If we were to speak of `devotion to Mary' without the addition of the adjective `true,' we would be implying that there is only one kind of devotion to Mary and that this devotion is, properly speaking, `devotion'.

For, anything else that would be called `devotion,' would not in fact be devotion at all.

False devotion is no devotion. Worse. False devotion is not merely negative. It is a positive movement away from that to which it pretends to lead. Yet, because it has the appearance of devotion, it is necessary to expose it for the sake of protecting the unsuspecting .

For this reason, we speak of "true devotion to Mary." True devotion is opposed, therefore, to false devotion.

True devotion leads to a more perfect following of Jesus Christ. And, what can be more perfect than the following of Jesus Christ in His redemptive and salvific obedience to the will of His and our heavenly Father? Clearly: Nothing can be better than that.

Among the many paradoxes of our day, one can point to the corruption of the entire concept of feminism. Unfortunately, this corruption has dimmed the sound understanding of women even in the Church to the point that advocates of `women's rights' are to be found among dedicated virgins.

These women are not misunderstood; they are misunderstanding. They misunderstand the high calling that is peculiar to the female of the human species.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the role model especially of every girl and woman. Note well: I do not say "The Blessed Virgin Mary ought to be the role model of every girl and woman." The reason for this lies in the simple fact that the use of the subjunctive ought changes the entire concept from an affirmative and positive necessity to an optative mood, a desire, an arbitrary choice. No. This is not the case. We are dealing with objective reality; we are dealing with metaphysical reality. What is and what ought to be are two quite different ideas.

If there is anything that is incompatible with truth, it is error. Consequently, when speaking of devotion to Mary we can only mean that kind of devotion which realizes in us that which God Himself expects of us.

We cannot ignore the Mother of God; we cannot minimize her appointed role in the sanctification process of all mankind. It matters little, quite frankly, whether anyone accepts God's plan or not in the ultimate analysis because God's plan will not change just because we don't like it.

The honor and glory derived from only one perfect soul knowing, loving and serving God is far greater than all the oceans of tepidity so common in every generation. For, God is a God of quality; whereas, Lucifer is the god of quantity. Our greatest mistake, generally speaking, is to lean too much in the direction of Lucifer and confuse quantity with quality.

There is very little `true devotion' to Mary. And the reason is not far from us. How can you tell the difference between someone with true devotion and false devotion? True devotion will always be accompanied by humility; whereas false devotion is always a mask for pride.

One might say that the definitive teacher of true devotion to the Blessed Virgin was and is St. Louis de Monfort. He is not original; but, he has collected the religious insights of the Church and presented them in an orderly manner for everyone's convenience. It is worth repeating a few observations of this great Marian saint in order to dispel doubt and confusion arising from the attitudes and conduct of certain popularized individuals.

Perhaps St. Louis' description of the presumptuous devotees could help us maintain a sound and sane balance in our own devotions to the Blessed Mother.

St. Louis writes: "Presumptuous devotees are sinners abandoned to their passions, or lovers of the world, who under the fair name of Christians and clients of our Blessed Lady conceal pride, avarice, impurity, drunkenness, anger, swearing, detraction, injustice or some other sin. They sleep in peace in the midst of their bad habits, without doing any violence to themselves to correct their faults, under the pretext that they are devout to the Blessed Virgin. They promise themselves that God will pardon them; that they will not be allowed to die without confession; and that they will not be lost eternally because they say the Rosary, because they fast on Saturdays, because they belong to the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, or wear the scapular, or are enrolled in other congregations, or they wear the little habit or little chain of our Lady.

They will not believe us when we tell them that their devotion is only an illusion of the devil and a pernicious presumption likely to destroy their souls. They say that God is good and merciful; that He has not made us to condemn us everlastingly; that no man is without sin; that they shall not die without confession; that one good act of contrition at the hour of death is enough; that they are devout to our Lady, wear the scapular, say daily, without fail and without vanity, seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys in her honor; and that they sometimes say the Rosary and the Office of our Lady, besides fasting and other things. To give authority to all this, and to blind themselves still further, they quote certain stories which they have heard or read _ it does not matter to them whether they be true or false _ relating how people have died in mortal sin without confession; and then, because in their lifetime they sometimes said some prayers or went through some practices of devotion to our Lady, how they have been raised to life again, in order to go to confession; or their soul has been miraculously retained in their bodies till confession; or through the clemency of the Blessed Virgin, they have obtained from God, at the moment of death, contrition and pardon of their sins, and so have been saved; and that they themselves expect similar favors.

Nothing in Christianity is more detestable than this diabolical presumption. For how can we truly say that we love and honor our Blessed Lady when by our sins we are pitilessly piercing, wounding, crucifying and outraging Jesus Christ, her Son? Who would ever dare think of such a thing?"

(True Devotion to Mary)

Thus, if we as Roman Catholics believe what the Church teaches, we must not associate ourselves with those who embrace heresies or schism while saying Rosaries or seeming to promote any kind of messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was, after all, blessed because of her consummate humility.

Heretics and schismatics of every kind and degree are far from true devotion to Mary despite any external manifestations and protestations to the contrary. A prime example of this false devotion can be found in Karl Wojtyla alias "John Paul II." While pretending to some kind of `protection' from the Blessed Virgin, this man has done more towards the demolition of the Roman Catholic Church than any previous antipope or any single or combination of heretical Modernist theologians.

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