COGwriter Leaving the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople’s Administrative Building
By COGwriter
One of the goals of Pope Benedict XVI is to secure a greater unity between the Church of Rome and the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox Church. Many within the those churches regard such unity favorably, while others are gravely concerned about ecumenical unity.
What most Roman Catholics seem to believe is that unity with the Greek Orthodox will simply mean that the Eastern Orthodox Catholics will accept the authority of Rome and the two groups will be back to relatively full union.
But that is not what the Orthodox have in mind.
Furthermore, because of what is supposed to happen because of such ecumenical unity, it appears that this will result in the destruction of the Anglo-American nations such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Notice carefully the following Catholic prophecy:
Frederick William Faber (died 1863):...Antichrist...Many believe in a demonical incarnation—this will not be so—but he will be utterly possessed...His doctrine as apparent contradiction of no religion, yet a new religion...He has an attending pontiff, so separating regal and prophetic office (Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 87).
That prophecy, which is in a book with an official imprimatur from a Catholic bishop (as well as others), suggests that there soon may be a change to the “Catholic” religion that will make it the religion of the final Antichrist.
This change will not seem to be a contradiction, but it will be a new religion—like a new order within the Catholic religion. This is something we should start to see rising near 2012, and the world needs to understand it today.
While some Catholics are concerned that a change to their faith will occur, even Orthodox and others should also be concerned about this.
Here is one reason why from a Catholic source:
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (17th century): …there will be an ecumenical council which will be the greatest of all councils by the power of the Great Monarch, and by the authority of the Holy Pontiff, and by the union of the most devout princes, atheism and every heresy will be banished from the earth. The Council will…be believed and accepted by everyone (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 40).
Hence, an ecumenical council is prophesied to eliminate atheists and others who will not believe in a religion that will use the power of some coming Great Monarch.
Various events around the globe suggest that people of many faiths are getting to the point where they are likely to accept some type of ecumenical religion.
Perhaps this would be a good time to mention some of the differences between the Orthodox and the Church of Rome that one or both will have to compromise on for unity to occur. Here are several such differences:
1. The Eastern Orthodox reject the Roman Catholic notion of purgatory (Ware, T. The Orthodox Church. Penguin Books, London, 1997, p.p. 255 and Aghiorgoussis, Maximos. The Dogmatic Tradition of the Orthodox Church. Copyright: © 1990-1996. http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8038.asp 08/18/07).
2. The Eastern Orthodox number the ten commandments as they originally were (Mastrantonis, G. The Ten Commandments. Copyright: © 1990-1996 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7115.asp 05/14/07) and not as the Roman Catholics number them. Those of Rome combine the first two, even though that is not what those such as Clement of Alexander (2nd century) did (Clement of Alexandria. Stromata, Book VI).
3. The Eastern Orthodox believe in baptism by immersion (Ware, p. 278). The Roman Catholics usually employ sprinkling.
4. Most of the Eastern Orthodox (presuming no abortive devices are used), as do most others, believe in “the responsible use of contraception within marriage” (Ware, p.296 and Harakis S. The Stand of the Orthodox Church on Controversial Issues. http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7101.asp 8/20/05). The Roman Catholic position seems to be much more limited.
5. The Eastern Orthodox reject “the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin” (Clendenin D.B. ed. Eastern Orthodox Theology, 2nd ed. Baker Academic, 2003, p.67). That is a Roman Catholic dogma (Ott L. Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Translated into English by James Bastible. Nihil Obstat: Jeremiah J. O’Sullivan. Imprimatur + Cornelius, 7 October 1954. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1974, pp. 199-202).
6. The Eastern Orthodox teach that presbyters (which they call “priests,” but we in the Living Church of God) tend to call “ministers” or “elders”) can be married (Damaskinos Papandreou, Orthodox Metropolitan of Switzerland. The Orthodox Churches and Priestly Celibacy. http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/misc/damaskinos_celibacy.htm viewed 02/04/08). The Roman Church requires celibacy for all presbyters, even though that was not its original position (Fortesque A. Transcribed by Marie Jutras. Eastern Monasticism. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X. Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
7. The Eastern Orthodox, similar to Living Church of God, teach that, “Christians must always be ‘People of the Book’ “ (Ware, p.199). Yet, throughout history, the Church of Rome has tended to place more emphasis on the Living Magisterium and non-biblical sources for much of its doctrines.
8. The Eastern Orthodox do not observe Ash Wednesday. The Church of Rome admits that it added this observance in the Middle Ages (Thurston, Herbert. "Ash Wednesday." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 4 May 2009 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01775b.htm>).
