Author Archives: John Lacken

This article is available for download. You can download it and print it for private use and for private sharing but it cannot be reproduced in any other publication. To download a print copy click here – Catholic Duties 4 Pope Leo XIII wrote his encyclical letter Sapientiae Christianae in 1890. This was during what has become known as the Second Industrial Revolution. The prosperity of mankind was increasing in certain parts of the world. The steam engine was being … Read More

This article is available for download. You can download it and print it for private use and for private sharing but it cannot be reproduced in any other publication. To download a print copy click here – Catholic Duties 3 Sincere Catholics should always strive to be good citizens. This is a natural part of our duty to love our neighbour. Difficulties arise however, when the governing body enacts laws which are either contrary to God’s law or which usurp … Read More

This article is available for download. You can download it and print it for private use and for private sharing but it cannot be reproduced in any other publication. To download a print copy click here – Catholic Duties 2 My last article closed with a quote from Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Sapientiae Christianae where he outlined the purpose of the letter. “We deem it expedient in this letter to define more in detail the duties of the Catholics, inasmuch … Read More

This article is available for download. You can download it and print it for private use and for private sharing but it cannot be reproduced in any other publication. To download a print copy click here – Catholic Duties 1 Catholics in western societies are living in similar times to the early Christians. We live in societies that are openly hostile to our Catholic Faith. Many Catholics have compromised in order to get along in the world. Others use their … Read More

Updated 30/10/24: I have posted a link at end of this article to a video I have made which clearly shows that the Irish bishops Flourish programme represents a danger to the innocence of children. Ironically, the video is not suitable for children as it shows the sexually graphic content that the Irish bishops have recommended be shown to children in primary schools. That the Catholic Church has a long history of opposition to classroom based sex education may come … Read More

On Friday morning, as I was researching this article I started feeling a little bit down and wondering what I could write. New scandals concerning priestly convictions for child abuse were breaking in the Church. The corruption of children through state sanctioned sex education was gathering pace. I read a piece from someone who has left the Catholic Church where he said, “I saw no indication that God was really in the details, that he was faithful to those who … Read More

I was going to write an article which looks in detail at the report from Marie O’Shea BL. on the operation of Ireland’s abortion laws. However I don’t believe that it is worth the time or energy such an article would demand so I will confine myself to just a few comments. The report looks in detail at how we murder our unborn children with a primary focus on the obstacles that get in the way of committing more of … Read More

The worst thing that can befall anyone is that they be judged by God to be cursed on account of their unrepented mortal sins and be condemned for eternity to the pits of Hell. Our bishops rarely, if ever, mention Hell. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that: 1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend … Read More

In my current presentation on the family which is part of my book launch, where I expose the tactics of the global organisations who seek to corrupt the innocence of children, I quote from Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical letter ‘Sapientiae Christianae’ on Christians as citizens. I came across this encyclical whilst reading another encyclical, that of Pope Pius XI on Christian Education – ‘Divini Illius Magistri’. Pope Pius XI quotes Pope Leo XIII concerning a particular point regarding the duties … Read More

War Against the Innocence of ChildrenThere is a global war being waged against the innocence of children. The primary aggressor is the devil but he uses willing human accomplices to carry out his plans to destroy the innocence of children. The devil hates the innocence of children because they remind him of how far he has fallen and of how much he has lost by rebelling against God. The devil’s pride blinds him and drives him on in his mistaken … Read More

Update 16/04/23: I have been contacted to suggest that Joe Biden may not have been invited to Knock Shrine but may have put it on the agenda himself. I have changed the wording below to reflect this i.e. “those who welcomed Joe Biden to Knock Shrine”. In one way this actually makes the situation worse because it suggests that the sacraments of the Catholic Church were suspended to accommodate the visit of a secular ruler who publicly defies Catholic Church … Read More

Oscar’s ConfirmationBy Cardinal Brandmuller Abbé Raphael’s ConfirmationBy Cardinal Brandmuller Two of my sons, Oscar and Raphael, were confirmed in Gricigliano in Florence, Italy, at the seminary of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign priest in March of 2012.  There were eight of us there, my wife, six of our eight children, and I.  Abbé Raphael Lacken is now completing his third year of formation for the Catholic Priesthood with the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest. Please pray … Read More

Eternity is a difficult concept for the human mind because we think in terms of time and we cannot really imagine life without time. The expression “from all eternity” is often used. However, this expression is faulty because eternity has neither beginning nor end. Eternity is a Godly concept. When Moses asked God what he should say if the people asked him the name of the God who sent him, he received the reply. “God said to Moses: I AM … Read More

The Emperor’s New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson, tells the story of a couple of conmen who convince an Emperor that they can make him some elegant clothes from magnificent thread that is invisible to those who lack intelligence or are stupid. Eventually the Emperor is paraded around in his nude until a little boy shouts out the obvious and the people realise that they have been fooled. Today’s reading in the Latin Mass for the Saturday after the Third … Read More

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced on Friday 10th, March, plans to remove the constitutional protections for stay at home mothers. Like many who base their lives on ideology, the Taoiseach is not restricted to being truthful. He does not tell the whole truth and sometimes what he says is not true. The ideology is elevated to the status of infallible truth regardless of whether or not it conforms to known and scientifically observable facts. In his press launch for a referendum … Read More

I hope to launch my first book, The Traditional Catholic Family, throughout Ireland beginning in Limerick on Tuesday 11th, April, 2023. The purpose of the book is to promote and defend Catholic Church teaching on marriage and family life with a view to helping Catholics understand both the importance and greatness of Catholic Marriage. Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Casti Connubii stated: “In order, however, that amongst men of every nation and every age the desired fruits may be … Read More

The Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022 is currently making its way through the houses of the Oireachtas in Ireland. This bill intends to deal with the sensitive subject of organ donation. One of the dangers that arises in matters where ethics is of concern, is where legislation is being driven on a ‘needs first’ basis rather than on an ‘ethics first’ basis. The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, when introducing the bill at second … Read More

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW Processing the Baby Jesus to the crib on Christmas Morning – Our family Christmas procession, 16 years apart. The Reason for the SeasonJust over a year ago, I was browsing through some old family videos from when our children were small. I remember writing about one in particular. You see, back in 2005, when our youngest child was just three years old, we decided to give Santa Clause the boot from our house. Over the years, … Read More

There were a few speed issues with the website of late and so the website has been updated to a new WordPress hosting package which should make it more responsive and a little faster. I will now continue to upload Dom Prosper Gueranger’s commentaries and prayers for the season of Advent. Thank you for your patience. May God bless you. John Lacken

In St Lukes Gospel, the Apostles ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. “And it came to pass, that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we … Read More