The Confessing Seventh-day Adventist

Today, just a few hours ago, pope Benedikt XVI held a speech in the Bundestag, the German parliament, in Berlin. He was invited not only as official head of state of a nation, the Vatican, but indeed as the "Holy Father", the pope, the leader of a religion. It is the first time in history for a religious head to address the German parliament in its own house. Naturally, this event triggered strong emotions, sharp criticism and hot debate in anticipation.

Many felt the fundamental principle of separation between church and state being seriously compromised. Some dozens of MPs refused to attend the pope´s speech, one MP walked out during the same. Other people in Germany, Catholics and non-Catholics, worried not so much about the speech and its problematic regarding the separation of church and state, but rather protested against certain catholic dogmas interrelated with society´s issues (homosexuality, abortion, divorce, woman´s ordination, celibacy), and especially expressed criticism about the catholic church´s/ the pope´s handling of the massive pedophile abuse scandals of the last years. There have been plenty of demos in the streets of Berlin and public discussions in the news media over the last days and weeks. Nevertheless, all in all the pope was received positively and with great expectations by the majority of German citizen.

Here some snapshots of the pope´s visit:










The speech (worthy analyzing; I hope they´ll put up some video with English subtitles on youtube soon):

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/ ... estag.html

Comment on the speech:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15409800,00.html

The pope´s programme visiting Germany:

http://www.papst-in-deutschland.de/english/

As you can see in the programme, the speech before the parliament was only one of the events scheduled in the pope´s 4 day visit to Germany. It contains a significant ecumenic agenda. After the speech Benedikt met with the head of the Central Council of Jews, to re-focus common roots and encourage a positive relationship between the two world religions Christianity and Judaism. The president of the Council stated after the meeting that Benedikt had not yet answered his questions on the crucial subjects that represent the biggest obstacles for coming together (catholic evangelization of the Jews, especially the related prayer on Good Friday; the papal acceptance of the Society of St. Pius with its Holocaust denial affair; and others), yet he affirmed that the meeting had been very positive and a significant step forward, held in a spirit of friendship.

Tomorrow, the pope will meet with representatives of the protestant churches, in Erfurt. Note what the programme says about this event:

"The Bishop of Erfurt, Dr. Joachim Wanke, appreciates the Pope’s programme as an important milestone for the Catholics in Eastern Germany. „Here it is shown, that the Pope is not only interested in the Catholic Church. By the Pope’s visit to Erfurt an ecumenical emphasis is shown at the place where Martin Luther was still catholic and an Augustinian monk.“"

The way the apparently ecumenical gestures of the pope are heartily received by the protestant church in Germany is remarkable. Was the reformation only a lamentable mistake and merely some overly narrow-minded anti-catholic bigotry? And, is the pope´s speech before a secular, democratic parliament really a harmless matter that only ideological fanatics worry about?

Ellen White writes in The Great Controversy, page 566:

Protestants have tampered with and patronized popery; they have made compromises and concessions which papists themselves are surprised to see and fail to understand. Men are closing their eyes to the real character of Romanism and the dangers to be apprehended from her supremacy. The people need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty.

She continues on page 606:

The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power--all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred.

The pope´s intelligent philosophical and apparently unpolitical, harmless appearing speech in Germany´s parliament today as well as the ecumenical events following it without doubt form part of the "advances of this most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty" and accelerate the "stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power". We must unmask and resist this development, not because of any personal, ideological and fanatical anti-catholic sentiments; but out of love for Truth, love for Christ who is Truth, and love for this lost world for whom He gave Himself.

Here now the speech on youtube, translated in english. Norbert Lammert, president of the Parliament, makes the introduction.

Liebe Anni,

The main threat to the world is the false prophet. What can pope Benedikt get away with? He must be spending a lot of time just evading prosecution for his covering up crimes against children. Scary Perry can send me to Guantanamo.

Lieber Eugene,

The main threat to the world is the false prophet.

I disagree. According to Revelation, it is the threefold union of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

What can pope Benedikt get away with?

Personally, for me the question is not what pope Benedikt can get away with at the very present, but what influence he is gaining over the minds of the people.

I assume we are in agreement that both the false prophet and the beast play a role in regard to the future global restriction of liberty of conscience. I don´t see much sense in defining the false prophet to being the main threat, only because it is at the present politically a more recognizable threat. A threat is a threat, wether imminent or latent, wether the opportunity to power is already given or not. It´s obvious that Perry, running for president, is an imminent threat because he openly applauds to and is determined to continue and reinforce policies that are violating human rights. Rome is a latent threat. Prophecy foretells the rise of the papal power, an terribly oppressive papal power, and it sure is neighter a sudden rise of power without traceable progress, nor an arbitrary threat without tracebale ideological framework. Thus I think we have the responsability to observe Rome´s conceptions and enterprises in regard to political power. Certainly, we must beware of groundless false accusations. They are in any case unnecessary. There is sufficient reason to be alarmed by any progress of Rome in regard to forming public political-moral mindset. As Ellen White said, Rome has not changed. Vatican II may give the impression that this church that in the past doubtlessly used to be a mighty foe of civil and religious liberty, has undergone a transformation and is a now a renewed and reform-open friend of mankind, indeed a tolerant defender of religious liberty. In reality, the essential self-conception of the papal institution and of the catholic church has not changed a bit. This self-conception of the catholic church is intrinsically dangerous.

I recommed everyone to read and study the article, Pius IX, Vatican II and Religious Liberty, by Brian W. Harrison, a catholic theologian specialized in the church´s position and relation to the state, and then to consider Benedikt´s speech in the light of the exposition made in this article.

He must be spending a lot of time just evading prosecution for his covering up crimes against children.

I doubt Benedikt XVI has been spending one single second evading prosecution for his covering up crimes against children, because noone has the intention to prosecute him. All that people ask for is that he, as the head representative of the church, open and publicly assumes responsability for these crimes; the general consens is that this gesture, partly alongside with more serious recompenses for the victims, would suffice. He hasn´t done this. All he did is apologize in a very general way and meet with some victims in secret. Which does not suffice, without doubt.

Scary Perry can send me to Guantanamo.

Perry is scary. Guantanamo is scary. I am just as scared of Rome and its stealthy but rapid progress.

anni wrote:Personally, for me the question is not what pope Benedikt can get away with at the very present, but what influence he is gaining over the minds of the people.

Liebe Anni,

Here's a very revealing video that demonstrates how Fox News (a mainstream news organization in the United States) overwhelmingly supports the pope. Obviously the truth at Fox is shaped by the demographics of their audience.



I had read that the pope is guilty of shielding accused pedophile priests. That means that the pope and all Catholics should apologize, not Bill Maher.

Here are some related videos: