Page:Mahometanism in its relation to prophecy - or, an inquiry into the prophecies concerning antichrist, with some reference to their bearing on the events of the present day (IA mahometanisminit00philrich).pdf/289

 proclaim his conviction that Mahomet was the Man of Sin, the chief Antichrist, he who was to be revealed on the breaking up of the old Roman empire. And if we turn to another homily of the same holy father on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we shall see with what fervour he implores the Mother of God to intercede with her Divine Son, that He would deliver the Church from the cruel tyranny of Mahomet, saying, "All hail to Thee, by whom the wild, savage, ravenous dog of Ishmael is smitten as though by a sword!"—"." And so from that day to this, whatever partial relief has been granted to the Church of God from the desolating persecution of this cruel Antichrist, the annals of her history assure us that it has been granted by God at the special intercession of His ever blessed Mother. And now that we seem to be drawing near to that great consummation for which the Church of God has been so long praying, the final destruction of Mahomet, it will not be uninteresting to the Catholic reader to hear what was revealed to the blessed Father Leonard, of Port Maurice, a short time before his holy death. It was made known to him, that when the Church of God should solemnly define the ancient belief of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God to be an article of Divine faith, then three great and wonderful things should ensue. There would be a tremendous war all over the world, with