divine-mercy-in-my-soul

Mercy in the form given by Sister Faustina. As a result, the images which had been hung in
many churches were removed. Priests stopped preaching about The Divine Mercy. Father
Sopocko himself was severely admonished by the Holy See and suffered many other
troubles in connection with the spreading of the devotion to The Divine Mercy.
The Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy was also forbidden to spread the devotion; in
consequence, the images, the chaplet, the novena and all other things that might suggest
that the devotion was being propagated were withdrawn. It appeared that the work of mercy,
so much recommended by Sister Faustina, had been destroyed and would never rise again.
Until the notification, the image of The divine Mercy received much honor in the
Congregation‟s home in Cracow, where Sister Faustina died, and it was covered with votive
offerings. A solemn Mass was held on the third Sunday of each month, and priests preached
sermons about The Divine Mercy. The first Sunday after Easter was celebrated as the Feast
of The Divine Mercy, which Cardinal Adam Sapieha in 1951 invested with a plenary
indulgence for seven years.
In view of the Holy See‟s ban, the Sisters addressed the Ordinary of the Archdiocese
of Cracow, Archbishop Baziak, to inquire what should be done with the image which hung in
the side altar, covered with many votive offerings, and what attitude should be taken towards
the celebrations in praise of The Divine Mercy. In answer, Archbishop Baziak ordered the
image to be left in its place and the faithful not to be forbidden to pray before the image for
needed graces. He also ordered the existing celebrations to be maintained.
In this way the devotion to The Divine Mercy survived the test in the small center of
the Congregation in Cracow, at 3/9 Wronia Street, where the body of the Saint is buried. At
present, the devotion is again gathering force, renewing and attracting the interest of
theologians.
Since the first part of her prophecy was fulfilled almost literally, it could well be
supposed that the remainder of it would also come to pass. For, regarding prophecy, the
Word of God offers this instruction: “…. Know that, even though a prophet speaks in the
name of the Lord, if his oracle is not fulfilled or verified, it is an oracle which the Lord did not
speak” (Deuteronomy 18:22). The following facts attest to the genuineness of St. M.
Faustina‟s prophecy:
On June 30, 1978, The Sacred Congregation for the doctrine of the Faith (A.A.S. page
350) published a “Notification” signed April 15, 1978, by His Eminence Franjo Cardinal
Seper, Prefect, and Archbishop Jerome Hamer, O.P., Secretary. It is as follows:
From various places, especially from Poland, even proceeding from
competent authority, it has been asked whether the prohibitions contained in
the “Notification” of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, published in
the Acts of the Apostolic See, in the year 1959, p. 271, regarding the devotion to
The Divine Mercy in the forms proposed by Sister Faustina Kowalska must be
regarded as still in force.
This Sacred Congregation, having now in possession the many original
documents unknown in 1959; having taken into consideration the profoundly
changed circumstances, and having taken into account the opinion of many
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