Four Saints Who Converted Non-Catholics, Not "Encountering" Them

Standing quite in contrast to the false ecumenism of the counterfeit church of conciliarism, which is one of its fundamental “counter-marks,” if you will, of its apostate nature, is the genuine apostolic zeal for the conversion of those steeped in the heresies and errors of Protestantism that was displayed by the great saint we commemorate today, Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, who was put to death this day by those wretched creatures called Calvinists in the year 1622.

Saint Fidelis was a member of the Capuchin branch of the Order of Friars Minor. As a true son of Saint Francis of Assisi, who sought the conversion of the Muslims (see Frank Rega’s Saint Francis of the Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims, published by TAN Books and Publishers), Saint Fidelis was zealous for the salvation of the souls of those whose immediate ancestors had defected from the Faith and unleashed a bloody reign of terror against those who adhered to the true Faith that Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ entrusted exclusively to the teaching authority and the sanctifying offices of the true Church that He Himself founded upon the Rock of Peter, the Pope.

Here is an account of this faithful Catholic priest’s great zeal for souls as found in Dom Prosper Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year: 

Our Risen Lord would have around him a bright phalanx of martyrs. Its privileged members belong to the different centuries of the Church’s existence. Its ranks open to-day to give welcome to a brave combatant, who won his palm, not in a contest with paganism, as those did whose feasts we have thus far kept, but in defending his mother, the Church, against her own rebellious children. They were heretics that slew this day’s martyr, and the century that was honoured with this triumph as the seventeenth.

Fidelis was worthy of his beautiful name. Neither difficulty nor menace could make him fail in his duty. During his whole life, he had but the glory and service of his divine Lord in view: and when the time came for him to face the fatal danger, he did so, calmly but fearlessly, as behooved a disciple of that Jesus who went forth to meet his enemies. Honour, then, be to-day to the brave son of St. Francis ! truly he is worthy of his seraphic Patriarch, who confronted the Saracens, was a martyr in desire !

Protestantism was established and rooted by the shedding of torrents of blood; and yet Protestants count it as a great crime that, here and there, the children of the true Church made an armed resistance against them. The heresy of the sixteenth century was the cruel and untiring persecutor of men, whose only crime was their adhesion to the old faith–the faith that had civilized the world. The so-called Reformation proclaimed liberty in matters of religion, and massacred Catholics who exercised this liberty, and prayed and believed as their ancestors had done for long ages before Luther and Calvin were born. A Catholic who gives heretics credit for sincerity when they talk about religious toleration proves the he knows nothing about the past or the present. There is a fatal instinct in error, which leads it to hate the Truth; and the true Church, by itsunchangeableness, is a perpetual reproach to them that refuse to be her children. Heresy starts with an attempt to annihilate them that remain faithful; when it has grown tired of open persecution it vents its spleen in insults and calumnies; and when these do not produce the desired effect, hypocrisy comes in with its assurances of friendly forbearance. The history of Protestant Europe, during the last three centuries, confirms these statements; it also justifies us in honouring those courageous servants of God who, during that same period, have died for the ancient faith.

Let us now respectfully listen to the account given us, in the Liturgy, of the life and martyrdom of St. Fidelis; we shall find that the Church has not grown degenerate in her Saints.

Fidelis was born at Sigmaringen, a town of Swabia. His parents, whose name was Rey, were of a respectable family. He was remarkable, even when a child, for his extraordinary gifts both of nature and grace. Blessed with a talent of a high order, and trained to virtue by an excellent education, he received at Freiburg the well-merited honours of Doctor in Philosophy and in Civil and Canon Law, at the same time that, in the school of Christ, he strove to attain to the height of perfection by the assiduous practice of all virtues. Being requested to accompany several noblemen in their travels through various countries of Europe, he lost no opportunity of encouraging them, both by word and example, to lead a life of Christian piety. In these travels, he moreover mortified the desires of the flesh by frequent austerities; and such was the mastery he gained over himself, that in the midst of all the troubles and excitement, he was never seen to lose his temper in the slightest degree. He was a strenuous upholder of law and justice, and, after his return to Germany, he acquired considerable reputation as an advocate. But finding that this profession was replete with danger, he resolved to enter on the path that would best lead him to eternal salvation. Then enlightened by the divine call, he shortly afterwards asked to be admitted into the Seraphic Order, among the Capuchin Friars.

