THE POPE'S GOAL: A CATHOLIC EUROPE
Adapted from BIBLE BASED MINISTRIES newsletter No. 35
(P.O. Box 428, Pietermaritzburg 3200, South Africa)
(We previously examined) the European Community in the light of
prophecy. According to experts, the ultimate goal of the (Common Market)
is a "United States of Europe". Significantly, most of the member
nations are Roman Catholic nations, and the others have a high percentage
of Roman Catholics. In addition, through the ecumenical movement,
Protestantism in these nations has been effectively silenced.
Further developments have taken place. In October (1988), pope John
Paul II addressed the European Community (Common Market). And he spoke
on the theme of a unified, "Christian" Europe.
Northern Ireland's Ian Paisley, a Protestant minister and politician
well-known for his stand against Rome, stood up, and interrupted the
pope's speech to the European Parliament, calling the pope Anti- Christ.
He was forcefully removed from the house.
According to Paisley, the pope had been brought to the European
Parliament to emphasize that it is overwhelmingly a confederacy of Roman
Catholic nations.
While we do not believe that Paisley, as a minister of the Gospel,
should be involved in politics, we do accept that what he said hits the
nail on the head. Not only is the pope indeed the Antichrist of
Scripture, as all the Reformers acknowledged, but he was certainly
brought to the European parliament to emphasize the fact that the EC is a
confederacy of predominantly Roman Catholic nations. What we are seeing,
then, is the re-creation of a Roman Catholic Europe; a Europe controlled
by the Vatican, as it was for many centuries prior to the Reformation.
Pope John Paul II has consistently raised the theme of a united
Europe. However, the unity he seeks is more than political: it is a
renewed "Christian" (i.e., Romanist) Europe, uniting East and West. His
vision includes Poland, the Ukraine and Russia! (THE SOUTHERN CROSS,
10/16/88).
We received a letter from West Germany which confirms this. Following
is a quotation from this letter. "As you may know the pope and his
helpers are lately very much accepted politically in Europe. His latest
speech to the European Parliament was well received. Eastern Europe is
in poverty. The Roman Catholic church is pushing for a united Europe of
East and West. Everywhere in the Communist countries the people are fed
up with this system; they want an opening to the West. All borders will
fall in Europe in 1992."
The Vatican, with its age-old quest for world control, suffered a
tremendous loss at the time of the Reformation, when much of Europe broke
away from papal domination. But her Jesuits and other agents, working
at all levels and in all places for the past 400 years, are now seeing
the fruit of the labors: Europe is once again falling to the Vatican.
And with Europe under Catholic-Communism, and Africa, Asia and South
America falling to Catholic-Communist "liberation" movements, the final
target is the United States of America. Surrounded by Roman Catholic
lands, with no help expected from Europe (once its ally), and ruled by an
increasingly pro-Catholic government, the United States will not be able
to survive.
Just how far will the Lord of heaven and earth allow the plans of
Satan to go? We cannot tell. But we do know that, according to
Revelation 17:16, the time is coming when the European nations (yes,
Roman Catholic nations) will turn against the Vatican and destroy her -
unknowingly acting as God's instruments to bring about her complete
destruction, as prophesied in Rev. 18:18.
All Christians must be well aware of the events which are taking place
in accordance with prophecy; and we must reach out to the Roman Catholics
and all other lost souls with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Time is running
out; soon it will all be over. What have you done to warn the lost? May
the Lord give to each and every Christian the love and the boldness to
proclaim His Word!
How are the ecumenical minded viewing the turning of events? In this
letter addressed to the pope, Harold Bredesen speaks of more than just
encouraging words...
His Holiness John Paul II Apostolic Palace, 00120 Vatican City
(Europe)
Your Holiness and dear Pope John Paul II, August 31, the morning I
was privileged to be present at the special Papal Audience, was an
experience I will always cherish.
What an outpouring of love! With all their hearts the people were
reaching out to you. With all your heart, and I fear, beyond your
strength, you reached out to them. I marvel at the number of persons to
whom you were able to minister so personally.
