Pope Sends Unity Message to Eastern Orthodox, and Earlier Called Cardinal Koch Venerable

Pope Benedict XVI

The Pope continues his quest for unity with the Eastern Orthodox:

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 18, 2012 (Zenit.org).- A common witness to Christ can reinforce the faith of all Christians and renew their hope, especially where they are victims of violence, says Benedict XVI.

These were sentiments expressed in a message sent on behalf of the Pope by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to the heads of the Orthodox and Eastern Churches…For Pope Benedict XVI, unity is essential for witness. http://www.zenit.org/article-34629?l=english

It has been clear for some time that the goal of this pope seems to be to improve ties with the Eastern Orthodox (and others where possible). The leaders of the Eastern Orthodox have been somewhat favorably inclined toward unification talks (see e.g. Pope and Patriarch Meet: Unity at “Crucial Stage”), but still have certain hesitancies, which I believe they will overlook later.

It may be of interest to note that the message to the leaders of the Orthodox and Eastern churches was sent by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity is the Swiss-born Cardinal Kurt Koch. Pope Benedict, in writing, has called him, “my venerable brother Cardinal Kurt Koch” (Pope’s Message to Ecumenical Patriarch for Feast of St. Andrew. Zenit, 11/30/11. http://www.zenit.org/article-33920?l=english). The term venerable is a term that Catholics officially use for one who is expected to become a saint:

In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, a deceased Catholic may be declared a Servant of God by a bishop and proposed for beatification by the Pope through the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The Venerable, is the style used for such a servant of God declared to be “heroic in virtue” during the investigation and process leading to possible canonization as a saint. Before a person is considered to be venerable, he or she must be declared as such by a proclamation, approved by the Pope, of having lived a life that was “heroic in virtue” – the virtues being the Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and charity and the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The next step is beatification, at which point the person is referred to as The Blessed, and finally canonization, at which point the person is referred to as Saint. Two modern and well-known examples of those who have been declared venerable are Popes Pius XII and John Paul II, who were both declared venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in December 2009. (Venerable. Wikipedia, viewed 04/19/12).

Why might this be important?

As long time readers of this page may recall, since his appointment to the presidency of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity nearly two years ago, I have wondered if Kurt Koch could possibly become the final Antichrist of biblical prophecy–see Kurt Koch Made a Cardinal: Might He Become the Antichrist? (and if not, he may well be a supporter of that leader). It is possible that Cardinal Koch will one day point to Pope Benedict’s comment that he was “venerable” in order to encourage further veneration of himself, his policies, and the worship of the Beast (cf. Revelation 13:11-17).

Then Bishop, now Cardinal, Kurt Koch

Cardinal Koch is reaching out to the Orthodox and others in an effort to promote ecumenical unity. But this (though it also is part of Catholic prophecy; see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?) is dangerous from a biblical perspective.

Notice an Eastern Orthodox prophecy:

Saint Nelios the Myrrh-Gusher (died 1592): During that time the Eighth and last Ecumenical Synod will take place, which will satisfy the contentions of the heretics…(Tzima Otto, p. 111).

By satisfying “heretics”, clearly this council compromises and changes the religion, which will be called “Catholic.” If heretics are truly heretics, should their complaints be satisfied?

The Bible warns about a leader who “he shall think himself able to change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25, Douay-Rheims). (The Beast/King of the North is primarily a political-military leader who will persecute the saints, per Daniel 11:30-35, while the final Antichrist is primarily a religious leader per 1 John 4:1-3 who will support that Beast per Revelation 13:12.)

But if an antipope convened/attended an ecumenical synod that satisfied heretics, would he not also be supportive of changing laws? Many Catholic prophecies warn about an antipope who will arise and who could be the final Antichrist (see the book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect for details).

The steps that the current pope and his president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity are now taking are 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.