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Mary and the Muslims (an eye opener)
Catholic Military ^ | Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Posted on 06/26/2006 6:15:02 PM PDT by NYer

Muslimism is the only great post-Christian religion of the world. Because it had its origin in the 7th century under Mohammed, it was possible to unite within it some elements of Christianity and of Judaism, along with particular customs of Arabia . Muslimism takes the doctrine of the unity of God, his majesty and his creative power, and uses it, in part, as a basis for the repudiation of Christ, the Son of God. Misunderstanding the notion of the Trinity, Mohammed made Christ a prophet announcing himself (Mohammed) just as to Christians, Isaiah and John the Baptist are prophets announcing Christ.

The Christian European West barely escaped destruction at the hands of the Muslims. At one point they were stopped near Tours and at another point, later on in time, outside the gates of Vienna . The Church throughout northern Africa was practically destroyed by Muslim power, and at the present hour, the Muslims are beginning to rise again.

If Muslimism is a heresy, as Hilaire Belloc believes it to be, it is the only heresy that has never declined. Others have had a moment of vigor, then gone into doctrinal decay at the death of the leader, and finally evaporated in a vague social movement. Muslimism, on the contrary, has only had its first phase. There was never a time in which it declined, either in numbers, or in the devotion of its followers.

The missionary effort of the Church toward this group has been, at least on the surface, a failure. For the Muslims are so far almost unconvertible. The reason is that for a follower of Mohammed to become a Christian is much like a Christian becoming a Jew. The Muslims believe that they have the final and definitive revelation of God to the world and that Christ was only a prophet announcing Mohammed, the last of God's real prophets.

At the present time, the hatred of the Muslim countries against the West is becoming a hatred against Christianity itself. Although the statesmen have not yet taken it into account, there is still grave danger that the temporal power of Islam may return, and with it, the menace that it may shake off a West which has ceased to be Christian, and affirm itself as a great anti-Christian world power. Muslim writers say, "When the locust swarms darken countries, they bear on their wings these Arabic words: We are God's host, each of us has ninety-nine eggs, and if we had a hundred, we should lay waste the world, with all that is in it."

The problem is, how shall we prevent the hatching of the hundredth egg? It is our firm belief that the fears some entertain concerning the Muslims are not to realized, but that Muslimism, instead, will eventually be converted to Christianity--and in a way that even some of our missionaries never suspect. It is our belief that this will happen not through the direct teachings of Christianity, but through a summoning of the Muslims to a veneration of the Mother of God. This is the line of argument:

MARY

The Qu'ran, which is the Bible for the Muslims, has many passages concerning the Blessed Virgin. First of all, the Qu'ran believes in her Immaculate Conception, and also in her Virgin Birth. The third chapter of the Qu'ran places the history of Mary's family in a genealogy which goes back through Abraham, Noah, and Adam. When one compares the Qu'ran's description of the birth of Mary with the apocryphal Gospel of the birth of Mary, one is tempted to believe that Mohammed very much depended upon the latter. Both books describe the old age and the definite sterility of the mother of Mary. When, however, she conceives, the mother of Mary is made to say in the Qu'ran: "O Lord, I vow and I consecrate to you what is already within me. Accept it from me."

When Mary is born, the mother says: And I consecrate her with all of her posterity under thy protection, O Lord, against Satan!"

The Qu'ran passes over Joseph in the life of Mary, but the Muslim tradition knows his name and has some familiarity with him. In this tradition, Joseph is made to speak to Mary, who is a virgin. As he inquired how she conceived Jesus without a father, Mary answered:

Do you not know that God, when he created the wheat had no need of seed, and that God by his power made the trees grow without the help of rain? All that God had to do was to say, 'So be it, and it was done.'

The Qu'ran was also verses on the Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Angels are pictured as accompanying the Blessed Mother and saying: "Oh, Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and elected you above all the women of the earth." In the nineteenth chapter of the Qu'ran there are 41 verses on Jesus and Mary. There is such a strong defense of the virginity of Mary here that the Qu'ran, in the fourth book, attributed the condemnation of the Jews to their monstrous calumny against the Virgin Mary.

FATIMA

Mary, then, is for the Muslims the true Sayyida, or Lady. The only possible serious rival to her in their creed would be Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed himself. But after the death of Fatima, Mohammed wrote: "Thou shalt be the most blessed of all women in Paradise , after Mary." In a variation of the text, Fatima is made to say, "I surpass all the women, except Mary."

