Author Archives: John Lacken

This show was broadcast on Radio Maria ireland on Friday 9th September 2016 You can listen to the show HERE You can read a transcript HERE This show continues looking at the fact that our young people no longer value marriage and therefore put off getting married generally until they are in their thirties. It also looks at Pope Pius XII’s allocution to midwives from November 1951 and it looks at how Catholic teaching on marriage is being contradicted even … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, September 2016 Christ’s Warnings! “And Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:4-5) “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate … Read More

The mini conference on Saturday 1st October featuring Olivia Connolly, Anthony Murphy and myself had to be moved from the Leopardstown Venue due to unforseen circumstances. The talk will now be held in the St John Vianney Church Hall, Ardlea Road, Dublin 5 Beginning at 2.00pm with the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary.  Followed by Olivia Connolly speaking about the new age Earth Movement which is infiltrating parishes and schools. Anthony Murphy will speak about building a Catholic resistance … Read More

This talk was broadcast on Radio Maria Ireland on Friday 2nd September 2016 It continues to look at the fact that Irish people no longer desire to marry young. it looks at the address of Pope Pius XII in 1947 to Women titled “Papal Directives for the Woman of Today:” You can get a transcript HERE You can listen to the show HERE This talk stresses the importance of the Traditional Catholic Family. It calls into question the tactics of … Read More

Unfortunately I have had to close both my shop in Knock and my online shop due to a lack of business and also because I want to concentrate on promoting the Traditional Catholic Family through Legio Sanctae Familiae – The Legion of the Holy Family If you would like to make a donation to this work please contact me using the ‘get in touch’ link and I will send on the necessary details. Many thanks to everyone who purchased some … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, September 2016   False Vatican ‘Sex-Education’ Programme. In my last article I issued a warning to parents concerning a new ‘sex-education’ programme that was released by the Pontifical Council for the Family in July. I find it difficult to write about this topic because it makes me angry. The reason I get angry is because as a Catholic parent, my right and my duty to educate my children in the Catholic Faith, has … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, August 2016   Warning to Parents! – Vatican Launches Faulty ‘Sex-Ed’ Programme In this article I want to look at the lessons that we should learn from our recent journey back through the first four chapters of the Book of Genesis. Before I delve into those lessons however, I want to issue a warning to parents of school age children, about a new danger that is to be presented to their children. In … Read More

Our series of family related talks will continue in September and October. You Can download Posters to print and share here Waterford                           Leopardstown I will be joined by Olivia Connolly and Anthony Murphy for a mini conference in Treacy’s Hotel, Waterford on Saturday 10th September, 2016. The conference begins with the Holy Rosary at 2.00pm Olivia Connolly will speak about the dangers of the New Age ‘Earth movement’ which is infiltrating parishes and schools throughout the country. Anthony Murphy, editor … Read More

This show was broadcast on Radio Maria Ireland on Friday 26th August 2016 In probing the fact that people no longer marry young, it looks at the address of Pope Pius XII in 1945 to Women titled “Women’s Duties in Social and Political Life:” to see if this can shed any light on the late marriage phenomenon. You can get a transcript HERE You can listen to the show HERE Pope Pius XII is clear with regard to what he … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, August 2016   Divorce Issue Still being used as a Trap Today, we go back to the book of Genesis, to the beginning. When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus on the question of marriage and divorce, he pointed them back to the beginning. It is interesting to note that this very same question, nowadays framed in the benign, and seemingly caring terms of re-admitting the divorced and remarried to Holy Communion, is … Read More

This show was broadcast on Radio Maria Ireland on Friday 12th August 2016 You can get a transcript HERE You can listen to the show HERE This show looks at some of Pope Pius XII’s writings shortly after the Second World War.  Many millions of men were killed in battle during the war which left many widows and a shortage of men in European societies.  The Pope is looking at the role of women.  What he says, may make some … Read More

The Traditional Catholic Family, broadcast on Radio Maria Ireland on Friday 5th August is now available to listen to online. Go In By The Narrow Gate! You can listen to the show HERE You can read a transcript HERE This show continues to examine why it is that in Ireland our young people are no longer getting married. According to the latest statistics from 2014, the average age for women getting married in Ireland is 33 and for men it … Read More

I attended the first Holy Communion recently of a daughter of one of our fellow homeschooling families here in Ireland in a neighbouring parish.  Catholic homeschooling families are quite rare in Ireland.  The priest who celebrated Mass was one of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and afterwards we got to talking about marriage and family.  The subject of contraception came up, as it usually does, and the priest wondered if immodesty was the main issue that led to … Read More

The Pontifical Council for the Family has launched a new initiative called ‘The Meeting Place’.  This is an online ‘sex-education’ programme which unfortunately does not comply with Church teaching in this matter. You can listen to my broadcast from Radio Maria Ireland on this topic here Radio Maria ‘sex-ed’ Talk You can read a transcript of the talk HERE In 1995, the Pontifical Council for the Family, under Cardinal Lopez Trujillo, issued a guide for parents called ‘The Truth and … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, July 2016   The Happy Themes Of The Spring Of Life We have been looking at Pope Pius XII’s address to the Latin Union of High Fashion. This pope, contrary to what the world would have us believe, is no prude. He says, “This penchant for the adornment of one’s own person clearly derives from nature, and is therefore legitimate.” There is nothing wrong with dressing stylishly and well, and the pope continues, … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, July 2016 Latin Union of High Fashion I want to finish off this look at modesty by returning to Pope Pius XII’s address to the Latin Union of High Fashion of November 1957. That the Pope agreed to address this group shows us that modesty and fashion are not mutually exclusive ideas in Catholic thought. The portrayal of modesty as frumpy and old maidish is another lie of the devil which is used … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, June 2016 Modesty Guards Purity and Chastity In my last article I returned once again to the subject of modesty. Perhaps there are some readers who wonder why I am spending so much time on this particular matter. The reason is simple. Modesty is the guardian of the gateway to chastity and purity. Without modesty; purity and chastity will be virtually impossible. Without purity and chastity, marriages will be defiled. Jesus the King … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, June 2016 All Ireland Roadshow Last week, myself and Anthony Murphy began our ‘roadshow’ around Ireland with talks in Derry and in Belfast. Just before the talks began, on Friday morning, I found out that my wife Naomi, who had been in hospital for several days, was scheduled for abdominal surgery on the morning of Saturday 28th May. This left me with a little dilemma. Should I cancel the talks? I had also … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, May 2016 Rome Life Forum Since I wrote my last article I have been over to Rome for the third annual ‘Rome Life Forum’ and I walked on the ‘March for Life’ in Rome. It was a very interesting and informative weekend and some of the talks have been reported in this paper. I recommend people to check out ‘The Voice of the Family’ website on www.voiceofthefamily.com for more of the talks. On … Read More

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, May 2016 The Popes on Modesty In order to see how important the virtue of modesty is, and to see just how deplorable the sin of immodesty is, let us look to what some of the Popes have said on this subject. On January 6th 1921, Pope Benedict XV, issued an encyclical letter called ‘Sacra Propediem’ on the Third Order of St Francis. In it he identifies two dangerous passions that affect people … Read More