Walking down Detroit Street in Lakewood, Ohio, on Friday evening Feb. 18, one would have seen an unusual sight: 150 Catholics gathered around a large statue of Our Lady of Fatima devoutly praying the rosary and singing hymns.
Why This Prayerful Gathering?
It was a public act of reparation and protest against the Cleveland area premiere of a blasphemous production called Jerry Springer: The Opera in Concert, which was playing inside the Beck Center for the Arts. This play defies description in detail since it contains so much blasphemous content. Some examples include:
• The crucifixion is mocked and the Eucharist is trashed.
• There is a lady singing “Jerry eleison” (mocking the Mass’ Kyrie Eleison)
• Jesus is introduced as “the hypocrite son of the fascist tyrant on high.” He wears a diaper, is fat, effeminate and later admits: “Actually, I am a bit gay.”
• Eve gropes Jesus in a manner too indecent to describe while the Annunciation is described as a rape.
• God is a fat man in a white suit that complains about being blamed for everyone’s problems. He invites Jerry Springer to join Him to “sit in Heaven beside me, hold my hand and guide me.” In the end, Jerry emerges as the true savior of mankind.
Throughout its history, the “opera” has earned its blasphemous reputation. In London, the debut was the subject of a libel suit for defaming Christians. When it was to be aired on BBC, it drew more than 60,000 complaints.
In face of such insults to the Faith in the United States, the American TFP and America Needs Fatima could not and did not remain silent.
Catholic Reparation Echoes in Lakewood
On-site preparations started at about 5:30 p.m. to make sure people knew where the protest was to take place. This included unfurling a thirteen-foot banner, setting up signs and the distribution of prayer programs.
offered outside the center, more than 21,000 people
had already protested this blasphemous production via e-mail.
At 6:00 p.m., braving a nasty cold wind, the protest started to the sound of “Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above” as a statue of Our Lady of Fatima was carried shoulder high in procession and took her place at the front of the crowd where she reigned throughout the protest.
When the rosary was prayed it echoed through the streets where God’s rights are too seldom remembered and His Holy Name too often invoked in vain. The participants also joined in proclaiming slogans in protest and reparation.
“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.”
The verses of “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” and “Immaculate Mary” resounded alternately between the prayers.
The large banner and dozens of signs informed the public about the purpose of the protest, though this was hardly necessary since the protest had been preceded by weeks of public controversy in the newspapers, Television, internet and blogosphere.
More than 21,000 people have already protested this particular blasphemous production via email and the numbers steadily rise.
“My Immaculate Heart Will Triumph”
There is and can be no peace on earth between good and evil. This blasphemous play is part of an agenda to insult God and to drag as many souls to Hell as possible by anesthetizing public opinion to the horrors of blasphemy. However, Our Lady will win in the end since at Fatima, She promised, “Finally my Immaculate Heart will Triumph!”
Until that glorious and triumphant moment arrives, all have the duty and honor to oppose blasphemy, offer reparation and to win as many souls for Our Lady as possible.
Our Lady will show special mercy and goodness on the day of her triumph to those who upheld her honor in the times when sin seemed unstoppable.