Pope Appoints New Head for Inquisition Office: A Candidate to be the Final Antichrist?

Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller (Dr. Meierhofer)

The Pope appointed another Catholic leader from Germany to an important position:

Pope appoints doctrinal watchdog with links to ‘Marxist’ Catholics

Guardian, UK – July 2, 2012

Pope Benedict on Monday appointed as the Roman Catholic church’s doctrinal watchdog a fellow German with links to liberation theology, the interpretation of Christianity that conservatives have deplored as Marxism with a cross in place of a hammer and sickle.

Gerhard Ludwig Müller, 64, the bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria, is to take over the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the direct successor of the department created in the 16th century to manage the Inquisition.

Pope’s German friend to guard Vatican orthodoxy

July 3, 2012…

A personal friend of the German-born pope, who charged him with publishing his writings, Müller is however also known for his long-standing support for Gustavo Guttierez, founder of the socialist Liberation theology movement. http://www.thelocal.de/society/20120703-43513.html

Pope Names German Bishop as Leader of Doctrinal Office

New York Times – July 2, 2012

“Levada was more of an executor, whereas Müller, because of his own theological training and experience, is more in sync with Ratzinger,” said Sandro Magister, a Vatican expert, referring to the pope, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who held the doctrinal post for 25 years.

Mr. Magister said that Archbishop Müller would become part of a “small nucleus” of cardinals in whom the pope could have complete confidence, including Cardinal Marc Ouellet, a Canadian who leads the Congregation for Bishops; and Cardinal Kurt Koch, who is Swiss and directs the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

“In the Roman curia, they can play an important role in making decisions,” Mr. Magister said. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/world/europe/german-to-run-vaticans-doctrinal-office.html

This is the same office that Pope Benedict XVI himself held before becoming pope. And as The Guardian points out, this was the same office that ran the Inquisition (see also Persecutions by Church and State).

As the New York Times points out, along with a Canadian Cardinal named Marc Ouellet and a Swiss Cardinal named Kurt Koch, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller will apparently be part of the inner circle at the Vatican. I expect that Gerhard Ludwig Müller will be made a Cardinal.

Regular readers of this page are aware that I have speculated that Cardinal Kurt Koch is one who could potentially become an antipope, the final Antichrist of biblical prophecy (see Kurt Koch Made a Cardinal: Might He Become the Antichrist?). Catholic prophecy seems to support that view as well, as according to the Malachy prophecy list, only one pope is left on that list and according other Catholic writings, an antipope is expected. Additionally, Catholic prophecy indicates that specifically, a German antipope is expected. Because of his ecumenical bent, I have considered Kurt Koch a candidate for that role. But he is not the only one.

If the current pope actually resigns, and he has suggested that he might, it may well be that he may further influence who will be the next pope. And, it may be that he may try to promote Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Cardinal Kurt Koch, or Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller to be the next pope. And the next pope may well be the final antipope/antichrist.

Interestingly, Gerhard Ludwig Müller made a statement that Wikipedia reported (and translated from the original, which was in German) that suggests somewhat of an ecumenical bent for him as well:

In a speech he gave in October 2011, Müller said that “the Catholic Magisterium is far from denying an ecclesial character or an ecclesial existence to ‘the separated Churches and ecclesial Communities of the West”.

It has been expected, from Catholic sources, for many centuries that a German antipope will rise up:

Merlin (7th century): There will come a German Anti-Pope. Italy and Germany will be sorely troubled. (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 132)

Catholic priest and writer R. Gerald Culleton (20th century): A schism of short duration is destined to break out…An antipope, of German origin, is to be set up, and finally Rome itself will be destroyed”. (Culleton, p. 42)

It is possible that Gerhard Ludwig Müller could be that German anti-pope. Why? Because of his age, his timing, his position towards Protestants, his new office, his ethnicity, and the fact that the previous pope held that same office before his election to becoming the Bishop of Rome. But even if he is not, if he lives long enough, Gerhard Ludwig Müller will either support or fight the coming Antipope and Final Antichrist.

Of course, Kurt Koch, remains another possibility to be the final Pope/Antipope/Antichrist. And there may be others.

The famous third century Catholic theologian and Bishop Victorinus tied modern Germany (prophetic Assur below) with the Roman kingdom and the Antichrist/Beast power:

7:2…”Then shall there be peace for our land, when there shall arise in it seven shepherds and eight attacks of men; and they shall encircle Assur,” that is, Antichrist…

11:7. And the beast which ascends from the abyss. After many plagues completed in the world, in the end he says that a beast ascended from the abyss. But that he shall ascend from the abyss is proved by many testimonies; for he says in the thirty-first chapter of Ezekiel: Behold, Assur was a cypress in Mount Lebanon. Assur, deeply rooted, was a lofty and branching cypress— that is, a numerous people— in Mount Lebanon, in the kingdom of kingdoms, that is, of the Romans. (Victorinus. Commentary on the Apocalypse. Translated by Robert Ernest Wallis. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0712.htm>)

The Bible warns of a time that an even more ecumenical religion will rise up (cf. Revelation 13:4,8; 17:4-9; Daniel 11:36-38) and it will be based in Rome (Revelation 17). Catholic writings warn that a compromised ecumenical version of that faith will rise up and that most will fall for it.

The current pope, his president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and the new Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith seem to have all taken steps to, perhaps somewhat inadvertently, setting the stage for this to happen.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
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?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs (like the Inquisition) and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer.