The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

August 7, 1904

The first to persecute the Church will be the religious.

As I was in my usual state, I found myself surrounded by Angels and Saints, who said to me:  “It is necessary that you suffer more for the imminent things that are about to happen against the Church, for if they do not come about imminently, time will make them happen in a milder way and with lesser offense to God.”  And I said:  ‘Is suffering perhaps in my power?  If the Lord gives it to me, I will gladly suffer.’  Meanwhile, they took me and brought me before the throne of Our Lord, and they prayed together that He would make me suffer; and blessed Jesus, coming toward us in the form of the Crucified, shared His pains with me – not only once, but I spent almost all morning amid continuous renewals of the crucifixion.  Afterwards, He said to me:  “My daughter, sufferings divert my just indignation, and the light of grace is renewed in the human minds.  Ah, daughter, do you think that it will be the secular who will be the first to persecute my Church?  Ah, no, it will be the religious, the very leaders who, pretending now to be sons, shepherds, while in reality they are poisonous snakes that poison themselves and others, will begin among themselves to lacerate this good mother; and then the secular will follow.”  Then, as obedience called me, the Lord withdrew, but all embittered.