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Newsweek is asking if Pope Francis is Catholic.  Here is a report related to that:

September 10, 2015

The near-universal adulation Francis enjoys today was anything but instantaneous. To some observers, the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the papacy in the late winter of 2013 was a signal that the Vatican would continue on the conservative course set by John Paul II (who does surprisingly well on the T-shirt front) and Benedict XVI (very few T-shirts). “A conventional choice,” The New York Times branded the 76-year-old Jesuit,” a theological conservative of Italian ancestry who vigorously backs Vatican positions on abortion, gay marriage, the ordination of women and other major issues.” Others worried that the newly elected pope had been far too timid during the “dirty war” of his native Argentina, questioning his role in the kidnapping of two Jesuit priests. The New Yorker called him “an Argentine with a cloudy past.”
Francis has not offered a counterargument…he has made entreaties to divorced Catholics and even suggested that it was not his place to judge gay ones; he has lamented global warming and income inequality, at times sounding like Bernie Sanders’s running mate.  http://www.newsweek.com/2015/09/18/whos-better-catholic-pope-francis-archdiocese-cordileon-370451.html

While Newsweek’s cover concludes that Pope Francis is Catholic, many have their doubts, based on his actions and inactions.

Within 24 hours of his election to become Pope, the following was published in my book The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis?:

3. Do Catholic Prophecies Warn About an Antipope?

Could Pope Francis I be an “antipope”?

Is an “antipope” coming? …

Technically, the final Antichrist could also be construed as an “antipope” in that he will accept changes to the current Roman Catholic religion that the “King of the North” (Daniel 11:37-40) prefers and promote emperor worship (Revelation 13:14). …

Although some Roman Catholic scholars seem to ignore or discount the idea of a future King of the North in Daniel 11 (Kurz, p. 68), quite a few Catholic writers expect that an ecumenical pope and a conquering emperor will come on the scene.

What is an antipope/anti-pope? Here is a short definition from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

Antipope

A false claimant of the Holy See in  opposition to a pontiff canonically elected. (“Antipope.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907.  Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. 25 Feb. 2013 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01582a.htm> )

While historically most have considered that antipopes falsely claimed the Roman Bishopric when others had it, I would contend that it is reasonable to conclude that one who was elected under false pretenses would also be a false claimant and hence antipope. Or if a pope changed and became demonically-possessed, such as the situation involving the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13, would that not make him an antipope? Most Catholics, at least now, would tend to agree that such a one would be a false claimant to the papal role. If so, that would seem to make him an antipope.

Although there have not been any recognized antipopes for several centuries, The Catholic Encyclopedia shows a list of thirty individuals that have been considered antipopes (Ibid) .This is roughly one for every ten claimed “Bishops of Rome.” …

Is the Pope Catholic or Will He Betray Rome?

In some households, the expression, “Is the Pope Catholic?,” is asked with the intent of suggesting a “yes” or “obviously yes” response to a question. Since the fourth century, the popes have all claimed to be Catholic (they were not called “pontifex maximus” prior to then) and the vast majority have been Roman Catholic in their faith. Some were more hypocritical, etc. and thus this author would be hesitant to claim that all the Bishops of Rome have truly held to the faith of that church.

But is it possible that the last pope, who could be Pope Francis I, will not be Roman Catholic? On the surface this seems absurd.

As discussed in chapter 2, prior to becoming Pope Francis I, Jorge Mario Bergoglio went to Catholic seminary, became a Catholic priest, then a bishop, then a cardinal, and then on March 13, 2013, the Bishop of Rome. So, to most he clearly is a Catholic. And Pope Francis I may well truly be.

But if he is the last and final pope, then the Bible shows that he will allow compromise mightily and allow the Catholic Church of Rome to be betrayed, hence suggesting that he would not then be true to the Catholic faith.

Connecting the Dots

As cited earlier, the Bible tells of a religious leader who will rise up and support the final European Beast power to the point of attempting to force people to worship that Beast (Revelation 13:11-17).

Although some have suggested that the ten-horned Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13:1-4) will turn against and burn the two-horned Beast of the Earth (Revelation 13:11), based upon the teachings of Revelation 17:16-17, since this two-horned Beast is the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13 and he gets burnt by Jesus and His angels (Revelation 19:15-21, someone or something else must get destroyed in Revelation 17.