9. The Orthodox do not believe in the concept of “papal infallibility.” That concept became a dogma for the Church of Rome in the 19th century (at Vatican I) (McBrien, Richard P. Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to Benedict XVI. Harper, San Francisco, 2005 updated ed., pp. 20-22).
10. The Eastern Orthodox, like the Living Church of God, believe that God has a plan of salvation that can occur at the time of the final judgment (Ware, p.255). The Roman Church rejects the idea that salvation can be available after the first death and this has been clearly stated by Pope Benedict (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021. Imprimi Potest + Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, New York, 1994, p. 153).
11. The Roman Catholic view of eternal torment is rejected by the The Eastern Orthodox (Ware, p. 262).
12. Neither the Orthodox nor Protestants believe that the jurisdiction of Rome has any real bearing on apostolic succession.
It perhaps should be pointed out that the Orthodox, who generally make less pronouncements than the Vatican tends to, condemned the papacy as a major heresy in 1848:
" 2. Hence have arisen manifold and monstrous heresies which the Catholic Church, even from her infancy, has been forced to combat with the panoply of God, and ' the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,' and has triumphed over all unto this day, and will triumph to the end, ever shining forth brighter and stronger after the struggle.
" 3. Of these heresies some have altogether perished, some are in their decline, but others nourish more or less, until the time of their overthrow, when, being struck with the lightning of the anathema of of the seven (Ecumenical Synods, they become extinct, even though they last for a thousand years; for the orthodoxy of the Catholic Apostolic Church, as inspired by the living Word of God, alone endures for ever, according to the infallible promise of our Lord...—Matt, xviii. 18.
" 4. Of these heresies widely-diffused was formerly Arianism, and now is the Papacy, which, though still flourishing, shall, like the former, pass away and be cast down, and a great voice from Heaven shall cry, ' It is cast down.'—Rev. xii. 10...
" 10. Every one of our brethren and children in Christ clearly perceives that the words of the present Bishop of Rome, like those of his anti-synodical predecessors, are not words of peace and compassion, as he says, but of deceit and quibbling, tending to self-aggrandisement; but the orthodox will not be beguiled therewith, for the Word of the Lord is sure—' A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.'
(Encyclical Letter of the Eastern Orthodox, 1848. As cited in The Benares magazine, No. 31, 1851. W.H. Haycock, 1851. Original from Oxford University Digitized, Nov 24, 2006, pp. 370-371,373)
Perhaps it should be mentioned that "Rev. xii. 10" teaches about the "accuser of the brethren" (a reference to Satan in verse 9) being cast down. Thus the Orthodox officially seem to have condemned the papacy as Satan the devil.
The Roman Church has officially claimed that apostolic succession was lost by the Orthodox and others when they stopped accepting the jurisdiction of Rome:
Regarding the Greek Church, it is sufficient to note that it lost Apostolic succession by withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the lawful successors of St. Peter in the See of Rome. The same is to be said of the Anglican claims to continuity (O’Reilly, Thomas. “Apostolicity.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907).
Thus, the Church of Rome will have to change to accept the Orthodox, especially if it accepts its clergy. It is also likely that the Orthodox will compromise on some of the above points.
Also notice what Pope Boniface VIII included in 1302 in what is known as the bull Unam Sanctum:
...if the Greeks or others say that they are not committed to Peter and his successors, they necessarily confess that they are not Christ’s sheep...(Bettenson H, ed., Documents of the Christian Church. London: Oxford University Press, 1943, pp. 126-127).
It perhaps should be mentioned that many respected Roman Catholic scholars have admitted that Rome simply does not have provable “apostolic succession” itself. They also realize that Rome probably did not have its first “bishop” until the middle of the second century (Duffy, Eamon. Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes. Yale University Press, New Haven (CT), 2002, pp.2,6; Sullivan F.A. From Apostles to Bishops: the development of the episcopacy in the early church. Newman Press, Mahwah (NJ), 2001, pp. 13-15, 221-222; McBrien, Richard P. Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to Benedict XVI. Harper, San Francisco, 2005 updated ed., pp. 25, 396; Van Hove A. Transcribed by Matthew Dean. Bishop. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume II. Copyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York; Kasper, Cardinal Walter. Keynote speech from the Conference of the Society for Ecumenical Studies, the St. Alban's Christian Study Centre and the Hertfordshire Newman Association at St. Alban's Abbey, Hertfordshire, England, on May 17, 2003). For more details, please see the articles What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? and Apostolic Succession.
But the coming false Vatican leader will likely take a different position—thus those who compromise with him will also be compromising from the facts of history.
While there are certain ceremonial similarities (as well as differences) between the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, if people really wish to become “the people of the book” they need to reject all non-biblical doctrines and not enter into greater unity with groups that promote non-biblical doctrines (as well as look into many of their own doctrines).
