The Suffering Church

Satan's influence upon the souls of men is gaining relatively recently, evidenced by forcibly burned and destroyed churches in the Mideast [1], [2], [3] and in Armenia [4] and desecrated churches in France and Italy [5], [6], voluntary Catholic church closings in the United States [7], [8] and government sanctioned curtailment of mainly Protestant churches in China [9].  The footnote citations show not only are ISIL and certain Al-Qaeda groups doing the work of Satan in destroying churches, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York is also doing the same to churches in America, and in my opinion, no less violent than what has been happening around the world, by his decision to "merge 112 of [the Archdiocese of New York's] 368 parishes into 55, effectively shuttering at least 31 churches by Aug. 1, 2015." [10]

The Cardinal admitted that "the restructuring is not the result of a shortage of priests, but from a shortage of the faithful.  'They're not coming anymore and we have to get them back.'" [11]

What? The Catholic Church can get the faithful back by shutting down its churches rather than inspiring the not-always-faithful and others to go to church to kneel before the alter to pray and meditate on the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament?

I seriously doubt that the churches that have been targeted by Cardinal Dolan for closure have no faithful attendees anymore.  I suspect that he wanted the churches closed because of financial reasons.  If my guess is right, then the Cardinal told a lie.  Why should anyone be surprised?  Satan is the Prince of Lies.  Those under Its influence [12] will lie on Its behalf, to desecrate and destroy churches on Its behalf, to shut down the very sanctuaries of holiness on Its behalf, so that fewer and fewer people could easily enter into a nearby church to kneel supplicate before the Forgiver of Sin often so that their souls may be saved.


[1] http://www.religiousfreedomcoalition.org/2014/07/30/all-45-christian-institutions-in-mosul-destroyed-or-occupied-by-isis/
[2] http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/20/ISIS-burns-1-800-year-old-church-in-Mosul.html
[3] http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=21758
[4] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/jabhat-alnusra-blows-up-armenian-church-in-deir-elzour-a-savage-blow-that-echoes-through-armenian-history-9852372.html
[5] http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=22239
[6] http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2014/06/church-desecration-tabernacle-broken.html 
[7] http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1404533.htm
[8] http://www.westernjournalism.com/city-permits-muslim-group-desecrate-catholic-church/
[9] http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/08/why-is-china-tearing-down-church-crosses-because-its-terrified-of-religion/
[10] http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1404533.htm
[11] Ibid.
[12] This blog has consistently maintained that Satan seeks out the weak leaders in their respective thrones of influence and power in order to possess them so that they would speak and act on Its behalf, by putting distance between men and Christ, so that Satan can freely roam the earth seeking the ruin of souls.