Kevin J. Symonds

Pope Leo XIII and the Prayer to St. Michael An Historical and Theological Examination, by Kevin J. Symonds (read 17 Apr 2016) This is a 2015 book by an educator and writer in Texas who has done a lot of research to write this carefully annotated book about the provenance of the prayer which for years was said after every Low (i.e. non-sung) Mass. Among ecclesiastical figures mentioned approvingly are Cardinals Segura y Saenz, Alfredo Ottaviani, and Raymond Burke--all recognized as in the ultra conservative wing of the Church. The book relates at length what can be known about a vision which Pope Leo XIII may have had and which led him to have the prayer to St. Michael said all over the world. Supposedly in this vision Jesus talked to the devil and the devil boasted that he could destroy the Church if he had free range for 50 or 60 or 100 years and Jesus "gave" him permission to try. Since Jesus gave his life to prevent the devil from triumph to believe that Jesus would grant such permission to the devil is absurd and I cannot believe such a vision occurred. Anyway the 100 years are long over and such towering evils as Soviet Communism and Nazism have been destroyed so one has to believe that St. Michael has saved us, with the help of Our Lady of Fatima and many good people here on earth. But the book is carefully written and annotated and one has to commend the author for his careful research.… (mais)