Church of God News

At least two of the Catholic mystics I have read about admitted that they may have been victims of demons or illusions. Here is information about one:

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (died 1837): Although she was carried away daily by ecstacy…Indeed, Anna herself had known fear, at first, thinking herself a victim of an illusion, from which she strove to free herself (Rigby S. Wife, Mother And Mystic (Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi). Edited by D. Newton. Nihil Obstat: Carolus Davis, S.T.L., Censor deputatis. Imprimatur: E. Morrough Bernard Vic. Gen. Westmonasterii, die Februarii, 1952. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1970, pp. 173,180).

The second was the stigmatic Anne Emmerich (an individual bearing stigmata is referred to as a stigmatic; and stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations supposedly corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus):

Nun Emmerich: 1822…October 4…I fought against a whole legion of devils who excite minds against me and do all they can to harass me…They want to install bad Bishops…(Emmerich AC. The Life of Lord Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations. Schmöger edition, Vol. IV. Nihil Obstat: D. Jaegher, 14 Februari 1914. Imprimatur: A.C. De Schrevel, Brugis, 14 Februari 1914. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 2004,, p. 299).

It should be mentioned that on October 3, 2004 Anne Catherine Emmerich was beatified by Pope John Paul II (Wikipedia). Yet, it should be mentioned that she claimed to see Limbo, a place that the current Pope Benedict XVI has indicated does not exist (see What is Limbo? Is there such a place as Limbo?).

Also notice the following from a book on Nun Emmerich:

(Being in a state of ecstasy today, Sister Emmerich related what follows:)

The first descent of Jesus into Limbo was the fulfillment of early types, and in itself a type whose fulfillment is effected by today’s releasing of the poor souls (Schmöger, p. 355).

So, a demon-influenced woman in some type of trance, saw Limbo, which does not exist, yet she was made a saint (many more quotes from Nun Emmerich on Limbo are in the article What is Limbo? Is there such a place as Limbo?).

There were other seers who also had problems that should disqualify them as being send as God’s servants.

Additionally, Catholic seers such as Nostradamus practiced a form of astrology–and this something that the Bible warns against, even in an accepted Catholic translation of the Old Testament:

12 Stand with thine enchanters, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, in
which thou hast travailed from thy youth, if perhaps it may profit thee any
thing, or if thou mayest become stronger.
13 Thou hast failed in the multitude of thy counsels: let the astrologers of the
heaven stand and save thee, which did contemplate the stars, and count the
months, that by them they might tell things that shall come to thee.
14 Behold they are become as stubble, fire hath burnt them, they shall not
deliver their soul from the hand of the flame: there are no coals, Wherewith
they may be warmed, nor fire, that they may sit thereat.
(Isiae 47:12-13, The Original And True Douay Old Testament Of Anno Domini 1610)

Furthermore, if there were no demonic influences and all these mystics and writers were actually inspired by God, then none of their prophecies would ever fail.

But they often have.

For example, notice again what was taught by the Catholic priest and saint normally called Don Bosco, who claimed to have received a vision–but this time I added more of what he stated:

Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco also known as “Saint Don Bosco” (1862): Don Bosco said, “There will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the Pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter beween the Twin Pillars of Eucharist Devotion and devotion to Our Lady. This will come about one year before the end of the century.” (Prediction made in 1862 for the end of the 20th century (Flynn Ted and Mary. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. A213).

This prophecy by the Catholic saint Don Bosco did not come to pass when he said it would. Hence, he is a false prophet, yet he is still a Roman Catholic saint. God did not give Don Bosco that vision.

What about other stigmatics and/or mystics with various signs and wonders?

Notice the following about Therese Neumann:

Therese Neumann (1898-1962) mystic and stigmatist of Germany. She did not eat, drink, sleep, or have body functions for 40 years–a well documented fact in light of being so contemporary. She lived solely on the Eucharist. When asked in 1945 after World War II if America would ever be destroyed or invaded by war, she responded,

“No, at the end of this century America will be destroyed economically by natural disasters.” (Flynn Ted and Mary. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. A259)

Now even though she was apparently a stigmatic and many believe that she only lived on the eucharistic host for 40 years, her prophecy has been proven false (I should also add that the United States not only was not destroyed prior to the end of the 20th century, it, contrary to her claims, will be destroyed by war, please see Anglo – America in Prophecy). Yet, it has been reported about Therese Neumann:

In 2005, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Bishop of Regensburg, formally opened the Vatican proceedings for her beatification. (Therese Neumann. Wikipedia, viewed 02/07/09).

But it should be clear that God did not speak through her either. The fact that some claim that Rome has had 321 stigmatics (Flynn, p. 20), does not mean that these individuals had a sign from God. There is NOTHING in the Bible that would suggest that God would place the “stigmata” upon His true followers.