Of course, the most famous difference has to do with what is called the Filioque clause added to the original Nicene Creed. It is the claimed major doctrinal issue that it caused the schism that resulted in the Eastern Orthodox (sometimes called the Greek, or Greek Orthodox, Church) Church to break from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 A.D.
The Catholic Encyclopedia states:
Filioque is a theological formula of great dogmatic and historical importance. On the one hand, it expresses the Procession of the Holy Ghost from both Father and Son as one Principle; on the other, it was the occasion of the Greek schism (Maas A.J. Filioque, 1909).
Eastern Orthodox writers (like Timothy Ware), and others, have suggested that this clause is supportive of binitarianism, and thus should not be accepted by the Roman Catholic Church who insisted on this addition to the original Nicene Creed.
The ''filioque'' clause states that the Holy Spirit, "proceeds from the Father and the Son".
The Catholic Encyclopedia also states:
The dogma of the double Procession of the Holy Ghost from Father and Son as one Principle is directly opposed to the error that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father, not from the Son. Neither dogma nor error created much difficulty during the course of the first four centuries...As to the Sacred scripture, the inspired writers call the holy Ghost the Spirit of the Son (Gal., iv, 6), the spirit of Christ (Rom., viii, 9), the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil., i, 19), just as they call Him the Spirit of the Father (Matt., x, 20) and the Spirit of God (I Cor., ii, ll). Hence they attribute to the Holy Ghost the same relation to the Son as to the Father. Again, according to Sacred Scripture, the Son sends the Holy Ghost (Luke, xxiv, 49; John, xv, 26; xvi, 7; xx, 22; Acts, ii, 33,; Tit., iii.6)...as the Father sends the Holy Ghost (John, xiv, 26) (Maas A.J. Filioque, 1909).
I would agree that the above quote is true and in accordance with history and with scripture. But who will change on this, the Vatican or the Orthodox?
Someone has to for unity to occur.
But will it be the Romans or the Orthodox who will change? Or will it be both?.
When I was in Istanbul in May 2008, I was specifically told by a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople that when Pope Benedict XVI visited there, a papal representative of Benedict XVI told the Patriarch (Bartholomew I) that Rome would change all doctrines necessary to attain full unity with the Orthodox, if the Orthodox would accept papal authority. And this definitely included changing Rome’s position on the Filioque clause. Hence, those associated with the Church of Rome need to understand that this means that the Vatican’s current (and likely future) leadership is willing to compromise on something that it has long held as being of “great dogmatic and historical importance.”
COGwriter Leaving the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople’s Administrative Building
Thus, this strongly suggests that those leading the Church of Rome have embarked on an ecumenical program of change such as the Bible and various Catholic prophecies have warned about.
It also needs to be understood that while some of the Eastern Orthodox are looking forward to a Roman Catholic Great Monarch to be the “King of the Romans and the Greeks,”(Tzima Otto, H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Scriptural Prophecies. Verenikia Press, Rock Hill (SC), 2000, pp. 5-6) other Greek Orthodox (The Voice of the Fathers) believe that they only should follow a Greek Orthodox future monarch (The Voice of the Fathers is apparently a Greek Orthodox publication that opposes a Roman Catholic, as opposed to Greek Orthodox, Great Monarch, see Tzima Otto, pp, 34-38). The Orthodox should definitely not follow a Roman Catholic Great Monarch if they wish to follow the teachings of the Bible.
Since Vatican II (a major Catholic ecumenical council that ran from 1962–1965), many Catholics have been justifiably concerned that doctrinal compromise for the sake of ecumenical unity with those outside of fellowship of Rome was inevitable.
The Orthodox have long taught that the Church of Rome (known sometimes as Latins) will change doctrines to those of the Orthodox. A document known as the Anonymou Prophecy of 1053 refers to this as the “Deferring of the Latins to the error-free faith of the Orthodox”, it then claims “The Orthodox Faith will expand from East to West” (Tzima Otto, p. 116).
Here is an explanation from Orthodox scholar H. Tzima-Otto (bolding in original):
Many Catholic prophecies speak of the victory of the ‘true Catholic faith’, while Orthodox prophecies, although they agree on everything else, predict a victory of the ‘true Orthodox faith’…When we speak of the future Council, it is bound to be ecumenical…there will come a true re-unification of the Christian Churches…This Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is not going to be Roman Catholic as understood today…
The error-free Orthodox faith…The Orthodox did not experience a Vatican II, they did not begin to rewrite Scriptures…Hence, error-free in the sense that it has not been contaminated by satan…(Tzima Otto, pp. 120-122)
Thus, the Orthodox expect Rome to change its doctrines, because they feel that the Roman Catholic Church adopted errors from satan.
