Author Topic: Autobiography of Archbishop Thuc (Read 282585 times)

Persto · « **Reply #670 on:** July 31, 2026, 07:57:31 AM »

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odilo_of_Cluny

Who Was St. Odilo?

Odilo of Cluny (c. 962 – 1 January 1049) was the 5th Benedictine Abbot of Cluny, succeeding Mayeul and holding the post for 54 years. During his tenure Cluny became the most important monastery in western Europe. Odilo actively worked to reform the monastic practices not only at Cluny, but at other Benedictine houses. He also promoted the "Truce of God" whereby military hostilities were temporarily suspended at certain times for ostensibly religious reasons. Odilo encouraged the formal practice of personal consecration to Mary. He established All Souls' Day on 2 November in Cluny and its monasteries as the annual commemoration to pray for all the faithful departed. The practice was soon adopted throughout the whole Western church. He was lifelong friends with William of Dijon, another Cluniac abbot and reformer.

Odilo was descended from an illustrious noble family of Auvergne (central France). The son of Berald de Mercoeur and Gerberga, his widowed mother became a nun at the convent of St. John in Autun after his father's death. Odilo had eight brothers and two sisters. One of his sisters married and the other became an abbess.

When he was a child, he was partially paralyzed and had to be carried by the family servants on a stretcher. One day while the family was travelling, they came to a church and Odilo was left with the luggage at the church door. The door was open, and little Odilo felt God was calling him to crawl to the altar. He got to the altar and tried to stand up, but failed. He tried again and finally succeeded: he was able to walk around the altar.  It was believed that he had been cured of the unnamed malady by the intervention of Our Lady.  As a child, he developed a great devotion to the Virgin Mary.

While still quite young, he entered the seminary of St. Julien in Brioude, where he became a specialist in canon law. William of Dijon persuaded him to enter the monastery of Cluny.  In 991, at the age of twenty-nine, he entered Cluny and before the end of his year of probation was made coadjutor to Abbot Mayeul, and shortly before the latter's death (994) was made abbot and received Holy orders.

His fifty years as Abbot were distinguished for the exceeding gentleness of his rule. It was usual with him to say that, of two extremes, he chose rather to offend by tenderness than a too rigid severity.  He was known for showing mercy indiscriminately even to those who people said did not deserve it. He would say in response, ‘I would rather be mercifully judged for having shown mercy, than be cruelly damned for having shown cruelty."

Of small stature and insignificant appearance, Odilo was a man of immense force of character. He was a man of prayer and penance, with a great devotion to the Incarnation and to the Blessed Mother. Odilo encouraged the formal practice of personal consecration to Mary.  He also encouraged learning in his monasteries, and had the monk Rodolfus Glaber write a history of the time. He erected a magnificent monastery building, and furthered the reform of the Benedictine monasteries. It was during his abbacy that Cluny became the most important monastery in western Europe.  During a great famine in 1006, his liberality to the poor was by many censured as profuse; for he melted down the sacred vessels and ornaments to raise funds.

Many miracles were attributed to him by the tradition, such as increases in food or wine, empty bottles of wine filled up again, a fish that he divided to feed more than it could normally feed; he walked on water and ordered his servants to follow him, which they did without falling in. He, finally, healed the sick with touch and making the sign of the cross.

He died during the night of the New Year 1049, at the age of eighty-seven while he was praying for the Poor Souls of Purgatory. After his death, miracles were also reported from his tomb, including healings.

On the night of Odilo's funeral, a monk named Gregorinius saw him. This monk had come a long distance to come to Odilo's funeral. When the monk saw the dead abbot's spirit, he said to him, ‘how goes it with thee, master?‘ to which the spirit of Odilo replied, ‘Very well, oh brother, Christ Himself deigned to come and meet His servant. In the hour of my death He pointed out to me a fierce and terrible figure which, standing in a corner, would have terrified me by its huge monstrosity had not its malignancy been annulled by His presence.

St. Odilo Pray for us!

Persto · « **Reply #671 on:** July 31, 2026, 11:43:22 AM »

https://www.dailycatholic.org/jul26ttt.htm

Abp. Thuc and Madame Nhu in Rome, December 13, 1963
In the Aftermath of the Assassinations

"Meanwhile in Rome, Archbishop Thuc was still attending the Second Vatican Council, which at the time undoubtedly saved his life. Yet when he discovered what had happened and how he was shunted by those who, you would think, would offer condolences, he realized he was a man without a country. So also was the outspoken Madame Nhu, widow of Ngo-dinh-Nhu. She had been at the forefront of a morality movement in defending and promoting the Catholic culture... she had worked to outlaw all abortion, contraceptives, and public occasions that would lead to temptation such as the dance halls, animal fighting, beauty pageants, etc. More importantly, and one reason she was a target of character assassination was because she had succeeded in closing down houses of prostitution and the opium dens."

