This is an English version of the article Fête de l’Assomption, 2012 après Jésus-Christ : prions pour la France I have published in my French weblog. Please note that the word Republicans has a very different meaning in this context (where it means the ones oppose the restoration of the French monarchy) than in the USA.
The new socialist government is planning to pass several ungodly laws and particularly ones that will legalize same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by homosexuals throughout the country. As you can imagine, the Catholics of France are very worried and the prayerful support of non-French Catholics will be more than appreciated. I hope you will keep France in your prayers: she needs them! (Thank you in advance!) And I hope you will find this article interesting.
“What saint Justin, Saint Irenaeus, Saint Clement of Alexandria and many others had said, the Christian soul of the 4th-century held it as an obvious truth: that Mary, the Mother of God made man, assumes a special place among the creatures. This remark taken from the book The Church of Apostles and Martyrs by Member of the Académie française Henri Daniel-Rops is a very good introduction to the topic of the Assumption. Indeed, this preeminent place that the Virgin Mary occupies among the saints enables us to fully understand the importance of the feast we celebrate on August 15.
The word Assumption derives from the Latin adsumere (“to take up to oneself”) and it is a reference to the glorification of the Mother of God. As Pope Pius XII aptly said: “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
Even though Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption as an article of faith in 1950, the doctrine regarding the Holy Virgin has remained the same one in substance since the origins of Christianity (see Cardinal Newman’s letter, 1865). Very ancient elements of tradition about her death and her assumption were eventually written down in the Liber Requiei Mariae (The Book of Mary’s Repose) in the 4th century A.D.
It is obvious that the Assumption is a Catholic feast but it is quite unknown that it is also a French national holiday. The feast of the Assumption was first celebrated in our country — thanks to the influence of Pope Theodore — during the reign of St Sigisbert, king of France from January 19, 639 to February 1, 656. Another event that will result in the Feast of the Assumption becoming a national holiday took place about 1,000 years later. In 1637, Louis XIII and Anne of Austria had been married for about 23 years and yet their union had not been fruitful. The king and queen implored God so that he would give them children “through the merits of the Assumpted Virgin” and they hoped that their prayer would receive an answer.
On October 27 of the same year, Brother Fiacre, a monk of the order of the Discalced Augustinians, received a revelation of divine origin according to which Queen Anne of Austria would give birth to the heir to the throne of France if she publicly offered three novenas to the Holy Virgin. While the queen did as she had been instructed, Louis XIII dedicated France to the Virgin Mary on February 10, 1638 and he ordered that a procession took place in every parish, on every August 15, the feast day of the Assumption. Today, this dedication is known as the Vow of Louis XIII. The prophecy was eventually fulfilled and the queen gave birth on September 5, 1638, to the one who would become Louis XIV, the Sun King (French: le Roi-Soleil).
Unfortunately, the throne of France has now been vacant for about 182 long years. Yet, this crisis situation is not due to a lack of heir. As a matter of fact, the Lord saw it fit to bless the House of Bourbon by giving twins to the heir to the throne of France, Louis of Bourbon, and to his wife. The throne being vacant is really due to the repeated usurpation by the Republicans who have substituted the State religion with national godlessness (i.e. “laïcité“), the true baptism with the “Republican baptism”, the true marriage with “civil marriage”, morality with relativism, and the unifying king with the struggle between political parties. How could we be surprised to see France in such a bad shape?
Therefore I exhort you to pray on the feast day of the Assumption as King Louis XIII and Queen Anne once did so that France may be a land of hope again and so that her future may be bright! Let’s pray so that a strong relationship between Church and State may be reestablished! Let’s pray so that France may be a moral country again and so that she may be faithful to her baptism again! Let’s pray for the return of the descendant of Louis XIII on the throne of France! God has not forgotten that France was dedicated to Mary about 374 years ago. Let’s implore Him to bless us through the merits of the Assumpted Virgin and He will surely save our country from ruin.
Beautifully explained. Thank you. Le Royaume de France is always in my prayers. Catholic civilization must be restored through France. God bless your work. May la Vierge Marie, la Reine du Royaume de France, be at your side always.
Thank you so much for keeping France in your prayers, S.T. Martin! It is very encouraging to see that the counter-revolutionaries who fled persecution and emigrated to the New World have worthy successors. God bless you!