The Duties of a Catholic

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This article is available for download. You can download it and print it for private use and for private sharing but it cannot be reproduced in any other publication. To download a print copy click here – Catholic Duties 1 Catholics in western societies are living in similar times to the early Christians. We live in societies that are openly hostile to our Catholic Faith. Many Catholics have compromised in order to get along in the world. Others use their … Read More

Why is the Catholic Church Opposed to Classroom Sex Education

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That the Catholic Church has a long history of opposition to classroom based sex education may come as a surprise to many Catholic parents. Many of our Catholic bishops have compromised with the world and they now endorse classroom based sex education contrary to what the Catholic Church has taught for centuries. The Church’s opposition to classroom based sex education is rooted in her deep understanding of man, of his fallen nature, and of his inclination towards sin. Catholics who … Read More

The Light which overcomes the Darkness!

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On Friday morning, as I was researching this article I started feeling a little bit down and wondering what I could write. New scandals concerning priestly convictions for child abuse were breaking in the Church. The corruption of children through state sanctioned sex education was gathering pace. I read a piece from someone who has left the Catholic Church where he said, “I saw no indication that God was really in the details, that he was faithful to those who … Read More

The Collapse of Western Civilisation

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I was going to write an article which looks in detail at the report from Marie O’Shea BL. on the operation of Ireland’s abortion laws. However I don’t believe that it is worth the time or energy such an article would demand so I will confine myself to just a few comments. The report looks in detail at how we murder our unborn children with a primary focus on the obstacles that get in the way of committing more of … Read More

Abortion is Mortally Sinful and Leads Souls to Hell

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The worst thing that can befall anyone is that they be judged by God to be cursed on account of their unrepented mortal sins and be condemned for eternity to the pits of Hell. Our bishops rarely, if ever, mention Hell. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that: 1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend … Read More

Catholic Schooling Options

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In my current presentation on the family which is part of my book launch, where I expose the tactics of the global organisations who seek to corrupt the innocence of children, I quote from Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical letter ‘Sapientiae Christianae’ on Christians as citizens. I came across this encyclical whilst reading another encyclical, that of Pope Pius XI on Christian Education – ‘Divini Illius Magistri’. Pope Pius XI quotes Pope Leo XIII concerning a particular point regarding the duties … Read More

Corrupting the Innocence of Children

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War Against the Innocence of ChildrenThere is a global war being waged against the innocence of children. The primary aggressor is the devil but he uses willing human accomplices to carry out his plans to destroy the innocence of children. The devil hates the innocence of children because they remind him of how far he has fallen and of how much he has lost by rebelling against God. The devil’s pride blinds him and drives him on in his mistaken … Read More

Joe Biden and the Nine Ways of Co-operating in Sin

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Update 16/04/23: I have been contacted to suggest that Joe Biden may not have been invited to Knock Shrine but may have put it on the agenda himself. I have changed the wording below to reflect this i.e. “those who welcomed Joe Biden to Knock Shrine”. In one way this actually makes the situation worse because it suggests that the sacraments of the Catholic Church were suspended to accommodate the visit of a secular ruler who publicly defies Catholic Church … Read More

Our Lady of Sorrows

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Oscar’s ConfirmationBy Cardinal Brandmuller Abbé Raphael’s ConfirmationBy Cardinal Brandmuller Two of my sons, Oscar and Raphael, were confirmed in Gricigliano in Florence, Italy, at the seminary of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign priest in March of 2012.  There were eight of us there, my wife, six of our eight children, and I.  Abbé Raphael Lacken is now completing his third year of formation for the Catholic Priesthood with the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest. Please pray … Read More

The Annunciation

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Eternity is a difficult concept for the human mind because we think in terms of time and we cannot really imagine life without time. The expression “from all eternity” is often used. However, this expression is faulty because eternity has neither beginning nor end. Eternity is a Godly concept. When Moses asked God what he should say if the people asked him the name of the God who sent him, he received the reply. “God said to Moses: I AM … Read More

We Are Ruled By Madmen

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The Emperor’s New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson, tells the story of a couple of conmen who convince an Emperor that they can make him some elegant clothes from magnificent thread that is invisible to those who lack intelligence or are stupid. Eventually the Emperor is paraded around in his nude until a little boy shouts out the obvious and the people realise that they have been fooled. Today’s reading in the Latin Mass for the Saturday after the Third … Read More

Irish Government Promotes Gender Based Violence

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced on Friday 10th, March, plans to remove the constitutional protections for stay at home mothers. Like many who base their lives on ideology, the Taoiseach is not restricted to being truthful. He does not tell the whole truth and sometimes what he says is not true. The ideology is elevated to the status of infallible truth regardless of whether or not it conforms to known and scientifically observable facts. In his press launch for a referendum … Read More

The Traditional Catholic Family

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I hope to launch my first book, The Traditional Catholic Family, throughout Ireland beginning in Limerick on Tuesday 11th, April, 2023. The purpose of the book is to promote and defend Catholic Church teaching on marriage and family life with a view to helping Catholics understand both the importance and greatness of Catholic Marriage. Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Casti Connubii stated: “In order, however, that amongst men of every nation and every age the desired fruits may be … Read More

The Ethics of Organ Donation – Brain Death is not Actual Death

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The Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022 is currently making its way through the houses of the Oireachtas in Ireland. This bill intends to deal with the sensitive subject of organ donation. One of the dangers that arises in matters where ethics is of concern, is where legislation is being driven on a ‘needs first’ basis rather than on an ‘ethics first’ basis. The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, when introducing the bill at second … Read More

Lacken Family Christmas Tradition

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WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW Processing the Baby Jesus to the crib on Christmas Morning – Our family Christmas procession, 16 years apart. The Reason for the SeasonJust over a year ago, I was browsing through some old family videos from when our children were small. I remember writing about one in particular. You see, back in 2005, when our youngest child was just three years old, we decided to give Santa Clause the boot from our house. Over the years, … Read More

Website Updated – Thank you for your patience.

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There were a few speed issues with the website of late and so the website has been updated to a new WordPress hosting package which should make it more responsive and a little faster. I will now continue to upload Dom Prosper Gueranger’s commentaries and prayers for the season of Advent. Thank you for your patience. May God bless you. John Lacken

The Sweetest Prayer

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In St Lukes Gospel, the Apostles ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. “And it came to pass, that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we … Read More

Article 110 – Evangelise the Culture

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We Are Losing The Culture War!“And the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me, and they have feared me with the commandment and doctrines of men: Therefore behold I will proceed to cause an admiration in this people, by a great and wonderful miracle: for wisdom shall perish from their wise men, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” … Read More

Article 109 – Marriage is from God

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No Confusion in the Catholic ChurchAs I begin this article I have just come from Northern Ireland where I hosted two talks. One in Omagh and the other in Derry. The talks were well attended, and we had a particularly lively question and answer session in Omagh. As I am fond of repeating, there is no confusion in the Catholic Church because her teachings are crystal clear, but there are many confused Catholics on account of the false prophets and … Read More

Article 108 – Marriage Casti Connubii

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Understanding Casti ConnubiiOne cannot understand the encyclical ‘Casti Connubii’, which reaffirms the Catholic Church’s constant teaching against contraception, unless one first understands why ‘Casti Connubii’ was written. In order to understand this, we must look to the years 1920 and 1930 and we must look to the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican church in those years. The Lambeth conference is an international gathering of protestant Anglican bishops and usually meets about every ten years to discuss matters pertaining to that … Read More

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