In a Vatican-approved apparition from the 16th century, the Mother of God appeared to a Spanish nun living in Quito, Ecuador in what became known as Our Lady of Good Success. (Yes, I know I normally criticize those who do transliterations when a translation is required, and yes I know “Good Success” is a transliteration not a translation. But Good Success is what it has become in English, so we accept it in common usage. Common usage is also a part of linguistics, even when it gets sloppy on the translation front.)
In any case, while we know the divine aspect of the Catholic Church remains always pristine as the spotless Bride of Christ, we also know that the human aspect of the Catholic Church can become sullied. The Mother of God told that 16th century nun Mother Mariana of Jesus Torres y Berriochoa (still incorrupt in her holy body 500 years later) that the Catholic Church’s human aspect would undergo an unprecedented destruction in the mid 20th century. But most of you already know the bad news what happened in the 1960s and onwards to the hierarchy and so many souls. Yes, this was predicted in a Vatican-approved apparition of the Mother of God.
The good news is that the Immaculate Virgin Mary prophesied that the 20th and 21st century Catholics who would one day resist the greatest heretics would need four virtues which Mary herself named: Los hombres libres de la esclavitud de esas herejías, aquellos a quienes el amor misericordioso de Mi Hijo Santísimo destinará para la restauración, tendrán una gran fuerza de voluntad, constancia, valor y mucha confianza en Dios. Para probar esta fe y la confianza de los justos, habrá ocasiones en las que todo parecerá estar perdido y paralizado. Esto, entonces, será el feliz comienzo de la restauración completa.
My translation of Mary’s words: “The freemen from the slavery of these heresies, those who the merciful love of my most Holy Son will destine for the restoration will have a great strength of will, constancy, bravery and much confidence in God. To test this faith and the confidence of the just, there will be times when it will seem all is lost and paralyzed. This then, will be the beginning of the complete restoration.”
Let’s dissect that a bit:
The beginning of the complete restoration: Notice that “restoration” in English is the same word in Spanish that Mary spoke to Venerable Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres. Restoration is not revolution or even renewal. It means the return of something that will have been lost in the mid-20th century. (What could that be!?)
The freemen from the slavery of these heresies [are] destine[d] for the restoration: Those who stay free from the heresies of the 20th century will precisely be the ones chosen for the restoration of the Catholic Church in the 21st century. And this is why you should not leave the Catholic Church in blasphemy or rebellion even as we see those who claim to have the power living in open rebellion against God with, say, Pachamama worship.
When it will seem all is lost and paralyzed...This then, will be the beginning of the complete restoration. Are we there yet? Do things seem “paralyzed” in those of you who have fought for Church reform? If so, then now must be the beginning of the complete restoration (el feliz comienzo de la restauración completa.)
To test this faith and the confidence of the just: Notice that the word in Spanish “to test” as in “to test this faith and the confidence of the just” is probar, which is where we get the English word probation. The early Christians also described their martyrdoms as testing in fire to purify them. Guarding Apostolic Catholicism today and standing up against apostasy is precisely what will purify the remnant in the 21st century. Our white martyrdom is making us saints even if it’s not as bloody or visible as a red martyrdom.
The freemen from the slavery of these heresies, those who the merciful love of my most Holy Son will destine for the restoration will have a great strength of will, constancy, bravery and much confidence in God. So, the final words of Our Lady show us how to live true obedience, namely, to the Magiserium, not to an infamous apostate, regardless of whatever power he pretends to wield.
Notice also that the virtues needed to be saved in the 20th and 21st century look nothing like an excessive meekness to the point of being a good Catholic doormat. Our Lady of Good Success showed us that to be Catholic in days such as ours, the only way to be saved would be to fully profess Jesus Christ and Apostolic Catholicism and live these four virtues: A great strength of will, constancy, bravery and much confidence in God.
Above, I translated the Spanish valor as bravery. But that rich word valor in Spanish can also be translated as: courage, nerve, prowess, valor, caliber, guts and gallantry. I especially like those last two translations of valor, namely guts and gallantry. Yes, we need extreme humility before God (especially in light of our many sins) but that is not incompatible with courageously proclaiming Apostolic Catholicism to our friends and families, and even our enemies. Indeed, the Catholics of this age will need to press the heretics of the counterfeit-hierarchy not with kiddy-gloves, not with dialogue and accompaniment, but rather (again, in Mary’s words) with guts and gallantry.
Finally a word on current events. Earlier this week, I put on Telegram: “God sent us Viganó. If we trads reject him, we deserve everything the Vatican does to us over the next three years.” There were some laughy emojis in response, and that’s fine. But you should know that I wrote that line fully aware that things will get temporarily worse for all trads because of Viganó, perhaps even on the TLM front. (The reason most Catholics defend the captor of the Church rather than her rescuer is because of ecclesiastical Stockholm Syndrome.)
Here’s a few things to realize: First, there’s a reason the Vatican is current terrified of an 83 year old Archbishop named Viganó. It’s because of what he knows about the imposters. Secondly, Viganó reminds me of Caleb in the Old Testament about to take the promised land against all odds. He admits that by human estimation, the good guys have no chance against the bad guys: And there we saw the Nephilim… and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.—Num 13:33. However, right before that we read: But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”—Num 13:30. Joshua also knows the odds are against the Hebrews, but he demands courage anyway: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.—Joshua 1:9.
In fact, I can’t think of a single hero of the Old and New Testament (man or woman) who is rewarded by God for obedience to heretics. Rather, every hero and heroine of the Old and New Testament responded to grace by putting courage and trust in God far ahead of his own human calculations or personal-advance on losing one devotion or another in the face of villains. This is why trads today need to put the salvation of the world far ahead of their liturgical fears of what Mass will be temporarily removed from them. Have we not learned over the last 13 years that a deal with the devil always collapses?
Thirdly, notice that Our Lady of Good Success wants obedience, but not to an apostate. That’s impossible. Thus, these are the virtues we most need today:
- Great strength of will
- Constancy
- Bravery (guts and gallantry in the original Spanish of valor.)
- Much confidence in God.