His pious wish being granted, he showed from the very commencement of his novitiate how thoroughly he despised the world and himself; and when, with spiritual joy, he had offered to God the vows of solemn profession, his regular observance was such as to make him the admiration of, and a model to, all around him. He devoted himself to prayer and to sacred studies; as also to preaching, for which he had a special grace, and by which he not only converted Catholics from a life of wickedness to one of virtue, but also drew heretics to knowledge of the truth. He was appointed superior as several convents of his Order, and fulfilled his office with admirable prudence, justice, meekness, discretion and humility. His zeal for strict poverty was so great, that he would allow nothing to be in the convent which was not absolutely necessary. He practised severe fasting, watching and disciplines, out of holy hatred against himself; whereas his love towards others was that of a mother for her children. A contagious fever having broken out among the Austrian soldiers, causing frightful mortality, he devoted his whole energies to untiring acts of charity in favour of the sick, whose sufferings were extreme. So admirable was he, both in advice and action, in settling disputes, and relieving everyone in trouble or trial, that he won for himself the name of the Father of his country. (Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year.)

He was extremely devout to the Virgin Mother of God, and a zealous promoter of the Rosary. He besought of God, through the intercession of this Blessed Mother firstly, and then through that of all the Saints, that he might be allowed to shed his blood and lay down his life for the Catholic faith. This ardent desire was increased by the daily and devout celebration of the Holy Sacrifice; and at length, by the wonderful providence of God, this valiant soldier of Christ was placed at the head of the missions recently established among the Grissons, by the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith. Fidelis undertook the arduous task with a ready and cheerful heart, and laboured in it with such earnestness, that he converted many heretics to the true faith, and inspired the hope that the whole of that people would be reconciled to the Church and to Christ. He had the gift of prophecy, and frequently predicted the calumnies that were to befall the Grissons, as also his own death at the hands of the heretics. Being fully aware of the plot laid against him, he prepared himself for the combat, and on the twenty-fourth day of April, in the year 1622, he repaired to the church of a place called Seewis. Hither had the heretics, on the previous day, invited him to come and preach, pretending that they wished to be converted. Whilst he was preaching he was interrupted by their clamours. They rushed upon him cruelly struck and wounded him even to death. He suffered it with courage and joy, thus consecrating by his blood the first-fruits of the martyrs of the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith. His name was rendered illustrious by many miracles, especially at Coire and Veitkirch, where his relics are kept, and honoured by the people with exceeding great veneration. (Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., The Liturgical Year.)  

A fuller biographical is found in Holy Mother Church’s official prayer for all subdeacons, deacons, priests, bishops and consecrated religious, the Divine Office:

Faithful [Fidelis] was born of the respectable family of Rey in the town of Sigmaringen in Swabia, in the year of our Lord 1577. From his childhood he was adorned with many bright gifts of nature and grace. Intellectually distinguished, and assisted by all the advantages of education, he took at Fribourg the degrees of Philosophy and of Civil and Canon Law, and it was while engaged in these studies, that he began to strive after the height of perfection in the school of Christ, to which end he earnestly trained himself in all the exercises of godliness. He ceased not to exhort to Christian godliness, both by his words and works, the noblemen who made him their companion, and who were drawn from the chief families of divers parts of Europe. While on his travels, he was careful to mortify the lusts of the flesh by frequent austerities, and so to get the command of himself, that he was never seen under any circumstances to be moved to anger. He was a zealous champion of law and justice, and when he returned into Germany, he won a most distinguished name in his profession as an advocate. After a while, however, in view of the dangers which beset him at the Bar, he determined to enter on a path safer as regarded his eternal salvation, and, in obedience to an inward call from above, he sought admission into the Seraphic Order, among the Capuchin Friars Minor, in the year 1612.

After he had obtained his holy wish, he showed himself even in his noviceship a singular despiser of the world and of himself, and still more so when with great spiritual joy he had made his solemn profession to the Lord. By his observance of the Rule, he became the wonder and the example of all. He gave himself chiefly to prayer and sacred learning, but he excelled, by a remarkable grace, in the ministry of the Word, and thereby not only stirred up the Catholics to bring forth more fruit, but also drew misbelievers to the knowledge of the truth. He was set at the head of communities of Friars in divers places, and discharged the duty so laid upon him with great praise for prudence, justice, meekness, wisdom, and lowliness. He was animated by a vehement love of the strictest poverty, and cleansed the convent of whatever was not altogether needful. While he pursued himself with an healthy hatred, and most stern fastings, watchings, and scourgings, he showed to all others a love like the love of a mother for her sons. When a contagious fever made horrid ravages among the Austrian soldiers, he gave himself up with his whole soul to unwearied offices of tenderness toward the helpless sick. In allaying quarrels and relieving the temporal distress of his neighbour, he bore himself with such wisdom and zeal as to earn the name of Father of his country.