This brings us to our second point: namely, why the Blessed Mother, in the 20th century, should have revealed herself in the significant little village of Fatima , so that to all future generations she would be known as "Our Lady of Fatima." Since nothing ever happens out of Heaven except with a finesse of all details, I believe that the blessed Virgin chose to be known as "Our Lady of Fatima" as a pledge and a sign of hope to the Muslim people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her divine Son too.

Evidence to support these views is found in the historical fact that the Muslims occupied Portugal for centuries. At the time when they were finally driven out, the last Muslim chief had a beautiful daughter by the name of Fatima . A Catholic boy fell in love with her, and for him she not only stayed behind when the Muslims left, but even embraced the faith. The young husband was so much in love with her that he changed the name of the town where he lived to Fatima . Thus, the very place where our lady appeared in 1917 bears a historical connection to Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed.

The final evidence of the relationship of Fatima to the Muslims is the enthusiastic reception which the Muslims in Africa, India , and elsewhere gave to the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Muslims attended the church services in honor of our Lady, they allowed religious processions and even prayers before their mosques; and in Mozambique, the Muslims who were unconverted, began to be Christian as soon as the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was erected.

MISSIONARIES

Missionaries in the future will, more and more, see that their apostolate among the Muslims will be successful in the measure that they preach Our Lady of Fatima. Mary is the advent of Christ, bringing Christ to the people before Christ himself is born. In an apologetic endeavor, it is always best to start with that which people already accept. Because the Muslims have a devotion to Mary, our missionaries should be satisfied merely to expand and to develop that devotion, with the full realization that Our Blessed Lady will carry the Muslims the rest of the way to her divine Son. She is forever a "traitor," in the sense that she will not accept any devotion for herself, but will always bring anyone who is devoted to her to her divine Son. As those who lose devotion to her lose belief in the divinity of Christ, so those who intensify devotion to her gradually acquire that belief.

Many of our great missionaries in Africa have already broken down the bitter hatred and prejudices of the Muslims against the Christians through their acts of charity, their schools and hospitals. It now remains to use another approach, namely, that of taking the 41st chapter of the Quran and showing them that it was taken out of the Gospel of Luke, that Mary could not be, even in their own eyes, the most blessed of all the women of Heaven if she had not also borne One who was the Savior of the world. If Judith and Esther of the Old Testament were pre-figures of Mary, then it may very well be that Fatima herself was a post-figure of Mary! The Muslims should be prepared to acknowledge that, if Fatima must give way in honor to the Blessed Mother, it is because she is different from all the other mothers of the world and that without Christ she would be nothing.


TOPICS: Activism; Apologetics; Catholic; Current Events; Ecumenism; General Discusssion; History; Islam; Judaism; Ministry/Outreach; Prayer; Religion & Culture; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: archbishopsheen; bvm; crushislam; imams; iraq; islam; mary; muslims; waronterror
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1 posted on 06/26/2006 6:15:05 PM PDT by NYer
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To: american colleen; Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; ...

A bit dated but totally on target!


2 posted on 06/26/2006 6:16:07 PM PDT by NYer (Discover the beauty of the Eastern Catholic Churches - freepmail me for more information.)
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To: NYer

Well, it looks like the good Archbishop was ahead of everybody else . . .


3 posted on 06/26/2006 6:27:32 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: NYer

as soon as I learned that Mary is revered by Muslims, I believed that she would somehow be the key to peace.


4 posted on 06/26/2006 7:26:32 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (orwell's watching)
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To: the invisib1e hand

Lets hope Mother Mary The Blessed Virgin helps the world as a guide to peace. Ops4 God Bless The World!


5 posted on 06/26/2006 8:07:09 PM PDT by OPS4 (Ops4 God Bless America!)
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To: NYer
First things first, I agree with Hillaire Belloc. Everything else is moot.
6 posted on 06/26/2006 8:12:29 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhauling is a sensible solution to mutiny.)
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To: NYer

The False Prophet is easily identified as Mohammed.


7 posted on 06/26/2006 8:18:17 PM PDT by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand; but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc. 10:2)
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To: shield

I'm in 100% agreement with that.


