A Key to the Restoration Part 2
By Kathleen Heckenkamp
“Without the Christian education of the rising generation, society will be smothered by barbarism”
[Dear Friends, I started this article: “A Key to the Restoration of the Church” in September. As mentioned in Part 1 – Introduction, we had made time this summer to attend a Kolbe Leadership Retreat given by the Kolbe Center with our family. During those talks, a light was lit inside of my heart, mind and soul, a desire to know the Truth like I had never known before. I realized that honestly, in order to aid in the Restoration, we must go back to what the Church Fathers had always taught. Of this, I am convinced! We must pray to become enlightened on what needs to be accomplished to aid all Catholics in order to get back to the way God wanted us to learn about Him. Enough with new enlightened ideas and revelations. Fabricated philosophies that were concocted in the very pits of Hell! Phantasmal ideas of an Evolutional Creation dreamt up in a nightmarish conjuring assisted by the minions from the Netherworld in order to erase the Name of God from not only our society but also our individual minds forever. It is my hope that my small attempt to help others to see what needs to be done and direct them to the work of the Fathers of the Church via the works of the Kolbe Center will find favor with God, Our Lady and you my dear friends. Please find the links to their website at the end of this article. And a big thank you to all of them at the Kolbe Center for educating all of us in the Truth!]
Years ago, when first reading about Our Lady of Good Success, I was completely taken with the historic events and prophetic stories that were intertwined with several of the “Quitenian saints” (in quotes because some are not canonized yet). I delved into these lives which made a deep impression on me. One such life was the life of Gabriel Garcia Moreno. After reading his life, a specific thought came to me and has stayed with me over the years and served as a specific motto that has always influenced our apostolate work here: Ecuador must be used as a universal template for the future.
While beginning this article, I received a phone call from someone who just discovered Our Lady of Good Success and wanted to know more about her. He asked for proof that these apparitions and prophecies were not just for Ecuador, but for the whole world.
My response was what Our Lady of Good Success told Mother Mariana on January 21st, 1610:
"In this supreme moment of need of the Church, the one who should speak will fall silent! You will see this from Heaven, my beloved daughter, where you can no long suffer, but your daughters and successors will suffer, those beloved souls already known to you who will placate the Divine Ire. They will have recourse to Me under the invocation of Our Lady of Good Success, whose Statue I ask and command that you have made for the consolation and preservation of my Convent and of the faithful souls of that time, an epoch when there will be a great devotion to Me, for I am Queen of Heaven under many invocations. This devotion will be the shield between Divine Justice and the prevaricating world to prevent the release of God’s formidable punishment that this guilty earth deserves."
A thought also came to me that I should ask the current Mother Abbess of the Conceptionist Monastery, Mother Angela Maria Flores Romero (aka Madre Angelita), via our personal representative in Quito this question of the universality of these apparitions and prophecies. Her response was: “The universal character of the prophecies lies in the universal personage of Gabriel Garcia Moreno.” In fact, I was informed from our representative that he had such a great influence on the world even over 25 years after his death that in Paris, in 1900 there was a survey done and Gabriel Garcia Moreno was named: “The Greatest Man in the World in this Era.” This was quite providential as I was working on Part 2 of “A Key to the Restoration” in which Gabriel Garcia Moreno would be featured.
But what does Gabriel Garcia Moreno have to do with Our Lady of Good Success?
We must recall the words then of Our Lady of Good Success who appeared to Mother Mariana on January 16, 1599:
‘In the 19th Century, there will be a truly Catholic President, a man of character whom God, Our Lord, will give the palm of martyrdom on the square adjoining this convent. He will consecrate this Republic to the Sacred Heart of my Most Holy Son, and this consecration will sustain the Catholic Religion in the years that will follow, which will be ill-fated ones for the Church.’"
Our Lady was speaking about Gabriel Garcia Moreno – “a man of character.” This man who would live in the 1800’s then would be an example for the future generations since the disclosure of the prophecies would be revealed in the 20th Century. Our Lady of Good Success’s prophecy about him is only two sentences long but in those sentences, she tells everything we need to know about him: he was a man of character, he would be a martyr, he would consecrate Ecuador to the Sacred Heart, and because of this valiant and faithful act of consecration that would eventually take his life. A martyrdom that assure that Ecuador would keep the Catholic Religion alive in the hearts of Ecuadoreans during this terrible era that we have been experiencing up to the present day.
But sadly, in this era, only 100 yrs. after Paris proclaimed him to be “The Greatest Man in the World in this Era,” you would be hard-pressed to find one person – even Catholic – that would know who he was in this rapidly deteriorating and sinful world. If it was not for the predicted resurgence in interest and devotion to Our Lady of Good Success, we would not have turned our eyes to his figure. However, by mentioning him in her prophecies, the Catholic world has a model of manhood and leadership to attain to once again. And shall we not thank her for that? I am forever grateful for discovering such a man of great determination and courage to fight for truly noble ideals and the moral rule and spirituality of the Catholic standard - always faithfully following the Magisterium of the Church.
Additionally, it was suggested to me by our representative, that the universality of Garcia Moreno also lies in the relationship between Pope Pius IX and Garcia Moreno as a Concordat with Rome and Ecuador was created and established under his Presidential guidance an example for the whole world as well as a sign of great mutual respect for each other and spiritual friendship.
Then, too, since the Mother Abbess mentioned him, I remembered a long forgotten and seemingly lost “Prologue” in the “The Admirable Life of Mother Mariana” –in a Portuguese version, written by one of the Mother Abbesses of the Conceptionist Monastery in Quito, Mother Mariana de Jesus Varela written in 1934. This copy states that it was printed on February 2, 1983. I only happened about this book doing an internet search and ordered it online. I was happily surprised by this “extra” inclusion in the beginning of the book.
