Pope Francis and the New Roman Empire
From Cuba to climate change, he has revitalized the Vatican’s role in global diplomacy. Now he’s bringing his activist agenda to the U.S.
September 17, 2015
“[The Cubans] were very clear with us that they saw Pope Francis as different from previous Popes,” says Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, who was present at the meeting with Ortega and the talks in Rome, “because of his stature as the first Pope from Latin America.” That difference will be on full display when Francis arrives in Cuba on Sept. 19, ahead of a five-day historic visit to the U.S., and it is key to understanding not just who he is but how he is leading the Vatican on the world stage 30 months into his reign. …
Nearly a year after Ortega’s visit, Francis shrugged off his role in the U.S.-Cuba rapprochement, even as he credited divine inspiration for his own part in the talks’ successful outcome. “What could I do with these two who have been going on like this for more than 50 years?” he asked reporters on a return flight from Paraguay to Rome in July. “Then the Lord made me think of a Cardinal, and he went there and talked,” Francis said. “We did hardly anything, only small things.” But Francis’ small things are proving to be a big deal for the rest of the world. Coaxing U.S.-Cuban reconciliation is just the start: the Pope is making the Holy See a player in the most pressing global issues in a way unseen since the early days of Pope John Paul II. From the outset of his papacy he has drawn attention to the Mediterranean migrant crisis, and in early September he called on Catholic dioceses, including parishes in the Vatican, to house refugee families. …
In the Middle East, the Pope has alternately pleased and disappointed all sides. His push for the Iran nuclear deal bolstered the White House but angered Israel. The Vatican recognized Palestinian statehood in June, infuriating Jerusalem, but chose not to support Palestinians’ effort to raise their flag at the U.N. before the Pope’s visit there this month. …
As of last December, Francis was viewed favorably by 84% of those polled in Europe, 78% in the U.S. and 72% in Latin America, according to the Pew Research Center. At the same time that he is making a splash in public, Francis is quietly altering the established order of papal diplomacy behind the scenes. For decades, the Vatican’s activities on the world stage have been directed by a specialized and highly trained set of church officials within the Roman curia. Francis has relied on his Secretary of State while greatly raising the profile of regional Catholic leaders… In the U.S., Francis’ approval dropped to 59% over the summer as many came to oppose the positions he has taken. …
“The Pope is legitimizing a Palestinian state without requiring those who get recognition to recognize Israel as a Jewish state,” said Representative Jeff Duncan of South Carolina.
http://time.com/4038077/the-new-roman-empire/This appears in the September 28, 2015 issue of TIME.
Pope Francis’ ‘New Roman Empire’ is an attempt to unify the world in his image.
He, and other pontiffs, have worked to establish some version of the old ‘Holy Roman Empire’ in Europe.
The Holy Roman Empire had Roman Catholic support and the Vatican wants it again. Notice some COG-published articles related to that from the last century:
Pope Paul VI said…After reviewing Europe’s tortuous past , its divisions and wars, he told those in his audience that it was their “mission as bishops in Europe” to ” reawaken Europe’s Christian soul, where its unity is rooted.” It was the Catholic faith “that made ‘ Europe” in the past, the Pontiff stressed. In discovering this “secret of its identity” the Continent could then perform the providential service to which God is still calling it.” …
The Holy Roman Empire spanned the millennium from the coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman emperor by Pope Leo III in A.D. 800 to the . empire’s abolition by Napoleon in 1806. It saw a close association between the ruling dynasties of Frankish and German kings and the papacy in Rome, although there were frequent church-state quarrels. Until the 16th century, the Holy Roman emperor was personally crowned by the Pope. The Holy Roman Empire held forth the pretension, at least , of political unity, but its primary unity was found in the religious sphere. The Roman church was the real rallying point, providing a unifying theme among the diverse national and political elements on the Continent. Personal loyalty to the church transcended, as a rule, lesser secular loyalties and divisions.
But since the passing of the Holy Roman Empire, Europe has been hopelessly divided without even the semblance of any kind of unity. Two world wars have ravaged the Continent and divisive national and factional quarrels have flared up periodically.
In a reference to this, Pope Paul observed in November 1963 : “Everyone knows the tragic history of our century. If there is a means of preventing this from happening again, it is the construction of a peaceful, orgariic united Europe. ” The need for European unity, he added, becomes more urgent by the day.”
