On the 14th of August, 1608 Fr. Giulio Mancinelli, an Italian Jesuit, experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary who asked him: “Why do you not call me Queen of the Polish? I greatly cherish this kingdom and I intend great things for it, as its sons burn with particular love for me.” During the subsequent sighting in 1610 he heard: “I am Queen of Poland, I am Mother of that nation, which is very dear to me.”
Is God capable of protecting human beings from the direct effects of a nuclear explosion?
This burning question rises especially after the controversial U.S. decision to withdraw from a Reagan-era nuclear arms treaty. In modern history there have only been noted two instances of such a Divine intervention.
The brutal attack on Hiroshima resulted in instant death of 80,000 people while on Nagasaki of 40,000 people. The old photos available in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum show not only distant but also impending danger. In non-existing streets there can be seen bodies of mothers attempting to shield their children, scattered human limbs, horridly gnarled and carbonized corpses. In the years after the explosions hundreds of thousands of people died through the years of illnesses, and particularly cancer, brought on by their exposure to radiation.
However, in each of these cities, very near the hypocentre of the blasts, two houses remained almost intact. It’s even more astonishing that in one of them twelve people survived and in another eighteen. As reported by the experts they “ought to be dead,” being within a one-mile radius of the explosion.
In one of Fr. Dr. Jozef Bartnik’s Marian books, he mentions the witnesses of miracles who recall those dramatic events. It turns out that about six months before, mystics arrived suddenly to the Catholic communities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing instructions on how to survive an approaching calamity. They called for praying the Rosary every day, using Sacramentals, receiving Holy Communion frequently, and keeping a blessed candle. On the night preceding the tragedy, the Catholics who lived and followed faithfully the instructions, heard someone knock on the door of their houses. A man with the authority of an angel, led them to one of the houses which later would be miraculously spared. A Polish Jesuit underlines the supernatural character of these happenings.
Hugo Lassalle, Mission Superior of the Jesuit community along with Hubert Cieslik, Hubert Schiffer and Wilhelm Kleinsorge were at the rectory of the church, one of the few buildings that withstood the bomb blast. The doctors who took care of them afterwards warned that the radiation they received would produce serious lesions, illness and premature death. Furthermore, they were examined about 200 times in the following years, and absolutely no consequence of the radiation was found in their bodies.
The four priests never doubted that they had been blessed with protection by God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. “We believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home” said Fr. Schiffer. At that time he had the sensation of receiving a sort of protective shield from Heaven.
“The Department of Defence never commented officially on this and I suspect it was classified and never discussed in open literature.” It is quite possible that the Jesuits were compelled to keep their mouths shut. Talking about the extraordinary event could undermine the lethal capability of a new weapon as well as poison secular society with “Catholic drivel.”
According to Dr. Stephen Rinehart, a nuclear physicist with the U.S. Department of Defence who had studied this phenomenon intently, they should have been dead in a flash. Apparently “Prayer is more powerful than atom bomb” as Fr. Schiffer wrote in his book “The Rosary of Hiroshima.” Actually he died on March 27, 1982, 37 years after that fateful day. How comforting it is to know that prayer can be more powerful than explosions and faith stronger than radiation sickness.
This supernatural intervention of the Virgin Mary could be interpreted as thorough guidelines for all of humanity, about how to live through a nuclear attack. It seems to be completely irrational to think that it will never happen; the real question is which generation will be affected. Alicja Lenczewska (†2012), a contemporary Polish mystic and stigmatic, indicates the XXI century as the time when the foretold chastisement and great renewal of the Church will occur. The strong message from Jesus was collected and printed as two separate books “Swiadectwo” and “Slowo Pouczenia.” Bishop Henryk Wejman conferred the Imprimatur on them.
On September 8, 1946, in the presence of a million faithful, the bishops of Poland led by Cardinal Primate August Hlond, solemnly consecrated their nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is said that dedicating Portugal (1931, 1938) to the Immaculate Heart of Mary preserved this country from the devastations of World War II.
Solo Dios Basta Foundation, the organizers of the Great Penance Day, speculated that the attendance at the event could be 5000 people (the maximum); instead, about 150,000 arrived at Jasna Gora, Black Madonna sanctuary. On September 5, 2016, from 11 am till 9 pm, despite the chilly weather, huge crowds on their knees asked pardon of God for their own sins and those of the nation. That same day tens of thousands joined in the spirit of penance in their own parish churches across Poland to take part in a Mass and a short propitiation service. “Europe today is the New Babylon” firmly states exorcist, Fr. Peter Glas, “Here I can see people who spend hours on their knees and say a 54 day Novena to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii a few times a year. They consecrated themselves to Our Lady as recommended by St. Louis de Montfort, that’s not uncommon… .” Strangely, some Catholic media glossed over any news of this occurrence.
