Reality Check And Discernment

It would be irresponsible to ignore the Pope's visit to the U.S. especially in the era in which we find ourselves living. Below are some random thoughts and pertinent articles - all intended as food for thought. Additionally, this is intended to cut through the hyperbole and the direction we have been given by the MSM, who ironically, typically hate the gospel message but love the socialist agenda, which has inflicted more pain and suffering than any other political view in world history. The items below are intended as food for thought - coupled with the idea "Is the Pope above criticism?"

1. The term "Holy Father" is frequently used for the Pope. Are you really comfortable with the repeated use of this term for a human? 

'Call no man Father'

If only Catholics - Pope, priests, nuns and people generally - would read the Bible!  They would KNOW that to call the Pope 'Holy Father' is an insult to the real Father, the Father of the Lord Jesus.  There is only ONE Father, and He is not residing in the Vatican.  It is sickening that so many people who are trying to please God are in fact spitting in His face by ignoring His clear commands in the Bible! 

And Jesus' church does not have 'priests' standing between us and God. 

In fact the Bible tells us that believers are all priests in the sense that we can all go direct to the Father, because Jesus opened the door of Heaven for us, the very door of the throne room!  He IS the door. Only Jesus stands between a believer and God the Father.  That is why we pray 'in Jesus name'.  He is the one and only Mediator between us and the Father.  

“Father”	“Father”
The Pope is the ‘Holy Father’ and every priest must be  called ‘Father’.    But not so with the Catholic pope, he uses that title as if it were a birthright. In the book of John, Jesus talking of God the Father refers to Him as “Holy Father”. It is one of the very names of God Almighty. It is also one of the main titles that Catholic popes give themselves, stolen right out from the mouth of Jesus.	‘Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.’  Matthew 23:9
“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” John 17:11 (KJV) He is called “His Holiness” and “Holy Father” as if he actually were those things.The Apostle Peter in Acts 3, after healing the impotent man, publically declared he had no innate “holiness” within himself: “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” Acts 3:12 (KJV) 2. The Pope had the world's attention over a 4-day period. How many times was "Jesus" mentioned and how many times was salvation through Jesus mentioned?

3. Who is to be worshipped - a human on earth or Christ Jesus?

The Worship Of Pope Francis Proves People Are Ready To Receive Antichrist

“And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” Revelation 22:8,9  (KJV)

Everywhere he goes, Pope Francis attracts worshipful crowds of people, straining and reaching to touch any part of him as if something spiritual and holy could be imparted to them by doing so. People weep, they cry, they hold up their sick children and beg him to touch them in the hopes they will be healed. Pope Francis has no power to perform any miracles of any kind, yet the throngs of people come and worship at his feet as if they were in the presence of Jesus Himself. How does the Pope react to all this attention, does he tell them that he is only a man and then point them to Jesus? No, he does not. Francis allows them to pay him homage, and accepts their worship as if that was his due.

Representative Bob Brady, a devout Catholic and Democrat from Pennsylvania immediately made his way to the podium after Pope Francis finished speaking and grabbed the glass that was still filled with water. He then drank the water, gave some of the water to his wife Debra, and saved the rest for his grandchildren. Representative Brady took photos as well, and had his staff send them out to the press. He also shared some of the water with members of his staff and assistant, also a devout Catholic. As for the saved water, he plans to sprinkle it on his grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

4. Confusing, distorted messages:

The Shocking Message Pope Francis Preached At New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral

Like many people, I missed the message that the Pope preached at St. Patrick’s Cathedral because it was not streamed live as far as I was aware. And honestly, I was much more interested from a prophecy perspective in what he was going to say to Washington and the United Nations. So I did not bother to take a peek and see what he preached at St. Patrick’s. When I did, I about fell off my chair.