A long, arduous path lies ahead,” the pontiff asserted in 1965 in a reaffirmation of the church’s support for the building of a united Europe. “How ever,” he continued, “the Holy See hopes to see the day born when a new Europe will arise, rich with the fullness of its traditions arid animated by a common will to build the best possible future for the millions of inhabitants of Europe.”
Pope Paul observed in 1969 during a meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt that the Vatican “notes with pleasure that the German government contributes actively to “the achievement of the aim [of European unification].” In light of the dominant role of the German nation in the medieval Holy Roman Empire, this statement carried added significance.
Ties to EEC
The Vatican provided a tanigible demonstration of its support of unification by establishing diplomatic relations in 1970 with the European Common Market Commission in Brussels and naming a papal nuncio (ambassador) to the EEC. Speaking personally with the president of the European Parliament in November 1973, the pontiff said the search for European unity must combine both “boldness and realism.” He reminded the Common Market official of the “profound interest which the Holy See has long felt for the progress of European unity.” The pope at that time also indicated two reasons why he believed Europe should unite on a supranational level. First, the people of Europe needed to collaborate to find solutions to the social, economic, and human problems facing them. Secondly, a united Europe , he suggested, could be desirable in relation to other countries of the world which look to Europe as a guide to the values of civilization. In view of the Vatican’s continual support of the United Europe idea – restated again only last month – Roman Catholicism may once again provide the unifying theme to override the long-standing differences obstructing the road to European unity. A modern-day “Holy Roman Empire” may be just over the horizon. (VATICAN ISSUES NEW CALL FOR EUROPEAN UNITY ‘ ”Reawaken Europe’s Christian Soul,” Paul VI Tells Bishops in Rome Conference. Plain Truth, November 22, 1975, pp. 3,5)
In the German Süddeutsche Zeitung there was an article in which it was revealed that Pope Paul VI had received a message in Fatima through the only remaining shepherd girl (who is now a nun). They were seen quite some time together and it appeared as if she had something to say to him. When asked in Rome, after his return, if his visit to Fatima was a success, Pope Paul said: ” I went to Fatima to pray for peace to the Virgin Mary and I received the answer how to, achieve this peace.”
There are many rumors that he did receive a message, but he has not wanted to divulge it.
Since the pilgrimage to Fatima, the Pope has spoken out on Jerusalem- demanding it become an international city. What most do not know is that there is evidence the Vatican has plans to move from Rome to Jerusalem … This event will stir the world! It will be the Pope ‘s final effort as the world’s peacemaker! (McNair R. The Real Meaning Behind POPE PAUL’S PILGRIMAGE TO PORTUGAL. Plain Truth, June 1967, pp. 3, 47)
Jerusalem will become increasingly important to Catholics in the near future. The Papacy will, as previously reported in The PLAIN TRUTH, be moved from Rome to Jerusalem … Bible prophecy is very explicit on this point. Furthermore, according to a recent report in a leading German newspaper, the Third Fatima Message is reported (by inside, informed Vatican sources) to reveal that there will be a terrible World War III, during which (according to this Fatima Vision) both Rome and the Vatican will be destroyed! Could this possibly explain why the Vatican will be moved to Jerusalem? (McNair R. POPE MEETS PATRIARCH. Plain Truth, October 1967)
During his well-publicized trip to his native Poland in June, 1979, Pope John Paul II declared: “Europe, despite its present and long-lasting division of regimes, ideologies and economic and political systems, cannot cease to seek its fundamental unity and must turn to Christianity…. Economic and political reasons cannot do it. We must go deeper….”
Nine months later, John Paul II renewed his call for a united Europe including the Western European nations and the Communist bloc countries. During an audience with more than 3,000 Yugoslavs on March 21, 1980, he stressed that Europe must seek religious unity if it is to advance beyond its present divisions.
The world’s large, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines took little notice of these and similar statements — overlooking one of the potentially biggest stories of this century!
In a private audience on October 25, 1980, John Paul II told a group of 200 European journalists that they had a serious responsibility to help shape public opinion in the effort to create “a united Europe.” Yet they still appeared not to realize the significance of his words. (Stump K. Ahead… RELIGIOUS UNITY OF EUROPE. Plain Truth, April, 1982)
Do Catholics still want a new Roman Empire? Desmond A. Birch, a Roman Catholic writer, has made the following observations:
Several private prophecies of canonized Saints specifically state that there will be a latter restoration of the Holy Roman Empire and that there will be at least one last Holy Roman Emperor. The authenticity of the authorship of such prophecies of canonized Saints (e.g., St. Hildegard, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, and St. John Vianney) at least over the last eight hundred years is scholastically unquestionable.