The saintly Mother Varela who worked to rejuvenate the devotion to Our Lady of Good Success speaks to us now through the years in this prologue of which an excerpt is given:
“The lives of the saints, avid reader, are an admirable compendium of the marvels of God in the supernatural order. In a visible act of His love for mortals, He proposed His Imitation to us. Because of these similar creatures, He pours out His divine graces to us with great profusion. This happens with any of His creatures who voluntarily surrender themselves to Him without reserve, faithfully corresponding to His holy aspirations, thus becoming heroes or heroines of His holy Era, as happened to the Reverend Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres.
This is a truth that is very important to highlight especially in these times in which the precious light of Faith is being lost or extinguished, the Saints are scarce, souls or spirits of abnegation and sacrifice are lacking, the fundamental basis of true holiness together with a solid humility.
We read both ecclesiastical and profane history, as in the golden days of the first Christians, which encouraged them to have that courage, that formation which was so probative to endure all kinds of voluntary austerities and to face the cruelest martyrdoms for the confession in public and in particular in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and to live as good Christians because their love for God is great and generous.
But in our time, how much cowardice, how much insensitivity, how much laxity reigns! It is because we lack the knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ. To love a person, it is necessary to know him, to treat him intimately, to be filled with admiration for the beautiful qualities that we find in him.”
Of course, this prologue of Mother Varela was directed to introducing our dear victim soul, Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres. However, could we not replace her name with that of Gabriel Garcia Moreno as well? Certainly, we could, as he, too, knowing that the enemies of God and Country had called for his assassination, continued with his noble plans to assist the Church and his country to achieve what he believed God wanted him to do. He knew that his life was in danger, and he offered his life for both God and Country and with his dying words which are forever engraved in the heart of Ecuador: “You can kill me, but GOD DOES NOT DIE!” reminds all of us of what we were really created for which is Heaven! In a certain way, he was a victim soul for Ecuador- surely a martyr as Our Lady of Good Success proclaimed!
Still, unfortunately, it appears that the whole world has lost the ability to know God. We have become indifferent to His Word in which we find Him and the very way He wanted us to learn to know and love Him. We are caught up in all of the vices the world, the flesh and the devil have to offer. If we would return to learning about our God through the reading the Bible and other Catholic historical books, would it not be possible to begin to know Him and then love and serve Him?
Afterall, on Feb 2nd, 1634, Our Lady of Good Success also indicated that there would be those among us in these times that would be called on to be “other “men [and women] of character” like Garcia Moreno as she explained to Mother Mariana:
“The first reason for the lamp being extinguished is that at the end of the 19th century, and advancing into a large part of the 20th, various heresies will be propagated in this land, then a free Republic. As they come to dominate, the precious light of Faith will be extinguished in souls by the almost total corruption of customs. During this period, there will be great physical and moral catastrophes, both public and private.
The small number of souls who, hidden, will conserve the treasure of the Faith and virtues, will suffer an unspeakably cruel and prolonged martyrdom. Many of them will succumb to death from the violence of their suffering, and those who sacrifice themselves for their Church and Country will be counted as martyrs. In order to free men from bondage to these heresies, those whom the merciful love of My Most Holy Son will destine for that restoration will need great strength of will, constancy, valor and confidence in God. To test this faith and confidence of the just, there will be occasions in which everything will seem to be lost and paralyzed. This will be, then, the happy beginning of the complete restoration.”
In studying these lines, one can imagine that Our Lady was explaining to us that she expected many, and, even perhaps in some way, all of us to imitate the life of Gabriel Garcia Moreno as she used the words describing him in describing these “small number of souls” that would be living during these tumultuous times in the future which are indeed our times
Therefore, surely one can see that as he should be an example for us in these times, studying his life will assist us in the Restoration. Is this not why Our Lady of Good Success mentions him in prophecy so we would search out his life and learn from him?
Why was he called a “Man of Character” by Our Lady of Good Success?
There is so much to be told about this great man, but I only want to focus on the source of his great spirituality and knowledge of the Catholic Faith. For it was due to this great knowledge of the Catholic Faith and spirituality that this man would be able to accomplish so much in his lifetime for the good of his country before it was so brutally shortened.
Gabriel Garcia Moreno had wonderful Catholic parents with a Spanish bloodline of nobility on the side of his father. Both parents were good practicing Catholics. His mother was particularly pious and as his father died while he was still a youth in was into her hands that he really was taught the Catholic Faith along with a priest that was entrusted with his education, Fray Miguel Betancourt, a Mercedarian, that lived near Guayaquil. It is believed he received Holy Communion at his hand and learned the rudiments of Latin from him along with other essential courses. He progressed so swiftly in his education that the good father recommended he be educated in Quito. This was a good situation as Fr. Betancourt arranged for Garcia Moreno to live with the priest’s relatives in Quito and thus began his history with that beautiful capitol of Ecuador!
In Hon. Mrs. Maxwell Scott’s “Garcia Moreno Regenerator of Ecuador,” she writes about his youth:
“He determined to learn everything and from his strength of will, we can understand how he succeeded afterwards in becoming at the same time a great orator, a profound historian, an excellent linguist, a poet, and an ‘incomparable statesman.’ At this early age he lived the life of a student and recluse, his only relaxation being the study of foreign languages and especially of English and French.”
He wanted to become a priest from a young age and so he entered seminary life for about 5 years and even received the tonsure and Minor Orders. He kept a priest cassock in his closet to remind himself of his lofty goal that he yearned for, but in the end, this vocation was not for him, and he was told by his close friends that he should instead become a “bishop in the World” and defend the Church with sword in hand. At twenty, he decided to become a lawyer and because of his academic mind and intense studies, he was found to accomplish this objective that the age of twenty-three.
He was not only a lawyer but had a tremendous gift for writing and he wrote different periodicals to defend the Catholic Church most particularly the Jesuits at that time. He not only fought with a pen but with arms as well.
On the topic of his intellectual aptitude, in should be mentioned as Honorable Mrs. Maxwell Scott wrote of him: “Moreno was a most interesting and charming companion. With his vast knowledge he was able to talk medicine with doctors, jurisprudence with lawyers, theology with ecclesiastics, agriculture with peasants." With his friends he was ever simple and cheerful, although his manner was always grave and dignified.”
