By Pastor Hal Mayer
Secret Forces of the Church: Germany Infuriates the Pope [1]
Dear Friends,
Greetings and best wishes to you and your family. Don’t forget to return your renewal card by December 31 so that you will not miss any of the coming developments in 2008. Much is happening and it is vital that we understand it in light of Bible prophecy. Send the renewal card in now so you don’t forget.
During the last weekend of March, 2007 there was a great celebration in Berlin marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The treaty was the basis of the European Economic Community which is today the European Union. Though not publically stated, the purpose of the original 1957 treaty was to begin the process of resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire. Rome was appropriately chosen as the place where the treaty was signed, probably because Rome was seen as the historical place where the cultural and religious values of Europe had their center in past ages.
The party in Berlin which included beer and Bratwurst, fireworks and all-night discos afforded the opportunity for the public to distract themselves on the eve of March 25, the 50th birthday of the Treaty of Rome, while events in another part of Berlin secretly began the process of selling their souls.
Before we go any further however, let us bow our heads and ask for the blessing of the Holy Spirit as we look again into the secret forces of the Church. Our Father in Heaven, thank You for Your revealed word that continually reminds us as we study its sacred pages, that there is a time coming when every single prophecy of Your servants the holy prophets will be fulfilled. We are grateful that You have revealed to those who faithfully live for Jesus that there is a judgment to face and an eternal destiny with the righteous to be secured. I pray that You will take our hearts and minds and open to us your truths for these last days. May we learn to live for Jesus now, so that He will live with us then. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Let us open our Bibles to the fourteenth chapter of Revelation, verse 9 & 10. This is the third part of the three angel’s messages of Revelation 14. Let us read it. ”And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:…”
The scriptures teach us that there is a conspiracy underway to destroy God’s faithful people and make it impossible for them to live in the normal way if they don’t receive the mark of the beast. But ultimately those who comply with Rome’s demands to worship in her way will receive the wrath of God. They will burn in the lake of fire to which Rome is destined as well. In the mean time however, Rome is seeking ascendency in the West and particularly in Europe.
Rome has long sought to re-establish popery on the European continent. Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI said that “today’s EU should acknowledge ‘a common imperial ideal,’” reported German-Foreign-Policy.com, August 29, 2006. What is a common imperial ideal? That’s referring to an empire with its monarchial rule. Europe’s commonness is not in its language, it’s politics, or it’s perspective. The only historical commonness that spans all of modern Europe is its common religious connection to the Papacy. Benedict’s comment essentially means that he wants Europe to return to its former ecclesiastical empire. Benedict wants Europe under papal rule again.
Islam claims to own any geographical property she has ever conquered. So does Rome. Rome claims the right to rule Europe because at one time, from the 6th century to the Reformation and the French Revolution, Rome controlled the Holy Roman Empire. Ever since the deadly blow she received to her power in 1798 during the wars of Napoleon, Rome has been working steadily and stealthily to regain control again. The deadly wound is in the process of being healed as Revelation 13:3 predicts.
While the German public was rockin and rollin last March, other, infinitely more important events were taking place in Berlin. In the German Historical Museum a signing ceremony was taking place. European leaders from all over Europe came to Berlin to witness the signing of what is known as the Berlin Declaration. There is a battle going on for the soul of Europe between the Pope and Europe’s secularists who want to divorce Europe from its Catholic religious heritage that dominated Europe for over 12 hundred years.
EUBusiness.com reported that “Beneath the veneer, and despite serving as a model of integration to the world, EU leaders [battled] to conclude a declaration that can mark past achievements and reassure citizens about the future.”
In 2006 the EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso hinted at the epic struggle going on in Europe over the destiny of the European Union. In a speech in June he said that the forthcoming Berlin Declaration “must be a restatement of Europe’s values,’” wrote the European Parliament News on June 22. Barroso also said that he wanted all 27 member nations to sign the Declaration “together as a collective act of will.” Barroso was already then apparently attempting to let the nations of the Union know what was expected of them at the upcoming Berlin meeting, and pressure them to join the coalition and continue building the new empire.
Coming up to the 50th anniversary celebrations of the European Union, it may have seemed to many onlookers that everything was in readiness to take the EU one big step closer to a European constitution which has been the goal of the EU Commission president and his allies in Germany led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
But instead of a ringing political statement of unanimity and progress toward a new Europe controlled by a central government in Brussels, something else happened that has the potential to do much more damage, leading to control by the Vatican in Rome.
Remember that the word of God tells us that the beast power of the medieval papacy will arise again. The deadly wound will be healed and all the world shall wonder after the beast. That means that Europe will once again come under the control of the Vatican while other nations such as the United States, and other western nations like Canada, Australia and New Zealand perhaps, will copy Rome’s principles and follow her lead.
Instead of moving forward toward a mature EU constitution as the Chancellor and the Commission President (and others) had planned, the Berlin Declaration was gutted of one of its most critical issues – the one that is perhaps the most important to the Vatican; the one that would again provide the Pope with the keys to Europe’s soul – a reference to its Christian roots (meaning Roman Catholic roots).
