Will An Ecumenical Pope Support Antichrist? What Do Catholic Prophecies Teach?

“Orthodox” 16th Century Representation of the “Apocalypse”

While many Protestants and others believe that the final Antichrist will be a pope, it seems that certain Catholic writings support the idea that a final (or nearly final) pope will be ecumenical, be an antipope, and be the “false prophet” and/or the final Antichrist.

Furthermore, it appears that many Catholic prophesies suggests that it is an antipope that supports a new religious order:

Oba Prophecy. “It will come when the Church authorities issue directives to support a new cult, when priests are forbidden to celebrate in any other, when the highest positions in the Church are given to perjurers and hypocrites, when only the renegades are admitted to occupy those positions (Dupont Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 115).

Anna-Katarina Emmerick (19th century). “I saw again a new and odd-looking Church which they were trying to build. There was nothing holy about it…(Dupont, p. 116).

Yves Dupont (writer interpreting A. Emmerick), “They wanted to make a new Church, a Church of human manufacture, but God had other designs…An anti-pope shall be set up in Rome” (Dupont, p. 116).

The Prophecy of Premol (5th century) “…And I see the King of Rome and his Cross and his tiara, shaking the dust off of his shoes, and hastening his flight to other shores. Thy Church, O Lord, is torn apart by her own children. One camp is faithful to the fleeing Pontiff, the other is subject to the new government of Rome which has broken the tiara. But Almighty God will, in His mercy, put an end to this confusion and a new age will begin. Then, said the Spirit, this is the beginning of the End of Time.”

Comment: From this prophecy, it is clear that the true Church will be faithful to the Pope in exile; whereas the new Pope in Rome will be, in fact, an anti-pope…a large number of Catholics will be misled into accepting the leadership of the anti-pope. (Dupont, pp. 72-73). {Note the comment is from Dupont personally}.

Jeanne le Royer (d. 1978) I see that when the Second Coming of Christ approaches a bad priest will do much harm to the Church (Culligan, E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 128).

Yves Dupont {reader and collector of Catholic prophecies} “prophecies are quite explicit about the election of an anti-pope…Many prophecies predict an anti-pope and a schism” (Dupont, pp. 34,60-61).

Catholic priest and writer R. Gerald Culleton: “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, 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. 42).

Frederick William Faber (died 1863)…Antichrist…Many believe in a demonical incarnation–this will not be so–but he will be utterly possessed…His doctrine as apparent contradiction of no religion, yet a new religion…He has an attending pontiff, so separating regal and prophetic office (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 87).

Blessed Joachim (died 1202): “Towards the end of the world Antichrist will overthrow the Pope and usurp his See” (Connor, p. 76).

Merlin (7th century) “There will come a German Anti-Pope. Italy and Germany will be sorely troubled. A French King will restore the true Pope” (Culleton, p. 132).

St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226) “There will be an uncanonically elected pope who will cause a great Schism, there will be divers thoughts preached which will cause many, even those in the different orders, to doubt, yea even agree with those heretics which will cause My order to divide, then will there be such universal dissensions and persecutions that if these days were not shortened even the elect would be lost” (Culleton, p. 130).

Catholic writer and priest P. Huchedé (19th century): “…the false prophet…will not be a king, nor a general of an army, but a clever apostate, fallen from episcopal dignity. From being an apostle of the Gospel he will become the first preacher of the false messiah…” (Huchedé, P. Translated by JBD. History of Antichrist. Imprimatur Edward Charles Fabre, Bishop of Montreal. English edition 1884, Reprint 1976. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 24).

Priest Herman Kramer This false prophet possibly at the behest of Antichrist usurps the papal supremacy…His assumed spiritual authority and supremacy over the Church would make him resemble the Bishop of Rome…He would be Pontifex Maximus, a title of pagan emperors, having spiritual and temporal authority. Assuming authority without having it makes him the False Prophet…Though he poses as a lamb, his doctrines betray him (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 319).

St. Francis de Paul (1470)… “The time is coming when the Divine Majesty will visit the world with a new religious order of the holy Cross-bearers… This shall be the last religious order in the Church, and will do more good for our holy religion than all other religious institutions. By force of arms he shall take possession of a great kingdom. He shall destroy the sect of Mahomet, extirpate all tyrants and heresies. He will bring the world to a holy mode of life. There will be one fold and one Shepherd. He shall reign until the end of time…”(Culleton, pp. 160-162).