But above all else, I was touched and impressed by your message -
rooted in God's Word, centered in Christ!
Too many Protestant Evangelicals have long since made up their minds
about Roman Catholicism. Your Papacy is compelling them to take a second
look.
The phenomenon of two parallel winds blowing in opposite directions is
not confined to the stratosphere. In both Catholicism and Protestantism
two conflicting winds also blow - one toward the Gospel and the other
away.
Protestant Evangelicals see both these winds within Protestantism.
But, when looking at Catholics, many see only the wind that whirls around
some whose faith has wavered. They fail to notice the mighty Gospel wind
that also moves with such force. This failure leaves them thinking of
"Catholic" and "Evangelical" as contradictory terms, and of themselves as
free to approach the Catholic Church only as a vast, beckoning harvest
field.
My heart is moved by a dream, Your Holiness. It is this: that what
has already been discovered by men such as David and Justus DuPlessis,
Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Richard Neuhaus, Thomas Reid and others -
myself included - regarding the riches and depth of Catholic piety, must
become common knowledge among Evangelical Protestants everywhere. All
must know. We are brothers in a struggle threatening to engulf us,
shipmates on a wild sea. There is no time left for fighting each other.
Together, let us bail out the invading waters, and row hard for shore.
The Vatican dialogues have laid the foundation. We can build upon it.
What has been happening on an intimate scale must now be made to happen
on a monumental scale.
What we evision, Your Holiness, might be called a SPIRITUAL PEACE
TREATY, signed before the eyes of the world. This would take the form of
Evangelical Protestants and Catholics joining together to single out the
Pope of Rome as the man most worthy of receiving the Prince of Peace
Prize - a man whose heart reflects the heart of Him who willed us His
peace, .
Using as a staging ground the weeklong PRINCE OF PEACE CELEBRATION (to
take place in Rome two years from now), we believe it possible to give
one of the most dramatic demonstrations of Christian oneness since the
days of the early church. Through such an event, we would be proclaiming
that, though important theological differences remain, Christians have to
close ranks: not against each other, but against all the forces of
perversion, paganism and violence in the world today. It could and
should mark the beginning of a new spirit of cooperation in evangelistic
efforts as we anticipate together the year 2000.
Though our Celebration will focus most sharply on peace between
nations, it will also address peace in every other relationship: with
God, the home, the Body of Christ, the marketplace, industry - in every
area of human experience.
The Celebration will recognize and encourage peacemakers in all
spheres of society. And hopefully - with your most gracious consent - it
will culminate in the awarding to Your Holiness of the second PRINCE OF
PEACE PRIZE.
We have every reason to believe that many - perhaps most - heads of
state will want to be represented at such an international celebration of
peace. And they will want to do this, not only by displaying their
flags, but by the active participation of their ambassadors or envoys.
Your Holiness, the message of peace will be your own. We most
respectfully request only an opportunity for providing the platform, one
that can offer an almost unprecedented occasion for speaking Christ's
message of peace and harmony to all Christianity...and to all mankind.
Fraternally and respectfully in Christ, HAROLD BREDESEN, Founder of
the Prince of Peace Prize and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
But within Catholicism itself, there remains much division, especially
between the more conservative Roman Catholics (to restore the Latin mass,
for example) and the Catholic Charismatics - which is largely American.
THE TRADITIONAL MOVEMENT AND ECUMENISM
Since the Traditionalist movement is very much against the ecumenical
movement, and the ecumenical movement must end Satan's super-Church which
will use Romanism as its structure, how can the Traditionalists fit into
any ecumenical scheme? At first glance, it seems that this movement must
pale into insignificance and eventually evaporate if ecumenical, plans
are to be completed.
This, however, may not be the case. There is no doubt about it, the
Traditionalists are the real Roman Catholics. How can the Roman Catholic
structure become truly ecumenical if it is really Traditional Romanism
that is true Romanism?
