Raymond is a Knight of Magistral Grace of the Sovereign and Military Order of Malta and the Delegate for International Missions for Human Life International (HLI); He is also the Founder of Saint Gabriel Communications, Australia’s first international outreach promoting Catholic Apologetics, Executive Director of Tradition Family Property – New Zealand; EWTN program host and President of the Sacred Heart Media in the United States.
Raymond is the recipient of the International Pro-Life Award, Initiatives for Life, granted him by the London-based International Alliance of Catholic Knights. He regularly travels all over the world to represent HLI in mission activities to refute the Culture of Death, proclaim the Gospel of Life and defend the Catholic Faith through his New apologetics of Faith and Reason.
Fluent in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, and also having conversational ability in Italian and Afrikaans, Raymond has distinguished himself as an international Catholic Apologist, Pro-Life activist, author and broadcaster. He puts Logic at the service of the Faith, blending it with wit, history and humor in a unique and riveting style. He has given over 2,500 talks in person, on radio and television, and has assisted religious education programs in dioceses, parishes, schools and lay organizations in thirty-seven countries of six continents. He has a weekly column on Catholic apologetics in the national Catholic newspaper, The Wanderer.
Raymond's most recent initiative was to have published in Germany the book which King Henry VIII wrote, helped by St Thomas More, In Defense of the Seven Sacraments Against Martin Luther, totally refuting Luther's heresies on the Sacraments. Henry VIII received the title, Defender of the Faith, from Pope Leo X.
Raymond dedicated the English edition to Her Majesty Elizabeth II, as a fraternal reminded of the unity of Faith held by England and Rome for over 1,000 years. In the German edition, Raymond counted on the support of Cardinal Gerhard Muller, the ex-Prefect of the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ( the 'Holy Office'), and of Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, who wrote respectively the Preface and Postface.
Talks Include:
"THIS IS MY BODY": REAL OR SYMBOLIC?
When Jesus said, "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood", did He mean His words LITERALLY or FIGURATIVELY, as in 'I am the vine and you are the branches'? How did the Apostles and early Christians understand it? A fascinating presentation of Logic at the Service of Faith!
THE MASS: MEAL OR SACRIFICE?
Was the Last Supper a mere celebration of an ancient Jewish ceremony - the Passover - or was it the fulfillment of a prophetic promise? Is there any connection between the Last Supper and Calvary? Learn more about the unique relationship between the Last Supper and Calvary and their unbloody renewal in the Catholic Mass.
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST
Is it reasonable to believe that a young Jewish carpenter who lived in an obscure province of the Roman empire nearly 2000 years ago, who was crucified like a common criminal...was God in the Flesh? Putting 'Logic at the service of the Faith' shows that it makes perfect sense to believe in Jesus as True God and True Man.
THE RESURRECTION
St. Paul stated clearly that "If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain: and your faith is also vain." (1 Cor. 15:14). An exciting analysis of the Gospels as historical documents, investigating and refuting the various theories against the Resurrection.
WHO IS THE ROCK: PETER...OR JESUS?
Do not millions of baptized Christians ignore the Bishop of Rome and yet claim to live by the Bible? What are the biblical foundations of the papacy? EX CATHEDRA...WHAT'S THAT? A clear explanation of the gift of infallibility given by Jesus to Saint Peter, its extension and limits as defined by the Council Vatican I , which defined it as a dogma of the Christin Faith.
THE MARIAN DOGMAS
1. PERPETUAL VIRGINITY What did the early Christians believe? Are the accusations against her virginity purely based on semantics? Find out why the denial of the perpetual virginity is unscriptural, unhistorical and illogical in terms of Hebrew customs, traditions, and language. Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli defended this teaching.
2. THE DIVINE MATERNITY?
Is Mary the Mother of God...or the Mother of Jesus? How can a human mother give birth to God? When Elizabeth called her the "Mother of my Lord", was it merely oriental hyperbole or divine inspiration? Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli defended this teaching.
3. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
"All have sinned and need the glory of God, "says St. Paul, Rom. 3:23. Are all mankind - without exception - stained by original sin? How would the unborn, infants or the mentally ill be guilty of sin? Above all, what about the Blessed Virgin Mary? Can someone be free from Original Sin at conception? Is there any Biblical foundation for this?
4. THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Was the Blessed Virgin Mary assumed into Heaven? Since non-Catholics claim it is nowhere to be found in Scriptures, why should anyone believe it? Are there precedents in Scripture for it (Enoch, and Elias in the Old Testament), St. Paul's teaching of the 'Rapture' in the New?
STATUES...OR IDOLS?
From time immemorial, Christians in the East and West have used icons as statues in their worship of God. However, from the Protestant Revolution to modern day, such customs are viewed as idolatrous. What is the difference between statues (praised by God) and idols (condemned by God)?
THE ROSARY: VAIN REPETITIONS?
Throughout history, the Blessed Virgin Mary has often asked us to pray the Rosary daily. Non-Catholics say that the Rosary is a prayer of 'vain repetitions'. What is the Biblical foundation of prayers of repetition like the Rosary, the Psalms, and other prayers?
THE DEVIL: A PERSON...OR A FORCE?
Is he just a medieval superstition...or a powerful spirit bent on our eternal loss? An investigation into the reality of the Devil, his powers and actions.
DOES PURGATORY EXIST?
Is Purgatory just a Roman Catholic invention? For a truth to be believed, must if be clerly stard in the Bible? A penetrating study into the logical, historical, biblical, and archaeological foundations of Purgatory.
GOOD OR EVIL: WHO DECIDES?
Is it the government? The courts? The Church? The Individual? The laws of morality used to be clearly defined. Then in the turbulent years of the latter twentieth century, societal dissent and disruption in all walks of life caused confusion and chaos. An investigation into the choice between good and evil and illustrates his address with a vast array of concrete examples in an attractive, witty, and riveting style.
THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE DE-CHRISTIANIZATION OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
A fascinating historical presentation on the twilight of Christian civilization from the perspective of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. How the secularization of the economy, laws and politics have contributed to the de-Christianization of Western culture and the consequent loss of Faith.
THE 12 PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
A unique explanation of the twelve Promises made by Jesus to St Margaret Mary Alacoque in France, and their relevance to the life of a Catholic today.