The Bible specifies that the someone/something is a city that rules over the world. Since the time of Jesus, what are the only organizations that ruled over much of the old Roman Empire from a seven-hilled city?

They would include the old Roman Empire, the Church of Rome, and to a lessor degree, the Eastern Orthodox Church (Constantinople/ Istanbul is on seven-hills, similar to Rome and had a certain prominence for about 1,000 years). They have had relations with world rulers that have not always lived up to New Testament ideals and actually are the only ones that could possibly fit the historical record.

Now since parts of both Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophecy show that Rome wins out between the two in the end in terms of final top leader, this is consistent with the historical understanding within the Church of God that Rome is the unfaithful woman in Revelation 17. Presuming that is the case, then if one connects-the-dots, it is the Church of Rome that gets betrayed by supporters of the ten-horned Beast in Revelation 17. And since the two-horned Beast is a major supporter of the ten-horned Beast, he then has at least some responsibility in this end time destruction of the Church of Rome (for more dots to connect, see also chapters 5 and 12).

Since it should be almost inconceivable that a pope that was truly Roman Catholic in the sense of the Catechism of the Catholic Church would totally betray his church, this is why I am suggesting that the last pope will not truly be Catholic.

This destruction of Rome is consistent with various Catholic private prophecies that suggest that a top Roman clergy member (like a pope) would betray their church and oversee the destruction of Rome…

For years I have believed that the last pope would not truly be Catholic. He would be a different type of “antipope” (most antipopes occurred because of disputed elections, but I have suggested that a pontiff who does not hold too many of the core beliefs of the Church of Rome would also seem to fit the definition of an antipope).

Will Pope Francis I end up being that pontiff?

(Thiel B. The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Nazarene Books, 2013, pp. 22-24, 86-89)

Pope Francis has taken steps that many Catholics do not believe are appropriate for the Bishop of Rome.

Notice something I posted on March 31, 2013 (see Is Pope Francis Catholic?):

Some have started to raise concerns about the new Pope Francis:

OH, WE ARE IN DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE.

POSTED BY ANN BARNHARDT…

I cannot believe I am about to type these words.

The Pope DID NOT GENUFLECT after either consecration. He did a weird bow thing, but didn’t feel the need to bend his knee to God Almighty, physically present in his hands upon the altar.

HE. DID. NOT. GENUFLECT.

This is absolutely stunning. And unprecedented.

Oh yeah, we’re in deep, deep trouble.

But hey, all of you guys who are sending me emails whining about how I’m not nice, or something, go ahead and explain this one. He is perfectly physically sound. He FREELY CHOOSES to not reverence Our Lord in the Eucharist upon the altar.  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2997653/posts

More Objective Reality

Posted by Ann Barnhardt

From 2011, Pope Francis, then Cardinal Bergoglio, celebrating a “youth Mass” complete with puppets. This is just about as bad as it gets, folks.

The consecrations are at the 5:30 and 6:15 marks. No genuflection. In fact not a single person there on the altar, such as it is, genuflects, much less kneels, except the young server in the front with the incense, who is on his knees. All of the rest of the concelebrating priests remain standing throughout, and of course, the two kid “cantors” just stand there between their performance opportunities.

I GUESS THEY MUST ALL BE CRIPPLED OLD MEN, TOO, HUH?

This is the state of the Church in Buenos Aires, and all of Argentina, as I have been told repeatedly by Argentinians who have emailed me, both laity and clergy. Banality, insipidity, sacrilege. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Calvary made present, is treated as a bad joke…

ON FRANCIS

POSTED BY ANN BARNHARDT…

Francis, like his homeland of Argentina, is a total disaster. He has overseen the near-total destruction of the Church in Argentina. He hates and despises the Tridentine Mass, which is to say that he hates the Mass – let’s not mince words, and is a rabid persecutor of anyone in Argentina who shows ANY signs of tradition.  http://barnhardt.biz/

Based upon comments Ann Barnhardt made about Fatima and other subjects, she appears to be some type of Roman Catholic.  And she has concerns about this pope.