"Less than a month prior she had publicly stated what we know today: "I don't know why Americans dislike us. Is it because the world is under a spell called liberalism? Your own public, here in America, is not as anti-Communistic as our is in Vietnam." The Zionist-Masonic press sought to deride and vilify Madame Nhu as the "Dragon Lady."

"One thing is certain: she was not afraid to speak her mind. After the assassination of her husband and brother-in-law she flew to Rome from Los Angeles where she had been during a public relations tour with the real intent to expose - in a cross country tour - the atrocities Kennedy had been allowing in Vietnam but the U.S. countered with the coup. Upon hearing of the death of her beloved, she stated to the press "Whoever has the Americans as allies does not need enemies." As we can see since then she was right on, including her prediction that things would only grow bleaker in Vietnam and the United States' troubles were just beginning in the Far East. In later years she would echo the futility of the madness of the Modernists when she said, "If one has no courage to denounce, if one bows to madness and stupidity, how can one ever hope to cope with the other wrongs of humanity exploited in the same fashion by Communists?" Evidently she was speaking of both politics and religion."

"Immediately following the coup, Madame Nhu and her daughter flew to Rome to be with her brother-in-law Archbishop Thuc, and where his youngest brother Ngo-din-Luyen, then serving as the Vietnamese diplomat to England, flew in from London as well. Reunited, Archbishop Thuc tried to reassure the remains of his family that things would be okay, but he knew."

Abp. Thuc in Rome offering a Mass for the family, November 19, 1963

Incredulous · « **Reply #672 on:** July 31, 2026, 10:19:44 PM »

What a courageous, naturally glamorous and fiery trad Catholic woman she was!

Criticism of Pope Paul VI

Madame Nhu, the de facto First Lady of South Vietnam, was vocal in her criticism of Pope Paul VI.
She referred to him as a "traitor" to the Catholic Church.

Persto · « **Reply #673 on:** August 01, 2026, 07:36:26 AM »

https://www.dailycatholic.org/jul26ttt.htm

Betrayals
"Not only the loss of most of his family, but the loss of the sensus Catholicus at the council bothered him greatly. It is interesting to note that at the very time he learned of the fate of his brothers, he was involved in the Conciliar schema of the Blessed Mother's role in the Church as Mother of the Church. This title and honor barely passed with the progressivists losing out by only 40 votes 1114 placet (it pleases) to 1074 against non placet. Intuitively, his heart so humanly aching, Archbishop Thuc could see the handwriting on the conciliar wall. Even our Blessed Mother was not immune from the deconstruction of her divine Son's Church. It was nigh unto spiritual heartbreak as well."

Bp. Philippe Nguyen Kim Dien
"Thuc felt the betrayal further when he was not only NOT allowed by Montini to return to his beloved See of Hue, but the man who had sought to undermine him throughout his bishopric in Hue - Bishop Philippe Nguyen Kim Dien was named the coadjutor Archbishop of Hue in 1964." At the time the Second Vatican Council was still on going, and Bp. Dien was also in attendance at Vatican II. Bp. Dien was allowed to return to Vietnam- but Abp. Thuc was prevented from doing so. Bishop Dien was the preferred choice of Montini and the communists. From 1964 he took over Abp. Thuc's role in Hue, and in 1968 he was appointed Archbishop of Hue in Abp. Thuc's place.

"When Dien was named permanent Archbishop of Hue, and Thuc was refused a visa to return to Vietnam, engineered by Montini himself, is there any doubt Thuc felt betrayed? Granted nothing but the useless title of the Titular Bishop of Bulla Regia, he felt the sting all the more, when there was a great celebration at the University he founded at Dalat and not one mention of his name. As the Archbishop wrote: "The name of the founder of the university was never mentioned, not even once, because his name is displeasing to the present occupants of the Vatican. All is well that ends well. I established the university in obedience to the Vatican of other days. God had helped me. To Him all honor and all glory forever and ever. Amen."

Incredulous · « **Reply #674 on:** August 01, 2026, 11:41:11 AM »

Archbishop Thuc was a great man, who suffered both a "White" and a "Red" Catholic martyrdom for Christ and His Church and his country.

CathInfo.com

Author Topic: Autobiography of Archbishop Thuc (Read 282585 times)

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