Tenderly and warmly loved the maiden Mother of God and her Rosary, and he besought God under the patronage of many of His holy servants, but especially under that of the same blessed Mother, to vouchsafe to let him offer his life and his blood together for the sake of the Catholic faith. This burning desire came upon him more and more, day by day, as he celebrated with great ardour of spirit the Holy Liturgy and by the unexpected Providence of God it came to pass that this brave He was a travelling tutor. soldier of Christ was chosen President of the Missions which the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith had at that time just founded for the Grisons. He accepted this hard task with a willing and joyful heart, and discharged it with such zeal, that many heretics were turned to the orthodox faith, and great hope was engendered that the whole of that people would return to the peace of Christ and His Church. Faithful, who was gifted with the spirit of Prophecy, often foretold the great woes which afterwards came upon the Grisons, and that he himself would be murdered by the heretics. At last, on a certain 23rd of April, some of the heretics, who pretended to be converted, entreated him to come and preach the following day at the Church of a place which is called Sevis. He complied with the treacherous invitation, but, as he knew that plots were being laid against him, he had made himself ready beforehand for the last conflict. On the 24th day of April, in the year 1622, he went to Sevis, and began to preach, but his discourse was interrupted by a riot, and on his way back, he was [met by a party of Calvinists, and) brutally murdered. By this glorious death, which he suffered with a willing and cheerful heart, he offered to God in his own blood the first-fruits of martyrdom from the above - mentioned Congregation. God hath since glorified him by many signs and wonders, especially at Coire and Feldkirchen, where his reliques are kept with much popular veneration. (Matins, The Divine Office, April 24, Feast of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen.)

The 1910 Catholic Encyclopedia contains a stirring account of Saint Fidelis's apostolic work for the conversion of the Calvinists and of his martyrdom:  

From the beginning of his apostolic career he was untiring in his efforts to convert heretics nor did he confine his efforts in this direction to thepulpit, but also used his pen. He wrote many pamphlets against Calvinism and Zwinglianism though he would never put his name to his writings. Unfortunately these publications have long been lost. Fidelis was still guardian of the community at Feldkirch when in 1621 he was appointed to undertake a mission in the country of the Grisons with the purpose of bringing back that district to the CatholicFaith. The people there had almost all gone over to Calvinism, owing partly to the ignorance of the priests and their lack of zeal. In 1614 the Bishop of Coire had requested theCapuchins to undertake missions amongst the heretics in his diocese, but it was not until 1621 that the general of the order was able to send friarsthere. In that year Father Ignatius of sergamo was commissioned with several other friars to place himself at the disposal of this bishop for missionary work, and a similar commission was given to Fidelis who however still remained guardian of Feldkirche. Before setting out on this mission Fidelis was appointed by authority of the papal nuncio to reform the Benedictinemonastery at Pfafers. He entered upon his new labours in the trueapostolic spirit. Since he first entered the order he had constantly prayed, as he confided to a fellow-friar, for two favours: one, that he might never fall into mortal sin; the other, that he might die for the Faith. In this Spirit he now set out, ready to give his life in preaching the Faith. He took with him his crucifix, Bible, Breviary, and the book of the rule of his order; for the rest, he went in absolute poverty, trusting to Divine Providence for his daily sustenance. He arrived in Mayenfeld in time for Advent and began at once preaching and catechizing; often preaching in several places the same day. His coming aroused strong opposition and he was frequently threatened and insulted. He not only preached in theCatholic churches and in the public streets, but occasionally in the conventicles of the heretics. At Zizers one of the principal centres of his activity, he held conferences with the magistrates and chief townsmen, often far into the night. They resulted in the conversion of Rudolph de Salis, the most influential man in the town, whose public recantation was followed by many conversions.  