Comments from writer D.A. Birch on the above from his book “Francis…speaks in a series of letters to Simeon de Limena, Count of Montalto in great detail of a future Great Monarch who will be a Roman Emperor. Limena was a great patron of St. Francis’ order and also a great military protector of the Church…He is described as founding a new religious order. To the reader this may sound like he also become a priest. That is not the case. What happens is that he founds a religious order, part of which contains military men who take religious vows. He will be the head of the military arm of this order. In this sense it will be like the Knights Templar of the Middle Ages” (Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, pp. 267-270).

D. Birch (commenting further in his book), “Many of the prophecies speak of the fact that the Great King at first will not be well-liked, especially by the French clergy” (Birch, p. 276).

Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775) “… At a time when the whole world seems doomed, God will intervene. With His aide a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease and the Turkish empire will end. This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd” (Connor, p.37).

Notice that Francis de Paul prophesied that there will be a new essentially Roman Catholic religious order that will do more good for the Roman Catholic Church than all other religious institutions as it will eliminate nearly all opposition. (This is because the King of the North will successfully work with the Pope to make the world nominally Catholic.) However, notice that some of the Catholic clergy will at first oppose this new order, these changes to Catholicism, but that the (probably final) pope will embrace them.

Hence the idea of someone claiming to be a Roman pope, yet possibly being the final Antichrist is supported by several Catholic writings.

Thus while some Catholic prophecies praise a new religious order, others indicate that a new type of Catholicism will not be true to some of its beliefs. Furthermore, it needs to be understood that the Great Monarch would seem to be the same person as the ten-horned Beast (also known as 666). Thus, there are Catholic prophecies that support the idea that a Pope/anti-pope will accept changes that a new European military leader will implement. In addition, since most Protestants have no knowledge of Catholic prophecies, they do not grasp the danger of the “ecumenical” plans of the Roman Church. Because after all is said and done, the one we in the Living Church of God would consider to be the ten-horned Beast (also known as 666 and the King of the North), will, according to Catholic prophecy, eliminate Protestantism:

Father Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775): “After the rule of Napoleon a time will come when the people will become poor and the world will be punished in three ways: wars, famines, and pestilences. At a time when the whole world seems doomed, God will intervene. With His aide a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease and the Turkish empire will end. This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd” (Connor, p.37).

St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). “By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers” (Dupont, p.38).

Why? Because Catholics have long considered Protestantism, and all non-Greco-Roman Catholicism as false. Notice what one priest reported:

Pope St. Pius V teaches in his Catechism, the Roman Catechism — also known as the Catechism of the Council of Trent — that all of the Protestant religions are false religions, they’re inspired by the devil; and therefore their fruits are evil…The Protestant religions, as such, are inspired by the devil, as Pope St. Pius V teaches in his catechism (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004. THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08).

Notice what some Catholics have written about their “ecumenical plans”:

D.A. Birch “The Pope calls an Ecumenical Council which will be viewed as the greatest in the history of the Church. The world is spiritually and materially prosperous as never before and many Jews, Mohammedans, heathens and heretics will enter the Church” (Birch, p. 555).

Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (Born in the 17th century, in Germany) …God will bind Satan for a number of years until the days of the Son of Perdition…there will be an ecumenical council which will be the greatest of all councils. By the grace of God, by the power of the Great Monarch, and by the authority of the Holy Pontiff, and by the union of the most devout princes, atheism and every heresy will be banished from the earth. The Council will define the true sense of Holy Scripture, and this will be believed and accepted by everyone (Dupont, p. 40).

Priest Herman Kramer “The thunders may mean the dogmatic declarations of the Church against infidels expressed in an ecumenical council…such as that of…the Infallibility of the Pope…The Seven Thunders may then be declarations of an ecumenical council clearing up all that was left unfinished by the magisterial office of the Church, before God will permit Satan to exert his supreme efforts to destroy her from without. The Seven Thunders will strengthen the faithful and loyal clergy”…(Kramer H., pp. 241-242).

