Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is planning to visit Lourdes this week, as celebrations of the 150th anniversary of 'Our Lady of Lourdes' get underway. The aim of his visit to the shrine, which will be the first for an Archbishop of the Church of England, is to foster unity with the Church of Rome. The shrine at Lourdes was built to commemorate the appearances of 'Mary' to a young girl by the name of Bernadette Soubirous. The apparition revealed itself to Bernadette in a grotto in Lourdes in January 1858. Two other girls were with Bernadette at the time of the encounter, but only Bernadette was able to see the 'vision'. Her first reaction was one of fear. She prayed that if this apparition was not of God, that it would go away. She also sprinkled a bottle of 'holy water' at the figure in an attempt to make it leave. But the apparition remained. Bernadette was to see the apparition on eighteen separate occasions, while numerous others were present. The apparition later instructed Bernadette to have a chapel built in the grotto, and to organize a procession honouring her as the 'Immaculate Conception'. Four years previous to this event, the Pope had proclaimed Mary as the 'Immaculate Conception', declaring her to be without original sin. It is said that Bernadette could not have known about the Pope's decree, thus many Catholics believe that her visions were genuine. I also believe her visions were real, but I do not believe that this apparition was the same Mary that we read about in the Scriptures. The Mary of the Bible was a humble woman who would not dare to elevate herself to the level that this apparition has. Mary was a sinner who trusted in God her Saviour (Luke 1:47). But now Archbishop Rowan Williams is seeking for the Church of England to be reunited with the Church of Rome, through the worship of this apparition. 

Quote: "Dr Williams will participate in the celebrations at the invitation of the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, Monsignor Jacques Perrier. He will also take part in a pilgrimage of bishops, clergy and laity of the Church of England, organised by the Society of Mary and the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. He will be accompanied in Lourdes by the Church of England bishop with particular responsibility for chaplaincies in France, the Right Reverend David Hamid, the suffragan bishop of the Diocese in Europe. His visit follows that of Pope Benedict, who made a pilgrimage to the town last weekend.

It's no secret that the Archbishop of the Church of England is a Druid. The Druids venerate nature, the sun, trees and groves, hill tops, streams, lakes and plants. They are also involved in ritualistic human sacrifice. Some believe the Druids may have been responsible for the construction of Stonehenge, in Salisbury, England. It is thought that the ancient landmark may have been used to track the sun through the summer and winter solstices. Thousands of people still visit Stonehenge every year to celebrate these occasions. Some think that the site may have also witnessed its fair share of human sacrifices. Well today just happened to be the autumnal equinox, the day that falls directly between the summer and winter solstices. At this time of year the northern hemisphere experiences exactly the same amount of daylight hours as the southern hemisphere. And what better day to give Stonehenge a modern makeover? It seems that in honour of one Druid's visit to the Catholic shrine of Lourdes, England is about to get its own version...

Quote: "The findings do not conflict with other recent theories about the uses of Stonehenge -- which indicate that it was an astronomical observatory, a cemetery and the site of biannual celebrations that honoured the dead and the living. But they do suggest that the monument also was an ancient Lourdes where pilgrims congregated to have their wounds and illnesses magically healed. Stonehenge has "multiple meanings and multiple uses" that may have changed over the centuries, said archaeologist Mary Ann Owoc of Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., who was not involved in the new research. "To limit it to one is an error." The idea that the stones are not just building materials but have efficacy "is tremendously appealing as an idea," said archaeologist Julian Thomas of Manchester University, who also was not involved in the research. "The idea that they were brought there because they have some kind of power seems to me entirely plausible. But whether it is just about healing is another question."

Is it just a coincidence? A Druid representing the Church of England visits Lourdes? A Druidic monument gets a 'Lourdes makeover' on the day of the equinox? Perhaps it is just a coincidence. But there is no coincidence in that the same devil is behind all of it... The apparitions of Mary all over the world, the adoration of Mary, the 'miraculous healings' both at Lourdes and now apparently at Stonehenge, the 'lucky charms', the worship of nature and the human sacrifices... Personally I think the makeover on Stonehenge is just a cover-up designed to hide its dark past. Just as the apparition at Lourdes had the appearance of good, the beauty was just a veneer that served to hide a very different reality underneath. The Bible warns us in 2nd Corinthians 11:14-15 that Satan masquerades as an angel of light in order to deceive, and that it should be no marvel if his ministers use the same tactics. Regarding Rowan Williams and Lourdes, I can't think of any other words to say about this other than what God says in Revelation 18.

Revelation 18:4-5
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

I feel the thing is too far gone to merit commenting on. Make no mistake about it, judgement is coming. But what about you? As Christ said of the Pharisees, outwardly they are like whitewashed sepulchres, but inwardly they are full of dead men's bones (Matthew 23:27). Does that verse apply to you? Have you an outward veneer of good works, but inside you are still spiritually dead in trespasses and in sins (Ephesians 2:1)? Jesus Christ died for you. He bore God's wrath for your sins upon the cross. And God has promised that all who believe on Jesus Christ for salvation can have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life in heaven. Jesus Christ said all who believe on Him, out of their inward parts shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-39). Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Source Wales Online, Mary Pages, LA Times, APOD, BBC