It was during his exile from Ecuador and life in France that he discovered his true vocation i.e., the self-education to prepare to direct his country away from the Liberalism of the day and back to the Catholic Faith if God willed this. Not much is known about this time period except I wish to share a few excerpts about this period as it seems as though Heaven instilled into his heart and mind the idea that he was called to help Ecuador to regain its Christian roots and turn the tide against the Revolutionary ideas also known as Freemasonry that was destroying his country quite rapidly as Ecuador was suffering from riots, rebellions and civil wars due to this insurgency into his beautiful Catholic fatherland. If Heaven actually made its wishes known to him at that time in the way of visions or prophecies, we will probably never know, but during his time in France, through his own interests i.e., history and politics, he saw how France had failed in God’s call to her to save Her from ruin and which was ignored by Her King. Our Lord’s call was the famous request to the King to consecrate France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which would avoid Her demise. Of course, we know the rest of the story in which the Kings refused for 100 years to the day and as a result, God sent the punishment of the French Revolution with its Reign of Terror.
There can be no better explanation on how he must have realized what was needed to be accomplished for Ecuador. This quote from Fr. Augustin Berthe explains how God worked in his soul during his time in France:
“With such ascetic views and noble determination of purpose, his progress became really miraculous. Not content with chemistry, he studied the whole literary, political, industrial, and military questions which then, as now, agitated France. He visited also all the lyceums and colleges in Paris, so as to form correct ideas on the important subject of public education. Paris was, in fact, to García Moreno a great school for the highest sciences; but, by the grace of God, Who was about to employ this man as an instrument of salvation to His people, it became also the focus of his true Christian life. For several years his early piety had been chilled. The tremendous political struggles in which he had been engaged had absorbed him so completely as to dry up his supernatural life. A singular incident brought back this noble soul to its previous fervor. He had been walking one day with some fellow exiles in the Luxembourg Gardens when the conversation turned on a man who had died refusing the last Sacraments. Some of the party admired this act, saying the man had chosen his own line, and had kept it to the last. García Moreno, on the contrary, argued that if a man had unhappily been irreligious in life, from the stress of business or other causes, it was monstrous to die in that impious condition. His adversaries then began attacking the doctrines of the Catholic Church; but they soon found that they had to do with one stronger than themselves. With merciless logic and ardent faith, García Moreno refuted all their arguments, and spoke of the Church with such ability and enthusiasm that his atheist companion, to cut short the discussion, exclaimed, ‘You talk well enough, my good friend; but if your religion be as beautiful as you describe it, it seems to me you are somewhat lax in its practice. Since when have you been to confession?’
This observation struck home, and García Moreno bowed his head for a moment. Then, looking his friend full in the face, he said, ‘You have answered me by a personal argument which may be just today. But I give you my word of honor that tomorrow it will be worth nothing’; and so, saying, he abruptly left them. In the solitude of his own room, he reflected for some time on the years which had passed since the day, when, full of fervor, he had consecrated himself to the service of God at the feet of the Bishop of Guayaquil. It was true that he had not been called to the service of the altar: but was he for that reason the less bound to love Him with all his heart? Stung with remorse, he threw himself on his knees, prayed fervently for some time, and then, that very evening, went to confession to the first priest he found in the church. The next day he received Holy Communion, thanking God, Who had forced him to blush for his coldness and negligence.
From that moment he went back to all his old habits of piety, and never again gave them up. Every morning he might be seen early at St. Sulpice, where he heard Mass before he began his work. Every evening he said a decade of the Rosary, a practice which his pious mother had instilled into all her children. On Sundays the parishioners of St. Sulpice often admired this illustrious stranger, with his noble and serious bearing, and a look of profound recollection, kneeling devoutly before the altar. There the exile recommended himself, his family, and his country to God. At other times one met him in the Chapel of the Foreign Missions, where he would implore the aid of the martyrs for that Christian heroism which would face death sooner than abjure a known duty. Strengthened by the two forces, study and prayer, García Moreno lived as solitary a life in Paris as at Payita. He never set foot in a theater or allowed himself any distraction save a walk in the country on Sundays. In his political studies he was immensely struck by the enormous influence that might be exercised by one man on the destinies of a people. From 1848 to 1852, France seemed to be in a state of frantic agitation, of which no one seemed to see the probable result. But Napoleon had come, the Coup d’État had been accomplished, and the country was rejoiced at having been saved from suicide. With this experience before his eyes, García Moreno concluded that, with help from on High, a strong and wise man might save his people in spite of themselves. And he asked God to give him sense and energy enough to deliver his own country from the revolutionary elements which threatened to destroy it. But wiser than Napoleon III, who simply substituted imperial for republican tyranny, he felt that the real savior of his country would be one who should give her true liberty by teaching her to bow before the Law of God only. In these views he was immensely helped and encouraged by a book published in the middle of the nineteenth century (1842-1849) by the Abbé Rohrbacher, entitled L’Historie Universelle de l’Eglise Catholique. [The Universal History of the Catholic Church] It sets forth in the most exhaustive form the whole history of the Church, politically and socially, proving her to be the head of the great social body, of which the State is the arms, and which both kings and people must obey. Hence, there should be neither struggle nor divorce between Church and State, but the most perfect harmony, from the subordination of the State to the Church.
The study of this book, of which García Moreno read the twenty-nine volumes three times over, opened his eyes completely to the falsehood of those four articles in the revolutionary creed forged by the State to stifle and destroy the action of the Church. Nothing he had ever read had exercised so powerful an influence over him. It showed him the political role of the Church, which so many statesmen live and die without knowing, and filled his soul with the spirit of Charlemagne and St. Louis. Thanks to his extraordinary memory, he learned a quantity of it by heart, and quoted it continually in support of his opinions.
