all, Ven. Pius XII called him a "saintly pope". I, a simple laymen, am torn about this. Should I pray for Pius XI's release from purgatory?
Thanks for your comment Mr/Mrs/or/Miss Anonymous. Padre Pio said that right now we can pray for the holy death of our deceased relatives. Why? Because in the eternity of God, these prayers are taken into account. So even if Pius XI is not in Purgatory at this time, your prayer for him would be applicable to any time he was in Purgatory.
DeleteFrom my blog post of https://divinefiat.blogspot.com/2018/11/when-padre-pio-felt-pains-of-purgatory.html :
"One time in 1949 Padre Pio was talking with a certain doctor who was very close to him. They were discussing prayers for the dead. Padre Pio said to him, “Maybe you don't know that even now I can pray for the happy death of my great-grandfather!” But the doctor remarked that he has been dead for many, many years. Then Padre Pio explained, “For the Lord the past does not exist. Everything is an eternal present. These prayers had already been taken into account. And so I repeat that even now I can pray for the happy death of my great-grandfather!”
"
Hello Unknown, I will address your question as to whether to pray for Pius XI in a further comment, when time allows. I'm afraid I am rushed off my feet at present. Mary
DeleteDear Unknown, Thank you for recommending Father Murr's The Godmother: Mother Pascalina, A Feminine Tour de Force. Mother Pascalina seems to me an invaluable key to understanding Pius XII. I have just ordered the book!
DeleteAs regards my own book on Padre Pio, I am delighted to hear you are looking forward to it. I think it may be a while yet before I publish it. As soon as I know the date, I will blog about it.
Yes, I fully support you in your prayers for the soul of Pius XI, or the Pius who reigned from 1922 to 1939. I remember Popes by the years they were in the Chair of Peter. Pius XI could be very emotional. He had a heart for the sick and disabled; he burst into tears when he saw a blind man in his midst at the Vatican, and even went so far as to greet the man and say, "We are all blind, Sir, we are all blind". But Pius XI was putty in the hands of a certain Father Gemelli who was perhaps the greatest enemy Padre Pio ever had, and Gemelli destroyed Pio in the eyes of Pius.
For my book on Pio I read books that were written in Italian and have a wealth of on-the-ground reporting that explain so much of the interplay between Pio and the Popes, but most especially Pius XI. There will be a book list at the back of my book and I hope my readers will go from my book to the books I list.
God bless you, and of your charity please pray for me as I edit my Pio book. I have to re-write two chapters. Mary
Well, It appears another Pope may go to Purgatory and he is Pope Francis. He has single handedly brought down the Catholic Church . Francis hasn't finished it, he may be finished before he does much more damage, that's in Gods hands. His Pachamama tribute to pagan Gods may have brought Covid 19 down on us and it never ends with this Pope.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that every Pope received Extreme Unction, if so then they wouldn"t be in Purgatory would they?
ReplyDeleteExtreme Unction prepares the soul to meet its Maker; however a plenary indulgence is only possible when there is PERFECT CONTRITION, and this I read is quite rare; this means there is no fear of hell or purgatory, --only a sorrow motivated by disinterested love for Jesus our Saviour, and grief for offending God who is all good and deserving of all our love. If the sorrow for sin involves fear of punishment, then it is still valuable, but not perfect. Let us all pray for perfect contrition in this life, which means total hatred and detachment from sin, however venial.
DeleteIs that a Giovanni Gasparro painting? Outstanding artist!
ReplyDeleteYes! Giovanni Gasparro is the greatest artist of modern times!
DeleteI recall that the Borgia Pope, Alexander VI repented on his death bed but in view of the totality of his life, prayers for him in purgatory were probably in order.
Delete