The trouble is, political union is difficult in Europe, and European leaders know it. Yet they continue to press their agenda even if it means cramming the new level of control down the throats of member nations. With so many nations that have differing and often competing interests, it is very difficult to get unity in the Union. Every attempt at solidifying the control of Brussels is met with one problem or another that prevents it. Perhaps the prophetic point here is that it isn’t Brussels, the political power that is the center of the jigsaw puzzle, it is Rome, the religious power. Make no mistake about it Rome is working very hard at positioning itself to make this a reality. The Vatican is manipulating the politics of Europe vigorously to that end. But it hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps the angels are still holding back the winds of strife by slowing down the progress of Rome’s predicted return to power.
The Berlin Declaration had to be toned down before the signing meeting in Berlin on March 25, in order to appease member nations that have significant concerns about the direction of the EU, specifically the spiritual direction. Remember that the Treaty of Rome of 1957 was signed in Rome as a commemoration of the historical religious roots of Europe. The EU constitution of 2004 was signed in Rome also, and for the same reasons. It was later rejected by French and Dutch voters in national referendums placing the whole concept of a European constitution in jeopardy. But Europe remains divided between Romanism and secularism which is limiting the ability of the bureaucrats in Brussels to re-impose the Catholic central government over Europe.
But in a move sure to ignite controversy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was the prime mover behind the Berlin Declaration switched procedures on the signatories. Originally the Declaration was to be signed by all the heads of the EU member states. But Chancellor Merkel, who was the reigning president of the EU at the time, ruled that only three people would sign the declaration for all of the EU nations – herself, European Commission President Barroso and the president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering.
But Angela Merkel didn’t just leave out all the other heads of EU nations in signing the agreement. Some of her pet issues were also left out of the Declaration itself in order to make progress. Left out of the text was any reference to the EU Constitution, the ratification of which was one of the key goals of the Chancellor during her 6-month term as president. Also left out was any reference to the religion that claims to have provided Europe with its culture and values – Christianity, or Roman Catholicism.
When the Pope learned that the 2007 Berlin Declaration would not have a reference to Europe’s Christian roots he was angry! He gave a speech on Saturday, March 24, 2007 to the European Bishops just one day prior to the signing of the Berlin Declaration.
Reuters reported on Sunday March 25, 2007 that “Pope Benedict strongly criticized the European Union on Saturday for excluding a mention of God and Europe’s Christian roots in declarations marking the 50th anniversary of its founding.
“In a toughly-worded speech to European bishops, Benedict said Europe was committing a form of “apostasy of itself” and was thus doubting its own identity.
“The Pope… said leaders could not exclude values that helped forge the ‘very soul’ of the continent.
“’If… the governments of the union want to get closer to their citizens, how can they exclude an element as essential to the identity of Europe as Christianity, in which the vast majority of its people continue to identify,’ he said.
“‘Does not this unique form of apostasy of itself, even before God, lead it (Europe) to doubt its very identity?’
“One of the Pope’s compatriots, German Chancellor Angela Merkel… last month made a plea for the bloc to include references to Christian roots…
“Merkel… is now in the process of reviving the constitution. Comments from Merkel, the daughter of a pastor, have encouraged religious leaders around Europe to redouble efforts to modify the constitution.
“Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said he had pushed for inclusion of Catholic roots in the document…” continued Reuters.
Pope Benedict warned the bloc was headed up a slippery slope of indifference and said it could not deny its “historical, cultural and moral identity” that Christianity helped forge.
“’A community that builds itself without respecting the true dignity of the human being, forgetting that each person is created in the image of God, ends up doing good for no one,’ he said.”
Notice that Benedict did not speak or write to Angela Merkel, Manuel Barroso or Hans-Gert Pöttering. He spoke to the Bishops, and publically published his remarks. Popes don’t often criticize civil leaders directly, particularly when it is a strong criticism such as this was. They want to keep an open channel of communication. By speaking to the Bishops he can accomplish the same thing as well as urge the bishops to redouble their efforts to bring Europe into line with papal rule.
The Vatican has substantial political influence in Europe and Euro-leaders know it. Benedict was trying to make it more difficult for European leaders to buck Papal power. Euro-leaders don’t want Benedict as an opponent. Benedict’s speech told those leaders that they were not in harmony with the Vatican and that he was drawing his spiritual sword.
Not since the signing of the Treaty of Rome has a pope been so pointed in his remarks about Europe’s secularism. Notice that Benedict XVI said that it was a unique form of apostasy in that Europe had apostatized from itself, and also from God, meaning the Catholic faith. Rome always claims the people as her own, even if they don’t believe in Christianity, let alone Catholicism, since Rome ruled the territories of Europe for centuries. Hence their apostasy is political as well as spiritual according to him. Benedict is trying to say that Catholicism is part and parcel with European identity. To accuse Europe and its leaders of apostasy is a powerful way of condemning the secularism of the European continent. No doubt Benedict’s speech got the attention of European leaders as intended.
Benedict threw cold water on Europe’s birthday party. His criticism was timed perfectly to maximize the effect. Criticism usually has the effect of providing opportunities for reconciliation which will ultimately link these nations more tightly with Rome.
The Pope knows that Angela Merkel, Manuel Barroso and Hans-Gert Pöttering are strongly supportive of Rome’s leadership of the emerging European Union. So even though his remarks were rather sweeping in scope, they could not have been taken personally by these three leaders. They have been in league with Rome as a powerful force to draw Europe around the Pope as its spiritual leader in the new euro-empire. Why then did Benedict criticize European leaders in his speech to the bishops?
