March 2021: Ides of March 2020

We date the COVID-19 outbreak to the Ides of March, as this is when We first discussed this. We were visiting Our mother at her place for an Ides of March party, which We had been invited to. This party was actually on Thursday, March 19. We dismissed the virus as nothing. By the beginning of the next week, things had changed. Soon We realized, this is the end of the world as we know it. (The term TEOTWAWKI was first coined as what some thought Y2K would do at the end of 1999.) Things will never be the same again.

We have not spoken much on COVID-19. We will say a few things here. We noticed that the reaction to COVID-19 has been far worse than the virus itself. We have written two Pope Speaks on this subject. The first was on obedience to the State. https://www.vaticaninexile.com/obedience_to_the_state_june_2020.php The second was on whether or not it is a sin to wear a mask. https://www.vaticaninexile.com/august_2020_is_it_a_sin_to_wear_a_mask.php

When churches were being shut down, We quickly compiled a book on Spiritual Communion, because Spiritual Communion should be a part of our lives, especially when it is impossible to assist at Mass. https://amzn.to/376uM3D

We will not go further into the reaction of the government to COVID-19 beyond that part of the reaction that has changed the world economy. This is why things will never be the same again. We have been tracking the economy for over three and a half decades and watching for signs of its demise. The money spent to attempt to curb the economic effects on people has sent us towards potential hyperinflation. The amount spent so far is staggering, and We do not believe they are through spending.

While We are on the economy, it is time to point out how little people really understand what they are writing about. A couple of decades ago, We were waiting on an oil change. We were reading an article on the derivatives market and how large it was. It was then at one quarter of a quadrillion dollars. That is 250 trillion dollars. That is about eight and a half times the current US national debt. We only got part way through the article. When We got home, We looked up and printed out the article. It was an article on retirement. Consider a market that is larger than the value of the world at that time, if you could sell it all at market value. And you are planning for retirement. You have just told me we are doomed, but are advising how to prepare for retirement.

It is this lack of understanding by people, who should know better that is disastrous. We will not go into great details on many things or give long explanations. We will merely point out some things.

What is money? Many will pull out a dollar bill and tell us that is money, but is it? It is currency and a medium of exchange between people today. Will it be worth anything tomorrow?

Aristotle defined four marks of true money:

Durable- the medium of exchange must not weather, fall apart, or become unusable. It must be able to stand the test of time.

Portable- relative to its size, it must be easily moveable and hold a large amount of universal value relative to its size.

Divisible- should be relatively easy to separate and put back together without ruining its basic characteristics.

Intrinsically Valuable- should be valuable in of itself, and its value should be totally independent of any other object. Essentially, the item must be rare.

Does the Federal Reserve Note fill those requirements? It is not durable, nor is it intrinsically valuable, therefore it is not money. We also talk about prices rising, when in fact it is the value of our currency that is falling. And soon it will begin to fall rapidly. This decimation of the currency the world currently runs on that will change all of our lives forever.

Today many fear the mark of the beast. And some think that the COVID vaccine will include a chip that is the mark of the beast. First of all to sin, we must will to sin. "And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand, or on their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Apocalypse 13:16-17) Yes, this shall come some day, but in order to sin, we must willingly take this mark, whatever it is. They can't slip it into us without our knowledge and acceptance and us be liable for the sin. There is much speculation on this and most likely all of it is wrong.

Antichrist will be a deceiver, a great deceiver. "For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect." (Matthew 24:24) It is Our opinion that many traditional minded people will actually accept the Antichrist. That is how persuasive his deception will be.

And so how can we immunize ourselves against the deception of Antichrist? That is what the Olive Tree is dedicated to, because we must become sincere Catholics. We must not just avoid sin, but become virtuous. We must not only read the Gospel, but live the Gospel. Yes trying times are coming, but God will take care of His own. God will not take care of those who call themselves His own, but those who truly live for Him.

Some have wondered about the COVID vaccine. We are working on something far more formal. In Our research We decided to look at what they present in favor of vaccines. One website presented the case for vaccines and their effectiveness. They cited a fictional school with one thousand students. Of those thousand all but five got the MMR vaccine before the school was exposed to mumps. Of those thousand seven of the vaccinated got mumps anyway. They also made the statement: "Of course the five unvaccinated got mumps." Back in the mid 1960's We could not get the MMR vaccine, because We had been exposed to mumps a few days before. We never got mumps either. It is this presumption, which makes Us doubt their reasoning. If it were true everyone one unvaccinated would get every disease they are exposed to, which is not true. How many of us have been exposed to COVID and not gotten it?

As We are getting ready to send this to the editor, We have heard that COVID may be reducing greatly by the end of April. However, the reaction to COVID has already caused irreparable damage. Now is the time to become saints! Let us pray.