This time of exile and study had therefore ripened and enlarged the character of García Moreno in an extraordinary degree. Strong enough to fight against revolution, he was yet humble enough to kneel before the Church; and as a true liberator, God was about to open to him once more the gates of his country. Before we follow him in this fearful struggle, we will quote a few lines (written by Louis Veuillot, on September 27, 1875) on this important epoch of his life:
‘On a foreign soil, alone, unknown, but sustained by the faith and love of his great heart, García Moreno prepared himself to reign if such were the will of God. With this view alone he prayed and studied. Paris, where Providence had called him, was the real workshop for such an apprentice. Paris, Christian on the one hand and savage on the other, gives the world the spectacle of a fight between two opposing elements. It has schools for priests and martyrs, and others for antichrists, idols, and executioners. The future President and Missioner of Ecuador had before his eyes good and evil. When he returned to his distant home, his choice was made. He knew where to find true glory, true strength, and how to become the true workman of God. If we wish to point out the last spot to which he bid adieu, the last link in his heart with France, it would be his dear Church of St. Sulpice, or the humble Chapel of the Foreign Missionary College, where he so constantly came to pray for his country.’”
I would like to comment on his choice of reading in order educate himself on the historical, theological and philosophical beliefs of the Catholic Church- Abbé Rohrbacher’s, L’Historie Universelle de l’Eglise Catholique. [The Universal History of the Catholic Church]. I was curious about these books and many years ago, I bought one. Though I don’t read French, I was impressed by the voluminous works that he challenged himself to read. One book on average is 500-800 pages and there were 29 volumes. [It is possible to download these books from the internet and use a translator to read them, I have about one third of them downloaded.] These books cover the history of the Church in all areas of the world and in all conflicts that she had to combat such as heresies and apostasies. The first book begins with Creation of the world and what the Fathers of the Church believed on what Moses wrote. While reading these books, I understood why Our Lady of Good Success pointed to this great scholarly gentleman, who was not only intelligent but ingenious and who had a true love for God, the Catholic Religion and his country. I believe that very few men in the whole history of the world could surpass him in virtue and in knowledge of the Faith. Not only did he have the knowledge needed to establish the Reign of Christ the King in his country, but he realized this work.
Another author, an Ecuadorean Jesuit, Fr. Alfredo Saenz, on writing about Moreno’s life in Paris and his choice of reading at that time agrees with Rev Fr. Agustin Berthe:
“Among the books he was able to read, there was one that seemed especially written for him, a true doctrinal encyclopedia, where theology, politics and history are assembled. There it was fully demonstrated how absurd it was to fight between the State and the Church, as well as the divorce between the two.
Garcia Moreno was dazzled by this truth: the people of God have the right to be governed by Christianity, concretizing in practice the Social Reign of Jesus Christ. There is something that he especially liked in this work, and it was precisely what some reproached him, namely, the amalgamation of theology with history. He also esteemed in that author his doctrinal integrity, so alien to constraints and palliative, as well as the severity with which he lashed out at false doctors, without losing his good humor, which so well suited the spirit of Gabriel. This reading was fundamental, since through it the spirit of Charlemagne, Saint Ferdinand and Saint Louis penetrated his soul…
In rereading Moreno’s life, I realized that if we are to do any good work for God and His Church, for our own families as well, we have a duty to educate ourselves properly as well as those we have a duty. It is very true that we have lost so much of the core beliefs that Catholics were instilled with in centuries past because of the Revolutionary ideologies which have deeply permeated the heart of the Church via the infernal infiltration of Freemasonry.
Realizing that Our Lady was indicating what needs to be done in this Restoration by the simple example of Gabriel Garcia Moreno, it is our duty now to answer her call to educate ourselves first on that “man of character” for it is in his life, we find an example of what a Catholic must do to aid the Church. We all have an obligation to do our very best to assist where we can. We cannot all be missionaries traversing the globe- most especially not in these times… However, we can start with converting ourselves as Garcia Moreno did that fateful day in Paris when his friends called him out. For though he staunchly defended the true teachings of the Church, he was far from being a practicing Catholic himself. If we can achieve this goal as he did and rid ourselves of hypocrisy, we will then be equipped to help others to learn the Faith correctly.
For after his conversion in Paris, he fervently prayed to Heaven that he might be given the grace and light to rescue his poor country from the hands of the Revolutionaries that were fighting to take over his beloved Ecuador. These men of evil intentions had made great inroads into his beloved country to make their takeover complete. God must have smiled upon Garcia Moreno and answered his whole-hearted prayers for his republic for when he returned to Ecuador, all of his aspirations for her were realized through his determination, hard work and prayer. It was certain that God was on his side, and he accomplished great things in His Name.
An example of the eventual effect that his immense self-education and prayer life made on him in Paris can be found in the book by Rev. Fr. Augustin Berthe titled Garcia Moreno. The proof that he actually fought these beginnings of the Marxist Revolutionary ideas of Darwin are here as follows:
“As a philosopher full of logic and good sense, as a theologian thoroughly well versed in the history and dogma of the Church, as well as with an intimate knowledge of Holy Scripture, he often, with a word, pulverized the objections of false philosophers, and had nothing but contempt for the shallow and superficial brains who were taken by their specious fallacies.
One day when he was speaking of the Islands of Galapagos, he discussed the whole question of the epochs of Creation, the order assigned by Moses to the evolutions of the globe and the Deluge in relation to newly proved geological facts, and that with such erudition, science, and logic, that all his hearers were amazed. No one was more struck than Mgr. Vannutelli, the Apostolic Delegate, who was present during this discussion. García Moreno looked upon the Syllabus as upon the Credo for nations which did not desire to perish and could not understand the pretensions of those who talked of saving the world while eliminating their Savior. His extraordinary clearness of perception in spiritual matters was obtained by a daily meditation on the Divine mysteries.” [Interesting to note that in an article of January 10, 1893, in the New York Times it is written that Msgr. Vannutelli was considered by Pope Leo XIII to be a man of such great distinction that he told the people of Bologna in a letter: “Vannutelli goes to Bologna a Cardinal and will return a pope” to dispel any rumors that he had been sent in exile from Rome because he refused the office of Secretary of State offered to him. Msgr. Vannutelli seemed to be a great prelate in the Church at that time.]