The Pope is more concerned about the leaders of nations that are opposed to bringing Europe under the Vatican. His speech was focused on them and the people that create their political situation. The three leaders of the EU had to work with the reality of the political situation. Benedict knows that they are doing all they can to support a return to their “Christian roots” as Europeans and connect them to the Papacy.
For example, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, after a meeting with the Pope at his summer residence in 2006, “reaffirmed her support for a Christian values clause” in the EU constitution. “I believe this treaty should be linked to Christianity and God” Deutsche Welle quoted her, “because Christianity was decisive in the formation of Europe.” During the meeting with Benedict “I emphasized the need for a constitution and that it should refer to our Christian values,” quoted the Guardian.
Also Hans-Gert Pöttering, the president of the European Parliament, who “sees his Christian faith as intrinsic to his politics,” according to Deutsche Welle, was the leader of the influential Catholic center-right party of Christian Democrats, prior to taking over the European Parliament as its president. Pöttering told the Pope last year that his group was determined to see the spiritual dimension of the European Union written into the European Constitution. He even described the European constitution as a “holy text,” reported The Parliament.com and others.
But secret forces are also at work collaborating on the future of these leaders and the Pope. On the very day before the Pope’s condemnation of the secularized version of the Berlin Declaration, and two days before the signing of the Declaration, there was a private meeting in the Vatican between the Pope and none other than Hans-Gert Pöttering the president of the EU Parliament. Whether Pöttering initiated the meeting to assure the Pope of his continuing support in light of the seemingly irreligious Berlin Declaration, or whether it was Vatican officials who were going to alert Pöttering to the coming papal condemnation is not known, but the meeting happened in the Vatican nonetheless. “During the audience,” said Pöttering, “we spoke about the question of citing the Judeo-Christian roots of Europe in the constitutional treaty, of the future of the EU, and of the problems of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,” reported the International Herald Tribune on March 23, 2007.
So, while other leaders were gathering in Berlin, Hans-Gert Pöttering, was at the Vatican. But what was he doing there? He was there for a very special reason. I quote “The President of the European Parliament met with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday [March 23] and invited the pontiff to address a plenary session of the legislature [or Parliament],” said the Tribune. An invitation to address the full European Parliament would provide Rome with the finest opportunity to urge Europe to resurrect the Holy Roman Empire. There the Pope can speak to the heart of the issues concerning the direction of the Union.
The Pope had been invited by Angela Merkel to make a speech at the time of the signing of the Berlin declaration, reported German-Foreign-Policy.com, August 29, 2006, but obviously it didn’t happen. After all, how could the Pope lend his credibility to a declaration that was inconsistent with one of his most deeply held principles, a statement linking the history of the European empire with it Christian heritage centered in the Roman Catholic Church?
So, while the preparations for the celebration in Berlin were going on and while European leaders were gathering in Berlin for the signing of the Berlin Declaration on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the president of the EU Parliament was in Rome talking to the Pope and inviting him to speak to the full Parliament. These largely unknown events are surely a sign of the Pope’s re-emergence as a world leader answering the specific prophecy of the healing of the deadly wound found in Revelation 13.
But the connections and political maneuverings between the EU and Catholicism run far more deeply. During the celebrations in Berlin there was present an old man whose credentials go deep into the history of the old Holy Roman Empire. Otto von Habsburg, who is a descendent of the family that controlled the Austral-Hungarian empire and kept it very close to Roman Catholicism for hundreds of years. Beginning in the 13th century, without the ardently Catholic Habsburgs in Spain and Austria, the Papacy could not have maintained control of the Holy Roman Empire.
Otto von Habsburg, known as “Mr. Europe,” by Inside the Vatican which is a monthly Catholic Magazine, is credited with doing “as much as any man alive to lay the groundwork for the European Union. Now 94, He attended the March 2007 celebrations in Berlin. His efforts to see a revival of the Holy Roman Empire have been so significant that the Catholic Church acknowledges the debt they have to him. “If the ‘problem of Europe’ weights heavily on the heart of this Bavarian pope,” intoned the magazine Inside the Vatican, “no one man better personifies a truly Catholic response to it than does Dr. Otto von Habsburg, heir of the last great Catholic monarchy and visionary architect of today’s expanding European Union. His decades of public service in the political arena exemplify the best in Europe’s Christian past and its hopes for a peaceful, united and still Christian future.”
Then eluding to the real agenda behind the European Union, the magazine wrote, “Born to a 700-year-old imperial dynasty, the present-day head of the House of Habsburg has, in his own way, taken up the same mantle of responsibility borne by the Austrian emperors, and the holy Roman emperors before them, without benefit of any of the office’s perks or powers.”
What “mantle of responsibility” is being spoken of here? Otto von Habsburg, who was exiled from Hungary during the Nazi and Communist regimes of the 20th century, has been working very hard to restore his ancestral goal of making and keeping the Catholic Church at the head of Europe. He knows that Europe’s only hope of cohesion as a united conglomerate of nations is when they recognize the Pope as their leader.