First of all, Pope Francis gave a shout-out to his “Muslim brothers and sisters” when he said this – “I would like to express two sentiments for my Muslim brothers and sisters: Firstly, my greetings as they celebrate the feast of sacrifice.” In case he doesn’t know, Islam clearly teaches that their god, Allah, has no son. None at all. So for a Christian to be a spiritual brother or sister with a Muslim is impossible. The Qu’ran boldly declares that Allah has no son:

Pope Francis has been wooing the Muslims into the Vatican tent for sometime now.In November of 2014, he prayed inside a Mosque in Istanbul, in December of 2014 Pope Francis defended Islam as a “religion of peace”, and just a few weeks ago issued the order for all Catholics in Europe to take in Muslim migrants to live with them in their homes.

Perhaps the most shocking, the most stunning words to ever come out of the Pope’s mouth had to do with him talking about the “failure of the Cross”. What?? It is because of Jesus on the cross, that we have salvation. It is because of the cross that we now have access to the Father and a FULL pardon for our sins. It is because of the cross that Heaven, and not Hell, is our destination. This is what he said:

“The cross shows us a different way of measuring success. Ours is to plant the seeds. God sees to the fruits of our labors. And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and not produce fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus Christ and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross.”

That was it, not another word. You would expect him to say something like “while it appeared to be a failure to His disciples, the cross was actually a victory…” or some such thing. I have heard that preached many times before in church. But the thing is, he didn’t say that. He just simply stated that the life of Jesus on the cross “ended in failure”, which is a complete and total lie. How he could just leave it there, in defeat, to declare the cross a FAILURE and not expound one, tiny bit more is beyond imagination. The Pope, the self-proclaimed “vicar of Christ”, preaching a message of the FAILURE OF JESUS on the cross. Honestly, words fail me at this moment. Truly.

What better way could Pope Francis end a “sermon” whose opening remarks call Christ-rejecting, Hell-bound Muslims our “brothers and sisters”, and whose main point is the “failure of Jesus on the cross”, than by praying to Mary and asking for her blessing:

“Dear brothers and sisters, in a few moments, we will sing the Magnificat. Let us commend to our lady the work we have been entrusted to do. Let us join her in thanking god for the great things he has done…”

You can click here to read the full transcript of this sermon...

5. Hypocrisy: 

Holy hypocrisy and hot air

Unlike Pope Francis, I believe that air-conditioning and the capitalists responsible for the technology are blessings to the world.

Perhaps the head of the Catholic Church, who condemned “the increasing use and power of air-conditioning” last week in a market-bashing encyclical, is unaware of the pioneering private company that has donated its time, energy and innovative heating, ventilating and air-conditioning equipment to the Vatican’s most famous edifice for more than a decade.

That’s right. While the pontiff sanctimoniously attacks “those who are obsessed with maximizing profits,” Carrier Corporation — a $13 billion for-profit company with 43,000 employees worldwide (now a unit of U.S.-based United Technologies Corp.) — ensures that the air in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel stays clean and cool.

Last fall, Carrier unveiled a groundbreaking HVAC system for the Vaticanto help preserve Michelangelo’s masterpieces against pollution caused by the estimated six million visitors who descend on the Sistine Chapel every year to see its famous frescoes.

As the company described it, their new solution “uses two Carrier AquaForce(r) 30XWV water-cooled chillers with Greenspeed(r) intelligence, each with 580 kilowatts of capacity. It leverages specially designed software and components, as well as patented, energy-saving technologies to maintain optimal climate conditions for the protection of the paintings within the chapel.” State-of-the-art intelligent controls “anticipate visitor levels and adjust its performance intuitively.” It also “delivers twice the efficiency and three times the capacity of the former system, which was built and installed by Carrier in the early 1990s.”

Here’s the lesson about air-conditioning capitalists that Pope Francis fails to appreciate: Carrier’s technological know-how and breakthroughs didn’t just descend from the clouds. As I recount in my latest book, “Who Built That,”every perfectly chilled home, office, movie theater, mall, factory, hospital, lab and museum owes its existence to the profit-seeking pioneers of manufactured weather: Willis Carrier and Irvine Lyle.

While the pope blames commercial enterprises and the “global market economy” for causing “environmental degradation,” it is a worldwide commercial enterprise made in America that solved the human-caused degradation of, and environmental damage to, the Vatican’s most prized art and assets.