Archbishop Lefebvre has no intention of forming a group of maverick
priests that will do sniper duty at the fringes of Romanism forever. The
whole desire of the Traditionalist leaders is to keep intact a band of
true Traditional, Catholic priests who will be the core of the papacy
that Traditionalists are looking for, a true Roman Catholic papacy with a
strong Traditionalist pope. Prophetically, it is impossible to determine
when this might happen. It may be that pope John Paul II, a relative
conservative to his three previous counterparts but a liberal when
compared with his successor, will wring all the juice out of the
ecumenical movement and get as many groups to jump on the band wagon. He
may die just before December 25, 2000, and the new pope will give the
2000th birthday present to Christ of much of the world.
This world will include many who came in under the ecumenism of JPII,
most of whom will probably stay even after a true Roman pope appears on
the scene. Global disaster, possibly caused as a result of the Rapture,
may contribute to this. In any case, all the anathemas of Trent will be
reinforced, and the Papacy will head a world crusade to complete the
super-Church. This will be by force and with great persecution. The
Inquisition will bring forth all weapons to make the world Catholic.
Satan will view this as a "millennium", and plans to keep it going for
1000 years. If we are here, true Christians will know it as a time of
unparalleled tribulation. Whether or not the true Church will be on
earth at this time is up to God to figure out. It may be Satanic
tribulation which is a harbinger of the Great Tribulation. But any
thought along this line demands careful study of the Traditionalist
movement, for even though they are out of the mainstream today, they will
probably become the core of the Romanism that brings about the one world
church.
Following is a letter sent from St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, Route 1,
Box 97, Winona, MN 55987. It was entitled THE EPISCOPAL CONSECRATIONS.
A DECISION AND EXPLANATORY DOCUMENTS. It was dated June 15, 1988.
"Dear Friends and Benefactors, "The die is cast, and, God willing,
Archbishop, Lefebvre will be consecrating four bishops for the Society
and for the Catholic Church, at the Society's Seminary in Econe,
Switzerland, on June 30, with or without Rome's authorization.
"The sincere hopes of many good people for a reconciliation between
the Society and Rome will be dashed to the ground by such a decision. The
enclosed documentation is being sent to you all by first class mail in
advance of June 30 to help you understand why such a decision was
necessary. Rome and the Society met together from July of last year to
June of this year in their common desire to find an accord, but there
was no meeting of minds. While the Society is intent upon preserving
Tradition, today's Rome is intent upon dissolving it. That is what these
documents are to help you to grasp.
"Firstly, there is Archbishop Lefebvre's June 2 letter to the Holy
Father requesting of him more than the one bishop granted by the Pope at
the end of May, and requesting above all a majority of members on the
Commission for Tradition which was meant in the Society's mind to
guarantee the protection of Tradition, but in Rome's mind to ensure its
dissolution.
"Secondly, there is a statement concerning the episcopal consecrations
by Archbishop Lefebvre, going back to 1983 and just as appropriate today.
The Archbishop has not changed. Rome has not changed. When Vatican II
turned the Church's back on Tradition, and when in 1970 the Archbishop
founded the Society (canonically) to defend Tradition, logically the
clash of today was inevitable. For different reasons both parties have
sought to avoid the clash, but a 'fact is stronger than the Lord Mayor, '
says the proverb. In fact, Tradition and anti-Tradition are not
reconcilable.
"Thirdly, there is a text of Archbishop Lefebvre dating from March of
this year, and explaining how the Pope has a right to our disobedience.
"Fourthly, there is the Archbishop's letter to the four future
bishops, for whom please pray the words of the Prophet Jeremiah be
realized (Chapter 23), 'And I will set pastors over them, and they shall
feed them: they shall fear no more, and they shall not be dismayed.'
"Then there are notes on Canon Law's provisions for a state of
emergency by a German professor, expert in Church Law. These notes most
interestingly indicate that under today's circumstances, the New Code
itself says that its own automatic excommunication for 'unauthorized'
consecrators and consecrated would not be automatic.