If that becomes reality, it would not only be a direct fulfillment of Bible prophecy which predicts that “the deadly wound” will be healed so that all the world can “wonder after the beast” (Revelation 13:3), but it is also a direct fulfillment of a prophecy found in the writings of God’s messenger to the Remnant which says that “Romanism in the Old World and apostate Protestantism in the new will pursue a similar course toward those who honor all the divine precepts.” Great Controversy, pg. 616. This is the real issue behind the rise of the European Union – a united Europe rallied around the Pope that pursues Gods’ true people. Remember that prophecy always centers around what is going to happen to God’s people. So we must look at these political and prophetic developments in relation to God’s church.
Rome cannot persecute unless it unites church and state. This is what Habsburg wants. This is what Rome wants. If the papacy is able to re-unite church and state in the European Union and return Europe to the forms of a political religion it once had, she will have gained an unprecedented victory in the modern age – overthrowing the Reformation. This is why Benedict is attempting to get a reference to the Christian roots of Europe inserted into the EU constitution and any other documents and declarations related to it.
Rome still has the age old concept of the mingling of church and state and of using the state to accomplish the ends and purposes of the church. In other words, Rome is seeking to again organize the politics of Europe to let it wield the secular sword on her behalf. This is one of the secret forces of the church. The uniting of church and state has always yielded the loss of religious freedom and most other freedoms as well. The destruction of freedom of conscience is one of Rome’s primary objectives. Listen to the statement of one of the Popes in relation to this freedom in America. “Pope Pius IX, in his Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854, said: `The absurd and erroneous doctrines or ravings in defense of liberty of conscience are a most pestilential error—a pest, of all others, most to be dreaded in a state.’ The same pope, in his Encyclical Letter of December 8, 1864, anathematized `those who assert the liberty of conscience and of religious worship,’ also ‘all such as maintain that the church may not employ force.‘” That is from Great Controversy, page 564-565.
If Rome feels this way about America which did not have Roman Catholic roots, how do you think she feels about Europe with which she had so much to do in shaping the old medieval world? The separation of church and state brought great relief to the persecuted both in the new world and also in many parts of Europe. But that great principle is being precipitously eroded.
When a church becomes the state church, there is inevitably persecution of those that do not go along with its doctrines or dogmas. When a church becomes the favorite of the state, this principle unleashes the power of the church in such a way that it eventually overwhelms the minority churches with oppression. Rome knows that her secret forces have no power unless she can wield the sword of the state to give her the control over the minds of the populations of nations. This she intends to do, according to prophecy. And she intends to cause the death, ultimately, of anyone that is prepared to stand in her way.
This is why it is important to pay attention to the activities of the leaders of the nations in relation to the Vatican, including its bishops, its Jesuits and any of its trained members. That is why it is important to understand that for a president of any faith, particularly a non-Catholic faith, to attend Red Mass in St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington DC, as President Bush did on Sunday October 2, 2005, is a very serious matter. For the president of the United States or any other official such as the Secretary of State, to pay an official state visit to the Bishop of Rome is a very dangerous step that will effect God’s church. It is important to realize that for the leaders of the EU to make ad limina visits to the Vatican, invite the Pope to speak to the European parliament, or to place a reference to the “Christian” roots of Europe in its forthcoming constitution is also a very serious matter. Because those “Christian roots” inevitably mean Catholic roots.
Rome is angling for the reuniting of church and state throughout the EU. There can be no doubt about that. And for the United States to be able to wield “all the power of the first beast,” Revelation 13:12, she will also have to unite church and state as a mirror image of the coming papal empire in Europe.
The signing of the treaty of Rome in 1957 was attended by heads of state from all over Europe, virtually all of them devout Roman Catholics, who were then received at the Vatican for a private audience with the Pope. There seems to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the treaty was the foundation of the resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire which would, of course, eventually include a uniting of church and state to place Europe back in the hands of Rome just as prophecy predicted.
The treaty also provided a foundation for one of Rome’s secret forces to work. The goal is to ultimately rally Europe around the Pope and make a way for persecution to arise again. Europe’s history involves unity around the Papacy and its religious dogma as a sacred society that no one could disregard or ignore except at the peril of his life, liberty and personal possessions. This religious ideology has given the diverse cultures, languages, and political needs of the separate nation states the one principle on which to unite. Without it Europe would have had no unity whatsoever. Now that secularism dominates the religious landscape of many European nations, many European leaders see the need to re-unite Europe on this same principle. Though it is a superficial and political unity that is developing under the Papacy, it is clear that it will have large religious and prophetic implications.
The Vatican may well see the Berlin Declaration with its lack of reference to Christianity, as an open challenge to the supremacy of Rome on the European continent. The Pope has confronted this challenge by his language to the bishops concerning Europe’s “apostasy.” Now he has an opportunity to address the whole European Parliament in an effort to press his agenda.
If the Parliament should listen to the Pope’s urgent demands, and perhaps railroad the religion of Rome into becoming the official, recognized state religion of the European Union, it will certainly lead to the fulfillment of God’s infallible word in our day. It is important to note that the laws of the European Parliament supersede all the laws of the nations themselves. Could it be possible that the European Parliament will one day endorse one religion above all others? Will that religion be the religion of the Pope?