The Great King will be crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the reigning Pope … (Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, pp.281, 555)
Catholics expect that a pope will make someone the leader of the future ‘Holy Roman Empire.’
Pope Francis is continuing the push for a European Empire with Vatican influence. Here is something he recently said:
September 14, 2015
Pope Francis: … Europe has to take on it’s role: that is, to recover her identity … I’m reminding of it: nothing more. When I wanted to speak of her identity, I didn’t recognize, perhaps, the deepest part of her identity, which are her Christian roots, right? …
Pope Francis does have a plan for a Roman Empire and it includes Europe.
Now here is something I noticed yesterday from the European Union about its relationship with the Vatican:
The Holy See is the governing institution of the Catholic Church. The Pope is the head of both the Vatican City State – a sovereign, independent territory – and the Holy See. The Holy See is a sovereign entity under international law, conducting its own international policy and maintaining diplomatic relations with over 170 states around the world. It is a member of, or observer in, many international organisations.
The Holy See and the EU established diplomatic relations in 1970. The first Head of EU Delegation to the Holy See was appointed in 2006.
The EU and the Holy See maintain a dialogue on a number of European and global issues, such as:
- Dialogue between cultures and religions
- Poverty and development
- Environmental sustainability
- Conflict prevention and resolution
- Human rights, including freedom of religion and belief
Of course, we have seen more attempts at unity among the European nations, with some difficulties.
In Daniel 2:42-44, the Bible warns:
42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever..
So notice that the Bible warns that there will be a fragile lack of cohesiveness in the final Beast kingdom. Does not Europe still have that problem?
It may be of interest to note that the crown of the first “Holy Roman Empire” includes iron and clay:
…one of Europe’s great symbols of power the Iron Crown of the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne…The Iron Crown, made of gold and iron and set with precious stones, is held in the Cathedral at Monza, near Milan, in Italy…a recent refurbishment of the crown it was discovered that its precious stones were held in place by a mixture of beeswax and clay, a common adhesive of the times…
Charlemagne was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor, reputedly with the Iron Crown, by Pope Leo III in Rome on Christmas Night, 800 AD. He lived from {DOB 742} 782-814 and, as King of the Franks, established and ruled over a kingdom that spanned virtually all the Christian States of western Europe, including what is now France, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, half of Italy and Germany, part of Austria and a small part of Spain. His role in uniting much of Europe is regarded as having an impact that remains until today (source
Australian Government: http://www.ansto.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/41878/ANSTO_pinpoints_age_of_Charlemagnes_Crown.pdfaccessed 07/04/15).
Even a secular news article by Europe’s World noticed that Europe may have partially feet of clay as the following headline shows:
Europe not only fits the prophecies related to the Beast, its relics seem to as well.
The Bible, in Revelation 17:15-17, states:
15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”
The European Union now consists of around 28 nations (plus it has associate members), numerous languages, numerous peoples and various multitudes and well fits verse 15. It also is partly strong and partly fragile as Daniel 2:42-44 shows–and at some point in time it will be a strong kingdom–the biblical beast.
As verses 16 and 17 show, the time will come when the ten horns (some version of the European Union) of the beast will no longer wish to be ridden by the woman (the future ecumenical Babylonish Catholicism) and will destroy her as it will decide that even that woman’s form of religion interferes with its political ambitions.
The Pope’s positions against the nation of Israel are intended to pressure it to do what the Vatican wants, which includes power over more of Jerusalem.
Time magazine sees that Pope Francis is working on some type of Roman Empire, but does not understand how the Bible puts these pieces together.
The Bible warns about certain developments in Europe which are consistent with the Vatican’s agenda.
In Daniel 2:31-33, Daniel reports that a great image (which is another way to look at the Beast of Revelation) has two legs, which suggests two halves or two main parts of the Beast:
31 This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. 32 This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. (Daniel 2:31-33)
Historically, the “Holy Roman Empire” has had two parts: a Western (Rome) and Eastern (Constantinople) one, with the center of power switching sometimes throughout the ages.
Essentially, the Council of Laodicea was apparently from the eastern leg (sometimes referred to presently as the
Orthodox Church) of the image in Daniel 2 (vs. 33).
