Author Topic: Antichrist is an anti-pope. (Read 1750 times)

Geremia · « **on:** October 05, 2014, 08:13:03 PM »

The commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2:4 (that Antichrist "sitteth in the temple of God") of the very anti-Protestant Original Douay-Rheims Bible says:

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St. Augustine therefore li. 20 de civit. c. 19 and St. Jerome q. 11 ad Algasiam. do think, that this sitting of Antichrist in the temple, doth signify his sitting in the Church of Christ, rather than in Solomon's temple. Not as though he should be a chief member of the Church of Christ, or a special part of his body mystical, and be Antichrist and yet withal continuing within the Church of Christ, as the Heretics feign, to make the Pope Antichrist (whereby they plainly confess and agnise [recognize] that the Pope is a member of the Church, & in ipso sinu Ecclesia, and in the very bosom of the Church, say they:) for that is ridiculous, that all Heretics whom St. John calleth Antichrists as his precursors, should go out of the Church, and the great Antichrist himself should be of the Church, and in the Church, and continue in the same. And yet to them that make the whole Church in revolt from God, this is no absurdity. But the truth is, that this Antichristian revolt here spoken of, is from the Catholic Church: and Antichrist, if he ever were of or in the Church, shall be an Apostate and a renegade out of the Church, and he shall usurp upon it by tyranny, and by challenging worship, religion, and government thereof, so that himself shall be adored in all the Churches of the world which he list to leave standing for his honor. And this is to sit in the temple or *against the Temple of God, as some interpret. If any Pope did ever this, or shall do, then let the Adversaries call him Antichrist.

This passage makes it clear that a true pope cannot be Antichrist, but Antichrist will be an anti-pope, and anti-popes are not members of the Church.

Cardinal Manning, the most prominent father at the First Vatican Council who was responsible for the definition on papal infallibility, said in his Temporal Power of the Vicar of Christ 2nd part (4 lectures), "The Perpetual Conflict of the Vicar of Christ", pp. 81-173 (available in printed form from TradiBooks as The Pope and The Antichrist):

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We have here [2 Thessalonians 2:3-11] a prophecy … of a [spiritual*] revolt, which shall precede the second coming of our Lord … The authority, then, from which the revolt is to take place is that of the kingdom of God on earth, prophesied by Daniel [cf. Daniel 2] as the kingdom which the God of heaven should set up … in other words, the one and universal Church, founded by our Divine Lord, and spread by His Apostles throughout the world. In this one only kingdom was deposited the true and supernatural pure theism, or knowledge of God, and the true and only faith of God incarnate, with the doctrines and laws of grace. This, then, is the authority from which the revolt is to be made, be that revolt what it may.

[*"St. Jerome, with some others, interprets this revolt to be the rebellion of the nations or provinces against the Roman Empire. … They have revolted, and no manifestation has appeared." Thus, the revolt is spiritual, not temporal.]

There's also Pope Leo XIII's Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, which the Pope wrote after having a vision; its full version includes:

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These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.

(source: the 1910 The Raccolta or Collection of indulgenced prayers and good works, p. 125)

cf. also The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita: A Masonic Blueprint for the Subversion of the Catholic Church.

From all these quotes, it is clear that Antichrist will be a pope who apostatizes from the Church and thus becomes an anti-pope.

RomanCatholic1953 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 05, 2014, 09:56:37 PM »

Explains the popes from JXXIII to Francis. This is where it all began.
Anyway, a excellent post which will get many views and responses.

PerEvangelicaDicta · « **Reply #2 on:** October 05, 2014, 10:18:07 PM »

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This passage makes it clear that a true pope cannot be Antichrist, but Antichrist will be an anti-pope, and anti-popes are not members of the Church.

That seems proper and something I'd always presumed - that the Antichrist would have to be an anti-pope.
We are privileged to be here, in this magnificent age of the end times. He has specifically selected each of us for this task. It is a time for great saints, if we can muster the courage.

Geremia · « **Reply #3 on:** October 05, 2014, 10:50:37 PM »

Quote from: RomanCatholic1953

Explains the popes from JXXIII to Francis. This is where it all began.

Yes, there may be anti-popes who are not Antichrist, but Antichrist must seems be an anti-pope.

