Pope Francis addresses ecumenical delegation from Finland related to ‘saint Henry’

Lalli killing Bishop Henry for alleged thievery

Pope Francis spoke to an ecumenical delegation from Finland and encouraged further ecumenical ties today. Here is what Pope Francis said:

Dear Bishop Vikström,

Dear Bishop Sippo,

Dear Friends,

It is with joy that I welcome you, on the occasion of your annual ecumenical pilgrimage to Rome to celebrate the feast of Saint Henrik, the patron of your country. This annual event has proven to be a truly spiritual and ecumenical meeting between Catholics and Lutherans, a tradition dating back thirty years.

Saint Pope John Paul II addressed the members of the first Finnish ecumenical delegation which had come to Rome thirty years ago in these words: “The fact that you come here together is itself a witness to the importance of efforts for unity. The fact that you pray together is a witness to our belief that only through the grace of God can that unity be achieved. The fact that you recite the Creed together is a witness to the one common faith of the whole of Christianity”. At that time, the first important steps had already been taken on a common ecumenical journey towards full, visible unity of the Christians. In these intervening years much has been done and, I am certain, will continue to be done in Finland to make “the partial communion existing between Christians grow toward full communion in truth and charity” (John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, 14).

Your visit comes within the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year our reflection is based on Christ’s words to the Samaritan woman at the well: «Give me to drink» (Jn 4:1-42). We are reminded that the source of all grace is the Lord himself, and that his gifts transform those who receive them, making them witnesses to the true life that is in him alone (cf. Jn 4:39). As the Gospel tells us, many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. As you, Bishop Vikstrom, have said, there is so much that Catholics and Lutherans can do together to bear witness to God’s mercy in our societies. A shared Christian witness is very much needed in the face of the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain and suffering experienced so widely in today’s world.

This common witness can be sustained and encouraged by progress in theological dialogue between the Churches. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine on Justification,which was solemnly signed some fifteen years ago between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church, can produce further fruits of reconciliation and cooperation between us. The Nordic Lutheran–Catholic dialogue in Finland and Sweden, under the related themeJustification in the Life of the Church, has been reflecting on important questions deriving from the Joint Declaration. Let us hope that further convergence will emerge from that dialogue on the concept of the Church, the sign and instrument of the salvation brought to us in Jesus Christ.

It is my prayer that your visit to Rome will contribute to strengthening further the ecumenical relations between Lutherans and Catholics in Finland, which have been so positive for many years. May the Lord send upon us the Spirit of truth, to guide us towards ever greater love and unity.

[Original text: English] January 22, 2015 http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-address-to-ecumenical-delegation-of-finland

Pope Francis is determined to get the the Lutherans and others back in full communion with the Church of Rome. Such unity will happen, but it is not endorsed by the Bible. The Bible is clear that a group of churches, led by one from the city of seven hills, is to be avoided and will end in disaster (Revelation 17:1-10,18). The Bible does not teach that Christians will have the type of unity that the Vatican claim to want UNTIL AFTER THE FALL OF BABYLON (Zechariah 2:10-13 NKJV; Zechariah 2:12-16 NJB).

The Bible tells that the ecumenical/inter-faith movement will also end in destruction (Revelation 18 & 19). This is not something that Catholics nor the Lutherans should want. Lutherans used to consider that the popes were or represented antichrist, yet now many Lutherans are open to the messages from Pope Francis.

Since the Finns visit the Vatican each year on the anniversary of their saint Henry, perhaps some information about him might be of interest:

Saint Henry (pyhä Henrik or piispa Henrik in Finnish, Biskop Henrik or Sankt Henrik in Swedish, Henricus in Latin; died allegedly 20 January circa 1156) was a medieval English clergyman. He came to Sweden with cardinal Nicholas Breakspeare in 1153 and was probably designated to the new Archbishop of Uppsala…

According to legends, he entered Finland together with King Eric the Saint of Sweden and died as a martyr, becoming a central figure in the local Roman Catholic Church. However, the authenticity of the accounts of his life, ministry, and death are widely disputed. …

To tackle the perceived threat from the non-Christian Finns, Eric and Henry were forced to battle them. After they had conquered Finland, baptized the people and built many churches, the victorious king returned to Sweden while Henry (Henricus) remained with the Finns, more willing to live the life of a preacher than that of a high bishop. …

Henry’s Vita is followed by the more local miracula, a list of eleven miracles that various people were said to have experienced sometime after the bishop’s death. … The legend strongly emphasizes that Henry was a Bishop of Uppsala, not a Bishop of Finland which became a conventional claim later on, also by the church itself. He stayed in Finland out of pity, but was never appointed as a bishop there. …

Henry and his crusade to Finland were also a part of the legend of King Eric. However, the oldest surviving version of Eric’s legend is from about 1270, yet there is no information on either Henry or the crusade. …

Despite the high profile start of Henry’s cultus, it took more than 100 years for the veneration of Saint Henry to gain widespread acceptance throughout Sweden. As of 1344 there were no relics of the bishop in the Cathedral of Uppsala….

The death-lay’s version of the bishop’s death was different from the official vita. The bishop’s killer was called Lalli. Lalli’s wife Kerttu falsely claimed to him that upon leaving the manor, their ungrateful guest Henry, travelling around on his own in the middle of winter, had without permission or recompense, through violence, taken food, cake from the oven and beer from the cellar, for himself and hay for his horse, and left nothing but ashes. This is supposed to have enraged Lalli so that he immediately grabbed his skis and went in pursuit of the thief, finally chasing Henry down on the ice of Lake Köyliönjärvi. There he killed him on the spot with an axe. (Wikipedia, accessed 01/22/15)

So, allegedly a murderous warring individual named Henry worked with a king in Sweden to fight those who did not accept the political and religious preferences of the king. Stories arose and miracles were attributed to Henry.

Catholics have long hoped to get a revival of their faith in Scandinavia. Notice the following from another Catholic saint about Sweden:

St. Bridget of Sweden (died 1373): Sweden shall see again the true light of Faith, when it will be governed by a queen born with eleven fingers. (Rossi G. THE CHRISTIAN TRUMPET, OR, Previsions and Predictions about Impending General Calamities, The Universal Triumph of the Church, The Coming of Antichrist, The Last Judgment, and The End of the World. Compiled by PELLEGRINO [Gaudentius Rossi], A Missionary Priest with Superior’s permission. Boston, THOS. B. NOONAND & CO., 1873, p. 24)

It should be noted that Finland was part of Sweden when the above prediction was made. The Vatican expects to get Finland and Sweden, as well as other lands. Whether or not there is a queen born with 11 fingers, the reality is that Scandinavia is part of Pope Francis’ ecumenical plans (information on the identity of the Scandinavians is in the article Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Pope Francis is now publicly hoping that Henry will be a factor in getting an ecumenical unity that the Bible warns against. A unity that will not turn out well for Rome nor Scandinavia.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
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Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing 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?
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The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the genuine Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example? Here is a related sermon video: Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong: Reformers with Differences.
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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. What about those of Norway, Sweden, and Finland? 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 Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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