The late Pope John-Paul II once publicly stated that the Roman and Orthodox Churches were the two lungs of the church, which suggests that they mutually are supportive, as two legs are. Hence Pope John-Paul II has acknowledged that the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches are two parts of the same body. They apparently make up the two legs and somewhat the two feet (with ten toes) of the image of the Beast warned against in Daniel 2:33.
Here is what Pope John Paul II stated:
By rediscovering the great cultural treasures of the Christian East, in a new dialogue of communion, we will also allow Christian witness to breathe at this level, with
two “lungs“, making our rightful contribution to humanity’s future (Pope John Paul II. CHRISTIANITY HAS DEEPLY MARKED CULTURE OF PEOPLES. Angelus, 1 September 1996. Taken from: L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, 4 September 1996, “L’Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See”.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP960901.HTM viewed 11/16/07).
The Orthodox apparently agreed that they were and are one of the lungs as the Orthodox Metropolitan John of Pergamon stated to John Paul II:
As Your Holiness has aptly put it some years ago,
East and West are the two lungs by which the Church breaths; their unity is essential to the healthy life of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church (Speeches of Pope John Paul II and Metropolitan John of Pergamon. Made in private audience following a Mass to celebrate the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Rome, 28 June 1998.
http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/ecumenical/john_pergamon_john_paul2.htm viewed 11/16/07).
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now former Pope Benedict XVI, interestingly wrote of Europe (the Mediterranean continent) and its two wings, Greek and Latin:
In the process of replacing boundaries, the conceptual continuity with the preceding Mediterranean continent…was assured by a theological interpretation of history: in connection with the Book of Daniel, the Roman Empire—renewed and transformed by the Christian faith—was considered to be the final and permanent kingdom in the history of the world in general, and therefore the association of peoples and states that was taking shape was defined as the permanent Sacrum Imperium Romanum[Holy Roman Empire]. (Raztinger J. Europe today and tomorrow: addressing the fundamental issues. Translated by Michael Miller. Ignatius Press, 2007, p. 13)
We can consider the rise of the Carolingian Empire, on the one hand, and the continuation of the Roman empire in Byzantium and its mission to the Slavic people, on the other, as the true and proper birth of the continent of Europe…(ibid, p. 17)
Greco-Christian, European culture of Byzantium…one of the two wings of Europe (ibid, p. 18).
Latin [that is, Western] Europe…(ibid, p. 19)
…the Christian idea of empire…the sacred foundation for history…(ibid, p. 20)
The two halves of the old Europe, before the modern era, had known essentially only one opponent that it had to confront in a life-or-death battle, namely, the Islamic world. (ibid, p. 22)
Believing Christians should…contribute to Europe’s recovery of the best of its heritiage and thus to the service of all mankind. (ibid, p. 34)
The successor to the Roman empire was the so-called “Holy Roman Empire.” Thus, even the former Pope Benedict XVI realizes that the “Holy Roman Empire” is part of the image in Daniel 2 and that one leg/wing represents the Roman/Latin Catholic west with the other the Eastern/Greco/Byzantine east. Cardinal Ratzinger also seems to be teaching that the “Holy Roman Empire” is the last part of the image of Daniel 2 and he is suggesting that it is a good thing.
Yet, he seems not to realize that in the end, God intentionally destroys the image, by attacking the last part (striking the feet it stands upon in Daniel 2:34,44) which implies that God was not pleased with this image or its “sacred foundation.” Since the Bible is clear that God will destroy the final formation of that empire (Daniel 2:34,40-44), the development of a unified Europe to fulfill this is not something that should be encouraged. (It is also of interest that Cardinal Ratzinger pointed out Europe’s historic opponent Islam, as both biblical prophecy–like Daniel 11:40-43–and Catholic private prophecy seem to tell of a time that the Europeans will defeat the forces of Islam once again.)
It should also be noted that the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew (whose “official title” is His All Holiness, Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch) wrote:
Today, then, it is our obligation more than ever to reclaim the Christian roots of Europe and the spiritual, sacramental and doctrinal unity that it enjoyed prior to the schism of our two Churches. The re-evangelization of our peoples is “today, more so than ever before, timely and necessary, even within traditional Christian lands,” as we admitted and confessed in common here exactly one year ago.
Thus, we believe that Western and Eastern Europe must cease regarding themselves as foreign to one another…
Elder Rome has the foremost St. Peter as its apostle and patron. New Rome, Constantinople, has the brother of St. Peter, the first-called of the apostles, Andrew. Both invite us to the fraternal unity that they shared with each other and that can only be acquired when the cross becomes our point of reference and experience of approach.