Perhaps I should add that in the pro-“Catholic” wonders book titled The Thunder of Justice, there are dozens of statements from those who supposedly communicated with “Mary” that claimed that the end would come by the year 2000.  They, of course, also are in error.  It does not matter how impressive one thinks various wonders are–they simply do NOT prove that the person with/receiving them is truly God’s servant.  Actually, there have been so many provably false apparitions/locutions allegedly from Mary, that the Vatican has decided that it needs to stop its followers from proclaiming them publicly until the Vatican approves them (see The Pope and Marian Apparitions)–and the Vatican, to its credit, has not approved any as far as I have been able to tell since it implemented that policy.

Those who are impressed by signs and wonders would do well to heed the following scriptures:

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

21 “And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’– 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

Thus, it should be clear that God did not speak though people such as Don Bosco, Therese Neumann, and most who have claimed to receive messages from “Mary”.

But, you might ask, then what about the prophecies that have or may still come to pass, do they not prove that the prophets/prophetesses came from God?

No, not actually. Notice that the Bible covers this as well:

24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand (Matthew 24:24-25).

… they are spirits of demons, performing signs…(Revelation 16:14).

1 “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’–which you have not known–‘and let us serve them,’ 3 “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him (Deuteronomy 13:1-4).

It needs to be emphasized that the Church of Rome that claims to be the Catholic Church and sometimes even “the Church of God”, has changed many of the original teachings that the true Church of God had (which the Living Church of God still has, for documented details, please see Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God?). Rome has not been faithful to many of the most basic early church beliefs, practices, and traditions.

The current Church of Rome sadly does tell people to worship “other gods” than what the Bible shows. It also has changed the ten commandments (see The Ten Commandments and the Early Church) and even encouraged military participation (in violation of the commandments and the early traditions of the even its church, see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?).

Those Roman-connected mystics whose prophecies will be somewhat fulfilled are often the mirror-image, the opposite, of what the Bible says real Christians should heed.

But some may say, aren’t these saints, God’s ministers, or holy people?

While they may be called saints, etc., notice that the Bible warns that false ones will look like the real thing:

12…I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).

Regarding Catholic private prophecies, Desmond A. Birch, a Roman Catholic writer, has made the following observations:

Several private prophecies of canonized Saints specifically state that there will be a latter restoration of the Holy Roman Empire and that there will be at least one last Holy Roman Emperor. The authenticity of the authorship of such prophecies of canonized Saints (e.g., St. Hildegard, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, and St. John Vianney) at least over the last eight hundred years is scholastically unquestionable.

We are left with the options that:

(1) the prophecies are genuine,

(2) all of the Fathers and Saints, throughout the centuries who attested to some form of this tradition were deluded or mistaken in exactly the same way, or

(3) that they were all liars and part of a massive Catholic conspiracy which has spanned seventeen centuries, within which they are managed to tell exactly the same lies. (Birch, p.281)

I would tend to a pick none of the above.  I believe that various Catholic “prophets” have sometimes been deluded by demons (as well as their own imaginations, cf. Romans 1:21, KJV) and that this is part of a Satanic conspiracy with frequent “Catholic” complicity that has spanned more than seventeen centuries.

I would like to also emphasize that fact that not all the “prophecies” are exactly the same way, which is consistent with demonic influence–as some “private prophecies” are in blatant contradiction to others.  Furthermore, related to the final “Holy Roman Emperor”, there are many Catholic and biblical prophecies that warn that the one who will raise up an ecumenical changed church (apparently calling itself “Catholic”) and that this is NOT a good thing.  While other “Catholic” writers (like Desmond Birch) have advocated the rise of one that sounds the same as the Beast of Revelation 13.

Understanding part of God’s plan and trying to affect outcome is consistent with Satan’s practices in the past (cf. Matthew 4:3-11)–hence some of these so-called “Catholic” mystics simply are not being influenced by some ungodly force. Also, remember that the Apostle Paul taught:

9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:9-11).

I strongly believe that part of the reason that Jesus showed John what was in the Book of Revelation was because it was clear what Satan was going to try to do to annihilate the true Church. Of course, God also knew that Satan’s first attempt would be to kill Jesus as an infant (hence the prophecies about that in Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:17-18) and that that attempt would fail.

Probably immediately after Revelation was penned, Satan realized that he somehow needed to get major portions of humanity to reject Revelation as written–and his plan to do that has succeeded to a major degree.

The Apostle Paul warned that in the end-times signs and wonders would deceive many:

7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12).

Since the Bible warns about this in advance, you do not have to be deceived.  Now is the time to change and embrace the Christianity of the Bible.  The Christianity that was first faithfully practiced in Jerusalem, Rome, and Asia Minor, until people compromised and changed it (see Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome).

What Can We Learn from Private “Catholic” Prophecies? There have been those claiming Catholicism over the centuries that have accurately predicted many events, as well as have made many errors.  What might Catholic prophecies reveal about the future?  Will an antipope help take over the world?
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What might they mean? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How might Mary view them?
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Catholic writings indicate this, but what does the Bible show?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Catholic/Nostradaumus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?