The newspaper, radio, and television media announced
the news: Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Roman Catholic Church,
was coming to America for a six day tour. He came and was greeted
by great crowds in many very public places and events. In only
the second ever visit by a pope to the White House in Washington,
D.C., our president Bush received him as the "Holy Father."
The Roman Catholic Church obviously planned and
conducted this highly publicized tour of the pope in the United
States for very important reasons. The Roman Church is experiencing
serious troubles. The Associated Press reported that the Roman
Church has been forced to close parishes. Over two billion dollars
has been paid out by the Roman Church in the last six years, alone,
to settle sex abuse cases involving over 4,000 priests. This has
caused some parishes to become bankrupt. The Church, itself, has
announced that, for the first time in history, there are now more
adherents to the Islamic faith than there are Roman Catholics.
The Roman Church has grown in America only because of the great
influx of Mexican immigrants.
The Catholic membership in America is becoming
more liberal. A recent article, entitled, "Why This Pope
Doesn't Connect" by Lisa Miller in the April 21, 2008, issue
of Newsweek, reports that "... the gap between what
the church teaches and what the American laity practices has been
growing ever wider. According to a 2005 survey by Catholic University
sociologist William D'Antonio and his colleagues, 58 percent of
American Catholics believe you can be a 'good' Catholic and disregard
the church's teachings on abortion. Sixty-six percent believe
you can ignore its position on divorce and remarriage. Seventy-five
percent believe you can disregard the ban on birth control. Seventy-six
percent think you don't have to go to church every week."
She also reported "a radically declining number of priests."
Miller also wrote, "For Benedict, God is Truth with a capital
T and exists before and outside humans and institutions. That
Truth is the only authority, and that authority requires obedience.
Benedict's fans say he is at his most eloquent and inspiring when
teaching about that Truth."
Dear friends, this brings up a very serious question.
"What is truth?" Jesus Christ said, "If you continue
in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know
the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31,
32. In His prayer recorded in John 17:17, Jesus prayed, "Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth." What, then, is
the truth about the office of the Roman Catholic pope? What does
the Word of God say about a man's being called "Holy Father"
or "His Holiness?" Absolutely nothing.
In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke of those who love the
uppermost rooms, the chief seats, the greetings in the markets,
and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. He said, in verse 8, "But
be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and
all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth:
for one is your Father, which is in heaven." We have only
one Holy Father! The New Testament refers to God as our Father
at least 270 times. Jesus did not command that we could not call
our earthly parent "father." Remember, His mother Mary
called Joseph His father in Luke 2:48. Jesus did emphatically
command that we are not to call any earthly man our father in
a religious sense. This applies to every celibate Roman priest.
No, Benedict XVI is not the Holy Father. He is
a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is a high religious impostor infringing
upon that which belongs to God, only. "For there is one God,
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 2:5. If this Roman Church leader is so dedicated to
teaching the truth, why does he wear the name that belongs to
God, alone?
This man (whose previous name was Joseph Alois
Ratzinger) may be the head of the Roman Catholic Church, but he
is not the head of the church of Christ! Jesus, as the Christ,
built His church (Matthew 16:18, 19; Acts 2) and purchased it
with His own blood. Acts 20:28. The true Holy Father "...
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness
of him that filleth all in all." Ephesians 1:22, 23.
When the church was only about 20 years old, Paul
warned that men would arise from the very eldership (presbytery
and bishops) of the church, "... speaking perverse things,
to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:30, 31. Further,
God warned of a falling away from the faith and that the man of
sin would be revealed, the son of perdition "... who opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4. I ask of
you, "Who and what office in history answers to this religious
apostasy?" -Editor