God, solemn thanksgiving for all his benefit?. The holy Church and her Pontiff began to breathe a little, and our Saint enjoyed, at last, some consolation in their relief.
But her anguish was soon renewed. The old serpent, who could not succeed by this method, attacked her by others more dangerous and more rude. What he could not effect by foreigners and schismatics, he attempted by means of those who had remained faithful to the Holy See; he created a division between the people of Rome and the Sovereign Pontiff, and things attained such a point, that the populace openly threatened the life of the Supreme Pontiff. When Catherine was informed of it, she was deeply affected; she had recourse as usual to prayer, and ardently implored her divine Spouse never to permit such a crime. At that time Catherine wrote me a letter, in which she told me, that she had seen, in spirit, the city of Rome filled with demons, who excited the people to Parricide; they uttered horrible cries against the Saint, and said to her: "Cursed be thou that wouldst arrest us; but we will put thee to death in a frightful manner. "She answered naught, but she continually prayed with fervor, and implored God, that for the honor of his Name and the salvation of the Church, then rocked by rude storms, that he would deign to subvert the schemes of hell, in order to save the Sovereign Pontiff, and not allow the people to commit such an abominable offence. The Lord once answered her: " Suffer that nation which daily blasphemes my name, to fall into that crime, and when it will be committed, I will execute vengeance and destroy it, because my justice demands that I no longer support its iniquities." But she prayed with still increased fervor: "0 most clement God, thou knowest how deeply the Spouse that you have redeemed by thy precious blood, is outraged
