VOA: Pope Calls for Europe to Show Pandemic ‘Solidarity’
Voice of America reported the following:
Pope Calls for Europe to Show Pandemic ‘Solidarity’
September 13, 2021
Pope Francis called for Europe to show “solidarity” around the world during economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, speaking on a visit to Slovakia — one of the worst hit countries in Europe.
On his first foreign trip since a colon operation in July, the 84-year-old Argentine pontiff called the pandemic “the great test of our own time”.
“It has taught us how easy it is, even when we are all in the same boat, to withdraw and think only of ourselves,” he said.
Slovakia, a European Union member with a population of 5.4 million, had the highest per capita COVID-19 contagion and mortality rates in the world for several weeks this year.
“After long and trying months of pandemic, fully conscious of the difficulties to be faced, we look forward with hope to an economic upturn favored by the recovery plans of the European Union,” the pope said in the Slovak capital, Bratislava.
But he warned against “a fleeting sense of euphoria” and a focus on profits as countries begin to recover and called instead for Europe to display “a solidarity that, by transcending borders, can bring it back to the center of history”. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/pope-calls-europe-show-pandemic-solidarity
Of course, Francis has long pushed for greater European unity. He even received the Charlemagne prize for doing so back in 2016 (see Pope Francis given ‘Charlemagne Prize;’ EU leaders worried about EU’s future).
But he is not the only one to want to mix religion and European politics. Notice something from 2017:
October 28, 2017
(Re)Thinking Europe Dialogue gathered in the Vatican City around 350 high-level Church and EU political leaders. Between 27-29 October, participants engaged each other in a frank and open dialogue, contributing to a constructive reflection on the fundamental challenges facing the European project. http://www.comece.eu/rethinking-europe-the-follow-up-is-in-your-handsas top ecclesial and political leaders gather in Rome to discuss the future and identity of Europe, Vatican Secretary for Relations with the States Archbishop Paul Gallagher said that religion is no longer a forbidden subject in European politics.
“The days when you could say ‘we don’t do religion’ are over,” Gallagher said.
“Many diplomatic services throughout Europe and elsewhere are now running courses, literally accelerated courses to make up time on religion,” he said, explaining that political leaders are beginning to recognize that “the world is a very religious place.”
Increase in religious affiliation worldwide continues to grow around the world, he said, explaining that this fact “brings with it a very big responsibility for believers.”
“I think we have to take that responsibility very seriously, and make sure that religion is making a positive contribution, and that religion, and if you want to say even the Catholic religion, is a part of the solution and not the problem.” …
Cardinal Marx, Archbishop of Munich, President of the COMECE and Coordinator of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, noted that 20 years ago many people thought “religion would disappear” from society.
“That was the common conviction of many sociologists and politicians, that society will progress and religion will disappear; secularism.” However, “that’s not the case.”
“Religions will be very important for the 21st century,” he said, explaining that a key question conference participants will have to ask themselves on the role of religions is: “will they be an instrument of peace and dialogue, or of confrontation?”
For Christians in particular, the Second Vatican Council said the People of God, the Church, are “a sacrament of unity for all human beings,” and not just those inside the Church.
“We are not only for us, and the Pope is underlining this,” Marx said. “We are not narcissistic, inside ourselves, we are part of a solution for all human beings.”
“I do not see that the Church is ‘less interesting’ in the public world,” he said, and stressed the need to continue pursuing a dialogue with Islam, which he noted isn’t new to Europe.
“So for the future, I think the Catholic Church has to play a very important role to find ways of dialogue, ways of relating to this religion, which is very important for the 21st century and Europe,” he said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/religious-freedom-not-secularism-key-to-europes-future-vatican-official-says-56141
Pope Francis made comments at that meeting. Here are excerpts from one of his speeches:
I am pleased to join you at the conclusion of your Dialogue on the theme (Re)Thinking Europe – a Christian Contribution to the Future of the European Project, sponsored by the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE). In a particular way I greet the President of the Commission, His Eminence Cardinal Reinhard Marx, and the Honourable Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, and I thank them for their kind words. To each of you I express my deep appreciation for your active contribution to this important discussion. Thank you!
In these days, your Dialogue has allowed for wide-ranging reflection on the future of Europe from a variety of viewpoints, thanks to the presence of leading figures from the ecclesial, political and academic sectors, and from civil society as a whole. …
Christians are called to promote political dialogue …
A Europe that rediscovers itself as a community will surely be a source of development for herself and for the whole world. …
Finally, the commitment of Christians in Europe must represent a promise of peace. …
Peace also requires creativity. The European Union will remain faithful to its commitment to peace only to the extent that it does not lose hope and can renew itself in order to respond to the needs and expectations of its citizens. http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/10/28/171028f.html
According to Jesus, Christians are NOT to be of the world and its politics (John 17:14-19), but Francis has other ideas. Pope Francis’ comments about peace and creativity remind me of the fact that the Bible teaches that a leader will arise in Europe talking peace. Plus it reminds me that the Bible shows that Europe will reorganize (Revelation 17:12-13), and hence there will be ‘creativity’ in what will arise.
In 2016, Francis stated:
Only a Church rich in witnesses will be able to bring back the pure water of the Gospel to the roots of Europe. In this enterprise, the path of Christians towards full unity is a great sign of the times and a response to the Lord’s prayer “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21).
With mind and heart, with hope and without vain nostalgia, like a son who rediscovers in Mother Europe his roots of life and faith, I dream of a new European humanism, one that involves “a constant work of humanization” and calls for “memory, courage, [and] a sound and humane utopian vision”. https://zenit.org/articles/popes-address-for-being-awarded-charlemagne-prize/
The Vatican has long pushed European unity. Notice that Pope Francis is pushing for Europe to bring about a human form of utopia–that will NOT happen. Europe needs the Kingdom of God (consider also watching the video Millennial Utopia). The pope’s dream of a European utopia will be a nightmare when a version is realized.
