I agree with Padraig, that something big is soon coming to change the course of the Church and the world. We know this to be true from credible prophecy and scripture itself. We also know it is not the Pope Francis' exhortation. While a few parts of his exhortation raise and eyebrow, it does not rise to the level of doctrinal error on its own. What is coming will surely be seen by all faithful Catholics as black and white heresy.
I think this is on very thin ice here highlighting this passage on a Catholic site. It's the passage almost every Protestant uses to argue against any papal authority. I hope you clarify your point as many visit here for the first time could get wrong impression. I know you don't interpret this passage as Protestabt s do. It's why I think the entire approach here needs to be done very carefully. If God intervenes directly soon, does He do it because one man (even a pope) is in error or does he do it because an entire Church enters schism and rebellion? I know 2 things here: 1. Peter is the Rock 2. The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's Church.
If I may speculate, I see Pope Francis either being martyred (as he predicted) or in exile soon. One of his opposition leaders (Cardinals) will claim his office. He will be the False Prophet. He will lead the Church where most in the Church want to go. He will work with the Antichrist in bringing about the Abomination of Desolation (the underground Church and no public Mass). This will all occur after the Warning.
How is "false" defined? I know I'm asking you to speculate, but I assume it means he is not elected in a conclave? I'm assuming if there is the "proper" gathering of cardinals and one of them is selected then that's it- he is Pope I must have been writing as you posted above- thanks for your speculation. If it happens as you write above, then even someone as dense as me I think would recognize that as a false pope. In any case, time to keep on praying for you are right we need to be in grace.
I assume there will be a false conclave of Cardinals take place (most Cardinals will fall if they have not already) and they will elect their False Prophet. The world will be in a tizzy and few now would even recognize an invalid election. The world media will hale their False Prophet.
Then comes the Warning, when all will know God's absolute truth. There will only be two choices, which all in the world can make. God or his Adversary, as all will know truth. Then the Antichrist comes on the scene to work with the False Prophet. A new Mass will take place, which is essentially the Protestant understanding of the Eucharist. When this takes place the abomination of desolation begins (3.5 years (1260 days) of persecution of Christians).
We need to have faith as a little child. My Father loves me , as I love my children. He won't let me make a fatal mistake out of ignorance.
It all begins soon with a bloody take over of the Vatican (or whatever parts of it are not destroyed). This is the fulfillment of part of the 3rd secret of Fatima.
I want to dwell a bit further on this. I believe that Pope Francis was chosen by God for these confusing times to confuse the far right in the Church. For the far right have all but dismissed Pope Francis as a heretic and a wolf in sheep's clothing. See, not only the left will leave the Church, but God has made it that the Pharisees (as Pope Francis called them) leave the true Church as well. His exhortation only solidifies the far right that Pope Francis is a heretic. God has a way of clearly unmasking everyone's dissent from his truth and he has clearly done this in my mind.
I've too noticed an almost vitriol angst against Pope Francis that I never saw from those more "liberal" during the pontificates of John Paul or Benedict. Yes, there was opposition to them, but always respect at least in how I perceived it. With Francis, I see lack of respect and outright hostility many, many times. You are right it is confusing times and maybe this is God's way of separating the sheep and goats? In any case for me, I think focusing on "basics" is where to go. Certainly the sacraments will be key, but perhaps a place to (re) start is our Creed. I prefer the Apostles Creed- a clear concise statement. Maybe spend time reflecting on each word. View attachment 4828
I've read a lot of outrageous comments on this forum but some of your lasts posts put you in with a shout of being mayor of crazy town
I read a post on Charlie Johnston's site The Next Right Step. It went something like this, " God has to rescue us from the whirlwind that is Pope Francis." Charlie basically agreed but said by the time the rescue hits , we will thank our lucky stars that Francis is the pope. This back and forth struck me as the truth.
Twenty plus years ago I converted to the Catholic Church because as a Protestant I felt I was living in murky waters. Every one seemed to have their own interpretation of what we should believe to follow God. I converted because of the 2000 years of unchanged teaching of Christianity in the Catholic Church. I don't see that the teaching has changed because of recent documents but what I see that has changed is the drive and desire for the salvation of souls, that seems to me to be lacking. I want to follow God, as I believe we all do, and that for me is to follow the teaching in the Catholic Church that has been taught since our Lord Jesus Christ walked on the face of this earth. For me that is taking as Charlie Johnson says The Next Right Step. As the saying goes Jesus I Trust in You
Hi all. I would like to clarify some misconceptions surrounding 1) the prophecy of St. Francis concerning an antipope and 2) St. Catherine of Sienna's letters to popes and antipopes. It behooves those of you who are using the above to persuade others, wrongly, that our Pope Francis is an antipope. Please read the whole thing, it is too important not to. I will need to post a few times, it is long. If you have the patience to entertain notions we have an antipope and you are a Catholic, you can't afford not to for the sake of those you may lead astray. In the 13th century, St. Francis died and shortly before, it is reported, he told his Franciscan brothers that in the future there would be persecutions of the order and that there would be chaotic disobedience and mass sinfulness, as well as an antipope. He wanted them to pass on the word that this would happen so that Franciscans should not get discouraged at that time. Kind of like Charlie Johnston says his mission is to keep us from getting discouraged during the “storm”. Now lets fast-forward to the 14th Century. (see next post)
(continued) Popes had been living in Avignon, France from 1309 to 1377. This was called the “Babylonian Captivity” of the church, likening it to when the Israelites were conquered and deported by the Babylonians. Catherine of Sienna visited and then wrote letters to Pope Gregory XI at Avignon, France, persuading him to return to Rome and end the scandal. This was in 1376 and Gregory XI did move back to Rome in 1377. Soon after, he died. In 1378 Pope Urban VI was validly elected in Rome. Soon after that, an antipope was elected by French cardinals who wanted to hold on to control of the papacy, this was antipope Clement VII. The French and others accepted antipope Clement VII as the pope. Catherine of Sienna then wrote letters urging antipope Clement VII (1378-1394) to resign, not the actual pope, during the reign of actual Pope Urban VI. She wrote letters to supporters of real Pope Urban VI encouraging real Pope Urban VI. (Catherine of Sienna absolutely did not encourage a validly elected pope to resign, as previously posted.) Antipope Clement VII fled for Avignon, France, which was where real Pope Gregory XI had been residing before Catherine of Sienna persuaded him to go back to Rome. Catherine supported Urban VI because he was validly elected, Clement VII was the invalidly elected contender. The line of real popes in Rome continued, but so did the line of false popes at Avignon. This is called the “Great Schism” and lasted from 1378 to 1417 (not to be confused with the Great Schism of 1054 which divided western and eastern Christianity and lasts to this day.) The Great Schism over contending antipopes residing at Avignon since 1378 was ended by the Council of Constance (1414-1418) in 1417. (They also tried to deal with the schism between east and west at the Council of Constance but that particular effort was unsuccessful.) It is very important to understand that the popes and antipopes of the Great Schism were in open opposition to each other. Each claimed valid election, but only one at a time had it, the one in Rome. This is not our current situation. Pope Benedict XVI resigned, Pope Francis was then validly elected, Benedict still lives in Rome and the two talk to each other, pray together on occasion, and generally seem to be buddies. Pope Emeritus Benedict attended Pope Francis’s opening of the Holy Door; he did not try to push Pope Francis out of the way and do it himself. Let’s face those facts, please. (see next post)