Throughout the winter Fidelis laboured indefatigably and with such success that the heretic preachers were seriously alarmed and set themselves to inflame the people against him by representing that his mission was political rather than religious and that he was preparing the way for the subjugation of the country by the Austrians. During the Lent of 1622 he preached with especial fervour. At Easter he returned to Feldkirch to attend a chapter of the order and settle some affairs of his community. By this time the Congregation of the Propaganda had been established inRome, and Fidelis was formally constituted by the Congregation, superior of the mission in the Grisons. He had, however, a presentiment that his laborers would shortly be brought to a close by a martyr’s death. Preaching a farewell sermon at Feldkirch he said as much. On re-entering the country of the Grisons he was met everywhere with the cry: “Death to the Capuchins!” On 24 April, being then at Grusch, he made his confession and afterwards celebrated Mass and preached. Then he set out for Sevis. On the way his companions noticed that he was particularly cheerful. At Sevis he entered the church and began to preach, but was interrupted by a sudden tumult both within and without the church. Several Austriansoldiers who were guarding the doors of the church were killed and Fidelis himself was struck. A Calvinist present offered to lead him to a place of security. Fidelis thanked the man but said his life was in the hands of God. 0utside the church he was surrounded by a crowd led by the preachers who offered to save his life if he would apostatize. Fidelis replied: “I came to extirpate heresy, not to embrace it”, whereupon he was struck down. He was the first martyr of the Congregation of Propaganda. His body was afterwards taken to Feldkirch and buried in the church of his order, except his head and left arm, which were placed in the cathedral at Coire. He was beatified in 1729, and canonized in 1745. St. Fidelis is usually represented in art with a crucifix and with a wound in the head; his emblem is a bludgeon. His feast is kept on 24 April. (CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen.)

“I came to extirpate heresy, not to embrace it.”

Ah, what a contrast between Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen and the faithless ones of the counterfeit church of conciliarism who embrace heresy and the false religions of idolaters and who do not seek to extirpate these things. “God bless the Methodists, “God bless the Baptists, “…on the sacred Mount Hiei.” These are the sorts of words such as those  issued from the mouth of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI and that ever being mouthed by his successor, the Argentine Apostate, not the fidelity of the faithful Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, who opposed false ecumenism with his very life.

Ratzinger's successor, Jorge Mario Bergoglio/Francis, who is constantly speaking against seeking converts to what he thinks is the Catholic Church as he reaffirms Protestants and the Orthodox and Talmudists and Mohammedans in their false religions, going so far as to reassure atheists that all who "do good" will "meet" us in some undefined "there." (See Francis Do-Right.)

Bergoglio has been very bold in his embrace of heresy as he has attacked those who remain faithful to the teaching of the Catholic Church without making any concessions to the falsehood of conciliarism. Very bold. Exceedingly bold. His fury and his mocking scorn of believing Catholics is nothing other than diabolically inspired and driven (for a terrific post about the work of Antichrist in these times, please see Novus Ordo Watch Wire Blog.)

Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for coming here today. Thank you for all that you bear in your heart. Jesus loves you very much. Saint Cajetan loves you very much. He only asks one thing of you: that you come together! That you go out and seek and find one in greater need! But not alone - with Jesus, with Saint Cajetan! Am I going to go out to convince someone to become a Catholic? No, no, no! You are going to meet with him, he is your brother! That's enough! And you are going to help him, the rest Jesus does, the Holy Spirit does it. Remember well: with Saint Cajetan, we the needy go to meet with those who are in greater need. And, hopefully, Jesus will direct your way so that you will meet with one in greater need. (Francis the Insane Dreamer, Rebel and Miscreant's Message for the Feast of Saint Cajetan.)

When one walks in God’s presence, there is this fraternity. When, instead, we are still, when we look too much to one another, there is another way … which is bad, bad!  -- the way of gossip. And we begin to say, “but you, don’t you know?” “No, no, I’m not for you. I’m for this and that …” “I am for Paul,” “I am for Appollos,” “I am for Peter.” And so we begin, and so from the first moment division began in the Church. And it isn’t the Holy Spirit who creates division! He does something that is quite similar to it, but not division. It’s not the Lord Jesus who creates division! He who creates division is in fact the Envious One, the king of envy, the father of envy: the sower of darnel, Satan. He interferes in communities and creates divisions, always! From the first moment, from the first moment of Christianity, this temptation was in the Christian community. “I belong to this one,” I belong to that one.” “No! I am the Church, you are a sect.” And so the one who wins over us is him, the father of division – not the Lord Jesus who prayed for unity (John 17), he prayed! (Address to Pentecostal Community in Caserta.)