Notice that according to another Byzantine prophet, the final (the Orthodox recognize seven previous ones) ecumenical council satisfies what “heretics” want:
Saint Nelios the Myrrh-Gusher (died 1592): During that time the Eighth and last Ecumenical Synod will take place, which will satisfy the contentions of the heretics…(Tzima Otto, p. 111).
By satisfying “heretics”, clearly this council compromises and changes the religion, which will be called “Catholic”. If heretics are truly heretics, should their complaints be satisfied?
One Catholic nun foretold of a time when some agreement would deceive many:
Jeanne le Royer (died 1798): One day I heard a voice which said, ‘The new Constitution will appear to many other than what it really is. They will bless it as a gift from heaven; whereas it is really a gift from {haydes} and permitted by God in His just wrath. It will only be by its effects that people will be led to recognize the Dragon who wanted to destroy all and devour all (Dupont, p. 53).
Whether this is a reference to some type of power agreement with the Beast (Revelation 17:12-13) or the ecumenical council (cf. Revelation 13:1-4), notice that it is expected to be satanic (Satan is the Dragon, per Revelation 12:9).
A Catholic prophecy shows that after its church is changed (reformed below), the Orthodox will come back:
Roger Bacon (died 1294): There shall arise a…priest to reform the Church. The Greeks will return (to the Church)…there will be one fold, one shepherd (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 149).
All (Catholic or otherwise) should be careful, compare their teachings with the Bible, pray to God, and not accept doctrines that are unbiblical for the sake of this coming ecumenical unity.
Furthermore, it appears that other Catholic writings suggest that it is an antipope who is involved in the imposition of a changed church:
Oba Prophecy: It will come when the Church authorities issue directives to support a new cult, when priests are forbidden to celebrate in any other, when the highest positions in the Church are given to perjurers and hypocrites, when only the renegades are admitted to occupy those positions.
Nun Anna-Katarina Emmerick (19th century): I saw again a new and odd-looking Church which they were trying to build. There was nothing holy about it...
Yves Dupont (writer interpreting A. Emmerick above), They wanted to make a new Church, a Church of human manufacture, but God had other designs...The Holy Father shall have to leave Rome, and he shall die a cruel death. An anti-pope shall be set up in Rome. (Dupont, pp. 115,116)
Jeanne le Royer (died 1978): I see that when the Second Coming of Christ approaches a bad priest will do much harm to the Church. (Culligan, E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 128)
Yves Dupont (reader and reporter of Catholic prophecies): prophecies are quite explicit about the election of an anti-pope...Many prophecies predict an anti-pope and a schism. (Dupont, pp. 34,60-61)
Blessed Joachim (died 1202): Towards the end of the world Antichrist will overthrow the Pope and usurp his See. (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 76)
Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century): After the three days of darkness…a new Pope...Christianity, then, will spread throughout the world…At the end, he will have the gift of miracles, and his name shall be praised over the whole earth. (Dupont, p.45)
Ted and Maureen Flynn (20th century): Catholic prophecy warns us of severe problems facing the papacy in these end times…chaos will be within our midst. An Antipope will seize papal authority…It will be those who hold fast to the truths of the faith who will be labeled as the perpetrators of this horrible schism, according to some visionaries. (Flynn Ted and Maureen. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. 255)
C. Van Den Biesen (20th century): The beast from the land has two horns like a ram. Its power lies in its art of deceiving by means of tokens and miracles. Throughout the remainder of the book it is called the false prophet. Its office is to assist the beast from the sea, and to induce men to adore its image. (Van Den Biesen C. Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler. Apocalypse. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I. Published 1907. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York)
Merlin (7th century): There will come a German Anti-Pope. Italy and Germany will be sorely troubled. (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 132)
St. Hildegard (died 1179): But now you see her from the waist down; for you see her in her full dignity as the Church...And from her waist to the place that denotes the female, she has various scaly blemishes... … And thus in the place where the female is recognized is a black and monstrous head. For the son of perdition will come raging with the arts he first used to seduce...causing people to deny God and tainting their minds and tearing the Church with the greed of rapine. (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), pp. 497,498)
Comment by Barbara Newman (1998): But as early as Scivias, Hildegard shockingly portrayed Ecclesia {the Catholic Church} as giving birth to Antichrist himself...Some other early works of Hildegard's, written before 1159, show a similar sourness of tone with respect to the institutional church. (Newman, Barbara. Voice of the Living Light: Hildegard of Bingen and Her World. Published by University of California Press, 1998, p. 83)