"And lastly - and you might like to start with this one - read the
letter of the seminarian who quit Econe at Pentecost of 1986 to help
found in Rome an alternative Traditional seminary under Rome's
protection. He learned the hard way what we said at the time, namely
that to entrust Tradition to today's Romans is like asking the fox to
look after the chicken-coop.
"This was in fact the decisive reason why the negotiations failed. The
Archbishop knew that Rome's intentions were not to follow Tradition.
Thus from the French Embassy in Rome a quote of Cardinal Ratzinger at the
time of the negotiations was relayed to the Archbishop, in which the
Cardinal reassured some French politician that the Commission for
Tradition was only to be very provisional, to arrange for the
reinsertion of the Econe priests into the official dioceses.
"The Archbishop has not defended Tradition all the way up till now in
order now to hand it over to the wolves. Always pray for this great
shepherd of souls. He does not think he is much longer for this life
after June 30.
"Sincerely yours in Our Lord's service, "Fr. Richard Williamson"
While Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and others in his Society have made
strong statements about the "wolves and false prophets" that now control
Roman Catholicism, the Archbishop has been careful to maintain a spirit
of respect to the person of the Pope, which office he regards as the
continuation of the Petrine episcopate and the head of the Roman Catholic
Church.
In his letter of June 2, 1988, he closed it, "Be so good, Most Holy
Father, as to accept the expression of my most respectful and filially
devoted sentiments in Jesus and Mary."
As we have pointed out, historically and doctrinally the
Traditionalists are correct. They are what Catholics ought to be. I
agree with my pastor who told me, "If I were a Catholic, I would be a
Traditionalist."
THE GREAT SCHISM (pronounced "sizzum")
It finally happened! After years of jockeying for position, trying to
maintain a rigid Catholicism that was true to historic Romanism but
unpopular with popes he termed "modernistic", Marcel Lefebvre went too
far even for the conservative John Paul II.
Meetings between the two had generated hopes within Lefebvre's Pius X
society that a true reconciliation with the Roman Hierarchy was possible.
Stances by the present pope that indicated his strong conservatism and
even a leaning toward the use of Latin in the liturgy were found to be
meaningless when Lefebvre, contrary to papal commands, consecrated four
bishops at his seminary in Econe, Switzerland.
Why, you might ask, since both Paul VI and John Paul II had come out
against the Pius X society with their insistence on the Latin Mass, is it
such a landmark when bishops are consecrated? Why was Marcel Lefebvre
not excommunicated when he insisted that the Mass authorized by the pope
was not valid, and ordained priests at his seminary?
The significance is this. Although Lefebvre had ordained almost 250
priests contrary to Vatican direction, these priests could only function
until the end of their lives. Since Levfebvre is 82 years old, his time
on earth is definitely limited. If he died without consecrating bishops,
the movement would have no base upon which to continue. Priests cannot
ordain priests, and it would only be a matter of time before the
movement, one of many spurious movements from Catholic centrality that
had occurred over the centuries, would disappear. Now the bishops can
ordain priests, and the movement can continue for longer, until the
hoped-for traditional pope takes the chair of Peter. As Lefebvre stated,
"The Lord may soon call me home. I
must not leave you orphaned."
This caused the first schism in the Roman Catholic church since just
after Vatican I in 1870 when some bishops, denying the infallibility of
the pope, split to form the Old Catholic Church (Church of Utrech). The
Society that had been begun by Lefebvre shortly after the Novus Ordum of
Paul VI suggested the use of the vernacular in the Mass, was named after
Pius X, the pope who condemned modernism in a 1907 encyclical. Lefebvre
maintains that the discarding of the Latin is a form of modernism, and
his followers have uttered many strong statements about the post-Vatican
II Church. (See THE GREAT SACRILEGE by Priest Wathen).
Less than two hours after the consecrations, a Vatican statement
condemned them as an act of schism, a formal break with the Holy See.
Even though one is excommunicated and branded schismatic (a formal term
that implies a state of disobedience to the papal office), ex-
communicated people are still under obligation to attend Mass, even
though they are not allowed to partake of the sacraments.
