Welcome
to PeregrineÕs Panel !
We are pleased that The Story of Satan & A Visit to Hell
has stirred up discussion
and here are PeregrineÕs answers to
frequently asked questions.
This will be
updated as new questions arise.
Q. #1 - What kind of name is
ÒPeregrineÓ ?
A. The word peregrinus is Latin for pilgrim, foreigner, stranger and aptly
fits for us pilgrims on earth.
There was a Saint Peregrine (1260-1345) who was actively defiant of the
papacy in his youth but then became a priest and fervent preacher, dedicating
himself to the sick, the poor, and those on the fringes of society. He developed cancer and just before his
foot was to be amputated, God miraculously cured him, and now he is the patron
saint of those suffering from cancer.
Today there is a spiritual cancer throughout the world, so we can pray
to Saint Peregrine for relief.
Q. #2 - Why do you say your story is
true when you have produced dialogue, even with God Himself, that is not in the
Bible?
A. While some of the dialogue is actually quoted from the
Bible, most of it is the authorÕs attempt to help the reader experience the
highly emotional nature of all the encounters in the events of both the Bible
and later history. Nonetheless,
the events are all true.
Q. #3 - But you describe Hell and
many of the damned souls as you have simply imagined, so how can you claim all
that to be true? Did you have
visions?
A. There was no need for personal visions, since Hell and the
torment of its victims have been seen
in visions and vividly described by many saints. Descriptions of the damned and their dialogue with Satan are
allegorical and represent situations that are quite probable, since we know
that the damned will be punished in accordance with their sins.
Q. #4 - This book continuously spews
out terrible blasphemy and contempt of God, which is scandalous and can harm
souls.
A. All the
blasphemy and contempt come from the mouths of Satan and the damned and show
clearly that only those who hate God speak in such a way. This should help readers understand
that any disrespect of God places their souls in dire jeopardy. Regarding the possibility of scandal,
remember that the Bible itself includes the words of blasphemy and contempt of
God.
Q. #5 - This book is filled with
indecent pictures of naked people, which are scandalous and harmful to souls.
A. Pictures of the naked body are only indecent when they
arouse lust in normal persons and become thereby an occasion of sin. Persons with unhealthy minds can be
aroused to lust by looking at others who are fully clothed. Remember also that many works of
religious art, even in churches, have representations of the naked body. And remember also that crucifixes have
traditionally been depicted by the Roman Catholic Church with a virtually naked
body of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The illustrations in this book are realistic and
not indecent. As the motto of the
chivalric Order of the Garter aptly says: Honi
soit qui mal y pense! Translated: Shame
on him who thinks evil of it!
Q. #6 - Was it really necessary or even useful to include such
gruesome descriptions of scenes from Hell and the grisly sins and tortures of
the damned? IsnÕt that just
gratuitous shock tactics?
A. If you read the Holy Bible from cover to cover you will
see that The Story of Satan & A Visit
to Hell is quite tame by comparison.
God Himself authored the books of Sacred Scripture, and He surely had
good reason to describe such horrors.
Q. #7 - Why is the guilt of Eve referred to so much more than that
of Adam? WasnÕt he just as guilty
of the original sin?
A. Yes, he was
even more guilty because God gave him dominion over the earth and the ultimate
responsibility for it, and it was because of AdamÕs sin, not EveÕs, that the
stain and consequences of original sin have passed down to every human being
except the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Eve was tricked and deceived by the serpent, but Adam was
not—he knew he would be disobeying God but did it to please his
wife! Throughout the book Satan
gloats over his victory over Eve to boast how easy it is for him to deceive us
human beings.
Q. #8 - By what authority do you
declare that those elected pope since Vatican II are false popes?
A. By the authority
of Pope Paul IVÕs Apostolic Constitution of 1559: Cum Ex Apostolatus; by the authority of the Code of Canon Law n.
188; and from the teachings of theologians. As stated on page 76 of The
Story of Satan & A Visit to Hell: ÒThose who seek
the Truth will readily comprehend that God cannot permit a pope to teach error,
and therefore anyone teaching error cannot be a true pope. Pope Paul IV clearly defined the matter
of invalid popes and hierarchy in his 1559 Apostolic Constitution Cum Ex
Apostolatus.Ó
For pertinent
references and quotations, click here.
Q. More to follow . . .
To contact
the author, click here.