Bro. Carmelo Cortez and Rose Petal Images
Jesus Christ's likeness appears on a rose petal.
Yesterday, I received a long-distance call on my mobile phone from someone I least expected to call me, let alone from someone in another continent.
It was from Filipino visionary Bro. Carmelo Cortez calling from the USA. He was profusely apologetic for a comment posted on this blog by one of his followers.
So you will understand the background of this article, let me refer you to an earlier post I wrote titled Rose Petal Images: Miracle or Not?
Please go there and read it if you haven’t done so yet. Read all the comments following it, as that’s where the stir started. Then come back here to finish reading this article.
Anyway, I wrote Rose Petal Images:Miracle or Not? in response to an email sent by Joe D’Mello of the USA asking my opinion on rose petal images. He wanted to know if I, as a magician, believed these images were miracles.
For those who haven’t heard of Bro. Carmelo Cortez, you may also want to check Sacred Images on Rose Petals which details how he started his work as a visionary. You may also want to check photos of rose petal images at www.webshots.com or visionsofjesuschrist.com, so you will have an idea of what we are talking about here.
Having taken care of the background and the links, I will now proceed to what I want to say today.
When I wrote Petal Images: Miracle or Not?, I did not mean to attack the beliefs of others. If the article sounded disrespectful, blame it on my less-than-perfect writing ability and lack of grasp of the English language, not on my intention.
I apologize to Bro. Carmelo Cortez and his followers whom I may have unwittingly upset with that particular post. I didn’t mean disrespect.
In my younger days, I used to be a rabid member of the Catholic Faith Defender. I prided myself in being one of its top debaters in Iligan City. Arguing with other people’s faith became my preoccupation for years, until one day it dawned on me that I was becoming a jerk. I preached God’s message of love and forgiveness, but I kept snarling at and arguing and debating with people who didn’t share my beliefs. It was an emotionally draining enterprise that didn’t win me friends. But I was young, reckless, brash and foolhardy then.
Not anymore. As a Filipino magician, I turn away from debates, I run away from arguments, I avoid hecklers.
I have learned my lessons. Nobody wins an argument, especially a magician when he is performing.
The better route is to respect people for their beliefs, even if they are not the same as mine. I have counseled my readers about this in previous posts. Please see Haven’t I Told You Before? You Will Lose a Debate with a Heckler and Don’t Shoot the Heckler.
Today, there are two topics I avoid talking about in public or with strangers: religion and politics. I love both topics, and I read up a lot of them. But discuss them in public? Not anymore.
Thus, with all these things said, I want to make it clear that I respect everybody’s beliefs and opinions, even though some people don’t respect mine. If you post comments contrary to what I have written, I will publish it, unedited and unexpurgated. There’s nothing to apologize for thinking or believing differently.
I wish Bro. Carmelo Cortez continued success in his missionary work. When he called me up yesterday, he was not only apologetic but polite to a fault. He was acting as decently as how I imagined visionaries should act—respectful but passionate about their work.
Incidentally, he and I are on the same wave length. We both believe in respecting other people’s beliefs even if these are contrary to ours.
As I said over the phone yesterday, I would like to attend one of Bro. Carmelo Cortez’s missionary works once he returns to the country.
To Bro. Carmelo Cortez and his followers, God bless you always.
Leodini
Very well ilucidated my good friend.
I may not be as rabid as you were in your younger days, but I consider myself a devout Catholic – in heart, mind and in practice. This does not mean, though, that I’m spotless and beyond reproach.
You know that I’m following your writings, and find time to post a comment from time to time. When you wrote the “miracles of the rose petals,” I was tempted to throw a word or two on the issue but have chosen to remain silent.
Some of the observations you wrote went against my core beliefs, which I could have begged to disagree, albeit agreeably. Then surfaced my discipline of “looking at the two sides of every coin” with keen objectivity, and admmitted you had some valid arguments as well. And it helped me appreciate your viewpoints, without necessarily agreeing to it. For me, this is respecting other people’s opinions.
You are a good man, Leo, as far as I’m concerned. I’m confident you have no ill-intent when you wrote those words, and I admired you for it. We may be different in some aspects, but it doesn’t make you less of a person in the way I see you.
Keep it flowing good friend.
just from nowhere,
dynamicsphere
Thanks, Rey, for your understanding.
If everyone will only toss away his intolerance for other people’s beliefs, then we would have more time enjoying our magic instead of raging inside.
Stay magical,
Leodini
Could you please explain how rose petals still attached to the bud can have a picture on them “appear” after holding it against one’s skin?
A friend is going to see someone who does this phenomenon and I believe it to be a hoax, one of those “signs and wonders” deals that Jesus said a perverse generation looks for. Once upon a time, faith was all that mattered, and now so many need these proofs.
this is disconcerging
Hi Patti, any good magician can make pictures appear on rose petals using a secret but natural method. This doesn’t mean that Carmelo Cortez is using magic to produce sacred images on rose petals.
People who have attended his missionary works swear that they experienced miracles. They testify that the sacred images appeared miraculously on rose petals. Who am I to contradict those personal testimonies? I have not been there when those miracles happened. I have not seen how Bro. Carmelo worked his miracles. It will be unfair for me to pass judgment on something I have not examined carefully.