If the pontiff truly believes “excessive consumption” of modern conveniences is causing evil “climate change,” will he be shutting down and returning the multi-million-dollar system Carrier generously gifted to the Vatican Museums?

If not, I suggest, with all due respect, that Pope Francis do humanity a favor and refrain from blowing any more hot air unless he’s willing to stew in his own.

Massive Vatican Anti-Immigration Wall Shows Hypocrisy Of Pope Francis

Pope Francis has been tirelessly and relentlessly hammering America for not allowing in more illegal immigrants and for having a southern border wall. Well, guess what? The Vatican that he is the CEO of has a massive, huge, super-high brick and concrete wall that circles all around it. When are you going to take YOUR wall down? And speaking of immigration, guess what country has the strictest immigration policyon the face of the Earth? You guess it, it’s Vatican City. With the Pope, it’s clearly a case of do as I say, and not do as I do.

“Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the second World War,” the pope said, according to USA Today, including “thousands of persons (who) are led to travel north in search of a better life.

“We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation.” “To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome.”

Lighten up, Francis

He came to the US to chide us on climate change and immigration.

“We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation,” he said.

“To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal,” added Francis. “We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’”

The pope spoke too of a global “refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the second world war”, but he made clear that economic migration also deserved empathy, particularly in the US.

“On this continent too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities,” he said. “Is this not what we want for our own children?”

Yeah, about that.

One estimate of the net worth of the Vatican is at least $8 billion. In 1965 it was thought to be $10-15 billion. That’s higher a net worth than even the Clintons have.

The Vatican is thought to have several billion in solid gold.

Francis implores us to open our borders and take in an unending number of illegal aliens and “refugees.” Let’s take a look at how he treats outsiders.

That wall completely encircles the Vatican. Donald Trump can only drool at it.

How many immigrants does it house? None. The Vatican has the most restrictive immigration policy perhaps in the world.

Only about 450 of its 800 or so residents actually hold citizenship, according to a 2012 study by the Library of Congress. That study said citizens are either church cardinals who reside in the Vatican, the Holy See’s diplomats around the world, and those who have to reside in the city because of their jobs, such as the Swiss Guard. Spouses and children who live in the city because of their relationship with citizens — including the Swiss Guard and workers such as the gardener — can also be granted citizenship. But that means few of the Vatican’s citizens are women.

Francis suggested that the Vatican might take in a family or two. Wow.

Like many others I am wondering why Francis has mentioned nothing as yet about the slaughter of Christians worldwide.

There is nothing quite like being told that was have to open our borders and wallets to “refugees” and illegal aliens by those who live in cloistered fortresses and open neither their walls nor their wallets.

Yes, The Pope Is A Hypocrite 

The Pope’s own domain, Vatican City, a sovereign political entity, has millions of visitors a year but allows only those who meet strict criteria to be residents or citizens. According to a 2012 study by the Library of Congress, about 450 of its approximately 800 residents have achieved citizenship . Citizenship is limited to church cardinals who reside in the Vatican, the Holy See’s diplomats, and those who have to reside in the city because of their jobs, such as the Swiss Guard. Spouses and children who live in the city because of their relationship with citizens,  including the Swiss Guard, are also granted citizenship. Very few of the Vatican’s citizens are women. 

Applying the Pope’s supposed principles that he lectured the Congress about yesterday, he should be allowing hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, and, if they choose, Mexican immigrants, to join the happy few in his domain. Of course, he won’t, because he isn’t insane. His apologists will argue that the Vatican is different, that it can’t open its doors because the result would be chaos, and the Vatican wouldn’t be the Vatican if it did.

This is also true of the United States, but The Golden Rule notwithstanding, the Pope doesn’t really care about that. He cares about talking in broad generalities divorced from political, financial and demographic realities, resulting in utter hypocrisy, and the cynical partisans using his hypocritical remarks to support their own irresponsible policies exploit it.

6. Politics instead of the Gospel message? Why? Global Government? 

Why would politics trump the message of salvation?