Abbott Joachim (died 1202): A man of remarkable sanctity will be his successor in the Pontifical chair. Through him God will work so many prodigies that all men shall revere him. (Connor, pp. 31-32)
Saint Zenobius (died 285): Antichrist will work a thousand prodigies on earth. (Connor, p. 73)
St. Hildegard (died 1179): When the great ruler exterminates the Turks almost entirely, one of the remaining Mohammedans will be converted…will kill the pope before he is crowned, through jealousy, he wishing to be pope himself; then when the other cardinals elect the next pope this cardinal will proclaim himself Anti-Pope, and two thirds of the Christians will go with him. He, also well as Antichrist, are descendants of Dan. (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 128)
Pope Gregory the Great (died 604): In those days, near the end, hardly a Bishop, but an army of priests and two-thirds of the Christians will join the Schism. (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, Reprint TAN Books, Rockford, IL, 1974, p. 122)
Catechism of the Catholic Church (20th century): Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a trial that will shake the faith of many believers. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #675, Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, pp. 193-194)
St. Francis of Assisi (died 1226): There will be an uncanonically elected pope who will cause a great Schism, there will be divers thoughts preached which will cause many, even those in the different orders to doubt, yea even agree with the heretics, which will cause my Order to divide. (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, p. 130)
Priest Gaudentius Rossi (19th century): According to St. Malachy, then, only ten, or at most eleven, popes remain to be in future more or less legitimately elected. We say more or less legitimately elected, because out of those future popes it is to be feared that one or two will be unlawfully elected as anti-popes. (Rossi, Gaudentius. The Christian Trumpet: Or, Previsions and Predictions about Impending General Calamities, the Universal Triumph of the Church, the Coming of the Anti-Christ, the Last Judgment, and the End of the World; Divided Into Three Parts, 4th edition. Patrick Donahoe, 1875. Original from Oxford University. Digitized Sep 1, 2006, p. 203)
Priest O’Connor (20th century?): This final false prophet will be a bishop of the church and will lead all religions into becoming one. (The False Prophet. Living in the Final Generation. http://www.geocities.com/rebornempowered/ApparitionsofMary.htm 10/12/07)
Priest H. Kramer (20th century): In the vision of the Seer now appears a second beast rising out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb but speaking like a dragon...In other places he is called the false prophet...This prophet may re-establish the pagan Roman Empire and build the "Great Harlot", Babylon… The False Prophet...will persuade all infidels, apostates and apostate nations to worship and adore him...Antichrist "sitteth in the temple of God" (I Thes. II. 4). This is not the ancient Temple in Jerusalem...this temple is shown to be a Catholic Church…The False Prophet will proclaim the resurrection of the Roman Empire. (Kramer H., p. 318,320-323)
Thus, while some Catholic prophecies praise a new religious order, many others indicate that a new type of “Catholicism” will be false to that religion. This also seems to be consistent with an Orthodox understanding of the last false religious power coming from Rome:
Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos (20th century): The army of Antichrist is made up of the worldly powers, mainly the Roman Empire, symbolized by the two beasts and the harlot woman (Rev. 11:7; 13:1-17; cf. Dan. 7:11-12)… The final confrontation with evil is presented in chapters 19 and 20…The war is waged by the beast and the false prophet. Both of these are organs of Satan, representing the political and religious authority of Rome (Rev. 13:1-18). (Gerasimos, Bishop. At the End of Time: The Eschatological Expectations of the Church. Holy Cross Orthodox Press. October 5, 2004, pp. 28-29)
Whatever new order that the Great Monarch (who is to be crowned the leader of the Roman Empire according to other writings) implements with Rome will not be faithful to the teachings of Christ or His original faithful followers.
Therefore a "false pope" is expected, and a great loss of Catholic members to his religion is prophesied.
A Spanish-influenced Mayan writing seems to warn against the rise of an Archbishop, who could possibly be considered as an antipope:
Chilam Balam (16th century): There is no reason or necessity for you to submit to the Archbishop. When he comes, you go and hide yourselves in the forest. If you surrender yourselves, you shall follow Christ, when he shall come. (José Hoíl J, Roys R. The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel. Roys Publisher, 1933. Reprint Forgotten Books, 1967, p. 77)
The above also warns that the faithful will need to hide and follow Christ and not the Archbishop.
According to The Catholic Almanac, there have been thirty-seven “antipopes” (The Catholic Almanac. By Franciscans: Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Washington (D.C.). Holy Name College, St. Anthony's Guild, Paterson, N.J., 1952, p. 217). Thus, contrary to the views of many, it certainly makes sense that there could be one more, especially considering that the Malachy prophecies suggest the next pope is the last pope.