His rule for his spiritual life was such that this article would not be complete without it, it was found on his body in his Imitation of Christ – from Rev. Fr. Agustin Berthe Page 124:
“His resolutions and the rule he had laid down for his daily life we find written in his own hand on the last page of his Imitation. It will give some idea of his intimate union with God:
‘Every morning when saying my prayers I will ask specially for the virtue of humility.
‘Every day I will hear Mass, say the Rosary, and read, besides a chapter of the Imitation, this rule and the annexed instructions.
‘I will take care to keep myself as much as possible in the presence of God, especially in conversation, so as not to speak useless words. I will constantly offer my heart to God, and principally before beginning any action.
‘I will say to myself continually: I am worse than a demon and deserve that Hell should be my dwelling place. When I am tempted, I will add: What shall I think of this in the hour of my last agony?
‘In my room, never to pray sitting when I can do so on my knees or standing. Practice daily little acts of humility, like kissing the ground, for example. Desire all kinds of humiliations, while taking care at the same time not to deserve them. To rejoice when my actions or my person are abused and censured.
‘Never to speak of myself, unless it be to own my defects or faults.
‘To make every effort, by the thought of Jesus and Mary, to restrain my impatience and contradict my natural inclinations. To be patient and amiable even with people who bore me; never to speak evil of my enemies.
‘Every morning, before beginning my work, I will write down what I have to do, being very careful to distribute my time well, to give myself only to useful and necessary business and to continue it with zeal and perseverance. I will scrupulously observe the laws of justice and truth, and have no intention in all my actions save the greater glory of God.
‘I will make a particular examen twice a day on my exercise of different virtues, and a general examination every evening. I will go to confession every week.
‘I will avoid all familiarities, even the most innocent, as prudence requires. I will never pass more than an hour in any amusement, and in general, never before eight o’clock in the evening.”
This rule of life unveils the soul of García Moreno. Those who knew him best bear witness to with what conscientiousness and even scrupulous fidelity he lived up to it. He never omitted any pious exercise; in camp, or in his hurried journeys, he would kneel in some hut, or corner of his tent, or in the woods, and say the Rosary with his aide-de-camp or anyone else who was present. However long and weary might be the distance he had to go, he always found means to hear Mass on Sundays and Feast days, and often served it himself in the place of the Indian or other person whose business it was. Sometimes when he had traveled on horseback for two or three days and nights together, he arrived at his home worn out with fatigue; but he never would go and rest until he had heard Mass.”
“Show me who your friends are,
and I will tell you what you are.”
One more thing I would like to do demonstrate was his filial love for and friendship with Pius IX which is yet another fine illustration of this “man of character.” Garcia Moreno’s greatest desire was to be always faithful to God and the Church. He not only saw his country in crisis, but also the Church and Her leader, the Pope. He sincerely wanted to defend the Church and the Roman Pontiff from their sworn enemies, the Freemasons. As Garcia Moreno and Pope Pius IX’s hearts beat in unison with Catholic blood running through their veins, they were sympathetic to each other’s plight- the one being a prisoner in his residence by the revolutionaries and the other being hounded and eventually assassinated by them. Although they never met in this life, their friendship was founded in the love of Jesus Christ and His Church.
Knowing of the suffering of the Roman Pontiff, Garcia Moreno chose to forge not only a friendship, but had a Concordat drawn up in which Ecuador would exercise its Catholicity through every arm of Society and give tithes to the Pope. This Concordat was to give mutual support to the Pope and the Vatican while also ensuring the aid of Rome for Ecuador’s Catholic Faithful.
It must be understood and mentioned that in these times, in mid-19th century, being made aware of a secret letter written by Freemasons known as “The Alta Vendita,” the popes from Pope Pius IX to Pope Pius X educated the faithful of the wiles of Freemasonry and what their plans were to destroy the Catholic Faith and thus, society. This document had been written as instructions for the Freemasons in which it gives a general plan to take over the world via the Catholic Church. The exact instructions to the individual heads were not known. However, Pope Pius IX requested and approved that these writings be published in a book titled: “The Roman Church and Revolution.”
Excerpts from this Masonic document, “The Alta Vendita” read:
“Our ultimate end is that of Voltaire and of the French Revolution – the final destruction of Catholicism, and even of the Christian idea…The Pope, whoever he is, will never come to the secret societies; it is up to the secret societies to take the first step toward the Church, with the aim of conquering both of them. The task that we are going to undertake is not the work of a day, or of a month, or of a year; it may last several years, perhaps a century; but in our ranks, the solider dies and the struggle goes on…What we must ask for, what we should look for and wait for, as the Jews wait for the Messiah, is a Pope according to our needs... With that, we shall march more securely towards the assault on the Church than with the pamphlets of our brethren in France and even the gold of England. Do you want to know that reason for this? It is that with this, in order to shatter the high Rock on which God has built His Church…This reputation will put access to our doctrines into the midst of the young clergy, as well as deeply into the monasteries. In a few years, by the force of things, this young clergy will have overrun all the functions; they will form the sovereign’s council, they will be called to choose a Pontiff who should reign. And this Pontiff, like most of his contemporaries, will be necessarily more or less imbued with the [revolutionary] Italian and humanitarian principles that we are going to begin to put into circulation…You want to revolutionize Italy; look for the Pope whose portrait we have just drawn. You wish to establish the reign of the chosen ones on the throne of the prostitute of Babylon; let the clergy march under your standard, always believing that they are marching under the banner of the Apostolic keys…a revolution in tiara and in cope, marching with the cross and the banner, a revolution that will need to be only a little bit urged on, to set fire to the four corners of the world.”