Commentary: Pope in over his head on ‘climate change’

It's hard to criticize the pope. It is like criticizing your mom. She means well, probably. But that doesn't mean she's not wrong sometimes.

This time, the pope is wrong — even if he means well.

He has been urging governments around the world to enact taxes and impose draconian new regulations on energy use (such as a pending law in California that will require a 50 percent reduction in petroleum use by 2030, to be achieved penalizing motorists who "use too much" gas or "drive too often") in order to address what he styles "the urgency of climate change" and the need for "sustainable" development.

The problem is that while "climate change" — the new catch-all euphemism for catastrophic alterations in the world's weather patterns — is conjecture, the taxes and regulatory restrictions advocated by this clergyman are very real indeed.

Specifically, the effect such will have on the world's poor — for whom affordable electricity, warmth in winter and food are very real concerns.

Perhaps Francis takes for granted the lights that come on at the flick of a switch in the Vatican; that there is always food on the table. Hot water coming out of the tap. Millions of people around the planet, many of them in the "developing" world (Africa in particular) do not take such things for granted. The "sustainable" development urged by Pope Francis as he jets around the world means real sacrifices for real people — most of whom have never traveled by 747 or even Cessna.

The pope is here in America now, to tout his political agenda.

This is an odd thing, when you stop to think about it a little. Pope Francis is a spiritual leader, a man who has spent his life studying the Bible, not chemistry or atmospheric science. For him to pontificate about "climate change" is as inappropriate — as silly — as a politician pontificating about eschatology.

It is telling that the language had to be altered to suit the inconvenient truths. It was not all that long ago these "experts" were sounding the alarm bells about an impending ice age and "global cooling."

A planetary deep freeze.

A heat wave during the ‘90s made this idea seem preposterous.

Enter "global warming."

But then the same problem arose — only in reverse. The weather began to moderate. Cold winters returned with a vengeance to much of North America, for instance. It became hard to sell global warming when much of the country was experiencing a deep freeze, as during the winters of 2013 and 2014.

A new — more flexible — catchphrase was urgently needed.

Enter "climate change."

Since the climate constantly changes, no more worries about explaining away hot summers — or cold winters. Anything could be attributed to "climate change."

This is telling.

We are dealing with a political thing, not a scientific thing.

As Orwell observed, "political language is designed to make lies sound truthful … and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

Another inconvenient truth: So-called warming data has been called into question by the discovery that many of the temperature readings used to back up the assertion of abnormally rapid, unnatural warming were taken in cherry-picked locations (such as concrete-paved cities) to goose the numbers in the desired direction.

The deeper you dig, the more you find. Keep in mind the stakes, too. It's easy enough for affluent Westerners — this includes the pope — to glibly talk about "sustainable" development, because they will not pay the price. Millions of lesser humans will — and they deserve more from the spiritual leader of the world's largest Christian denomination.

Pope Francis may mean well — and probably does. But he is not a scientist.

And should stop trying to be a politician.

The Pope’s Speech in Congress Not Based on Christianity but Political Ideology

So, after the fact, I read the transcript of the Pope's speech at the Washington Post. I fume in silence as I read in the quiet.

The current Pope, in the speech to Congress, sounds less like a Christian and head of the Catholic Church and more like a political shrill for abject ideology. Take, for instance, the Pope's second statement. Speaking of Moses, Pope Francis said, "... the patriarch and lawgiver of the people of Israel symbolizes the need of peoples to keep alive their sense of unity by means of just legislation." According to my Bible, God handed down the law to Moses making God the lawgiver, Moses the receiver of the law, and Moses the messenger to impart God's law to the people. Wouldn't it make sense that a Christian, a person of God, much less the Pope, would know this?

According to this Pope, "building a future of freedom requires love of the common good and cooperation in a spirit of subsidiarity and solidarity." 

Building a future of freedom requires recognition of God-given unalienable rights and government performing its duty to protect those rights. "Love of the common good" sounds more like communism/socialism or marxism, but mixed with the "spirit of subsidiarity" (matters handled by the least centralized component) attempts to fuse a powerful centralized concept with decentralized authority. 