Notice the following two reports from another priest:
Priest Paul Kramer (21st century): The errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced by that false church, it will be an ecumenical church because the Anti-Pope will be recognized by the world—not by the faithful, but by the world—by the secular world and the secular governments. (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004.THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08)
Priest Paul Kramer (21st century):The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the “church,” and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That “church” will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world. This is how we will get into the time of great persecution such as the world has never seen. (Priest Kramer. As cited by Mario Derksen's article The Blind Leading the Blind Memo to Chris Ferrara, Father Nicholas Gruner and Father Paul Kramer: Please, please take off the blindfolds! in TRADITIONAL INSIGHTS October 7, 2005 Volume 16, no. 250; http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/05Oct/oct7mdi.htm 10/10/07)
Some Orthodox look forward to this, but also expect an antipope near then:
Helen Tzima Otto (20th century): We have been told time and time again through the prophets that the Great Monarch and Papa Angelorum…will convene the 8th Ecumenical Council, which will reunify all Christians…The Emperor will spend three years waging wars against the non-Christian nations…{later will be} the end time schism of the Roman Catholic Church of the End Times and the rise of an antipope. (Tzima Otto, pp. xxv, 103, 122)
Apparently the “non-Christian nations” will be those that do not desire to be part of the ecumenical church that is to form.
Notice information from a Roman priest:
Father O'Connor quotes from Holy Scripture, the stunning prophecies of St. Vincent Ferrer, Pope St. Pius X, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Eudes, Sr. Lucy of Fatima, Pope Pius XII and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Father explains how God will and is punishing the world for sin, and that the Fathers of the Church all wrote that the False Prophet would be a Catholic Bishop who will become an invalid anti-pope while the real Pope dies a cruel death in exile. (REIGN OF THE FALSE PROPHET. Catholic Treasures. Audio ITEM #20104. http://www.catholictreasures.com/cartdescrip/20104.html 03/02/09)
Another priest wrote:
Priest E. Sylvester Berry (20th century) As indicated by the resemblance to a lamb, the prophet will probably set himself up in Rome as a sort of antipope during the vacancy of the papal throne . . .(Berry E.S. The Apocalypse of St. John. First published 1921. http://journals.aol.com/langosh5/Father_E_Sylvester_Berry/ 10/12/07)
Thus, some Catholic writings suggest that this “new order” will result in the world becoming nominally Catholic. That is consistent with prophecies that indicate the entire world will tend to agree on worship (cf. Revelation 13:8). And it seems to have a European base.
Notice also the following:
Cardinal J.H. Newman (19th century): Now let us recur to the ancient Fathers, and see whether their further anticipations do not run parallel to the events which have since happened. Antichrist, as they considered, will come out of the Roman Empire just upon its destruction;—that is, the Roman Empire will in its last days divide itself into ten parts, and the Enemy will come up suddenly out of it upon these ten, and subdue three of them, or all of them perhaps... (Newman JH. The Patristical Idea of Antichrist, Lecture II. Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies)
The above writing suggests that while there will be a resurrected Roman Empire, at first it will seem fine, but then it will change. This appears to be a prophecy about what will happen to the European Union in the future and seems to be consistent with Isaiah 10:5-11 where a power that does not mean to become militaristic does so.
Since the King of the North is going to nominally claim to be Catholic, having a newly claimed Catholic order would be the most logical “foreign god,” as many may not see what is happening to that Church.
When the final contest between the King of the North vs. the King of the South occurs, the King of the South will lose:
40 "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.
Notice that the King of the North amasses gold. This is consistent with three Orthodox prophecies that are supposed to be about the "Great Monarch":
Emperor Leo the Philosopher (c. early 10th century): You will amass the gold of the nations...And you will be the leader of the surrounding powers...and those that are near will prostate themselves before your feet (Tzima Otto, H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. The Verenika Press, Rock Hill (SC), 2000, pp. 76-77).
To Emperor Manuel II (d. 1425): ...upon the command of the the good Emperor they will go and discover treasures of gold and silver and all this will be offered as a gift to the pious ones; later on more and more valuable treasures will be found and the Emperor will do with those treasures likewise (ibid, p. 102).
Saint Andrew Fool-for-Christ (c. 4th century): God will reveal to this king all the gold wherever it happen to lay concealed from view. And he will re-distribute it in a liberal manner to all his land. Due to the plentiness of wealth, the ruling class will live like kings, and the poor like the ruling class (ibid, p. 112).
