Letter from Broadstairs. April 2026.

LETTER FROM BROADSTAIRS APRIL 2026

Nova et vetera

The Coming of the Sovereign Judge

It is superfluous to seek  the precise hour when Our Lord’s Second Coming will take place as it is an impenetrable secret unknown to any creature.

Nevertheless this supreme moment which will bring to an end the present world of sin will be preceded by striking signs which will fix the attention both of the believers and of the impious, namely the persecution by the Antichrist and the apparition of Enoch and Elijah. Saint Paul says that the Christ Jesus will slay the Antichrist with the breath of His mouth, as if the punishment of the man of sin will coincide with the Second Coming. This, however, is not the general opinion as St Paul’s words could mean that the destruction of the Antichrist would only be consummated on the day of the General Judgement even though his death had taken place some time before.

Also, the Gospels imply quite clearly that there will be a certain lapse of time, albeit relatively brief, between the punishment of the monster and the consummation of all things. Saint Thomas Aquinas [Suppl. qu. 81, art. 1] sheds much light on the time between the death of the Antichrist and  Our Lord’s Coming. ‘Before the appearance of the signs of the judgement the impious will believe themselves to be in peace and security because they will not see the world ending as they previously thought it would.’ Hence it is possible to make the following plausible conjectures, although they remain in the domain of simple probabilities.

We have already spoken of the resounding triumph of the Church following the Antichrist’s defeat and how she will open her heart and her arms to all, to her children, to the converted Jews, to the converted heretics, to the descendants of the children of Noah, (Cham, Sem and Japhet), in a word realising the great unity which was purchased by the Blood of the Lamb of God, when there will be  one fold and one shepherd.

Doubtless there will still be evil and impious people even during this time of triumph, but it is permitted to think that they will be hidden amongst the immensity of public exaltation.

However, these wonderful  days will only last until people begin to forget those solemn events which led to their happiness, and then a certain tepidity will set in after the initial fervour, and this transition will happen quickly given that the Church will no longer have any enemies to combat.

The same theme is developed by the Abbe Arminjon in his work ‘The End of the World and the Mysteries of the Future Life.’ He writes, ‘Humanity, by a criminal abuse of grace, will return to its vomit. Turning its aspirations towards the world, it will  turn away from Almighty God  so as to no longer see heaven or to remember His just judgements. All faith will be extinguished in their hearts. Divine Providence will judge that there is no longer any remedy.’

‘It will be as in the time of Noah when men lived taken up by their usual occupations until the deluge arrived and submerged the whole world.  So it is that the final catastrophe will come when the world will feel totally secure, with civilisation at its summit, and money in abundance, with national celebrations and great exhibitions. Humanity will bask in an unheard of material prosperity like the man in the Gospel who feels secure  his barns full but who, in the middle of the night, will hear a great upheaval with a voice exclaiming, the Lord is nigh, go out before Him, (Matthew 25,6)’

And the author adds that these men will not have time to repent, although in this we must differ because the great catastrophe will indeed be preceded by the awful signs which together will constitute a supreme appeal on the part of the Divine Mercy.

The sun will be darkened and the moon will no longer shine and the laws of movement of the celestial bodies will appear as suspended.  There will be a great turbulence in the seas accompanied by huge waves, and the land will be shaken by earthquakes, so that men will not know where to take refuge. Finally the earth will open and will spew forth an inferno of flames, whilst in the skies will appear a brilliant cross which will announce the coming of the Sovereign Judge.

Nobody can say how long these signs will last for. Holy Scripture merely states that men will be seized with fear, but some will be converted as at the time of the Flood according to Saint Peter.

As for the just, they will raise their heads with confidence, and the brilliant cross will fill them with joy. So it is that the Church will have run her earthly course and the earth will have waited until she harvests the last of the elect.

To be continued Donations for the continuing apostolate of Bishop Williamson can be made on this site — https://respicestellam.org/donate/