Will the Bavarian pope offer a parliamentary (or political) solution for the unity of the nations? Will Benedict XVI provide the answer to the resistance of a few nations to the inevitable resurrection of the “Holy Roman Catholic Empire” just as soon as the angel’s holding back the “winds” allow it?
Let us refresh for a moment exactly what happened in March. A crisis arose because the leaders of the EU left out any reference to Europe’s Christian roots and values in the Berlin Declaration. The Pope chastised and condemned the European leaders for doing so. And on the same weekend in March as the celebrations of the anniversary of the treaty of Rome, Europe’s leaders invited the Pope to come into the center of European power and speak to it’s parliament. Does it sound to you like there are forces at work on both sides of this dilemma? Could there be a grand political scheme being played out in Europe to reshape European focus and priorities? I wonder if perhaps there is some collusion going on between the three top leaders and perhaps others, in the European Union that have been conspiring with the Pope to justify an opportunity for him to stand at the head of the parliament and offer them a solution to the disunity that all of Europe feels. That solution would be a return to the Catholic roots of Europe.
Listen to the words of scripture. Rev: 17:12-14 says, And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called chosen and faithful.”
These are serious times my friends. Note that the developing coalition will make war with Christ himself, the Lamb of God. But praise God He overcomes them. We are living in the time described in prophecy just before the close of probation and the end of the world. Are you part of the called, chosen and faithful?
The devil is going about like a “raging lion seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. Those that are his emissaries are also raging, though for the time being they are muting their voices as they manipulate governments in preparation for the long-range plan they have formulated to conspire against God’s people. These prophetic movements are important to comprehend if the coming crisis is not going to overtake us as an overwhelming surprise. What is the next step in the ongoing drama for the control of Europe? Pay attention, you won’t want to miss what the Pope has to say to the Euro-Parliament when the time comes. Stay tuned. The secret forces are at work.
These things tell us that the time is near when Jesus will come in the clouds of glory. We have nothing to fear from the secret forces of the church if we are fully trusting our souls to Jesus. This means that we will have put away anything in our lives that is displeasing to Him. That means that through His power in us, we will overcome on every point the sacrifice be what it may. We must surrender our souls today. We cannot wait until the beginning of the time of trouble when we see the first signs of a Sunday law coming to start the process of overcoming. We must prepare our souls now. Not in some distant future. Not after we watch just this one last Hollywood movie, or eat this one last piece of chicken, or go to the ball game this one last season, or play this one last internet game. It is now that we have to invite Jesus into our hearts so that He can become the master there.
My friends, Jesus is calling us now to come out of Babylon and to get Babylon out of us. We must get out of the things that bind us to Babylon and recognize where we are in the stream of time. The secret forces of the church are serious my friends, and we are not as serious about overcoming as we should. The secret forces of the church are working for your eternal ruin, and my prayer is that you are working in cooperation with Jesus for your eternal life.
Your eternal destiny is at stake. The movements now developing tell us clearly that the end is near. Please my dear friend, make your calling and election sure. You will never regret surrendering your life to the life giver, Jesus Christ. You may suffer loss here and now, but you will gain an eternity of riches in Christ Jesus. You may suffer persecutions in this life, but you will inherit an eternal life with the saints and angels. Don’t you want that? I do. I pray that you and all of your family will want it so badly that you will give up all your worldly hopes and ambitions as well as your sins and addictions, so that you can gain Christ and everlasting joy.
Let us pray. Our dear Father in Heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ we come to you this day earnestly pleading with you to make us your chosen people. We claim to be your people, but often we act like we are Satan’s people. We cavil, we argue and we gossip. We lack spiritual discernment, spiritual commitment and spiritual sacrifice. We are steeped in entertainment, worldliness and business. We are so unaware some times that we don’t see the secret forces of the church at work to bring all of us into conformity to Rome. Oh God, please remove from us our desire for sin. Help us to love Jesus with all our heart, mind and soul. And may we live for Him today and every day I pray, in Jesus name, amen.
Music
We hope you have received a great blessing from this month’s message. Your prayers and gifts mean much to us. Thank you for your support. The song you have just heard is Done Made My Vow, sung by the Three Angels Chorale from Hartland College. It is recorded on a CD with other beautiful hymns. If you would like to have a copy of the CD, just send $16 post paid to U.S. addresses to cover the cost, and we will send you one. Our international listeners should inquire the additional cost of shipping.
The following is a prophetic intelligence briefing for those who love the appearing of Jesus Christ and are watching the fulfilling prophecies. We can see the signs of the times telling us that we are nearing the world’s great crisis. May the Lord find us faithful.
Our first item this month; Catholics Poised to Transform America
“Catholics are poised to take on a historic role in America that can transform the future of our country,” wrote the National Catholic Register, May 20, 2007. “If we do the right thing now, we won’t just restore the sanctity of life to its proper place as the fundamental right upon which all others depend – we will also make Catholics the most important force preserving and promoting the American ideal…
“Reality is overtaking the abortion debate. Each year, a larger majority of Americans report to pollsters that they are pro-life. It is only a matter of time before revulsion against abortion will reach a critical mass – a ‘tipping point,’ to use a marketing phrase. At that point, predominant cultural attitudes toward abortion will swing so far so fast, it will appear to have changed ‘overnight,’ whereas in reality this respect for life will have been growing incrementally for years…
“When this happens in America, Catholics will find themselves in a leading cultural role, for three reasons.