While those of us not part of the Church of Rome do not do many of the same things, we also do not claim to stand for that religion and its practices.  Yet, Francis supposedly does. …

Why Pope Francis May Be a Catholic Nightmare

He may seem like a humble reformer, but Cardinal Bergoglio is the last thing the Vatican needs.

By Michael Brendan Dougherty…

He is the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit to be pope, and the first to take the name Francis. And so he falls in line with the larger era of the church in the past 50 years which has been defined by ill-considered experimentation: a “pastoral” ecumenical council at Vatican II, a new synthetic vernacular liturgy, the hasty revision of the rules for almost all religious orders within the church, the dramatic gestures and “saint factory” of Pope John Paul II’s papacy, along with the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI…

Liturgical traditionalists (myself included) can only be depressed by this election–it is almost the worst result possible for those of us who think the new liturgy lost the theological profundity and ritual beauty of the Tridentine Mass. Benedict’s liberation of the traditional Latin Mass and revisions to the new vernacular Mass have not been implemented at all in Cardinal Bergoglio’s own diocese. Already some of the small breaks with liturgical tradition at the announcement of his election are being interpreted as a move toward the grand, unruly, and improvisational style of John Paul II; an implicit rebuke of Benedict…

Pope Francis is now the man at the head of a Church impaired by immoral clergy, negligent bishops, and a moribund intellectual and spiritual life. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2013/03/pope_francis_to_lead_the_catholic_church_cardinal_bergoglio_s_election_as.html

The Horror!
A Buenos Aires journalist describes Bergoglio

We have many friends around the world, including in the dear Argentine Republic. And we asked a cherished friend Marcelo González, of Panorama Católico Internacional, who knows the Church of Argentina as well as the palm of his hand to send us a report on the new pope. Here it goes:

Of all the unthinkable candidates, Jorge Mario Bergoglio is perhaps the worst. Not because he openly professes doctrines against the faith and morals, but because, judging from his work as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, faith and moral seem to have been irrelevant to him…http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-horror-buenos-aires-journalist.html

Francis has taken some unique, apparently, ecumenical steps as well.  Notice the following report:

Unlike his predecessors, he doesn’t sign his name “Pope Francis,” ending his official correspondence simply “Francis.”…

Even on Day One, Francis didn’t acknowledge he was pope…And bishop of Rome is the title he has emphasized repeatedly ever since — not vicar of Christ, or any of his other official titles.

“I do think there is something about trying to reduce the awesomeness, the grandeur and majesty of the papacy,” said John Allen Jr., Vatican columnist for the National Catholic Reporter…

In his March 20 audience with religious leaders, Francis sent an important signal about his view of the papacy and its relationship with other Christians. He addressed the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, as “my brother” — a fraternal nod to a church that split from Rome 1,000 years ago and has remained separated in part over disputes about the primacy of the pope.

To make that message abundantly clear, Francis’ chair was on the ground — the same level as all the other religious leaders — and not on a raised platform. (Winfield N. Pope Francis seems reluctant to be pope, preferring title bishop of Rome in hint of priorities. Fox/AP, March 27, 2013. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/27/pope-francis-seems-reluctant-to-be-pope-preferring-title-bishop-rome-in-hint/#ixzz2OmmdsDae)

This is the type of behavior I believe that the Orthodox wanted to see. And while humility is a good thing, this may have other ramifications.

If Pope Francis is truly the last pope, and that is not clear yet, he would not truly be Catholic.  …

On March 16, 2013, Pope Francis stated:

“Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.”  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/16/us-pope-poor-idUSBRE92F05P20130316

If Pope Francis carries out with his statement that could mean that he may sell off some of the vast treasures (such as jewels) and/or give significant amounts of money away to the poor.  If he does that, this will likely greatly enhance the pedophile-damaged image of the Church of Rome for the media and many others around the world.  This will enhance the appeal of the religion that Rome will promote.

How wealthy is the Church of Rome?  Well, no one seems to know for sure, but it has accumulated assets for a long time, and owns a lot of land:

It is impossible to calculate the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church. In truth, the church itself likely could not answer that question, even if it wished to.

Its investments and spending are kept secret. Its real estate and art have not been properly evaluated, since the church would never sell them.