What does the Holy Spirit do? I said he does something else, which perhaps one might think is division, but it isn’t. The Holy Spirit creates “diversity” in the Church. The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12. He creates diversity! And this diversity is truly very rich, very beautiful. But then, the Holy Spirit himself creates unity, and so the Church is one in diversity. And, to use the word of an Evangelical whom I love very much, a “reconciled diversity” by the Holy Spirit. He creates both things: He creates the diversity of charisms and then He creates the harmony of charisms. Therefore, the early theologians of the Church, the early Fathers – I am speaking of the 3rdor 4thcentury – said: “The Holy Spirit is harmony,” because He creates this harmonious unity in diversity.

We are in the age of globalization, and we wonder what globalization is and what the unity of the Church would be: perhaps a sphere, where all points are equidistant from the center, all are equal? No! This is uniformity. And the Holy Spirit does not create uniformity! What figure can we find? We think of the polyhedron: the polyhedron is a unity, but with all different parts; each one has its peculiarity, its charism. This is unity in diversity. It is on this path that we, Christians, do what we call with the theological name of ecumenism. We try to have this diversity become more harmonized by the Holy Spirit and become unity. We seek to walk in the presence of God to be irreproachable. We seek to find the nourishment of which we are in need to find our brother. This is our way, this is our Christian beauty! I refer to what my beloved brother said at the beginning.  (Address to Pentecostal Community in Caserta.)

Here are just a few antidotes to such apostasy, the likes of which Saint Fidelis of Sigmarigen shed his blood to avoid even the appearance of giving:

It is for this reason that so many who do not share “the communion and the truth of the Catholic Church” must make use of the occasion of the Council, by the means of the Catholic Church, which received in Her bosom their ancestors, proposes [further] demonstration of profound unity and of firm vital force; hear the requirements [demands] of her heart, they must engage themselves to leave this state that does not guarantee for them the security of salvation. She does not hesitate to raise to the Lord of mercy most fervent prayers to tear down of the walls of division, to dissipate the haze of errors, and lead them back within holy Mother Church, where their Ancestors found salutary pastures of life; where, in an exclusive way, is conserved and transmitted whole the doctrine of Jesus Christ and wherein is dispensed the mysteries of heavenly grace. (Pope Pius IX, Iam Vos Omnes, September 13, 1868.)

Let, therefore, the separated children draw nigh to the Apostolic See, set up in the City which Peter and Paul, the Princes of the Apostles, consecrated by their blood; to that See, We repeat, which is "the root and womb whence the Church of God springs," not with the intention and the hope that "the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" will cast aside the integrity of the faith and tolerate their errors, but, on the contrary, that they themselves submit to its teaching and government. Would that it were Our happy lot to do that which so many of Our predecessors could not, to embrace with fatherly affection those children, whose unhappy separation from Us We now bewail. Would that God our Savior, "Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," would hear us when We humbly beg that He would deign to recall all who stray to the unity of the Church! In this most important undertaking We ask and wish that others should ask the prayers of Blessed Mary the Virgin, Mother of divine grace, victorious over all heresies and Help of Christians, that She may implore for Us the speedy coming of the much hoped-for day, when all men shall hear the voice of Her divine Son, and shall be "careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Pope Pius XI, Mortalium Animos, January 6 1928.)

Actually only those are to be included as members of the Church who have been baptized and profess the true faith, and who have not been so unfortunate as to separate themselves from the unity of the Body, or been excluded by legitimate authority for grave faults committed. "For in one spirit" says the Apostle, "were we all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free." As therefore in the true Christian community there is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can be only one faith. And therefore, if a man refuse to hear the Church, let him be considered - so the Lord commands - as a heathen and a publican. It follows that those who are divided in faith or government cannot be living in the unity of such a Body, nor can they be living the life of its one Divine Spirit. (Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis, June 29, 1943.)