file:///C:/Users/staro/Documents/GGM/BT057-Alta-Vendita-2019-WEB2.pdf
The Age of Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries had opened the door to all liberal ideas and notions. The philosophers, scientists and even the theologians were allowed to question such things as the written word of God in the Bible under the guise of study and investigation. This ended in questioning whether or not Moses had really written the first five books in the Bible among other doubts. Then through Darwinism, that leapt onto the scene at this time, questions on Creation were thrown out to the masses. Evolution was seeping into educational systems everywhere and Catholic priests who believed in modern science were being educated to question the very word of God. This is how the enemy began to cause Catholic to question God’s word, the Bible and in the end everything. The stories of Creation, Noah and later, even the miracles of Christ such as the loaves and the fishes became “legends” or “nice stories.” Over one hundred years later, because of this “era of questioning,” when Vatican II came along and Paul VI “desired,” with his wish to institute a “Novus Ordo” Mass, the greater majority of the Catholic world followed along like with these changes believing that the Church must change with the world. Hence, now at this point, most Catholics don’t know that the miracle of transubstantiation should be taking place on the altars much less even know the meaning of the word or its spelling. Perhaps some Catholics have never even heard of this word? And so, we are living in an era where Catholics thinking that they are Catholics, when they are really no better than Protestants…
Garcia Moreno saw these attempts to ruin the Church especially in Quito, because unfortunately, many priests had been sent to missions of the Third World countries as punishment- an exile and thus these liberal prelates and priests rapidly relaxed of the rules of their orders and many grave sins were occurring in Quito and around Ecuador. Garcia Moreno experienced the results of this situation and knew what needed to be done.
He had a plan and that was the drafting of the Concordat with Rome, Garcia Moreno said:
“I wish for the complete liberty of the Church and the complete reform also of the secular and regular clergy. I entreat the Sovereign Pontiff to send us a Nuncio invested with supreme power to enforce these reforms upon all.”
Garcia Moreno appointed a holy priest, Fr. Ignacio Ordoñez, Plenipotentiary of Ecuador. to head the draft of the Concordat which read:
“The Catholic, Apostolic and Roman religion is the religion of the State to the exclusion of all other forms of worship, and of all societies condemned by the Church. It will be preserved perpetually in its integrity, with all its rights and prerogatives, conformably to the order established by God, and to Canon Law.
“Education in every branch will be modeled on the principles of the Catholic Church. The Bishops alone will have the right to decide on the books which shall be made use of by the students for the teaching of ecclesiastical science, and of those which regard faith or morals. Further than this, they will exercise their right, with full liberty, to proscribe and prohibit all books contrary to religion or morals. The Government also will take all the necessary measures to prevent the introduction of such books into the Republic. As to the University, the colleges and the primary schools, the Bishops, who are invested by God with the right to watch over all matters of doctrine and morals, will have the authority to inspect them all.
“The Sovereign Pontiff, having jurisdiction over the whole Church, both the Bishops and faithful may communicate freely with him without either his letters or the Pontifical Prescripts being submitted to the Exequatur of the civil power. The Bishops will have full liberty in the administration of their respective dioceses, as also in Convocation, or in the holding of Provincial or Diocesan Synods.
“The Church will exercise without hinderance its right to possess and administer her property. Ecclesiastical tribunals will be re-established in their integrity. The cases of clerics will be dealt with by ecclesiastical authority, without any appeal to secular tribunals. Appeals are abuses, which are and must remain, suppressed.
“The Church grants to the President of the Republic, the right of presentation to vacant bishoprics. The Bishops will select and submit three candidates to the President, out of whom he must make his choice and that within three months. After that time the nomination will lapse to the Holy See.”
One can see that Garcia Moreno wasted no time in working to rid the country of the Revolutionary ideas and teachings that were seeping into the school systems on all levels.
Pope Pius IX, as well as Garcia Moreno, knew the enemy and fought valiantly through written word. Pope Pius IX worked through his writings- his encyclicals to confirm the Truths of the Church via Vatican I and other encyclicals which uphold Scriptural inerrancy, the traditional Biblical chronology, and the traditional doctrine of Creation.
Pope Pius IX’s The Syllabus of Errors is an example of Garcia Moreno’s own Catholic stance. It is written as an infallible encyclical and is a true educational tool for Catholics and it would serve all of us to read it often. The conclusion of his syllabus articulates clearly what has been planned and was unfolding at the time of Pius IX and continues to this day to the point that roughly all the goals of the Freemasons have been accomplished.
Please read the following excerpt which can be found towards the end of the document. This encyclical sounds as if it could have been written this very day as it is with all Church encyclicals which always bear a perpetual and perennial position. However, unfortunately for us, we have no such pope at this time that would write in this manner:
“. . . Venerable Brethren, you see clearly enough how sad and full of perils is the condition of Catholics in the regions of Europe which We have mentioned. Nor are things any better or circumstances calmer in America, where some regions are so hostile to Catholics that their governments seem to deny by their actions the Catholic faith they claim to profess. In fact, there, for the last few years, a ferocious war on the Church, its institutions and the rights of the Apostolic See has been raging…. Venerable Brothers, it is surprising that in our time such a great war is being waged against the Catholic Church. But anyone who knows the nature, desires and intentions of the sects, whether they be called masonic or bear another name, and compares them with the nature the systems and the vastness of the obstacles by which the Church has been assailed almost everywhere, cannot doubt that the present misfortune must mainly be imputed to the frauds and machinations of these sects. It is from them that the synagogue of Satan, which gathers its troops against the Church of Christ, takes its strength. In the past Our predecessors, vigilant even from the beginning in Israel, had already denounced them to the kings and the nations, and had condemned them time and time again, and even We have not failed in this duty. If those who would have been able to avert such a deadly scourge had only had more faith in the supreme Pastors of the Church! But this scourge, winding through sinuous caverns, . . . deceiving many with astute frauds, finally has arrived at the point where it comes forth impetuously from its hiding places and triumphs as a powerful master. Since the throng of its propagandists has grown enormously, these wicked groups think that they have already become masters of the world and that they have almost reached their pre-established goal. Having sometimes obtained what they desired, and that is power, in several countries, they boldly turn the help of powers and authorities which they have secured to trying to submit the Church of God to the most cruel servitude, to undermine the foundations on which it rests, to contaminate its splendid qualities; and, moreover, to strike it with frequent blows, to shake it, to overthrow it, and, if possible, to make it disappear completely from the earth. Things being thus, Venerable Brothers, make every effort to defend the faithful which are entrusted to you against the insidious contagion of these sects and to save from perdition those who unfortunately have inscribed themselves in such sects. Make known and attack those who, whether suffering from, or planning, deception, are not afraid to affirm that these shady congregations aim only at the profit of society, at progress and mutual benefit. Explain to them often and impress deeply on their souls the Papal constitutions on this subject and teach, them that the masonic associations are anathematized by them not only in Europe but also in America and wherever they may be in the whole world.” (From: Syllabus of Errors: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius09/p9syll.htm
Here are a few samples of how Pope Pius IX wrote to defend the Catholic beliefs from Vatican I:
[T]he Catholic Church teaches that this faith, which is the beginning of man's salvation, is a supernatural virtue, whereby, inspired and assisted by the grace of God, we believe that the things which He has revealed are true; not because of the intrinsic truth of the things, viewed by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God Himself who reveals them, and Who can neither be deceived nor deceive.