A powerful centralized authority cannot go exist with the bulk of authority held at the lower levels. As the citizens of this nation have witnessed, the political elite, working toward the "common good," ends up limiting freedom of everyone by gathering power in a central authority.

He spoke of the world being "a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and religion." The conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities being committed in the world today are done so in the name of "Allah" and Islam. Allah and God are NOT the same. Christians, particularly the Pope, should know this. He attempts to equate Christianity and Islam when they are polar opposites. Instead of speaking as head of the Catholic Church and a Christian, the Pope speaks as a politician pushing an agenda. The Pope should be concerned more with aspects of a spiritual nature than a political nature.

We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will the righteous and sinners.

In talking about "fundamentalism," the Pope made sure to mention "other kinds," not just religious fundamentalism. His comments fall in line with those who identify "conservatives, constitutionalists, Christians, gun owners, and upholders of individual rights" as fundamentalists who pose a threat to this government. The Pope suggest it is "temptation" to engage in "simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; ... the righteous and sinners." However, has not God already identified and judged what is evil and what is good? Did not Jesus come to call sinners to repentance as those who are not sick do not need a physician? (Luke 5: 31-32) Surely, Pope Francis is not contending that he knows more or better than God and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today's many geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.

Here is where the Pope speaks of "promoting the well-being of individuals and peoples" by maintaining commitments, which can speak to allowing unlimited numbers of individuals access into our nation. When speaking of moving forward as one in a "spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good," this speaks toward one rule and communist style domination where "the common good" of the state overrules the protection of individual God-given rights. 

What is the "common good" for the world, as one? There is no definitive explanation given.

Promoting the well-being of individuals and peoples can also refer to redistributing wealth -- a hallmark of socialism -- under a one world government since the Pope spoke of moving forward "together, as one." 

According to Pope Francis, "Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life." Noah Webster would disagree with the Pope's definition of "politics." The Webster 1828 dictionary defines politics as "the science of government; that part of ethics which consists in the regulation and government of a nation or state

Vatican speaker and California Governor in push for massive depopulation... talk of 'Planetary Court' and removal of 6 billion people under new 'Earth Constitution' and 'World Government'

Professor John Schellnhuber has been chosen as a speaker for the Vatican's rolling out of a Papal document on climate change. He's the professor who previously said the planet is overpopulated by at least six billion people. Now, the Vatican is giving him a platform which many expect will result in an official Church declaration in support of radical depopulation in the name of "climate science."

Schellnhuber daydreams about a "Planetary Court" guided by a new "Earth Constitution" which would hold power over every nation and government on the planet. As he explains himself in this document on HumansAndNature.org, he's a proponent of an all-powerful, climate-focused world government that would rule over the planet... a literal "science dictatorship" based on whatever "science" the climate change proponents can fudge together each year.

As Schellnhuber says:

Let me conclude this short contribution with a daydream about those key institutions that could bring about a sophisticated -- and therefore more appropriate -- version of the conventional "world government" notion. 


Global democracy might be organized around three core activities, namely (i) an Earth Constitution; (ii) a Global Council; and (iii) a Planetary Court. I cannot discuss these institutions in any detail here, but I would like to indicate at least that:

- the Earth Constitution would transcend the UN Charter and identify those first principles guiding humanity in its quest for freedom, dignity, security and sustainability;

- the Global Council would be an assembly of individuals elected directly by all people on Earth, where eligibility should be not constrained by geographical, religious, or cultural quotas; and

- the Planetary Court would be a transnational legal body open to appeals from everybody, especially with respect to violations of the Earth Constitution.

Schellnhunber, in other words, believes a new world government can create "freedom" for humanity by dictating to it with a new Planetary Court guided by an Earth Constitution which will no doubt begin by declaring the planet can only sustain one billion people. So instead of a Bill of Rights, this new Earth Constitution will be founded on a Bill of Deaths and a global government that might order the extermination of billions of human beings in order to "save the climate."