“First because Catholic theology uniquely understands the interrelationship between natural law and divine revelation, the power of persuasion will be on our side…
“Second, Catholics will dominate in the future of America because of sheer numbers. Immigration from Mexico and family sizes mean the old Protestant America is throwing itself off a demographic cliff. Tomorrow’s America will be far less Protestant and far more Catholic.
“And last, Catholics will have a prominent role in the future of America because we are the church founded by Christ on the rock of Peter… Christ founded one Church, not many denominations, and our doctrines have the best expression of the ‘foundational reality’ of God that will prevail…
“It doesn’t mean that our fight will be easy, either—in the age of martyrdom, it never is. Rather, these ‘Catholic advantages’ mean we have a grave responsibility to promote the culture of life and to defend the family – and that, no matter how hard the fight gets, we shouldn’t lose heart. God always wins.”
According to prophecy, a Catholic dominated America will also enact laws in other areas of life. These laws we are told, will oppress those that will refuse to obey the religious order. It is very hard for religious people who are enthusiastic about legislative success in one sphere, to stop with that one sphere. They will want to enact laws in other sphere’s as well. Inevitably, they will enact a worship law, that, though it won’t require all Christians to celebrate the Mass perhaps, will require obedience to something more basic; something that most churches can agree to; a day of worship in which there will be a feeling of national unity, even though there is great diversity in style or principles of worship.
Next: Scalia Argues in Favor of Sunday Laws.
In the book, “The Political Thought of Justice Antonin Scalia: A Hamiltonian on the Supreme Court,” author James Staab writes on page five, “Scalia began his legal career in 1961 as an associate at the law firm now called Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue in Cleveland, Ohio… Members of the firm recall Scalia as a ‘brash, instantly likeable guy who lit up the firm with his legal abilities and eager conservatism.’ Scalia’s brashness was on display at his own recruitment party, where, in no attempt to ingratiate the firm’s senior partners, the twenty-three-year old Harvard Law School graduate argued with eight of the firm’s lawyers until three in the morning over whether Sunday blue laws were a good idea. Consistent with his accommodationist view of the Establishment Clause, Scalia took the position that they were, while eight of his future employers were adamantly opposed to them.”
Next: What will Happen to Tony Blair
“Tony Blair,” Britain’s new Ex-Prime Minister, “is ‘certain’ to become a Roman Catholic shortly after he steps down from office next week, friends of the Prime Minister have said,” reported the Belfast Telegraph on June 22, 2007.
“Mr Blair is likely to discuss his conversion with Pope Benedict XVI, with whom he will hold talks in Rome tomorrow after attending his last summit of European Union leaders in Brussels.
“Aides say that in the private one-to-one meeting, he will also discuss his plans to set up a Blair Inter-Faith Foundation aimed at fostering closer links between people from different religions.
“There have been persistent rumours that the Prime Minister would convert to Catholicism but Downing Street has always insisted that he remains a member of the Church of England.
“Now friends say Mr. Blair will formalize his already close affiliation to the Catholic Church. They say his ‘spiritual guide’ in making the decision has been his wife, Cherie. They have brought up their four children as Catholics.
“Before he became Prime Minister, Mr. Blair regularly took communion with his wife and children at a Catholic Church in Islington, north London. He ceased doing so in public after an intervention by the late Cardinal Hume, when he was leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.” The Guardian Unlimited reported that the Cardinal “told him to stop because it was causing comment as he was not a Catholic.”
“It is believed that Mr. Blair decided to remain an Anglican while he was Prime Minister,” continued the Belfast Telegraph, “because of the possible legal and political difficulties of converting while in office…
“If he had converted while Prime Minister, Mr. Blair might have faced questions about whether his religious views had affected his decisions…
Several points are perhaps important to make. This is not the first wife to influence her husband to become Catholic. Clotilda in the fifth century influenced her husband Clovis to join the Church of Rome. Clovis then went on to conquer the Visogoths, which paved the way for Rome to gain temporal power. He because the first Catholic monarch of the Holy Roman Empire.
Secondly, the article pointed out that Mr. Blair was taking communion (meaning the Eucharist) sometimes publically, but later privately. He has been what is known as a closet Catholic while being officially an Anglican.
Thirdly, did his Catholic religious leanings influence his decisions? The Guardian Unlimited said that “Fr Seed… has claimed to have paid regular backdoor visits to Downing Street to talk religion, if not necessarily to advise the Prime Minister.” These private visits, no doubt, increased suspicion that the Catholic Church was advising the PM to lead the nation away from Protestant principles to Catholic ones. We may never officially know. What we do know is that Rome is using all means that she can to influence the policy of nations and increase her power. Tony Blair has been responsible for returning Britain to inquisitional law to a considerable extent while in the office of Prime Minister. Perhaps the “back door” discussions on religion with Father Seed dropped seeds that influenced the religious direction of the nation.
What will Tony Blair do now? His friends say “he is keen to do the interfaith work. That will be a big priority,” said the Belfast Telegraph. Mr. Blair was appointed Middle East Peace Envoy the day he stepped down as Prime Minister of Britain by what is known as the “Quartet” which includes the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.