Vatican I, Dei Filius, 3.
If anyone says that it is possible that to the dogmas declared by the Church a meaning must sometimes be attributed according to the progress of science, different from that which the Church has understood and understands, let him be anathema.
(Vatican I, Faith and reason – canon 3).
And in defense of Biblical Creation and against Evolution
1.The same holy mother church holds and teaches that God, the source and end of all things, can be know with certainty from the consideration of created things, by the natural power of human reason: ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.
(Vatican I, Chapter 2 On revelation)
As well, Pope Pius IX who defined and defended the Immaculate Conception as a Dogma speaks to us in his decree on the Immaculate Conception, the Apostolic Letter Ineffabilis Deu. With these words, Pope Pius IX also affirmed that man existed “at the beginning of creation” and as Our Lady was the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION- no other being could be so. Thus, the pope proved that Adam and Eve were created without sin - not conceived without sin– and certainly not from an ape as the misguided evolutionists believe:
“The Fathers and writers of the Church, taught by the heavenly writings, had nothing more at heart, in the books written to explain the Scriptures, to vindicate the dogmas, and to instruct the faithful, than emulously to declare and exhibit in many and wonderful ways the Virgin's most high sanctity, dignity, and freedom from all stain of original sin, and her renowned victory over the most foul enemy of the human race. Wherefore, repeating the words in which, at the beginning of the world, the Almighty, announcing the remedies of his mercy, prepared for regenerating mankind, crushed the audacity of the lying Serpent, and wonderfully raised up the hope of our race, saying, "I will place enmity between thee and the woman, thy seed and hers," they taught that in this divine oracle was clearly and openly pointed out the merciful Redeemer of the human race--the only begotten Son of God, Christ Jesus, and that his Most Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, was designated, and at the same time that the enmity of both against the Serpent was signally expressed (Apostolic Letter, Ineffabilis Deus).
Almost 200 years after the French Revolution, that movement to remove God and the Church from Society, Garcia Moreno shocked the Masonic world by successfully consecrating Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On August 31st, 1873, the Consecration of Ecuador took place in the Cathedral of Quito, Ecuador. On October 8th, 1873, this consecration became a Decree passed by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. On October 18th, Garcia Moreno ratified this Decree.
While France was Heaven’s first choice in leading the world in consecrating Her Nation to the Sacred Heart, was Ecuador instead Heaven’s second choice and thus, was given many graces as a result? Because of the heroic virtues of the man distinguished among others by Our Lady of Good Success, Ecuador, a small Third World Country, found its place among the great nations of the Christendom of old in leading, by example, the way back to God and the True Catholic principles and dogmas! Thus, Ecuador must be the template that will aid in the Restoration of the Church and Society!
However, this and other acts of this faithful son of the Church caused an uproar amongst the enemies of the Church and when it became known to them that he would be surely elected for a third term in 1875. Diabolical cries emanating from the lodges in Germany calling for his death resounded around the world. His assassination on August 6, 1875, on the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord was an act of martyrdom and will forever be in the hearts and minds of true Catholics who are blessed to know the story of his life.
So much more could be written about the actions and their subsequent fruits of Garcia Moreno’s life. However, Our Lady told us truly what their fruits would be: “this consecration will sustain the Catholic Religion in the years that will follow, which will be ill-fated ones for the Church.” It is up to us to continue to learn about him. This article is only meant to instill in your hearts a desire to know more about him and then, perhaps, follow his example.
The life of Gabriel Garcia Moreno was one of “a mysterious, mystical luminescence that was wrapped in prophecy.” This light transcends time traveling through the centuries until this present age that we live in, enduring into eternity. This light is meant to illuminate our lives so that we have before us a lustrous example of true courage, fidelity, and honor in order that we too may rise to the occasion of defending the Faith. This illumination of Garcia Moreno radiates from his soul glowing with the supernatural light of sanctifying grace. It is the radiance of a shimmering crown of martyrdom shining from the Heavens.” Please God, may his life be a light to lead us away from the Satanic barbarism that we have been faced with today and back to truly discovering and learning how to know, love and serve Thee in this world!
Thanks be to God and Our Lady of Good Success for this great gift! And a special thanks to Hugh Owen and his associates at the Kolbe Center for working so hard to educate not only Catholics, but the whole world- even, one person at a time, if need be! Thank you for your assistance in directing me to the encyclicals of Pope Pius IX. Thank you, my dear Ecuadorean friend, Esteban, for all you do for our apostolate work! Your kindness and fidelity are examples of what true Catholic gentlemen should attain! Gabriel Garcia Moreno would be proud!