"In an unprecedented encyclical on the subject of the environment, the pontiff is expected to argue that humanity’s exploitation of the planet’s resources has crossed the Earth’s natural boundaries," reports The Guardian. "...[T]he world faces ruin without a revolution in hearts and minds."

The Pope, the UN, and One World Government-Religion

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, “made clear that a leading solution to global warming includes extreme depopulation.” Figueres said, “We can definitely change those [population] numbers and really should make every effort to change the numbers because we are already today, exceeding the planetary carrying capacity.”

The Vatican and United Nations also issued a joint statement in April. The “UN-inspired joint statement called for ‘reaching a level and sustainable population.’” 

Marc Morano, Climate Depot publisher, wrote:

“The Vatican’s partnering with the United Nations climate agenda is nothing short of an unholy alliance. The papal encyclical, no matter how nuanced it may read, will simply be used as a tool to support UN global warming ‘solutions’ that are at odds with most Catholic teachings on issues such as abortion, contraception, overpopulation, and helping the poor nations develop. The Vatican appears to be taking an unprecedented step by seemingly endorsing a specific UN climate treaty.”

On a side note and by coincidence, the Club of Rome happens to be in the same country as the Vatican. The Club of Rome has been a leader in working on world depopulation since it’s formation in 1968. “According to the club’s publications, the common enemy of humanity is man.” One of the Club’s major goals is “to reduce the world’s population by two billion people through war, famine, disease and any other means necessary.”

Is the Pope aware that groups like the Club of Rome are willing to use war, famine, disease and any other means necessary to get rid of man, the “common enemy of humanity”? And if you remove man from humanity what does that leave? (No, the answer isn’t “huity”.) The very definition of humanity is, collectively, the human race.

Jim Lakely, Heartland Institute Director of Communications, said Pope Francis “made a grave mistake by putting his trust and moral authority behind agenda-driven bureaucrats at the United Nations who have been bearing false witness about the causes and consequences of climate change for decades… Simply put, someone at the Pontifical Academy of Science should have told Pope Francis that every calamity the UN bureaucrats predicted for decades has not come to pass.”

Any possibility the Club of Rome’s members might have access to members of the Pontifical Academy of Science who influenced the Pope? 

Unfortunately the Heartland Institute experts were unable to sway the Pope over to “reality”. Richard Keen, Meteorology Professor (emeritus) University of Colorado-Boulder wrote:

“Sections 23 and 24 of the draft Encyclical refer to numerous hypothetical disastrous consequences of climate change, or ‘warming.’ But none of these projected catastrophic consequences are anywhere to be found on the real Earth. Over the past 18 years, the best measurements of Earth’s global temperatures (by NOAA and NASA satellites) show no warming whatsoever. The total warming since 1979 has been a fraction of that predicted by the IPCC, and of that tiny warming, most can be attributed to natural causes, such as volcanoes.”

Like a tiny lifeboat, the Heartland Institute was hoping for fairness in an ocean rigged with sharks. 

But Pope Francis, and his Environmental Encyclical, didn’t just simply and totally agree with the United Nations’ global warming plot. The Pope also quoted his predecessor, Benedict XVI, and again called for a “world political authority”.

Hmm.

Rebecca Terrell, The New American reporter, asked, “is it possible that these popes are proposing a world government with total control of currency, the food supply, military forces, private property and immigration, along with a court system to uphold its decrees? This plan disturbingly parallels the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals enumerated in its Agenda 21 program, formulated at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.”

Pope Calls for New World Government

Never has a declaration from the pope been more hotly anticipated. The leaking of an early draft of Pope Francis’s latest encyclical—an official addition to Catholic doctrine—certainly helped. The fact that it deals with global warming means that it has been discussed across many media outlets that rarely pay close attention to papal pronouncements. Britain’s left-wing Guardiannewspaper even published whole sections of it and live-blogged its release.

This suits the pope’s purpose for the document perfectly. In his introduction he makes clear that, unlike his last encyclical, he is not just writing to members of the Catholic Church. Instead, he writes, “I would like to enter into dialogue with all people.” The Guardian called it “the most astonishing and perhaps the most ambitious papal document of the past 100 years.”

