"I saw that many pastors allowed themselves to be taken up with ideas that were dangerous to the Church. They were building a great, strange, and extravagant Church. Everyone was to be admitted in it in order to be united and have equal rights: Evangelicals, Catholics, sects of every description. Such was to be the new Church..." "I saw the fatal consequences of this counterfeit church; I saw it increase; I saw heretics of all kinds flocking to the city [of Rome]. The local clergy grew lukewarm, and I saw a great darkness..." ​"I see that the false Church of darkness is making progress and I see the dreadful influence it has on the people. The Holy Father and the Church are verily in so great a distress that one must implore God night and day..." ​"It seemed to be a large, old house like a town hall with columns in front. I saw no altar in it, but only benches, and in the middle of it something like a pulpit. They had preaching and singing, but nothing else... And lo, a most singular sight! Each member of the congregation drew an idol from his breast, set it up before him, and prayed to it." ​"They want to take from the shepherd his own pasture grounds! They want to fill his place with one who will hand all over to the enemy!" ​"I had another vision of the great tribulation. It seems to me that a concession was demanded from the clergy which could not be granted. I saw many older priests, especially one, who wept bitterly. A few younger ones were also weeping. But others, and the lukewarm among them, readily did what was demanded. It was as if people were splitting into two camps." ​"Very evil times are coming... The non-Catholics will mislead many. They will use every possible means to entice them from the Church, and great disturbances will follow." ​"All sorts of abominations were committed in it... The priests let things go their way and said Mass very irreverently; only a few of them were still a little intelligent and pious... Then my Heavenly Spouse bound me as He Himself had been bound to the pillar, and He said: 'So will the Church yet be bound. She will be tightly bound before she shall again arise.'" ​"I saw in all places Catholics oppressed, annoyed, restricted, and deprived of liberty, churches were closed, and great misery prevailed everywhere with war and bloodshed." ​"Again I saw in vision St. Peter's undermined according to a plan devised by the secret sect while, at the same time, it was damaged by storms; but it was delivered at the moment of greatest distress. Again I saw the Blessed Virgin extending her mantle over it." Bl. Catherine Emmerich (1774- 1824)