The coming Beast and Antichrist will essentially claim to be bringing in a European utopia.
The Bible tells of a Babylonian unity between Europe and the compromised church on the seven-hills in Revelation 17:1-9.
Related to that and Pope Francis’ comments, the Continuing Church of God put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
When he received the International Charlemagne award for promoting European unity on May 6, 2016, Pope Francis stated that he dreamed of a humanistic European utopia. He mentioned that his church is needed to bring about Europe’s potential. Is Europe possibly going to unite into a type of United States of Europe? Is it possibly going to bring about a real utopia? What does the Book of Daniel teach about the current divisions in Europe? What does any of this have to do with the Bible, prophecy, or Babylon?
Here is a link to our video: Pope Francis dreams of a Babylonian utopia.
The Bible shows that despite its problems, Europe ultimately will reorganize and unify (Daniel 2:41-43; Revelation 17:12-13), develop into a major military power (Revelation 13:3-4), and be connected to a church of the city of seven hills (Revelation 17). I believe that, similar to Adolf Hitler, the coming King of the the North Beast power will promise some type of new world order utopian reset.
In March 2017, Pope Francis delivered a message to various EU leaders in Rome. Here are some excerpts:
Address of His Holiness Pope Francis
to European Heads of State and Government
24 March 2017Distinguished Guests,
I thank you for your presence here tonight, on the eve of the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaties instituting the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community. …
At the origin of the idea of Europe, we find “the nature and the responsibility of the human person, with his ferment of evangelical fraternity…, with his desire for truth and justice, honed by a thousand-year-old experience”.[3] Rome, with its vocation to universality, symbolizes that experience and was thus chosen as the place for the signing of the Treaties. For here – as the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, J. Luns, observed – “were laid the political, juridical and social foundations of our civilization”.
It was clear, then, from the outset, that the heart of the European political project could only be man himself. …
As Saint John Paul II affirmed: “Today too, the soul of Europe remains united, because, in addition to its common origins, those same Christian and human values are still alive. Respect for the dignity of the human person, a profound sense of justice, freedom, industriousness, the spirit of initiative, love of family, respect for life, tolerance, the desire for cooperation and peace: all these are its distinctive marks”. …
What hope do they offer for the Europe of today and of tomorrow?
Their answers are to be found precisely in the pillars on which they determined to build the European economic community. I have already mentioned these: the centrality of man, effective solidarity, openness to the world, the pursuit of peace and development, openness to the future. Those who govern are charged with discerning the paths of hope, identifying specific ways forward to ensure that the significant steps taken thus far have not been wasted, but serve as the pledge of a long and fruitful journey.
Europe finds new hope when man is the centre and the heart of her institutions. …
As leaders, you are called to blaze the path of a “new European humanism” made up of ideals and concrete actions. This will mean being unafraid to take practical decisions capable of meeting people’s real problems and of standing the test of time.
For my part, I readily assure you of the closeness of the Holy See and the Church to Europe as a whole, to whose growth she has, and always will, continue to contribute. http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/03/24/pope_francis_address_to_eu_heads_of_state_and_government/1300895
While many consider Pope Francis very spiritual, notice something that the Apostle Paul warned against:
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted — you may well put up with it! (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)
European humanism is a false gospel. Pope Francis’ endorsement of that as well as his interfaith and ecumenical agendas are false gospels. A ‘chaste virgin’ will not be entangled with false religions and humanistic politics.
As far as Europe goes, according to mythology, it is named after a nymph who was seduced by Zeus to ride him when he was a bull. At the beginning of this post are various depictions of the Europa woman riding the beast. Prophecy watchers often realize that this is similar to the following from the New Testament:
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:1-5)
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. (Revelation 17:9)
18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:18)
The “great city which reigns over the kings of the earth” is believed by most Catholic, Protestants, and Church of God scholars to be a reference to Rome.
The “Cathedra” of the Roman Catholic church is not actually in Vatican City, but in St. John’s Lateran, which is within the seven hills/mountains of Rome.
A church-state alliance is prophesied and will turn out differently than most of the promoters realize.
After attending a conference related to the start of the UN, in the December 1948 issue of The Plain Truth Herbert W. Armstrong predicted a coming “United States of Europe” when he wrote:
It was the SERMON that shot forth that spark, impregnating the minds of world leaders in attendance. This amazing sermon was delivered by a foremost radio speaker of the Catholic Church, Bishop Duane G. Hunt of Salt Lake City … Without the guidance, supervision, authority of the Catholic Church, he told these men, they were laboring in vain …
This was the Roman Catholic bid to resurrect the so-called “HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE” ! And PROPHECY says they will succeed! … At the psychological time, the pope will step in … Thru this political movement, he will UNIFY … nations in Europe. It will be a “The UNITED STATES OF EUROPE,” but that probably will never become its official name. (Armstrong HW. Now It Can Be Told…The Plain Truth, December 1948, pp. 2,5).
In the past few years, Europe took significant steps to do something that the old Worldwide Church of God warned about decades ago. It is trying to get together militarily.
Pope Francis is continuing the Vatican’s tradition to push Europe together and to try to further unite it.
That Beast power will be European (for more biblical details, watch Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).
Despise not prophecies (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The world order is changing, Europe is rising up, though it will still have ups and downs in the process.
The USA will not be able to remain on top indefinitely. It will be conquered by a coming European leader per Daniel 11:39 (see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).
Pope Francis and others are pushing for a unity that the Bible warns will happen, but that will not be good (cf. Revelation chapters 17 and 18).
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? Two related videos include UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
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