Church where St Thomas a Kempis is venerated to become a mosque?
The Diocese has decided to close Sint Michaelskerk (St Michael's Church) Zwolle, an historic Church which contains a shrine to St Thomas a Kempis (who wrote the Imitation of Christ) and some of his relics. No firm decision has been taken on the shrine, but the local mosque is being taken very seriously in its proposals that the Church is tranformed into a mosque.
Here is a picture of the present mosque and details in Dutch of the proposals. More details to follow, as soon as possible, when it is possible to obtain a clearer picture of how seriously these proposals are being taken, not least by the Bishop, whose final responsibility the fate of the Church is.
One of Pope Leo XIII Prayers at the end of Mass.
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
The history of this prayer
The Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel goes back to the late 19th Century. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII was finishing Mass and was walking away from the Tabernacle when he collapsed. Those that were at the Mass surrounded him and when a pulse could not be found, he was thought to be dead. The Pope then "came to", having collapsed in a state of ecstasy. He then related what he had experienced.From in front of the Tabernacle, he had heard a confrontation between Jesus and Satan. Satan was bragging to Jesus that if he had enough time and enough power, he could destroy the Church. Jesus asked him "How much time and how much power?" Satan replied he would need a century and more influence over those that would give themselves to him. Jesus said, "So be it." The 20th Century is the century that was given to him to test the world.The Pope was quite shaken having heard this and went immediately to write the Exorcism Prayer, of which the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is the short version. Pope Leo XIII also knew that the Rosary would be the weapon that would defeat Satan. He went on to write 13 Encyclicals on the Rosary.
Here is a picture of the present mosque and details in Dutch of the proposals. More details to follow, as soon as possible, when it is possible to obtain a clearer picture of how seriously these proposals are being taken, not least by the Bishop, whose final responsibility the fate of the Church is.
One of Pope Leo XIII Prayers at the end of Mass.
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
The history of this prayer
The Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel goes back to the late 19th Century. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII was finishing Mass and was walking away from the Tabernacle when he collapsed. Those that were at the Mass surrounded him and when a pulse could not be found, he was thought to be dead. The Pope then "came to", having collapsed in a state of ecstasy. He then related what he had experienced.From in front of the Tabernacle, he had heard a confrontation between Jesus and Satan. Satan was bragging to Jesus that if he had enough time and enough power, he could destroy the Church. Jesus asked him "How much time and how much power?" Satan replied he would need a century and more influence over those that would give themselves to him. Jesus said, "So be it." The 20th Century is the century that was given to him to test the world.The Pope was quite shaken having heard this and went immediately to write the Exorcism Prayer, of which the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is the short version. Pope Leo XIII also knew that the Rosary would be the weapon that would defeat Satan. He went on to write 13 Encyclicals on the Rosary.
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Comments
That church on the link of the author is not the church we are talking about. The church on the link is the protestant Michaelchurch. They prefer to call it the Great Church because saints are not one of their favorit things.
Saint Michael's Church
The real Saint Michael's Church we're talking about is a new small sober church what was build in the 60's. The Neo-Gothic Michael befor this church was destroyed.
here are some pictures of the closed church:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9540/sintmichaelskerk9wz.jpg
http://www.kornejuffer.nl/zwolle-stmichael-opstellingorgel.jpg
http://www.katholieknederland.nl/imglib/kn_574098_sint_michael_kerk_zwolle.jpg
The Shrine
The Scrine was brought to the basilica in a procession threw the down town. What was the first time since 350 years because of the reformation.
The shrine rest now in the basilica of the city, witch is the Our Lady Assuption. Why it hasn't been here I couldn't know.
The Basilic Site
http://www.olvbasiliek-zwolle.org/
Five minute Video about the Procession
http://www.katholieknederland.nl/actualiteit/2006/detail_objectID581451_FJaar2006.html
The Mosque
The mosque did talked whit the parish but the archbisshop does not want to sell the church to the mosque because the dioscese has have bad experience with selling churches to moslims. The Mosque is disappointed but it will not seu the dioscese for discrimination.
The dioscese always has always said: better detroy then sell.
Dominic