One year later, on October 7, 2017, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Solo Dios Basta Foundation arranged another stupendous religious event called “Rosary to the Borders” in which more than a million Polish Catholics encircled their country imploring Our Lady’s intervention to save Poland and the world. The other two million prayed in churches, chapels, hospitals and at home.
Poland is bucking the trend of Europe where a fair share of new churches is currently being built that counteracts France, Belgium, Germany and Britain where there is an increasing number of mosques, while existing places of Christian worship are either converted into restaurants, museums or just demolished. It reminds one vividly of the darkest years in the Soviet Union with its blatant disregard for sanctity. Suffice it to say that Dominus Flevit. Quo vadis Europa.
For some Catholics in Europe, especially in Germany, confessionals are vague recollections of childhood days, but not for the Poles. Long queues of penitents waiting for the sacrament of reconciliation can be seen in major cities not only on the main solemnities but also on the First Fridays and Saturdays of each month. What is more, Eucharist Adoration is thriving. Every year new places are built, where the Lord is noticeably praised; for example, there are now 44 of such in Warsaw, 18 in Cracow, 16 in Wroclaw (in total, 304 in Poland). In major cities of Poland, in the afternoons there are sometimes so many people in a chapel that it is difficult to find enough space for kneeing.
The ceremony of declaring Jesus Christ the King of Poland, attended by Poland’s president Andrzej Duda, several MP-s and thousands of believers, marked the end of the Catholic Church’s Year of Mercy 2016. “In our hearts, rule us, Christ! In our families, rule us, Christ! … In our schools and universities, rule us, Christ! … Through the Polish nation, rule us, Christ! … ” the gathered people prayed.
The idea of enthronement of Christ originally came from a nurse, mystic and now the Servant of God Rozalia Celak (†1944) who had a vision that foresaw Poland’s imminent demise if Jesus Christ would not be crowned its King. “Suddenly, a terrible bang could be heard. The globe cracked. Enormous fire broke out and disgusting lava flew out as if from a volcano, completely destroying all countries which had not recognized Christ. I saw Germany destroyed, as well as other Western European countries. I turned to the person in terror for help and he said: “Do not fear, child,” and he put his hands on my shoulders. I asked him: “Is this the end of the world, and the fire and lava, are these hell?” He replied: “This is not the end of the world or hell, but a horrible war which shall complete the destruction.” The Polish borders were left inviolate, Poland persevered. The unknown person also said to me: “Countries under Christ’s reign and subjected to the power of His Sacred Heart shall become extremely powerful and there shall be one Fold and one Shepherd.”
Archbishop Jan Feliks Cieplak (†1826), in a prophetic poem, foretells a bloody war, a severe cold winter followed by heavy earthquakes. Finally, peace conditions are settled in Warsaw.
Sr. Lucia dos Santos (†2005) “Poland will be spared this time. She will be the only country that will emerge from the world’s cataclysm stronger, more powerful and more magnificent”
The most touching, as well as trustworthy, seem to be the words “You Poles bear a grudge against us Germans, because we hurt you. You are right. But through this you have completed all your penance on earth. The penance will be upon us Germans. Berlin’s fate will be like the fate of Nineveh, you can rest assured” uttered by a German mystic and stigmatic Therese Neumann (†1962)
Sadly, the ruling centre-right party PiS (Law and Justice) has been deliberately hindering the passage of a bill called STOP ABORTION in a legislature for over 15 months. The bill, which provides protection for the unborn by excluding the eugenic reasons, came from an anti-abortion citizens’ initiative that gathered some 830,000 signatures. Statistically, three children die every day in Polish hospitals due to abortion. I shudder to think that the odour of the devil has penetrated the walls of the Polish Parliament. Thus, if one day Poles depart from God laws then the most likely, pessimistic scenario is the one predicted by the Primate of Poland August Hlond (†1948) “Either Poland will be a Catholic country, or it will cease to exist”.
For nearly three centuries enemies of the Church have been trying to erase any trace of God’s presence from human minds. However, their attempts will soon come to naught since the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is coming. To the extent that we accept and live moral obligations connected with the message of Fatima, which Sister Lucia refers to as the “Calls” of the Message of Fatima, we will even hasten that triumph and may save our families and our nations from total annihilation.
Although Polish people, throughout their intricate and troubled history as a Christian nation, disregarded God’s commandments, thanks to the special care of the Queen of Poland, they have not lost their faith or their attachment to Catholic tradition and to the Church.
Poland in the light of the facts presented, despite its vulnerable geopolitical position, still looks like to be the safest place to live throughout Europe.
Meanwhile, the devil is continuously sowing the paralysing fear of death into our hearts. One must not forget that formidable sword of the Virgin Mary – THE ROSARY; and an impregnable armour – ADORATION. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
“You will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for this is something that must happen, but the end will not be yet”. (Matt 24:6)