This new encyclical, called Laudato Si (Be Praised), is the pope’s plea to humanity on behalf of “our sister, Mother Earth.” A good chunk of it deals with global warming. But there is also much on the many other ways man is destroying his planet, through means like pollution, shortages of fresh water and the general “self-destructive” behavior of mankind—warnings that would not be out of place on the Trumpetwebsite. This warning especially could almost have come from a Trumpet article:

And the solution? As soon as Francis starts addressing this subject in Chapter 5 of his letter, he calls for a radical new power to be given control in the world.

This is the heart and core of this document’s message—not the global warming debate that has taken up so many newspaper columns. Francis writes that we must think of “one world with a common plan.”

Here he builds on the previous pope’s, Benedict XVI’s, radical call for a “world political authority” in one of his encyclicals. Benedict’s statement is dramatic and worth quoting in full—as Francis does:

To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: 

for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago.

But Francis’s call goes beyond utopian dream. It is much more specific than some kind of airy-fairy new world order. He also uses language that is very practical. He says that “enforceable international agreements are urgently needed” and talks about “global regulatory norms.”

Last year, in his Evangelii Gaudium, Francis published what was referred to as his call for “the overhaul of the financial system.” He condemned “unfettered capitalism” and said that the world’s economic system had failed the poor. At the time we wrote about the radical nature of the pope’s letter, but noted, “Pope Francis has yet to present a detailed, overt action plan for the global economy.” Laudato Si is closer to being that action plan. Where do you start overhauling the world’s financial system? The pope’s answer is to empower international institutions and create new international regulation with teeth.

These statements by Pope Francis are astonishing. He is the head of a church that looked the other way during the Holocaust. Even the most ardent supporters of Pope Pius XII have to admit that he never spoke out against the Holocaust. (For more information on his role in World War II, read our article “Was Pope Pius XII Pious?”) Yet his successor criticizes the Allies for the way they fought and sacrificed millions of lives to bring that Holocaust to an end, and accuses them of being too weak to speak out.

Would a Catholic world government be better? The Catholic Church ruled Western civilization for hundreds of years, and during that time—to put it mildly—the plight of the poor was much worse than it is today. The Catholic Church quite plainly did not manage to solve man’s problems back then.

Six times in history the Catholic Church has dominated a major power; each time it ended in catastrophe. In the sixth century A.D., the Emperor Justinian revived the Roman Empire as a Catholic theocracy. The church’s ensuing crack down on heretics and its other enemies meant that the “the whole Roman Empire was a scene of massacre and flight,” as one contemporary writer put it.

It appears this is what Pope Francis is advocating. He is attempting to set up the church to rule over or influence nations and governments—to make rulings through new “enforceable international agreements.”

7. Sound Doctrine?

The Truth About The Roman Catholic Church

The church and it’s true beginnings. While enduring the early persecutions of the Roman government (65-300 A.D.), most of professing Christianity went through a gradual departure from New Testament doctrine concerning church government, worship and practice. Local churches ceased to be autonomous by giving way to the control of “bishops” ruling over hierarchies. The simple form of worship from the heart was replaced with the rituals and splendor of paganism. Ministers became “priests,” and pagans became “Christians” by simply being sprinkled with water. This tolerance of an unregenerate membership only made things worse. 

The Roman Emperor Constantine established himself as the head of the church around 325 A.D., which made this new “Christianity” the official religion of the Roman Empire. The first actual Pope in Rome was probably Leo I (440-461 A.D.), although some claim that Gregory I was the first (590-604 A.D.). This ungodly system eventually ushered in the darkest period of history known to man, properly known as the “Dark Ages” (500-1500 A.D.). Through popes, bishops, and priests, Satan ruled Europe, and Biblical Christianity became illegal.

Throughout all of this, however, there remained individual groups of true Christians, such as the Waldensens and the Anabaptists who would not conform to the Roman system.

