Part II : The Crown of Power : Chapter 7 : § 5.4-6

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD

She rules and guides the Church

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 5. Her particular care for Princes and Prelates of the Church

 4   Prelates are the Fathers and Princes of the Church and for this reason they have a special right to the graces and favours of the MOTHER OF GOD, whom St John Damascene calls the glory of Prelates[1]. Personally, I have no doubt that it was the King of Heaven her beloved Son who inspired this title and this would be easy to demonstrate through numerous stories. One example concerns Udo, whose story I shall relate in another place[2] but whose fate serves as an example to those who abuse responsibilities which Angels would tremble to take on. Another example is a story of the blessed St Nicholas which serves as a powerful encouragement to Pastors, encouraging them to discharge the duties of their office in a worthy manner. Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople wrote a life of St Nicholas which has been confirmed by several authors as worthy of belief. He recounts how:

this Saint was one night overtaken by a mysterious sleep, during which he saw to his right  the Saviour in great majesty holding a book of the Gospels which shone with diamonds and other precious stones; to his left was the Blessed Virgin who was carrying the archiepiscopal pallium which she proceeded to place on his shoulders. A few days after this he understood the meaning of this vision, for he was miraculously elected Bishop of Myra in Lycia, in a way that everyone knows.

Human affairs, however, can change rapidly and after several years this holy Prelate fell into disgrace. A number of writers relate an incident which happened to him at the Council of Nicea:

He was so carried away by his zeal that he struck the cheek of an Arian bishop who had overstepped the mark in his language. The Council was duly obliged to take cognizance of this matter, in view of the complaints filed by the Arian bishops. The upshot was that he was deprived of his archiepiscopal mitre and pallium. Our beloved Mother in the goodness of her heart did not allow this for very long, and a few days later as he was celebrating Holy Mass in honour of the same Virgin, she appeared with two Angels, one of whom placed the mitre back on his head, and the other placed the pallium on his shoulders. There are some who say this happened the first night after they had been withdrawn from him, and that he received both from the hands of his beloved Mother, who had been present when the Council judged against him.

Footnotes

[1] Orat. 1 de Nativ. Virg.

[2] Part III.

 5   At this point, we would really need Saints such as Chrysologus, Ildephonsus, Germanus and other similar Prelates worthy of eternal memory who consecrated their hearts, their speech and their pens to praising the greatness of the MOTHER OF GOD. They would be able to tell us of  the heavenly light that she gives to good shepherds, the prevenient graces she supplies to them, the noble resolutions she helps them to make, the skills with which she equips them to discharge their pastoral duties, the holy teachings she communicates to them, the success that she gives to their deliberations, the strength she obtains for them in the undertakings, the ability to withstand great trials for the benefit of their flock, and the friendly admonishments she gives them when they are remiss in their duties: for all these are favours given in secret which we would need to have experienced ourselves in order to speak worthy of them. I am in fact of the opinion that these favours are amongst those which have been expressly hidden from us so as to temper us in the exercise of our faith and to increase the joy we shall experience on high when we eventually see all these wonders revealed. I cannot help recalling, however, how the Holy Virgin spoke to a Prelate[1] one day through St Bridget, reproaching him for the way he was neglecting his church,

warning him enigmatically that the right transept had been damaged; that the stonework in the vault was coming loose, posing a clear danger to those coming into the church, several of whom had already felt material falling on their heads; that the pillars were starting to bow; that the floor was cracking – in short, that there was scarcely anything not in need of repair, and if he did not give his prompt attention to these problems, he would be the very first to be crushed beneath the ruins, and besides this he would have to answer for however many people would suffer death or injury because of his neglect.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. IV Revelat., c. 68.

 6   In this way our gentle Mother makes provision for everything, correcting some, encouraging others, giving help and support to everyone, distributing countless graces to good Shepherds out of consideration for their flocks, and helping the flocks in their infirmities for the love of their good Shepherds, so that God may be blessed and honoured in all things here on Earth, and much more on high in the Heaven where all the little sheep of the church will be led, so that they will then be forever under the one Shepherd, who is the Shepherd of the Shepherds and the Prince of Shepherds.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor 2025