There is no doubt, however, that between the church’s priceless art, land, gold and investments across the globe, it is one of the wealthiest institutions on Earth.

Since 313 A.D., when Catholicism became the official religion of the Roman Empire, its power has been in near-constant growth.

The church was able to acquire land, most notably the Papal States surrounding Rome, convert pagan temples and claim relics for itself. Over 300 years, it became one of Europe’s largest landowners…

The Vatican’s portfolio includes property in London, including the building housing Bulgari Jewelers, and apartment buildings in Paris and Switzerland.

716,290 The amount of Church-owned land, in square kilometres, across the globe — an area slightly bigger than Alberta. Properties include Vatican embassies, churches, cathedrals, monasteries, some schools and convents.  http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/03/08/wealth-of-roman-catholic-church-impossible-to-calculate/?utm_source=April+2013&utm_campaign=April&utm_medium=email

The last pope will, at least initially, claim to be Roman Catholic.  The last pope will use the Church of Rome for his own purposes and then betray it.  The Bible warns about a wealthy and unfaithful church based in Rome (Revelation 17:3-6;9,18).

Is Pope Francis the last pope?  If he is, he seems to be taking steps consistent with that.  But if he is not, if he does distribute assets of the Church of Rome to the poor, this will help the pope who would follow him.  The last pope will not truly be Catholic.

Pope Francis has taken a lot of steps that suggest he may not truly believe the Roman Catholic faith.  This differs from his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI who did believe it.

It is not that Pope Francis does not hold to many Catholic positions, but he himself seems to be an ‘a la carte Catholic.’  Which means that he selectively accepts certain Roman Catholic teachings while not accepting various ones he does not feel fit him or the times.

As I have mentioned before, some Catholic leaders have wondered if Pope Francis has actions of an antipope (watch Anti-Pope Francis?). Last year, Pope Francis’ views on homosexuality, marriage, and divorce caused concerns from two Catholic cardinals suggesting that he acted like one (Australian Cardinal hints Francis could be an antipope; US Cardinal also expresses doubts about Pope Francis).

As far as the more conservative Catholics go, they tend to act like, other than protest, they cannot go anywhere else as they improperly believe that the Church of Rome is the original church that Jesus founded through His apostles. Those interested in learning which church actually is faithful and has proper succession from the original church that Jesus founded, should carefully study the article Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God?

Both biblical and Catholic prophecy warn about a religious leader, who sounds like a pope, who will betray the Church of Rome (cf. Revelation 17) and mislead the world.

If Pope Francis is truly the last pope, he would not truly be Catholic and could be an antipope. But, as I have mentioned before, his age would seem to be a factor against that.

It has been my view since his election, that even if he is not the last pope, Pope Francis is setting the stage for the last pope.  Since various ones have questioned whether Pope Francis is Catholic, yet his popularity has increased, we may very well see that happen with the last pope.

The Bible warns that a false religious leader who looks like a lamb, but has the words of a dragon will encourage this to happen in Revelation 13:11. He will lead people to an ecumenical/interfaith religion.  Whether or not Pope Francis is the ‘beast of the earth’ of Revelation 13:11, he most certainly has advocated an ecumenical/interfaith agenda. The Bible also warns that God’s people need to not be part of that system (Revelation 14:9-12; 16:2; 18:4). Jesus warned that most people would be deceived (Matthew 24:24).

Pope Francis is planning on coming to the USA this month to speak before the US Congress and the United Nations.  His latest encyclical, Laudato Si, often reads like the United Nations ‘New Universal Agenda’ which is to be formally-approved this month (watch UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel!).  Pope Francis is trying to support an agenda that is not consistent with the Bible (see also United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order?).

How ‘Catholic’ is Pope Francis?

Apparently enough to hold the job, and little enough to make himself popular with the United Nations and others.  His possible replacement would be expected to follow a similar path, yet with miracles as well (Revelation 13:11-17)–and he would not truly be Roman Catholic as he will ultimately allow that church to be betrayed (cf. Revelation 17:15-17). Pope Francis seems to be setting that stage.

Some items of related interest may include:

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2015 at 3:00 pm and is filed under Religious News.

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