December 8, 1976

THE SMOKE OF SATAN

Write, my son:

How many times have they said, or rather, repeated, the words of the Pope: “The smoke of hell has entered into my Church.”

My Vicar Paul VI pronounced these words, that are so true, terribly true, but they have fallen into a vacuum; at the top levels these words should be considered and meditated upon; this should be done by bishops, for they are a fundamental column in the Church, of which they form the spinal column; therefore, according to the logic of reason and of faith, they should be the very first in accepting the words of the Holy Father and making of them an object of reflection and of meditation, to transfer them into a practical and realistic design. They should ask themselves, and search their consciences in depth, in order to comprehend whether these words of the Holy Father might constitute a serious inducement, a warning and a powerful call for them.

Son, once more I tell you, to avoid misunderstandings, that among my bishops there are not lacking, although there are not many, some holy ones, but the majority either do not listen to the words of the Pontiff, or if they have heard them, they have received them as something that was not related to them.

What did the Pontiff mean by these words?

They have eyes but do not see

I, Jesus, will explain it. Behold, my son, according to your human judgment, very few sins can equal the seriousness of the sins of a prostitute; it is not that I intend to justify any sin, for every sin is always a most serious evil, but rather to make you see that in evil, there are also different degrees.

Behold, my son; do you remember the episode of the adulterous woman whom they prepared to stone? Adultery is a most grave sin, but I tell you, son, that the sin that was in the hearts of those who condemned her to stoning, was much, much more grave than that of the adulteress, for it was a sin of pride and arrogance, and pride and arrogance are the sins of Satan.

Then, what do the words of the Holy Father mean: “The smoke of hell has entered into the Church?” Smoke brings darkness; smoke causes cloudiness; smoke prevents one from seeing, for in the midst of smoke the eyes burn, and one needs to shut them even against one's will. Pride is the smoke that has entered into my Church, by reason of which many pastors of souls and priests do not see, nor even less understand, the sea of confusion and of contradictions in which they live. This is what Satan wanted, and he has succeeded, through his wicked actions. The judges of the adulterous woman did not understand their own selves; many bishops and priests do not understand their own selves, for they do not see the abyss that is about to break open beneath their feet.

He who believes will be saved

I do not wish to speak to you now of what I already spoke about at great length in other messages; the contradictions of modern pastoral practice are so great and so numerous, that many Christians see them and deplore them, but neither priests nor bishops see them, for they have fallen into the intricate net that Satan spread out in front of them.

My son, what causes Me sorrow is their obstinacy.

I have invited them many times to consider well their life in the light of the Gospel, from which they accept what is comfortable for them, and they ignore that part that makes them uncomfortable; they do not see the smoke of hell that envelops them, for the words of the Holy Father have not even grazed their minds, that were directed, above all, to them, to the bishops and priests, and then to all the faithful.

My son, I see Myself obliged to tell you and to repeat to you, that I am not the one who desires the hour of purification, in which many resist believing, and they ignore Lourdes, Fatima, La Salette and other very numerous interventions of Myself and of my Mother. If they do not decide upon their conversion today, tomorrow it might be too late.

My son, behold the great desolation that exists in my Church; pray, and have others pray. Offer yourself; trust, and hope in my Mercy and that of my Mother, and all of you will not remain alone.

Those who have humbly believed, will be saved. Love Me intensely.