Yes, images can be formed on rose petals using magic tricks, but that doesn’t mean Bro. Carmelo is using magic tricks.
In the same manner, just because there are fake Mona Lisas doesn’t mean there is no original, genuine Mona Lisa.
Stay magical,
Leodini
I personally experienced Carmelo early October this year(2008) at St. Athanasius Church in Mountainview California. I happened to bring with me a co-worker who is a Baptist (she is an Afro-American). Being a non-Catholic she really tried to absorb everything happening around her (mentioned just to emphasize that she is a tall woman, she stood next to me on my left when receiving the petal at the altar).
She watched as much as possible everything that she could sense through the whole thing. I kept my head down in prayer while waiting to get my turn receiving the miraculous petal.
Carmelo put the petal just below my collar bone. According to Janet, Carmelo picked up a regular looking petal from the bowl with the water (miraculously turned into perfumy, rose scented, oily liquid [the petals are floating from the liquid]).
As I’ve said Janet is a very tall woman, she is towering over Carmelo and me ( I am 4′10″), and Carmelo is not a very tall man either. Janet stated that the miracle happens (images appears on your body) because when Carmelo gives the petals there is no image on the petal. Janet was the first person to realize what image appeared in my petal when I peeled it off from my skin. I got the cherubim.
Janet and I are very much convinced that this is a miracle. I’d like to mention also that I showed a picture of my petal with cherubim image to my boss, and within minutes she smelled roses. According to her, she smelled the picture but it was not coming from it. Then I said “our Lady visited you”. She was a little teary eyed with that experience.
I also let her smell the rosary which we immersed onto the water that turned into perfumy rose scented oil at the church. My boss said it is the same smell. Lastly, my boss said that she actually cannot smell, she had a nose surgery this year.
It that a miracle or what???
I hope I answered the lady’s question. Carmelo does not give the petal with the images in it already. It happens in your body. Do not miss the opportunity that our Blessed Lady is giving us in her messages. The most important thing is prayer, pray the rosary, go to confession often, and receive Holy Communion. Of course if you are in the state of grace. Pray for the priests. God bless always. The Blessed Mother wants to bring us all back to Jesus.
Plese correct typo “It that” it should be “Is that”
Thanks. By the way, I am a Filipina, married to a wonderful, God loving Polish man. God bless always!!!
“More blessed are they who did not see but believed”
Fantastic, sometimes i really love to know how genius people can get , its good to know things like this.
Will Bro Carmelo Cortez be coming again to St Charles Borromeo Parish in Cinnaminson NJ or to the South Jersey / Philadelphia Pa vicinity ? My wife and I would love to hear him speak. Thank You. Thaddeus Kruszewski
I would like to contact Bro Carmelo Cortez, Please tell if I can email or phone him to see when will he comes to Houston.
Thanks.
Hi,
I have Bro. Carmelo Cortez’s cell phone number, but I have no permission to give it away.
Just hope he or one of his staffers read your message and get in touch with you.
Leodini
I think it’s a trick. If it is a miracle, he doesn’t need to use water, and he doesn’t need white rose petals. he can just pray and the image will appear on anything believers want. For Example. I would like to have an image on my precious swimming gold medal. Can I bring my gold medal to him and after praying, Cortez makes an image on my medal?
In response to Larry and others thinking along the same lines,
It’s natural & advisable to harbor skepticism about such events. After all, this is the defense of the Church in response to reports of miracles, as Leodini has explained above. As I once heard a priest homilize, all the apostles were doubters at the time of the arrest & crucifixion of Jesus (according to the Gospels)–until the Resurrection. St. Thomas remained a doubter even after hearing various reports of trustworthy companions–until he could put his fingers into the wounds of Christ.
But it’s also spiritually healthy not to allow one’s skepticism to completely close one’s mind & heart to the possibility of a miracle, & I just hope that’s not what you & other doubters are doing. Being spiritually closed in this way is a source of negative power that commands respect. As the composer Arnold Schoenberg once put it, “Against such impotence (that is, unbelief) belief is impotent.” Maybe Carmelo could not accomplish a miracle (participate in, or facilitate might be a better way of putting it) with your swimming medal (man-made, and awarded you for your accomplishment, rather than a gift of nature, like a rose pedal). But the Gospel reports that even Jesus was not able to accomplish miracles in Nazareth, because he found faith so lacking.
In short, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t beleive in the rose petal thing. Just hang on to the thought that some things may really be beyond the power of human explanation.
On my previous post, maybe it would have been better to have said, “… Being sprituallyclosed in this way is a mark of negative power …”
I was just in Ohio and saw Carmello. Do you know if he is coming to South Carolina this year. My husband was cured of his Bells Palsey last year after he received the rose and I am praying that Carmello will come to South Carolina
Hi Elizabeth,
I’m glad to hear of the good news of your husband having been cured from Bells Palsy.
I’m sorry to say I have no information about Bro. Carmello’s travel plans.
Leodini
View brother carmelo cortez on YouTube. Type Carmelo Cortez. Thanks and GOD blesss…