Viva Cristo Rey! Viva Garcia Moreno!
More Proof of Gabriel Garcia Moreno’s Work
for God- Post-humous
Excerpt of the Message of the President to the Continental Congress of 1875- blood-stained copy that Garcia Moreno was holding when assassinated on August 6th, 1875:
“Some years ago, Ecuador daily repeated the sad complaint that Bolivar, the Liberator, made in his last message to Congress in ‘I blush to say it: Independence is a boon which we have conquered but it is at the expense of all others.’ Since, placing our hope in God, we have detached ourselves from the current of impiety and apostasy which carries away the world in these days of blindness, and reorganized ourselves in 1869 as a really Catholic Nation, everything changed for the better day by day, and for the prosperity of our dear country. Before, Ecuador was a lifeless corpse and could be seen as a cadaver being devoured by a plague of loathsome insects with the escape of putrefaction always seeping forth from the darkness of the sepulcher, but today, with the Sovereign Voice that made Lazarus leave his fetid tomb, it rises to life again, keeping still part of the shroud and bonds of death, which represents the fatal remnants of the misery and corruption we are lying in…In giving you an account of the flourishing state of the Republic and of the reforms that I believe necessary for the continuation of prosperity, allow me first of all to present to God the humble homage of my profound gratitude because, since all the goods that it enjoys come from Him, gratitude and glory are due to Him and to Him alone."
He concluded is message: If I have committed faults, I beg your pardon a thousand and a thousand times, and this forgiveness I beg of all my countrymen with very sincere tears, begging them to believe that my desire has ever been for their good. If, on the contrary, you think I have succeeded in anything, attribute it in the first instance to Almighty God, and to the Immaculate Dispensatrice of the treasure of His Mercy, and then to yourselves, to the people, the army, and to all those who in the various branches of government have helped me with so much h intelligence and fidelity to fulfil my difficult duties.”
“I therefore merit no reward; I have much more reason to fear that at the last day God may render me responsible for the good that, with the help of His mercy, I might have done and have not done. Deign then, your Holiness, to implore Him to forgive me and to save me in spite of all my faults. May God enlighten me, direct me in all things, and grant me the grace to die for the defense of the Faith and of Holy Church. In these sentiments, Holy Father, I beg a fresh Blessing for the Republic, for my family, and for myself. Your Blessing ever helps me to grow in confidence towards God, the source of all strength and of all valor."
Last letter written by Garcia Moreno to Pope Pius IX
In the book that we published in 2006 written by Dr. Francisco Salazar title: Encounter with History, there is a section on Garcia Moreno’s exchange of letters to Pope Pius IX. One of which was his last to the Pope dated July 17, 1875, and which we have available in PDF format to read in its entirety, but the Pope had not received it until after his assassination. Here is an excerpt:
“Holy Father:
For quite some time now, I have keenly wanted to write again to Your Holiness. But I have not done so for fear of taking your time, which is too precious and necessary for the Catholic World Government. Nevertheless, today I have to overcome this fear in order to implore your apostolic blessing, for having been reelected, without deserving it, to govern this Catholic Republic for six years more. Even though the new period does not begin until August 30, and I cannot, until swearing the constitutional oath, provide official notice to Your Holiness of my reelection, I anticipate today, communicating with Your Holiness, to obtain from Heaven the strength and light I need more than anyone, to be faithful to our Redeemer and loyal and obedient to His infallible Vicar. Now that the lodges [Freemason] of our neighboring countries, instigated by those of Germany, vomit against me all kinds of atrocious insults and horrible slander, I need Divine protection more than ever in order to live and die in defense of our Holy Religion, and of this little Republic, that God has wished that I continue to govern. What fortune for me, Most Holy Father, to be slandered and detested due to the cause of our Divine Redeemer! And what joy, so immense for me, if your blessing reaches me from Heaven, to spill my blood for Him, being God, who wanted to spill His own on the Cross for us! ...”
Pope Pius IX and the Catholic Church at large was so taken with his life and martyrdom that a monument to him was erected that reads:
Gabriel Garcia Moreno Catholic President of Ecuador
(December 24th, 1821 - August 6th, 1875)
"Brilliant Statesman, Loyal Son of the Church and Martyr of the Faith"
Pope Pius XI
O Holy Virgin of Lourdes, remember that thy servant Garcia Moreno promised to defend thy Immaculate Conception. Remember that he belonged to thy sweet Archconfraternity, and that he fervently prayed thy Holy Rosary. Pope Pius IX, who officially proclaimed thy exemption from original sin, declared that Garcia Moreno "died a victim of the Faith and Christian Charity for his beloved country."
O Holy Virgin, obtain for us the canonization of this exemplary ruler so that powerful men arise in works and words for the cause of the same Faith and of our beloved country. Finally, please grant this special intention (make request), if it is for the good of my soul. Amen
With Ecclesiastical Approval (300 days Indulgence.)
To view in a pdf format:
Bibliography:
Garcia Moreno President of Ecuador, Avenger and Martyr of the Christian Rights by Rev. Augustin Berth S.J.
Gabriel Garcia Moreno Regenerator of Ecuador by Hon. Mrs. Maxwell Scott
Encounter with History – Garcia Moreno – Catholic Leader of Latin America by Dr Francisco Salazar
Biografia de Gabriel Garcia Moreno by Alfredo Saenz S. J.
VIDA DE GARCIA MORENO PRIMER TOMO JUVENTUD by SEVERO GOMEZ JURADQ, S,J
The Permanent Instruction of the ALTA VENDITA A MASONIC BLUEPRINT FOR THE SUBVERISON OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH By John Vennari
GABRIEL GARCIA MORENO, THE UNKNOWN MAN Monograph by Eliana de Ambrosini
The Syllabus of Errors Pope Pius IX
Vatican I at the time of Pope Pius IX
Remember to go to the Kolbe Center for education! :)
https://www.kolbecenter.org/