To characterize the relation between Catholics and Protestants as 'unity-in-diversity' is misleading, inasmuch as it implies that essentially Catholics are one with heretics, and that their diversities are only accidental. Actually, the very opposite is the true situation. For, however near an heretical sect may seem to be to the Catholic Church in its particular beliefs, a wide gulf separates them, insofar as the divinely established means whereby the message of God is to be communicated to souls--the infallible Magisterium of the Church--is rejected by every heretical sect. By telling Protestants that they are one with us in certain beliefs, in such wise as to give the impression that we regard this unity as the predominant feature of our relation with them, we are actually misleading them regarding the true attitude of the Catholic Church toward those who do not acknowledge Her teaching authority. (Father Francis Connell, Father Connell Answers Moral Questions, published in 1959 by Catholic University of America Press, p. 11; quoted in Fathers Dominic and Francisco Radecki, CMRI, TUMULTUOUS TIMES, p. 348.)

Yes, far from representing an approach of Catholic "apologetics" that can be dismissed as determined by the historical circumstances in which the Counter-Reformation missionaries to the Protestants sought to convert heretics and schismatics to the true Church, outside of which there is no salvation, the efforts of the likes of Saints Francis de Sales and Peter Canisius and Robert Bellarmine and others, such as Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, the Martyrs of Gorkum and Saint Josephat, in the Sixteenth Century and thereafter were founded in the immutable doctrine of the Catholic Church, from which no Catholic may dissent and remain a member in good standing of the Catholic Church.  

Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen did not believe in “inter-religious” dialogue. He sought with urgency the unconditional conversion of the Calvinists to the true Faith, the Catholic Faith. He did not mince words. He was entirely devoted to Our Lady. Saint Fidelis did what Catholics had done for nearly sixteen centuries before him: seek out the lost sheep while being willing to lay down his own life in behalf of their salvation in imitation of the Good Shepherd Himself, Who gave this injunction to the Eleven before He Ascended to the Father’s right hand in glory on Pentecost Sunday:  

Going, therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Saint Fidelis’s martyrdom came some eighteen and one-half months before that of Saint Josaphat Kuncevyc on November 12, 1683, at the hands of the Orthodox whose conversion he had been seeking with great urgency. Saint Fidelis’s zeal for the conversion of the Protestants came within a very short time after the apostolic work of Saint Peter Canisius, S.J., and more or less contemporaneously with that of Saint Francis de Sales, who was his senior by seven years and who died just one year before his own martyrdom. Both Saint Peter Canisius and Saint Francis de Sales sought to convert the Calvinists. Their work bore much fruit. Over 60,000 Calvinists returned to the true Faith at the preaching of Saint Francis de Sales.

The Catholic Church has never abandoned the conversion of souls for the diabolical lunacy of the “new evangelization’s” “let’s listen and learn from each other without compromising the truth or giving any impression of religious indifferentism as we all remain faithful to our respective traditions and structures” program of “inter-religious dialogue” and to exercise the “spiritual ecumenism” (inter-religious prayer) pioneered by a disciple of the late Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., Abbe Paul Couturier, whose pioneering efforts in syncretism were praised by Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II (in footnote fifty of Ut Unum Sint, May 25, 1995) and by recently retired “Petrine Minister,” Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, in his address to Protestant and Orthodox representatives in Cologne, Germany, on Friday, August 19, 2005. As Dom Prosper Gueranger noted in his commentary on the life of Saint Fidelis:

There is a fatal instinct in error, which leads it to hate the Truth; and the true Church, by its unchangeableness, is a perpetual reproach to them that refuse to be her children.

The Catholic Church is unchangeable! She cannot be the source of the very changeableness that has been exhibited ceaselessly by the scions of the counterfeit church of conciliarism. Her official documents and statements cannot contradict anything that she has taught from time immemorial. Her children are taught to imitate the lives of her saints who were zealous for the conversion of the souls of non-Catholics. A non-martyr, Saint John Bosco, had this zeal when he was but a teenaged boy:

There were in John’s class, at the school in Chieri, several Jews who were in difficulties about their Saturday’s work. For them it was the Sabbath, when all work was forbidden. But the older boys used to laugh at them as if it were an extra vacation day. John, who saw that it was a question of conscience, used to send them a list of the work given out, with the explanations. In consequence, they vowed him an eternal friendship, and one of them, who used to frequent the restaurant where John worked, became very intimate with him. One day this young fellow, whose name was Jonas, got mixed up in a school scrape and, anxious about the consequences, came to consult his friend.

“If you were a Christian,” said John, “I should take you straight off to Confession, but that can’t be done.”