Let us, therefore, beseech these two brothers and greatest of apostles that they may grant peace to the world and lead everyone to unity. (Bartholomew I’s Letter to Vatican Delegation. Zenit. December 5, 2007
http://www.zenit.org/article-21198?l=english).
Last year, Pope Francis also called on his followers to reclaim the ‘Christian roots’ of Europe:
Pope Francis keeps pushing an agenda that will not be good.
What the Time article failed to directly mention was that Pope Francis has an ecumenical and interfaith agenda that is not limited to Europe. He wants the world to share a common religion involving Sunday, though he is in favor of local differences in the style and particulars of worship as the following statements from his Laudato Si encyclical help show:
63. … Respect must also be shown for the various cultural riches of different peoples, their art and poetry, their interior life and spirituality.
144. … There is a need to respect the rights of peoples and cultures, and to appreciate that the development of a social group presupposes an historical process which takes place within a cultural context and demands the constant and active involvement of local people from within their proper culture. Nor can the notion of the quality of life be imposed from without, for quality of life must be understood within the world of symbols and customs proper to each human group.
146. In this sense, it is essential to show special care for indigenous communities and their cultural traditions.
202. … A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge stands before us, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal.
216. The rich heritage of Christian spirituality, the fruit of twenty centuries of personal and communal experience, has a precious contribution to make to the renewal of humanity.
237. On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance. Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world. Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, the “first day” of the new creation, whose first fruits are the Lord’s risen humanity, the pledge of the final transfiguration of all created reality. It also proclaims “man’s eternal rest in God”. In this way, Christian spirituality incorporates the value of relaxation and festivity.
239. For Christians, believing in one God who is trinitarian communion suggests that the Trinity has left its mark on all creation.
The Pope’ plan is to accommodate divergent views as long as they work together towards his agenda and his view of what he calls Christianity. Church history is clear that early Christians DID NOT embrace the trinity.
Notice some prophetic warnings against the world having a ‘common’ element of worship:
3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:3-8)
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:11-18)
Perhaps it should be mentioned that some Catholic writers clearly have understood that the two-horned beast in Revelation 13 is likely to be an antipope and that a negative power will be established in Jerusalem:
Priest E. Sylvester Berry (published 1920): The two horns denote a twofold authority – spiritual and temporal. As indicated by the resemblance to a lamb, the prophet will probably set himself up in Rome as a sort of anti-pope…Antichrist will establish himself in Jerusalem…with his ‘lying wonders’… (Berry ES. The Apocalypse of St. John, 1920. Quoted in Culleton RG. The Reign of Antichrist. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 199-200).
St. Martin (4th century): The Antichrist would first seize the empire of the East; he would have Jerusalem as his seat and imperial capital. (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 115).
Time is right that Pope Francis is pushing a new Roman Empire. The historical writings published by the COG that indicate that Jerusalem is of interest in this empire are correct.
Sadly, aspects of Pope Francis’ agenda will come to pass.
How will it end?
Badly per Revelation 18.
In particular, and even prior to that end, the Bible shows that it will not end well for Israel (Daniel 11:31), the USA & its Anglo-Saxon allies (Daniel 11:39), the Islamic countries of the Middle East and North Africa (Daniel 11:4-43), or even Europe (Daniel 11:44).
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out
¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled:
The Future King of the North.
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? Former Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is now Pope Francis. According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? Could a Jesuit be “the black pope”?
cogwriter.com
Majoritatea catolicilor nu aud de-a lungul vieţii lor de vreun act reprobabil al unui papă sau membru al clerului. Cu toate acestea, istoria vieţilor membrilor ierarhiei clericale nu seamănă deloc cu felul în care este descrisă astăzi, iar adevărata istorie a papilor este partea cea mai greşit reprezentată din istoria religioasă.
Şi chiar au fost eretici, mulţi papi recunoscând public neîncrederea în Evanghelii, după cum vom vedea. Aceste fapte sunt binecunoscute istoricilor catolici care în lucrările lor îi prezintă pe papii ca fiind oameni virtuoşi şi competenţi cu „minţi religioase elevate”. (The Papacy, George Weinfeld & Nicolson Ltd, Londra, 1964). Realitatea este că unii papi au acţionat conform intereselor lor, şi nu conform voinţei lui Dumnezeu, cultivând un sistem papal cu mult mai viciat decât îndrăznesc scriitori catolici să scrie deschis despre istoria Bisericii. Ei au fost dispreţuiţi de laici şi, atunci când condiţiile economice mai bune au trezit mintea unei clase mijlocii europene aflată în dezvoltare, a existat o revoltă pe scară largă împotriva lor. Arhivele creştine arată că papii erau departe de prezentarea modernă a caracterului lor şi că, prin încercarea de a-i portretiza cu un trecut pios, Biserica a realizat o faţadă doctrinară ce-i prezenta cu neruşinare, în mod înşelător, drept fervenţi credincioşi.
