Pope Francis sent a message to the Waldensian-Methodist annual synod held 24-29 August 2014 in Torre Pellice, Italy. The Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin signed the telegram on behalf of the pope. The letter offered the Waldenses the pope’s “fraternal greeting” and assured the synod delegates of his spiritual closeness during their discussions.
In language that would have deeply offended the Waldenses persecuted by the Catholic Church in the 11th to the 13th centuries, the message said that the pope, “prays that the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, grant to all Christians progress on the path towards full communion, to witness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to offer the light and strength of His Gospel to the men and women of our time.”
The Waldensian Church historically refused to accept the papal teaching on the Virgin Mary, and would certainly not have seen her as co-redemptrix of Christ and co-mediatrix with Christ. The Waldensian church should repudiate such a message with historical piety. But that probably didn’t happen in this ecumenical age.
Pope Francis has been reaching out to many Protestant and charismatic groups in the hopes that they will seek full communion with Rome. Full communion involves Rome’s sacraments including the mass, which was especially odious and abominable to these ancient Christians.
The Waldensian church has 50,000 members including 15,000 in Argentina and Uruguay and a few scattered elsewhere around the world.
Will the Sunday-keeping Waldenses eventually fall for the ecumenical appeal of Pope Francis? It remains to be seen. But the Bible says that all that dwell upon the earth will worship the beast. That includes the Waldenses if they do not follow its principles in their worship.
Comments
Gabriel Taylor
Monday September 1st, 2014 at 10:44 AMWeren’t the Waldenses traditionally Sabbath keepers?
Damian
Tuesday September 2nd, 2014 at 08:58 AMThey were but switched!
Sean Taylor
Tuesday September 2nd, 2014 at 05:32 PMIs our church going to switch too? Am I going to switch?? We need to make our calling and election sure before its to late. Something terrible is coming on the earth and its happening with blinding speed!!
Don Baltazar
Saturday September 6th, 2014 at 09:53 PMI agree, the succession of events fulfilling prophecies are taking place in a rapid pace. This calls for a bolder step from us who claim to be the people of God to proclaim His word in love and warn the people of the perilous times we’re in. We need to tell them before it’s too late.
stephen chang
Wednesday September 10th, 2014 at 02:47 PMOh yes. SDAdventism will switch. R&H March 18th, 1884. Our Pastors will encourage God’s people of the neceddity to keep Sunday holy. Hatd to believe but it is true.
Dorian Harkins
Tuesday September 16th, 2014 at 06:21 PMThe SDA church will not switch, various people will which are the tares who will grow together with us till the harvest, which is the Sunday Law. All of God’s people, His church will be totally cleansed after the Sunday law, it will be the church triumphant but now it is the church militant
Glenn Gately
Wednesday September 17th, 2014 at 08:49 AMIf it is true, it sure does not say it in the article you cited.
Sharon
Wednesday September 10th, 2014 at 04:44 PMWe who sing the song of Moses will be kept safe: http://timesandlaws.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/the-message-2/
Ed Sutton
Friday March 27th, 2015 at 01:54 AMMarch 18, 1884 A Sabbath Reform Needed. By Mrs. E. G. White.
One of the principal ways in which the people had departed from God was in the desecration of the Sabbath. Heathen merchants, who came to Jerusalem to sell their wares, lodged outside the gates, and when they were opened in the morning, offered their goods for sale. Many of the Jews traded with them on the Sabbath; these not only broke the Sabbath themselves, but tried to remove the scruples of their more conscientious countrymen. Thus to a great extent the sacredness of the Sabbath was destroyed. {RH, March 18, 1884 par. 2} ………….
There is need of a Sabbath reform among us, who profess to observe God’s holy rest-day. Some discuss their business matters and lay plans on the Sabbath, and God looks upon this in the same light as though they engaged in the actual transaction of business. Others who are well acquainted with the Bible evidences that the seventh day is the Sabbath, enter into partnership with men who have no respect for God’s holy day. A Sabbath-keeper cannot allow men in his employ, paid by his money, to work on the Sabbath. If, for the sake of gain, he allows the business in which he has an interest to be carried on on the Sabbath by his unbelieving partner, he is equally guilty with the unbeliever; and it is his duty to dissolve the relation, however much he may lose by so doing. Men may think they cannot afford to obey God, but they cannot afford to disobey him. Those who are careless in their observance of the Sabbath will suffer great loss. {RH, March 18, 1884 par. 7}
The Lord has a controversy with his professed people in these last days. In this controversy men in responsible positions will take a course directly opposite to that pursued by Nehemiah. They will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but they will try to keep it from others by burying it beneath the rubbish of custom and tradition. In churches and in large gatherings in the open air, ministers will urge upon the people the necessity of keeping the first day of the week. There are calamities on sea and land: and these calamities will increase, one disaster following close upon another; and the little band of conscientious Sabbath-keepers will be pointed out as the ones who are bringing the wrath of God upon the world by their disregard of Sunday. {RH, March 18, 1884 par. 8}
J MacMillan Jr
Friday April 24th, 2015 at 11:18 PMThank you for sharing this very important message that many need to understand about the desecration of the Sabbath day instituted by God in Genesis 2:1-3 and reminded to us in Exodus 20:8-11