Two days ago I received a statement from the Pius X society with its
seminary in Connecticut (soon to move to Minnesota). A summary of this
begins on page 3. The head of the seminary, Richard Williamson, was one
of the men consecrated bishop by Lefebvre. An Orlando, Florida priest of
Our Lady of Fatima Church (not recognized by the Archdiocese of Miami as
a Roman Catholic church) stated, "Nobody can be pleased with what is
going on, but it is a necessary step. We do love the pope. He is our
father and we do love him. But this was needed."
As is to be expected, Catholics who follow official Vatican teaching
have tried to downplay the significance of these events. Rev. Arthur
Bendixen, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Orlando, said, "We feel
saddened about their split from the church. But they are a small group
[about 100, 000]; certainly not a large section of the church."
Yet the ability of Lefebvre's seminaries to attract young candidates
for the priesthood is in sharp contrast to the authorized Roman Catholic
seminaries, which are empty or sparsely populated. The youthful vigor of
the outlawed group will be missed in Romanism.
Lefebvre's feeling about the Vatican-controlled Romanism is that the
church has been infiltrated by "wolves and thieves" and is being
consumed by the "cancer of liberalism."
Central to the Traditionalist position, championed by Lefebvre, is
that the New Mass, celebrated in USA in English, cannot be the same Mass
as was authorized by the Council of Trent (the Tridentine Mass). Their
position is well taken both from history and semantics. In pro-
mulgating this Mass, Pius V did state that this form of the Mass would be
eternal and could not be changed. The center of the Mass is the mystery
of transubstantiation, which demands a precise formula for its doing
what Catholics say it does, i.e., transform the wafer into the actual
body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. The logical argument is
that if the formula is said in any living language it cannot be entirely
precise, as living languages change over the centuries. If there is a
perceptible change over 300 years, there will be an imperceptible change
daily, thus destroying the necessary precision.
How can this effect evangelism? Send for our free tract, WHICH MASS
IS VALID? It might give you some good ideas.
NOTES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
THE DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER, 8/17/88. Bishop Rodolfo Bobadilla, from
Guatamala, acknowledged what he termed "an invasion of sects" that has
resulted in a rapid growth of evangelical, fundamental churches in some
regions of his country. He estimated that 30% of his diocese belong to
Protestant sects. Echoing a criticism of fundamentalists often heard
among liberation theologians, Bishop Bobadilla said there is "no
commitment among the sects to the poor. There's only individual,
sentimental religious practice. There's no commitment to the social
gospel."
There are only 12 priests in the province of 230, 000 people, so the
church relies heavily on "lay catechists" to do all the pastoral work in
the villages.
From WHAT IN THE WORLD (BJU, Volume 3, Number 6). Dr. Keith Fournier,
from the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, recently addressed
the students at Christian Broadcasting Network's University on spiritual
revival, and will soon appear on CBN's "700 Club". He will not engage in
a "debate of doctrine" but rather "form a link" to non-Catholics.
(Christian News, 12/28/87.)
This Franciscan university is the one with which "Father" Bertolucci,
Catholic charismatic priest is involved with, and from which Dr. James
Dobson recently accepted an honorary doctorate.
The ecumenical movement rumbles on in America, absorbing public
figures, Charismatics, and the average 'Joe' towards the final super
church of Revelation. These are indeed exciting times as we see the
final count down taking place. Reaching our precious Catholic friends
will doubtless become more frowned upon, but in reality, the ecumenical
movement is a move away from Biblical evangelism, away from doctrine - a
movement toward unity with the only foundation being the papacy.
Redeem the time and keep in mind, we shall each - as individuals stand
before the Lord to give account. Not the account of the Ecumenical
happenings, but how we were faithful or unfaithful in preaching the
glorious Gospel of the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus Christ! No
doubt, there will be many that will weep and mourn over their compromise
and accommodation to the system that brought the world to its knees
before the altar of 'another christ'.
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