Episcopul Liutprand de Cremona, a cărui lucrareAntapodosis se ocupă cu istoria papalităţii între anii 886-950, ne-a lăsat o imagine degradantă a viciilor papilor şi episcopilor, poate cu o urmă de gelozie: „Vânau pe cai cu harnaşamente ornate cu aur, iar după vânătoare participau la banchete cu dansatoare şi se culcau cu prostituate neruşinate în paturi cu cearşafuri de mătase şi cuverturi brodate cu fir de aur. Toţi episcopii din Roma erau căsătoriţi, iar soţiile lor îşi croiau rochii de mătase din veşmintele sacre.” Iubitele lor erau doamne nobile de frunte ale oraşului. „Două femei voluptoase ale imperiului”, Teodora şi fiica ei Marozia, „au condus papalitatea secolului al X-lea” (Antapodosis, ibid.). Renumitul istoric al Vaticanului, cardinalul Caesar Baronius (1538-1607) a numit acea perioadă „domnia prostituatelor”, care a făcut loc domniei şi mai scandaloase a proxeneţilor” (Annales Ecclesiastici, folio iii, Antwerp, 1597). Tot ce dezvăluie episcopul Liutprand în detaliul despre Teodora este că ea l-a constrâns pe un tânăr şi frumos preot să-i împărtăşească pasiunea şi că i-a obţinut numirea ca arhiepiscop de Ravenna. Mai târziu, Teodora şi-a chemat iubitul arhiepiscop din Ravenna şi l-a făcut papă – papa Ioan al X-lea (papă între anii 914-924, m. 928).
Printr-o dictatură sacerdotală, Marozia (foto) a condus creştinătatea timp de câteva decenii, din castelul papal de lângă biserica Sf. Petru şi s-a ocupat de tot ce ţinea de creştinism, cu excepţia problemelor minore. Nu putea să semneze cu numele ei, totuşi ea era conducătoarea Bisericii Creştine – fapt cunoscut de istoricii care au cunoştinţe elementare despre papalitate. Ea era agresivă, extrem de ignorantă şi complet lipsită de scrupule. A numit în funcţii de episcopi războinici nemiloşi pentru a-şi întări facţiunea şi a triumfat asupra oponenţilor săi. Pentru a traduce literal cuvintele populaţiei din Roma, era numită „prostituata papilor”. A fost direct responsabilă de alegerea şi instalarea a cel puţin patru papi. Apologeţii moderni spun că aceste numiri de papi au fost „scandaloase”, dar acei papi sunt acceptaţi acum de Biserică drept succesori „legitimi” ai Sfântului Petru. În acea vreme, totuşi mase mari de oameni au criticat farsa obscenă în care se transformase papalitatea şi s-au opus cu dispreţ şi mânie.
Anti-papa Bonifaciu al VII-lea a fost descris de Gerbert (care va deveni papa Silvestru al II-lea, 999-1003) ca „un monstru oribil ce depăşeşte în criminalitate tot restul omenirii”, dar „scandalul papei Benedict al IX-lea merită o menţionare cu totul specială. Numele său era Grottaferrata Teofilatto (Theophylact, în unele documente) şi a învins în 1032 în lupta ucigaşă pentru averea papalităţii. I-a excomunicat imediat pe liderii care îi fuseseră ostili şi a stabilit rapid o domnie a terorii. A deschis oficial uşile „palatului papilor” pentru homosexuali şi l-a transformat într-un bordel cu bărbaţi, bine organizat şi profitabil.” (The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Horace K. Mann, Kegan Paul, Londra, 1925). Conduita sa violentă şi imorală i-a deranjat pe locuitorii Romei care, în ianuarie 1044, l-au ales în locul său pe Ioan de Sabine, sub numele de papa Silvestru al III-lea. Silvestru a fost însă atacat de fraţii lui Benedict şi a trebuit să fugă pentru a-şi salva viaţa.
Matchless God 