@LiveJohn

I cannot fathon how you conclude that my opinion on Garabandal, as well as those of my "fellow travellers", whatever that means, is "meaningless" when it is based on the opinion expressed by the proper authorities in the Church. Surely, if anyone's opinion in the matter is "meaningless" under such circumstances, it is precisely yours and other peddlers of unapproved apparitions. We saw the same pride in the Medjugorje business (and it was a business!). It simply boils down to those who take the Church's wise and cautious approach to such matters, not to mention its investigative conclusions, and those who refuse obedience in preference to their own opinion. It really is that basic.

As for Our Lord mingling with sinners. I agree entirely that our Blessed Saviour mixed with sinners (lucky for us), but He did so to convert them away from their sinful living, not to indulge in sin with them. That's quite an important distinction to bear in mind.

It is one of the greatest triumphs for Satan to bring down a priest, and that's why we are encouraged to pray for priests. Our Lady said at Fatima that the greater number of souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh, which makes perfect sense given that temptations to impurity ranks way up high on the scale of temptations that afflict the human race. This young priest, God help him, should have stayed close to the tabernacle and practiced a firm devotion to Our Lady, both proven weapons against the assaults of the evil one, yet not inculcated into the souls of seminarians in Modernist seminaries. Is it any wonder, then, that so many priests have fallen into precisely this sin of being lured away from their lofty vocation by a woman. And woe betide that 18-year old who now faces her judgement having brought about the fall of a priest of God.

As for Garabandal, there will always be those who trust more in their own judgement than the wise judgement of the Church. They'll argue that Father so and so is a great priest and very devoted to Garabandal, or certain bishops or Cardinals have cited Garabandal positively, etc. They'll believe these authorities, including themselves, while rejecting the contrary official findings of the Church in the matter. It's pride, pure and simple. We saw the disobedience in the Medjugorje hoax and we see it in the Garabandal business, although I'm not so sure Garabandal is a hoax in the human understanding of the word.

Let's think about the bizarre behaviour of these so-called child seers at Garabandal. For example, running at speed backwards down a steep slope. What was the purpose of that action? We should recall here that the devil does things backwards. Then there was the children holding hands walking three abreast; they come to a narrow bridge, one walks over the bridge and the other two walk on air. Again, what was the purpose of this show? Do people not realise that Satan can perform miracles in the natural order? And then there's the conclusive evidence for me in that not one of those so-called seers entered religious life. It's pretty well recorded that children who have been blessed with genuine heavenly apparitions simply cannot function any longer in this world, they are drawn to religious life by their experience. Makes perfect sense, which is more than Garabandal does.

"...For this cause, God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature. And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts, one towards another: men with men, working that which is filthy and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error..." (Romans 1: 26-27).

These words of St. Paul stand today and for all time, so we know the terrible eternal destiny that awaits all those in the Church today who tolerate or promote homosexuality in the priesthood. There's not much we can do about it here and now, but what a terrible judgement awaits them when this short life is over.