Priest Paul Kramer “The errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced by that false church, it will be an ecumenical church because the Anti-Pope will be recognized by the world — not by the faithful, but by the world — by the secular world and the secular governments. The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the “church,” and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That “church” will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world. This is how we will get into the time of great persecution such as the world has never seen (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004. THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/06/08).

Hence some Catholics are looking to a time that an ecumenical pontiff will appear. Some (like the first quotations above) are looking forward to that, while others (like the last quotation above) consider that this will be a sign of an Anti-pope. Notice that the last quote indicates that some of the “errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced”, yet this will be a church ruled by some type of a Pope. That is where all of these “ecumenical discussions” are going to lead to as far as Catholic prophecies are concerned. The current Pope (Benedict XVI) has been working for ecumenical unity and is apparently setting the way for a more ecumenical pontiff to arise (for information, see the news items Pope Benedict XVI to Have “Ecumenical” USA Trip and Pope Trying to Appease the Orthodox and the Lutherans).

On a somewhat related note, the Pope who works with and/or precedes the Great Monarch is specifically prophesied to rule over the Eastern Orthodox Church as well—and re-establish Babylon! Notice the following:

Abbott Joachim (died 1202)…A remarkable Pope will be seated on the pontifical throne, under special protection of the angels. Holy and full of gentleness, he shall undo all wrong, he shall recover the states of the Church, and reunite the exiled temporal powers. As the only Pastor, he shall reunite the Eastern to the Western Church…This holy Pope shall be both pastor and reformer. Through him the East and West shall be in ever lasting concord. The city of Babylon shall then be the head and guide of the world. Rome, weakened in temporal power, shall forever preserve her spiritual dominion, and shall enjoy great peace…At the beginning, in order to bring these happy results, having need of a powerful assistance, this holy Pontiff will ask the cooperation of the generous monarch of France (Great Monarch)… A man of remarkable sanctity will be his successor in the Pontifical chair. Through him God will work so many prodigies that all men shall revere him (Connor, pp. 31-33).

“Prodigies” means miracles.

Interestingly, the Roman Catholics do realize that the expression, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” (Revelation 18:2) is referring to Rome. And the Bible says this happens after the Antichrist comes. It needs to be understood that although the above quote is in a book with an Imprimatur (high level Roman Catholic approval), some Roman Catholics have somewhat distanced themselves from some of Abott Joachim’s writings (i.e. Birch, pp. 143,235, but other Roman Catholics writings tend to support the Abbott’s writings, but I do not recall seeing others that support “Babylon” as the head of the world).

Perhaps it might be helpful to note that while the Bible shows that the Beast and the False Prophet perform miracles (Revelation 16:13-14), Catholic prophecies indicate that one of the popes also does miracles:

Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century)…. “After the three days of darkness, St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and designate a new Pope. A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal who is to become Pope. Christianity, then, will spread throughout the world. He is the Holy Pontiff, chosen by God to withstand the storm. At the end, he will have the gift of miracles, and his name shall be praised over the whole earth (Dupont, p.45).

The following suggest that the Great Monarch may also perform some type of miracles:

Abbe Souffrand (died 1828): “The Great Ruler will perform such great and noble deeds that the infidels will be forced to admit the working of God’s Providence. Under this reign the greatest righteousness will be practiced and the earth will bear in overabundance…”(Connor, p. 37)

St. Thomas a’Becket (12th Century)…”A knight shall come from the West. He shall capture Milan, Lombardy, and the three Crowns. He shall then sail to Cyprus and Famagoste and land at Jaffa, and reach Christ’s grave where he will fight. Wars and wonders shall befall till the people believe in Christ toward the end of the world” (Birch, p. 255).

The parallels to the ten-horned Beast and the False Prophet are undeniable. And because of the wars, economic pressure, and wonders, many will be deceived into accepting the religion of the Beast and the False Prophet (Revelation 13). Sadly, also including many Protestants.

And part of this is because Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestants simply do not realize that true Christianity was from the beginning, and will be until the end of the Church era, opposed to participation in carnal warfare (Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?). Because nearly all who profess Christ do not really understand what happened to the true Church in the second through fourth centuries (and beyond), their foundation is on sand and thus their combined house shall fall greatly (c.f. Matthew 7:26-27).

Articles of related interest may include:

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.
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?
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”?
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?
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.