"They think they have won." But it seems as if they just might have. As Rome and the World comes to venerate and lionize Francis, I can only think of Our Lady of La Salette's prediction that "Rome will lose the Faith and become the Seat of the Antichrist."

 

I will keep my blog posts short on account of the terrible internet connection in the place that I am staying in in Rome. There are huge crowds here, crowds the size of which I have never seen before, even though I have been to Rome many times in the past. People are waiting for hours to get into St. Peter's to view the body. In front of St. Mary Major, where Francis has asked to be buried, they are already setting up chairs outside of the church, these are for those who are saying the rosary tonight outside of the church, but I can imagine that they will be still set up for dignitaries, some of whom will be seated outside the church of burial. Such is the situation in Rome on the Wednesday before the funeral. We saw a parade of cardinals, all dressed in bright red cassocks and birettas, almost parading down the street. My pictures of all of these sightings will be put up on X.com. What is strange here is that there really are no signs of mourning here, in the streets. In fact, people seem generally in a elated and party-like mood. No one really seems sad, at least externally. Not at all. I found myself weeping when I heard the bells of Mary Major ring out 88 times for the 88 years of Francis's life. The human heart is a complicated thing.