Vatican Consecrated to St. Michael the Archangel

Pope Francis has consecrated the Vatican to St. Michael the Archangel asking him for his protection over the wickedness and snares of the devil.  He was joined by none other than the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI.  Benedict XVI looked great, a bit thin, but nonetheless looked joyful and well rested.  Both participated in the dedication of a large statue of St. Michael the Archangel.  St. Michael the Archangel whose name means "who is like" is mentioned in Scripture as the archangel who remained loyal to God and cast out Lucifer from Heaven.  (Revelation 12:7–9)

When I learned of this consecration of the Vatican my response was, "It's about time!"  Decades ago, the Catholic Church was not shy with her devotion to St. Michael the Archangel.  Pope Leo XIII noticing the spiritual forces behind the scenes (Ephesians 6:12) had the St. Michael prayer recited after every "low Mass."  A "low Mass" is a Mass without music.  Its equivalent today post Vatican II would be a typical daily Mass.  The prayer would call upon St. Michael to protect the Church as she faced new challenges.  After Vatican II, the practice was dropped in order to place more focus on the Liturgy and the participation of the laity.  However, both Bl. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have strongly advocated its recitation after Mass.

"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians, "Draw strength from the Lord and from his mighty power" (Eph 6 10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (Rev. 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St Michael throughout the Church. "St Michael the Archangel defend us in battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil." Although today this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it, and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world." - Pope John Paul II, Regina Caeli, 24 April 1994

"First of all there is Michael. We find him in Sacred Scripture above all in the Book of Daniel, in the Letter of the Apostle St Jude Thaddeus and in the Book of Revelation. 

Two of this Archangel's roles become obvious in these texts. He defends the cause of God's oneness against the presumption of the dragon, the "ancient serpent", as John calls it. The serpent's continuous effort is to make men believe that God must disappear so that they themselves may become important; that God impedes our freedom and, therefore, that we must rid ourselves of him.

However, the dragon does not only accuse God. The Book of Revelation also calls it "the accuser of our brethren..., who accuses them day and night before our God" (12: 10). Those who cast God aside do not make man great but divest him of his dignity. Man then becomes a failed product of evolution. Those who accuse God also accuse man. Faith in God defends man in all his frailty and short-comings: God's brightness shines on every individual. It is the duty of the Bishop, as a man of God, to make room in the world for God, to counter the denials of him and thus to defend man's greatness. And what more could one say and think about man than the fact that God himself was made man? Michael's other role, according to Scripture, is that of protector of the People of God (cf. Dn 10: 21; 12: 1)." - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI 

Satan has not stopped attacking the Church.  He is active more than ever today with the sex abuse scandals, homosexual infiltration in the Church, schisms and the rise of relativism in the world which seeks to destroy truth.  This relativism is brainwashing people into believing that we have the power to decide what is truth and what is not.  With this attitude, humanity then dares to equate itself to God and attempts to decide who is a person, who can live and die, and what constitutes a marriage.

Pope Francis knows what is going on and is restoring devotion to St. Michael.  With the scandals coming out from the Vatican, he knows that he has to consecrate the Vatican to St. Michael in order to get rid of the smoke of Satan which has entered the Church as Pope Paul VI said; mentioned again by Rome's exorcist, Father Gabriel Amorth.

Let us pray to St. Michael the Archangel and ask him to protect the Catholic Church.

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

See my other blogs on St. Michael:
http://www.sacerdotus.com/2012/09/st-michael-archangel.html
http://www.sacerdotus.com/2013/06/the-chaplet-of-st-michael.html




Source:
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=18374