WELCOME SITE PLAN LIFE OF LOVE THE WORKS THE LADY E-MAIL	CAMPAIGN OF DEFAMATION AND THE DEVOTION TO THE LADY OF ALL PEOPLES “Do not risk finding yourselves fighting against God” (cf. Acts 5:38-39)

Some authorities in the hierarchy of the Church, having no qualms about going against the actions of the Holy Father, as well as those of the Primate of the Church in Canada who was faithful to the Pope, began an insidious campaign of defamation against the Army of Mary and its directors.

Just as was the case for matters within her family, the Lord indicates to Marie-Paule the assaults that will be made against her and the means of warding them off.

Should we be surprised at the fact that such a fight is being waged even by those who are “good”? No, the history of the Church abounds with examples of the most promising Works which were persecuted, sometimes expelled from dioceses and even condemned. They seemed to die but only to flourish once again with more strength. Divine wisdom does not astonish those who remain faithful through the storm; it fortifies them and makes them happier.

We need only recall Gamaliel’s words: “If their purpose or activity is human in its origins, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them without fighting God himself” (Acts 5:38-39). That is what allows the discerning of the Works of God from those of the Other... The unrestrained war to destroy a work is a cardinal sign of its authenticity. The devil does not fight against himself...

The Prayer of the Lady of All Peoples
One of the points upon which the adversaries concentrated their efforts concerns the prayer given by the Lady of All Peoples in Amsterdam in 1951, a prayer which immediately received the imprimatur of the local bishop where the apparitions took place.

Now, the messages of the Lady of All Peoples had been spread in America in 1967, without the intervention of the Army of Mary which had not yet been founded. At that time, the prayer had already been translated into 29 languages, with over eight million copies having been distributed throughout the world (cf. Raoul Auclair, La Dame de Tous les Peuples, N.E.L., pages 40-41). These books were on sale at most of the major bookstores.

In 1971, many of those who joined the Army of Mary had this devotion to the Lady of All Peoples. Since it was permissible to recite the prayer in private and since this latter had already received over two hundred imprimaturs, the directors of the Marian Work confidently requested an imprimatur which was granted by two religious authorities in Quebec on September 8, 1973. However, since the battle constantly intensified, these same authorities withdrew their imprimatur in 1977.

Authorization of Public Devotion

Eventually the devotion to the Lady of All Peoples was officially recognized by the Church. In effect, on May 31, 1996, on the feast of the Visitation of Mary, His Excellency Most Reverend Henrik Bomers, Bishop of Haarlem in the Netherlands, and Bishop Jozef Punt, his Auxiliary Bishop, signed a decree authorizing public devotion to the Lady of All Peoples, whose prayer had received, in 1951, the approval of a previous bishop of the diocese in which the apparitions took place. This decree left the People of God entirely free to form its own judgment with regard to these apparitions. “The Church cannot, for the moment, make a pronouncement on the supernatural character of the apparitions or the contents of the messages. Each one is free to form a judgment, according to his or her conscience.”

The announcement of the authorization for “public devotion of the prayer” was hailed as a singular grace and a source of great hope. In fact, His Exc. Bishop Bomers’ declaration opened the way for official approval of this prayer by the Church and made possible the celebration, on May 31, 1997, of the First International Day of Prayer in honor of the Lady of All Peoples in Amsterdam, which, in the years to come, would be followed by other Days of Prayer.

Recognition of the Supernatural Origin

On May 31, 2002, His Exc. Bishop Jozef Punt, now the Bishop of Haarlem, signed a decree in which he recognized the supernatural nature of the apparitions of the Lady of All Peoples, stating that these apparitions are “a help in understanding the signs of the times and to help live more fully the Gospel.”

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