“Why not? We can go to Confession if we like.”

“Perhaps, but you have no Sacrament of Penance, no power to forgive sins, no guarantee of secrecy.”

“I will go to a Catholic priest if you like.”

“You can’t unless you are baptized and believe in Jesus Christ.”

“What would they say at home?”

“If God calls you to this, He will protect you.”

“What would you do if you were in my place?” asked the young Jew.

“I would begin to study the catechism,” said John.

The advice was taken; John prayed. Light and conviction came to Jonas, but the catechism was discovered. Irate parents took it to the Rabbi and accused John of betraying the friendship and ruining the soul of their son. Both friends had a good deal to suffer; there were even threats of violence. Jonas had to leave home, but he stood firm in his determination to become a Catholic. In the end, friends came to his assistance, the young Jew was baptized and the tumult died down. Several others followed him into the Church. (F. A. Forbes, Saint John Bosco, reprinted by TAN Books and Publishers, Rockford, Illinois, pp. 25-27.)

Catholics seek the conversion of non-Catholics, being willing to give up their lives to do so. This is not the spirit of the faithless ones who populate the levers of power in the counterfeit church of conciliarism.

Indeed, Saint Mark the Evangelist, whose feast day was yesterday, Tuesday, April 25, 2017, won the admiration of the Jews in Alexandria, Egypt, by how well he had brought many in that city to the true Faith and that his preaching taught a doctrine, contained in the Gospel he wrote at the behest of Saint Peter himself, from whom Saint Mark learned the facts to record in his Gospel, that was believed by all those he converted. Unity of doctrine, not Ratzinger/Benedict's and Bergoglio's "unity in diversity," is what characterizes the Catholic Faith that Saint Mark explicated and propagated so effectively.

Today, apart from being the semidouble feast of Pope Saints Cletus and Marcellinus, who were martyred about 230 years apart from each other, is the day on which the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel is observed in many places.

Let us remember also to invoke the Mother of God under her title of Our Lady of Good Counsel on this her feast day.

The image of Our Lady of Good Counsel with the Child Jesus appeared miraculously, accompanied by celestial music, on the Feast of Saint Mark, April 25, 1467, in the Church of Santa Maria in Genazaano, Italy, which had been entrusted to the Order of Saint Augustine one hundred eleven years before. Popes Urban VIII, Innocent XI, Benedict XIV, Pius IX, and Leo XIII have had a great devotion to the miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Pope Leo XIII inserted the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel into the Litany of Loreto before he died in 1903, and our last true pope thus far, Pope Pius XII, even placed his entire pontificate under her protection. 

We are placed to have a copy of the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel in our home. It was given to us by a Catholic woman, who died a few years ago, at a Catholic Family News conference in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2004. What is even more remarkable who gave us that image was blind. However, she had the supernatural vision to see what many Catholics forget: that we need pray more to Our Lady of Good Counsel during these times of apostasy and betrayal. This image has had a prominent place wherever we have lived since then, and we pray every day for the repose of the soul of the good Catholic woman, ever accompanied by her selfless husband and her loyal seeing-eye dog, who enhanced our lives with the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

Our Lady of Good Counsel, we need a miracle now! Restore a true pope to the Throne of Saint Peter!

In the midst of these great feasts durinug Paschaltide, therefore, may we pray our Rosary in thanksgiving for having been given such great witnesses of the Faith as Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Saint Mark the Evangelist and Popes Saints Cletus and Marcellinus, each of whom was devoted to preaching of the truths of Holy Catholic Church in all of their holy purity and integrity as three of them, save for Saint Mark, gave up their very lives to do what the “Petrine Ministers” of conciliarism, including the current universal public face of apostasy, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, have believed is unnecessary: the urgent conversion of non-Catholics to the true Church, outside of which there is no salvation and without which there can be no true social order.

Our Lady of Good Counsel, pray for us!

Isn’t it time to pray a Rosary now?

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

Vivat Christus Rex! Viva Cristo Rey!

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.

Saint John the Evangelist, pray for us.

Saint Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

Saint Gabriel the Archangel, pray for us.

Saint Raphael the Archangel, pray for us.

Saints Joachim and Anne, pray for us.

Saints Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, pray for us.

Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, pray for us.

Saint Mark the Evangelist, pray for us.

Pope Saints Mark and Marcellinus, pray for us.