Anne Catherine Emmerich

Here is Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision of Freemasonry tearing down the Church:

“I saw St. Peter’s.  A great crowd of men were trying to pull it down while others were constantly trying to build it up again.  Lines connected these men one with another and with others throughout the whole world.  I was amazed at their perfect understanding.  The demolishers, mostly apostates and members of the different sects, broke off whole pieces and worked according to rules and instructions.  They wore white aprons bound with blue riband.  In them were pockets and they had trowels stuck in their belts.  The costumes of the others were various. They were among the demolishers distinguished men wearing uniforms and crosses.  They did not work themselves, but they marked out on the wall with a trowel where and how it should be torn down.  To my horror, I saw among them Catholic priests.  Whenever the workmen did not know how to go on, they went to a certain one in their party.  He had a large book, which seemed to contain the whole plan for the building and the way to destroy it.  They marked out exactly with a trowel the parts to be attacked, and they soon came down.  They worked quietly and confidently, but slyly, figuratively, and warily.  I saw the Pope praying, surrounded by false friends who often did the very opposite to what he had ordered, and I saw a little black fellow (a laic) laboring actively against the Church.  While it was thus being pulled down on one side, it was rebuilt on the other, but not very zealously.  I saw many of the clergy whom I knew.  The Vicar-General gives me great joy.  He went to and fro, coolly giving orders for the repairing of the injured parts.  I saw my confessor dragging a huge stone by a roundabout way.  I saw others carelessly saying their Breviary and, now and then, bringing a little stone under their cloak or giving it to another as something very rare.  They seemed to have neither confidence, earnestness, or method.  They hardly knew what was going on.  It was lamentable!  

Soon the whole front of the Church was down; the Sanctuary alone stood.  I was very much troubled and I kept thinking, ‘Where is the man with the red mantle and white banner whom I used to see standing on the church to protect it?’  Then I saw a most majestic lady floating over the great square before the church.  Her wide mantle fell over her arms as she arose gently on high, until she stood upon the cupola and spread it over all the church like golden rays.  The destroyers were taking a short repose, and when they had returned they could in no way approach the space covered by the mantle.  On the opposite side, the repairs progressed with incredible activity.  There came men, old, crippled, long-forgotten, followed by vigorous young people, men, women, children, ecclesiastic and lay, and the edifice was soon restored. Then I saw a new Pope coming in procession, younger and far sterner looking than his predecessor. He was received with pomp.  He appeared about to consecrate the church.  But I heard a voice proclaiming it unnecessary as the Blessed Sacrament had not been disturbed.  The same voice said that they should solemnly celebrate a double feast, a universal jubilee and the restoration of the church.  The Pope, before the feast began, instructed his officers to drive out from the assembled faithful a crowd of the clergy both high and low, and I saw them going out, scolding and grumbling. Then the Holy Father took into his service others, ecclesiastic and lay.  Now commenced the great solemnity in St. Peter’s.  The men in white aprons worked on when they thought themselves unobserved, silently, cunningly, though rather timidly.”  ~Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich December 27, 1819