The Times Online told us June 23, 2007 that “Tony Blair met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican this morning for the last time in his capacity as prime minister.” This meeting took place after Blair attended his last European Union summit in Brussels.
“The two men met privately for 25 minutes and then were joined for further talks by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
“A Vatican source later told the Sunday Times that he could not recall a similar occasion in living memory when a cardinal had joined a prime minister or head of state during his private audience with the Pope. ‘It’s a sign of particular attention by the Holy Father to the prime minister and the cardinal,’” said the Pope’s private secretary.
“When the three leaders had finished their private conversations, journalists were allowed back in and Mr. Blair presented his delegation to the pontiff, including his wife, Cherie.
“Dressed in a two piece black-suit, with white buttons, and wearing a large black mantilla, she kissed the Pope’s ring before taking her place on his left.”
“The Blairs gave the Pope a frame containing three period photographs of a famous British convert to Catholicism, Cardinal John Henry Newman, who died in 1890.
“The Vatican stop on Blair’s farewell tour fueled rumours that he, too, plans to convert to Catholicism,… It was an official visit, but it also has a very personal dimension to it,” a Vatican source said.”
The Times Online had said on June 22 that there would be no “mass in the papal chapel, as on some past visits, but the Pope is likely to join the couple in a ‘private prayer’ before they leave.”
Perhaps we should take note that Blair symbolically gave pictures of John Henry Newman to the Pope. John Henry Newman was almost singlehandedly responsible for the ritualization of the Church of England in bringing it back very near to Catholicism in the 19th century. He was made a Cardinal after his conversion from a simple priest, skipping over many steps up the ladder to the “red hat.” This revealed the Pope’s gratitude to Newman for what he had done to the Church of England.
Blair was almost singlehandedly responsible for laying the ground work and introducing inquisitional principles into British law while Prime Minister. Does Blair want to be seen by the Vatican in a similar manner to Newman? Does Blair’s personal visit indicate that once he becomes a Catholic, he will work in Rome’s interests in the Middle East as well as the interests of the “Quartet?” Will his work as envoy involve promoting papal plans? Oh yes, and how is it that as Prime Minister, while on official visits to the Vatican, he was celebrating papal mass sometimes?
Next: Relations between the Vatican and Britain Healthy says Jesuit.
In a statement released by Father Federico Lombardi SJ, Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, we are advised that “It is important to remember that the Holy See has always expressed its appreciation for certain very important initiatives taken by the British government, especially with regard to furthering the peace process in Northern Ireland and promoting the development of the world’s poorest countries. Relations between the Holy See and the United Kingdom, therefore, are both healthy and positive.”
Could this “healthy and positive” relationship have anything to do with Tony Blair’s Roman Catholic bond? What other important initiatives taken by the British government is the Vatican thankful for.
Next: Benedict’s Attitude Toward Brazil’s Indians Offensive
On May 14, 2007 Reuters reported that “Outraged Indian leaders in Brazil said on Monday they were offended by Pope Benedict’s ‘arrogant and disrespectful’ comments that the Roman Catholic Church had purified them and a revival of their religions would be a backward step.
“In a speech to Latin American and Caribbean bishops at the end of a visit to Brazil, the Pope said the Church had not imposed itself on the indigenous peoples of the Americas. They had welcomed the arrival of European priests at the time of the conquest as they were ‘silently longing’ for Christianity, he said.
“Millions of tribal Indians were believed to have died as a result of European colonization backed by the Church since Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, through slaughter, disease and enslavement.
“’It’s arrogant and disrespectful to consider our cultural heritage secondary to theirs,’ said Jecinaldo Satere Mawe, chief coordinator of the Amazon Indian group Coiab.
“Priests blessed conquistadors as they waged war on the indigenous peoples,…” said Reuters.
“Pope Benedict not only upset many Indians but also Catholic priests who have joined their struggle, said Dandro Tuxa, who heads the movement of northeastern tribes. ‘We repudiate the Pope’s comments,’ Tuxa said. ‘To say the cultural decimation of our people represents a purification is offensive, and frankly, frightening. I think (the Pope) has been poorly advised.’”
Here is another example of papal distortion of the facts of history. Benedict was caught trying to spin history to favor Catholics. This blatant falsehood reflects a desire on the part of Rome to shed her historical image of brutality, injustice and disrespect for human rights. Torture in the service of forced conversions never endeared the indigenous tribes to Catholicism.
The Pope tried to recover his mistake by noting that the “sufferings and injustices inflicted by the colonizers on the indigenous populations whose human and basic rights often were trampled,” reported Alternet.org, but the damage was done.
Next: Pro-abortion Politicians Excluded from Communion says the Pope
Catholic World News on May 9, 2007 reported that “Catholic politicians who vote for legal abortion are subject to excommunication, Pope Benedict XVI told reporters during a May 9 flight from Rome to Brazil.
“Fielding questions from reporters during the trip, the Holy Father was asked whether he supported the Mexican bishops who have threatened the excommunication of politicians who voted to approve legalization of abortion in Mexico City. The Pontiff replied that he did.
“’They did nothing new, nothing arbitrary or surprising,’ the Pope said of the Mexican bishops. ‘They simply announced to the public what is stipulated by the law of the Church.’
