IS ‘ANTICHRIST’ YET TO APPEAR OR IS HE ALREADY HERE? Part IV

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

IS ‘ANTICHRIST’ YET TO APPEAR OR IS HE ALREADY HERE? Part IV

“When the force of this similarity between the antichrist of prophecy and the Pope of Rome dawned upon the mind of Cardinal Newman, he declared:

‘The gibe , ‘If the Pope is not Antichrist, he had bad luck to be so like him,’ is really another argument in favor of the claims of the Pope; since Antichrist simulates Christ, and the Pope is an image of Christ, Antichrist must have some similarity to the Pope, if the latter is the true Vicar of Christ.’ -‘Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 561, art. ‘Antichrist.’ (Note: “Gibe” means “taunting, sarcastic, scoffing words].

“Thus it is claimed that the Pope is the vicar of Christ on earth. But Christ left an altogether different Vicar, or Representative in His place; namely, His Holy Spirit! (John 14:15-18; 16:7). Of this Representative Christ says: ‘He shall teach you all things.’ ‘He will guide you into all truth.’ John 14:26; 16:13 (compare 1 John 2:20, 27). The Holy Spirit being the [real] author of the Bible (2 Pet. 1:21), certainly should be the proper interpreter of it. To this the Roman Catholic Church answers:

‘Nor can it be said that being a divinely inspired book, its prime Author, the Holy Spirit, will guide the reader to the right meaning. The Church which MADE THE BIBLE [emphasis mine], likewise interprets the Bible.’ – ‘Things Catholics Are Asked About, Martin J. Scott, S.J., Litt.D., pp. 119,120. NY, Kenedy: 1927.

“Pope Leo XIII says: “But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, with a perfect accord in the one faith, COMPLETE submission and obedience of the WILL to the Church and the Roman Pontiff, AS TO GOD HIMSELF.’ – ‘The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII, p. 193. NY: Benziger Bros., 1903. He further says: ‘We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.’ Id., p. 304.

“We have now seen from authentic Catholic sources, that the Pope arrogates to himself the ‘place of God Almighty,’ the office of Christ on earth, and the prerogative of the Holy Spirit, as sole teacher of the faithful and the interpreter of the Holy Scriptures. What more is needed to fulfill the prediction of 2 Thess. 2: 3,4, and the prophecies of the Antichrist?”—Facts of Faith, Christian Edwardson, p. 198, Southern Publishing Asso., Nashville, TN: 1943.
(To be continued). Bless all, NMF