Roman Catholics may wish to consider that those last three predictions sound a lot like a prophecy from one of the saints about Antichrist:
Saint Ephrem (died 375): Antichrist will use worldly goods as bait. He will entice many Christians with money and goods to apostatize...The devil will help him find all the hidden treasures of the world, even those at the bottom of the ocean. With those treasures he will attain greater success for the reign of Satan than at any other time in past centuries (Connor, pp.73.74).
So does the Great Monarch amass gold with God's help like Orthodox prophecies suggest or does he amass gold with the help of Satan that one Catholic prophecy and certain biblical prophecies (Daniel 11:43; Revelation 18) indicate?
The answer should be obvious to all who wish to believe the God of the Bible.
Catholics who compromise with the Orthodox will likely be taken in by this lure of wealth. This is something that all (Catholics and Orthodox) need to ponder.
But even among the Orthodox there is a concern that apparitions falsely claiming to be Mary, the Mother of Jesus will deceive Catholics, Orthodox, and even Muslims to accept a false unity that the powers of Antichrist will support. Notice:
Peter Jackson (20th century): To which Mary are Muslims and Protestants being drawn?... Rome began to see her more and more as a "goddess," a fourth Hypostasis of the Trinity…Today, as heterodox Christians become more and more ecumenist and work toward creating a "One World Church," the search has begun for a Mary of universal recognition, one who will appeal not only to those who bear the name Christian, but apparently to Muslims and others as well, just as attempts are likewise being made to identify the "new Christ" with the Muslim concept of their coming Mahdi and with the Messiah still awaited by the Jews. This, of course, will be no Christ at all but the antichrist (Jackson P. ORTHODOX LIFE., No. I, 1997., Brotherhood of Saint Job of Pochaev at Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, N.Y. pp. 18-22. http://fr-d-serfes.org/orthodox/theotokos.htm viewed 05/04/09).
Just because some apparition claims to be Mary, the Mother of Jesus this does not mean it is so. There have been so many false claims rising up in the 21st century that Pope Benedict XVI decided he needed to put together guidelines to root out those he suspects are demonic:
Pope orders bishops to root out false claims of visions
The Pope has ordered thorough investigations to be carried out into people who claim they have seen visions of the Virgin Mary. Telegraph, London - Jan 13, 2009
The Pope plans to publish criteria to help his bishops distinguish between true and false claims of visions of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, messages, stigmata, weeping and bleeding statues and Eucharistic miracles.
He is hoping to cut down on an explosion in the number of bogus heavenly apparitions with new guidelines to help his bishops to root out frauds.
Benedict XVI plans to publish criteria to help them to distinguish between true and false claims of visions of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, messages, stigmata, weeping and bleeding statues and Eucharistic miracles.
In some cases exorcists will be used to determine if a credible apparition is of divine origin or whether it is demonic. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/4223793/Pope-orders-bishops-to-root-out-false-claims-of-visions.html)
Now, that is a good step. But what if errors are made various demonic apparitions are accepted? I strongly believe that this will occur and to such a degree as to get people to accept the false prophet (the antipope/final Antichrist) and the Beast that are warned against in the Bible as I believe they will be endorsed by false apparitions (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9).
There are various private Catholic prophecies that are looking forward to the Great Monarch (who we in the Living Church of God consider to be the King of the North), who they tend to teach is to arise after civil unrest in parts of Europe. This unrest may simply be internal, or perhaps due to immigrant issues arising from the rising Islamic populations in much of the EU. The European "Great Monarch" is expected to resolve matters first within Europe, then the fate of the Anglo-descended nations, and then the fate of much of the Islamic world.
Here are some Catholic prophecies related to this Great Monarch (note: it is possible that the "capital of the world" below being referred to is Washington D.C.--hence the United States of America may be discussed; also note that England was not known by that name in the 500s, hence the prophecy that mentions it would have used a different term in its original language that the Catholic translator apparently has concluded is modern England or those who are/speak English):
Sister Marianne Gaultier (18th century): "...When all shall appear lost, all will be saved...It is then that the Prince shall reign, whom people did not esteem before, but whom they shall then seek. The triumph of religion shall be so great that no one has ever seen the equal (Dupont, p. 75).
Father Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775): ... a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease... This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd." (Connor p.37)
Bernhardt Rembordt (18th century). "Cologne will be the site of a terrible battle...At that time France will be divided. The German Empire will choose a simple man as the Emperor, who will rule for a short time. His successor will be the man for whom the world has longed. He will be called a "Roman Emperor," and he will give peace to the world. A good and happy era will follow. God will be praised on earth, and war will be no more." (Dupont, pp.34-35)
Werdin d' Otrante (13th century): "The Great Monarch and the Great Pope will precede Antichrist...All the sects will vanish. The capital of the world will fall...The Great Monarch will come and restore peace and the Pope will share in the victory." (Connor, p. 33).