“Later the Vatican press director, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, issued a statement to clarify the Pope’s remarks. Father Lombardi—who noted that his statement had the Pope’s approval—stressed that the Pope had not declared anyone excommunicated. The Mexican bishops had threatened but not imposed that penalty; thus, the Vatican spokesman said, there was no decree of excommunication for the Pope to affirm.
The thrust of the Pope’s remarks, Father Lombardi said, was that politicians who support legal abortion should not receive Communion. The Pope was not declaring anyone excommunicated, he said, but the individuals who vote for abortion ‘have excluded themselves from Communion.”
Pressure by the Church on Catholic politicians is being applied all over the world. The Catholic Church is a global political organization and is capable of working world-wide at the highest levels of government – something no other church is capable of doing. Rome has geopolitical ambitions and will use every means she can to increase her power.
Next: Presidential Race in the U.S. full of Roman Catholics
Catholic News Service reported on Feb 2, 2007 that “When Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts bowed out of the race for the Democratic nomination Jan. 24, he left nearly a dozen other Catholics – Republicans and Democrats – vying for their party’s nomination, either officially or unofficially.”
On the Republican side there are five out of seven candidates, at the moment, that are Roman Catholic. On the Democratic side there are six out of nine.
“It’s a more open field (for Catholic candidates) than ever before,” said Roger Robins, an assistant professor of history and political science at Marymount College [in] Palos Verdes in California. “I think the old nativism (against Catholic immigrants) is pretty well gone…”
Anthony LoPresti, a professor of religious studies at Salve Regine University in Newport, RI, “believes that ‘Catholic politicians who hold positions contrary to the bishops, particularly with regard to abortion and same-sex marriage, will come under increasing pressure,’ and the 2004 debate over their reception of Communion might be revived in some dioceses.”
It is important to note that with so many Catholics running for office, we may well see a Roman Catholic in the White House in the near future. Things are changing fast in America. The final movements will be rapid ones.
Next: Ban Ki-Moon Invites Benedict XVI to UN.
On April 18, 2007 Zenit, the Vatican Email News Agency reported that “Ban Ki-Moon has officially invited Benedict XVI to visit the United Nations, after a meeting between the two leaders in Rome.
“The Vatican press office reported that the Pope and the U.N. secretary-general met today, and Ban extended the invitation, but details of when the visit could take place were not given.
“According to the Vatican statement, the Holy Father and Ban “have discussed themes of common interest, for example, the restoration of trust in multilateral relations and the strengthening of dialogue between cultures,… Mention was made of ‘the contribution that the Catholic Church and the Holy See can make…
“The Vatican asserted that the visit of Ban is a sign of the Holy See’s appreciation of the ‘the central role carried out by the organization in maintaining peace in the world and promoting the development of peoples.’”
The visit of the UN secretary-general is another indication of how important Vatican support is to the United Nations. Rome has become a very important player in world politics. Though it is debatable that the UN actually promotes and maintains peace, the Vatican is certainly interested in increasing her influence in world politics.
Also, what contribution can the Catholic church and the Holy See make? Could that include the returning of Europe and other parts of the world under the authority of Rome at the behest of the UN?
Next: Pope Pius XII Recommended for Veneration
On May 11, 2007, Catholic News Service reported that “members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes met May 8 to consider the cause of Pope Pius XII and apparently voted to recommend that Pope Benedict XVI formally declare him venerable…
“The newspaper Corriere della Sera reported May 9 that a minority of the congregation members had voted “no,” urging Pope Benedict to delay issuing a decree until there is “a more favorable climate,” particularly regarding the ongoing controversy over Pope Pius’ actions during World War II.
“However, a Vatican source told Catholic News Service in Rome may 9 that the congregation’s vote was unanimously in favor of issuing the decree. Jesuit Father Peter Gumpel, the promoter of Pope Pius’ cause, was out of town May 9 and unavailable for comment.
“Pope Pius led the Catholic Church from 1939 to 1958; immediately before his election, the then-Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was the Vatican secretary of state.
“For years, controversy has raged over whether Pope Pius did and said enough in defense of the Jews and other victims of the Nazis.
“In New York, Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation league, urged Pope Benedict to indefinitely suspend the canonization process for Pope Pius until secret World War II Vatican archives are declassified and fully examined “so that the full record of the Pope’s actions during the Holocaust may finally be known.
“Until then, Foxman said May 10, Pope Pius’ record with the Jews during the Holocaust will ‘continue to be shrouded and a source of controversy and contention.”
The Papacy is trying to venerate a Pope who in many ways cooperated with the Nazis in extermination of the Jews. The Vatican position has always defended Pius XII in spite of serious questions and evidence supporting the view of his Nazi cooperation. Now, in venerating him, they move him one step further toward sainthood. Perhaps this would be quite an insult to those who love justice, human rights and liberty; all principles Rome pretends to support.
Well, our time has run out… There is so much going on in relation to the Roman Catholic Church that we could only address these items this month. But there is much more to say. So stay tuned. Until next time, may God bless and keep you and your family in His loving and protecting care as we near the end. Keep the faith!
There is a battle going on for the soul of Europe, between the Pope and Europe’s secularists who want to divorce Europe from its Catholic religious heritage.