8 posted on 06/26/2006 8:22:24 PM PDT by glaseatr (Proud Father of a Marine, Uncle of SGT Adam Estep A. 2/5 Cav. KIA Thurs April 29, 2004 Baghdad Iraq)
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To: Convert from ECUSA; Dajjal; warriorforourlady

Ping!


9 posted on 06/26/2006 8:33:56 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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To: the invisib1e hand
I believed that (Mary) would somehow be the key to peace.

I do too.


10 posted on 06/26/2006 8:44:40 PM PDT by murphE (These are days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed but his own. --G.K. Chesterton)
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To: the invisib1e hand; murphE
Here's another piece of the puzzle:


St. John Bosco's Dream of Two Pillars: One of Mary, and One of the Eucharist.

11 posted on 06/26/2006 8:49:24 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in... patience, humility, & charity." -St. Philip Neri)
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To: OPS4
Lets hope Mother Mary The Blessed Virgin helps the world as a guide to peace.

Only by guiding the muzzies to her Son, Jesus Christ. IOW, by leading them to become Christians. As long as they hold on to the mohammedan faith, there'll be trouble.

12 posted on 06/26/2006 9:21:23 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: NYer
Incredibly prophetic, let's hope it will happen this way. We may need another apparition to get it started, however, possibly in a predominately Muslim country.
13 posted on 06/26/2006 10:32:18 PM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus
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To: murphE
I have G.K. Chesterton's poem, Lepanto in my profile. The power of the rosary, and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary is absolutely amazing.

Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

14 posted on 06/27/2006 5:27:59 AM PDT by Theoden (Liberate te ex inferis)
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To: NYer
A bit dated but totally on target!

Catholics and Muslims, harmonizing their beliefs by rallying around the central figure of Mary. I couldn't agree more.

15 posted on 06/27/2006 5:29:12 AM PDT by HarleyD ("Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" Luk 24:45)
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http://www.soufanieh.com/menuenglish.htm


16 posted on 06/27/2006 5:39:56 AM PDT by Nihil Obstat
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To: HarleyD; NYer
Catholics and Muslims, harmonizing their beliefs by rallying around the central figure of Mary. I couldn't agree more.

Jews, Christians and Muslims are in full agreement about Moses and the Ten Commandments as well, I guess you would now dispute the validity of that.

17 posted on 06/27/2006 5:41:35 AM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: HarleyD
Catholics and Muslims, harmonizing their beliefs by rallying around the central figure of Mary. I couldn't agree more.

Dear Sir, I find your statement above curious for a number of reasons, namely:

1. The above article contains no indication of Catholics "harmonizing" their beliefs with Muslims. It contains reports of ways the Blessed Virgin Mary has brought followers of Islam to embrace the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, and no information whatsoever concerning Catholics embracing Mohammad.

2. After positing that this article shows "Catholics and Muslims harmonizing their beliefs," you go on to say, "I couldn't agree more."

If it is, in fact, your point that the Archbishop is "harmonizing" beliefs this way, why on earth would you agree with that? What you seem to be saying, Sir, is that you "couldn't agree more" that a group of your Christian brothers and sisters, who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, are in your, (I believe erroneous,) view moving further towards the edges of renouncing Him in favour of the faith of the Muslims.

I can hardly understand this from a position of Christian charity, so I must beg your pardon and request your clarification.
18 posted on 06/27/2006 5:55:46 AM PDT by Lilllabettt
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To: NYer
Although the statesmen have not yet taken it into account, there is still grave danger that the temporal power of Islam may return, and with it, the menace that it may shake off a West which has ceased to be Christian,

Exactly.

This is why I just can't get enthused about the war on terror, the invasion of Iraq, al-Qaeda, the hunt for Osama and all the other supposed hot issues which government keeps in front of us.

The answer to these problems will not be found in bombs and bullets. It will come when we have a change of heart and turn once again to the Christian message.

Do we seriously expect to live in peace while we wage war on the unborn, for instance, and our own hands are dripping with blood? Are we going to come before God and ask him to protect us from the Muslim murderer while we ourselves are busy butchering his own children in the womb?

Hardly.

19 posted on 06/27/2006 6:13:37 AM PDT by marshmallow
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To: BIGLOOK

Hillaire Belloc is spot on the money.


20 posted on 06/27/2006 6:36:27 AM PDT by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
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