Saint Cataldus of Tarentino (c. 500): "The Great Monarch will be in war till he is forty years of age....he will assemble great armies and expel tyrants from his empire. He will conquer England and other island empires" (Connor, p.30).
Merlin (7th century): After destruction of England...shall come a dreadful man...he shall set England on the right way and put out all heresies (Culleton, p. 132).
St. Malachy (12th century): ... the English in turn must suffer severe chastisement. Ireland, however, will be instrumental in bringing back the English to the unity of Faith." (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.15)
Ancient Irish source: England will again injure the Irish...This will be a sign for the frightful punishment of England...England suffers the same degradation as she meted out to her neighbor, and for the same length of time. Not the smallest fraction of time in this long period shall be remitted...Never shall world power be hers again...France restores order in England (Culleton, pp. 234,235).
St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). "By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers. He will have a great army, and angels will fight at his side. He will be like the sun among the stars. His influence will spread over the whole earth. All in all, there will be on earth twelve Kings, one Emperor, one Pope and a few Princes. They will all lead holy lives." (Dupont, p.38)
Saint Edward (d. 1066) “The extreme corruption and wickedness of the English nation has provoked the just anger of God. When malice shall have reached the fullness of its measure, God will, in His wrath, send to the English people wicked spirits, who will punish and afflict them with great severity…” (Culleton, p. 137).
Mother Shipton (d. 1551) “The time will come when England shall tremble and quake…London shall be destroyed forever after . . . and then York shall be London and the Kingdom governed by three Lords appointed by a Royal Great monarch…who will set England right and drive out heresy (Culleton, p. 163).
Priest Nectou (d. 1772): ...when England shall begin to wane in power, the destruction of Paris shall be at hand. This shall be a sign. England shall, in her turn, suffer a more frightful revolution than that of France (Culleton, p. 176).
St. Senanus (d. 560): They (English) themselves will betray each other: in consequence their sovereignty will be broken...One monarch will rule in Ireland over the English (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 128).
Notice also the following (bolding in the original):
Our blessed Mother through Father Gobbi of the Marion Movement…provided several messages…
On November 15, 1990: Mary spoke about the great trial coming to the United States and for all humanity. The Blessed Mother specifically mentions the United States will know the hour of weakness and of poverty as well as “the hour of suffering and defeat”. The thunder of God’s justice will have arrived:
..."...Sins of impurity have become ever more widespread, and immorality has spread like a sea which has submerged all things. Homosexuality, a sin of impurity which is against nature, has been justified; recourse to the means of preventing life have become commonplace, while abortions,--these killings of innocent children--have spread and are performed in all areas of your homeland. The moment of divine justice and of great mercy has now arrived. You will know the hour of weakness and poverty; the hour of suffering and defeat; the purifying hour of the great chastisement..." America will know poverty and defeat! Those are strong statements made by the Virgin herself. Never before have we known something like this on a national scale (Flynn, pp. 341,342).
Since I do not believe that Jesus’ mother Mary actually said the above (see Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions), perhaps I should add that even the demons know that the Bible condemns homosexuality and abortion, as well as the fact that the USA is prophesied to be destroyed.
But I would like to emphasize for American and British Catholics that there are many private "Catholic" prophecies that tell of the rise of a militaristic leader who, along with a pope (an antipope) will change the Catholic religion and then destroy the American and British-descended peoples.
This, sadly, is where the ecumenical discussions of the past couple of decade are leading to.
The Eastern Orthodox are convinced that the Vatican will be part of an eighth (by their count) ecumenical council that will result in Rome changing many doctrines in order to unify with them. This council will apparently accept certain doctrines by those now also considered to be heretics.
Both the Bible and Greco-Roman prophecies warn of a time when a militaristic leader (the Great Monarch, called the Beast or King of the North in the Bible) and an antipope (called the false prophet, who is the final Antichrist, in the Bible) will rise up. This militaristic leader is expected to conquer the American and British-descended peoples and make others rich.
Is a changed religion and the destruction of America (including Canada) and the British-descended peoples (including Australia and New Zealand) something that American Catholics want? And this is taught in both biblical and Greco-Roman prophecies.
While none I have spoken to are in favor of that, few seem to understand that is what is expected to happen from all the ecumenical discussions that have taken place between the Vatican and the Eastern Orthodox over the past few decades.
Roman Catholics need to resist unity with the Eastern Orthodox and turn back to the original faith of the Bible.
Several articles of possibly related interest may include:
Anglo - America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Thiel B. Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? www.cogwriter.com/american-catholics-should-fear-unity-with-greek-orthodox.htm (c) 2009 COGwriter