RomanCatholic1953 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2014, 11:58:21 PM »

Quote from: Geremia

Quote from: RomanCatholic1953
Explains the popes from JXXIII to Francis. This is where it all began.
Yes, there may be anti-popes who are not Antichrist, but Antichrist must seems be an anti-pope.

With these anti-popes, they have successfully dismantled the church to just a
human experience institution, but never completely.
The true church of Jesus Christ does not need to be headquartered in the Vatican
but in a few holy places.
As the late Cardinal Siri was quoted in which he said if it was not for the protection
of the Holy Ghost, Vatican 2 would have completely destroyed the church
(my words from memory).
However, a great thread that will get many more hits and responses from
different views.

awkwardcustomer · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2014, 10:25:30 AM »

Several of the Church Fathers describe the Antichrist as being Jєωιѕн and from the tribe of Dan. These saints also describe the Antichrist as sitting in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.

St Cyril of Jerusalem, 'Catechetical Lecture 15', para 15, on the Antichrist:

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.... he seats himself in the temple of God ... What temple then? He means, the Temple of the Jews which has been destroyed. For God forbid that it should be the one in which we are! Why say we this? That we may not be supposed to favour ourselves. For if he comes to the Jews as Christ, and desires to be worshipped by the Jews, he will make great account of the Temple, that he may more completely beguile them; making it supposed that he is the man of the race of David, who shall build up the Temple which was erected by Solomon. And Antichrist will come at the time when there shall not be left one stone upon another in the Temple of the Jews, according to the doom pronounced by our Saviour ; for when, either decay of time, or demolition ensuing on pretence of new buildings, or from any other causes, shall have overthrown all the stones .... then shall he come with all signs and lying wonders, exalting himself against all idols; at first indeed making a pretence of benevolence, but afterwards displaying his relentless temper, and that chiefly against the Saints of God. For he says, I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints ; and again elsewhere, there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation upon earth, even to that same time.....

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310115.htm

St Hippolytus, 'Discourse on the End of the World', para 19, on the Antichrist being Jєωιѕн and from the tribe of Dan:

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For it is certain that he is destined to spring from the tribe of Dan, and to range himself in opposition like a princely tyrant, a terrible judge and accuser, as the prophet testifies when he says, Dan shall judge his people, as one tribe in Israel. Genesis 49:16 But some one may say that this was meant of Samson, who sprang from the tribe of Dan, and judged his people for twenty years. That, however, was only partially made good in the case of Samson; but this shall be fulfilled completely in the case of Antichrist. For Jeremiah, too, speaks in this manner: From Dan we shall hear the sound of the sharpness of his horses; at the sound of the neighing of his horses the whole land trembled. Jeremiah 8:16 And again, Moses says: Dan is a lion's cub, and he shall leap from Bashan. Deuteronomy 33:22 And that no one may fall into the mistake of thinking that this is spoken of the Saviour, let him attend to this. Dan, says he, is a lion's cub; and by thus naming the tribe of Dan as the one whence the accuser is destined to spring, he made the matter in hand quite clear. For as Christ is born of the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist shall be born of the tribe of Dan. And as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was spoken of in prophecy as a lion on account or His royalty and glory, in the same manner also has the Scripture prophetically described the accuser as a lion, on account of his tyranny and violence.

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0504.htm

St Hippolytus also describes the Antichrist as sitting in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem:
('Discourse on the End of the World', para 25)

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And after that he will build the temple in Jerusalem, and will restore it again speedily, and give it over to the Jews. And then he will be lifted up in heart against every man; yea, he will speak blasphemy also against God, thinking in his deceit that he shall be king upon the earth hereafter for ever....

These sources indicate that the Antichrist will not be an antipope.

RomanCatholic1953 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2014, 09:52:03 PM »

The anti pope will lead the way of the anti Christ through his new
doctrines and teachings in which the majority of the catholic world
will fall and has fallen for. A easy life without doctrine and the
truths of the Catholic Church.

awkwardcustomer · « **Reply #7 on:** October 07, 2014, 12:06:54 AM »

RomanCatholic1953 said,

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The anti pope will lead the way of the anti Christ through his new
doctrines and teachings in which the majority of the catholic world
will fall and has fallen for. A easy life without doctrine and the
truths of the Catholic Church.

Are you saying that St Cyril of Jerusalem and St Hippolytus were wrong?