THE WORSHIP OF MARY

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.” Jeremiah 7:18 (KJV)

Roman Catholics believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus and was sinless all of her life. She is worshiped in the Catholic church as the “Mother of God” and the “Queen of Heaven.” St. Bernard stated that she was crowned “Queen of Heaven” by God the Father, and that she currently sits upon a throne in Heaven making intercession for Christians. The Bible teaches otherwise.

In the Bible, Mary was a sinner just like the rest of us. She said herself that she needed a “Saviour” (Lk. 1:47), and she even had to offer a sacrifice for her sins in Luke 2:24. Jesus was only her “firstborn” son, according to Matthew 1:25, because she later had other children as well (Mt. 13:55; Gal. 1:19; Psa. 69:8). There’s only ONE mediator between God and men, and it isn’t Mary (I Tim. 2:5). The last time we hear from Mary in the Bible she is praying WITH the disciples, not being prayed to BY the disciples (Acts 1:14). The Bible never exalts Mary above anyone else. Neither should we.

PURGATORY  - THE BIBLE

The Catholic Church teaches that a Christian’s soul must burn in purgatory after death until all of their sins have been purged. To speed up the purging process, money may be paid to a priest so he can pray and have special masses for an earlier release.

This heresy began creeping into the Roman Church during the reign of Pope Gregory around the end of the sixth century, and it has no scriptural support. In fact, Jesus warned us about this pagan practice in Matthew 23:14 when He spoke of those who devoured widows houses and made long prayers for a pretence. Psalm 49:6-7 tells us that a person couldn’t redeem a loved one, even if such a place did exist: “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:”

Peter addresses this issue in Acts 8:20 when he says, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” God’s word is clearly against the doctrine of purgatory.

THE MASS - THE BIBLE

By perverting the Christian practice of the Lord’s Supper (Mat. 26:26-28; I Cor. 11:23-27), the Catholic Church has created the Mass, which they believe to be a continual sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

“Christ…commanded that his bloody sacrifice on the Cross should be daily renewed by an unbloody sacrifice of his body and blood in the Mass under the simple elements of bread and wine.” (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 10, Pg. 13, Article: “Mass, Sacrifice of”)

Jesus never made such a command. If you’ll check the above references in Matthew 26 and I Corinthians 11, you’ll see for yourself that the Lord’s Supper is a MEMORIAL and a SHOWING of Christ’s death until He comes again. It is not a sacrifice. The Catholic Encyclopedia states the following:

In the celebration of the Holy Mass, the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ. It is called transubstantiation, for in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the substance of bread and wine do not remain, but the entire substance of bread is changed into the body of Christ, and the entire substance of wine is changed into his blood, the species or outward semblence of bread and wine alone remaining.” (Vol. 4, pg. 277, Article: “Consecration”)

The Catholic Church teaches that the “Holy Mass” is a LITERAL EATING AND DRINKING OF THE LITERAL FLESH AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. The priest supposedly has the power to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

Now, what does God’s word say about such practices? If you’ll read Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:11-12, and Acts 15:29, you will find that God absolutely FORBIDS the drinking of blood all through the Bible.

Rome teaches that the Mass is a continual “sacrifice” of Jesus Christ, but God’s word states that Jesus made the FINAL sacrifice on Calvary! This is made perfectly clear in Hebrews 10:10-12:

SALVATION BY WORKS

Through infant baptism, keeping sacraments, church membership, going to mass, praying to Mary, and confession (just to mention a few), the Catholic church has developed a system of salvation through WORKS. God’s word says that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not through works:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8,9 (KJV)

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:5 (KJV)

Jesus Christ came into this world to lay down His sinless life for YOU–to pay for your sins, because you couldn’t. Jesus is your only hope for salvation. Only by receiving Him as your Saviour can you enter the gates of Heaven. There is no other way.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 (KJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ has come and PAID for your sins by shedding His own Blood on Calvary. By receiving Him as your Saviour, you can be WASHED from all your sins in His precious Blood (Rev. 1:5; Col. 1:14; Acts 20:28; I Pet. 1:18-19). Notice these important words from Romans 5:8-9:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5:8,9 (KJV)

Jesus PAID your way to Heaven for you! By receiving Him as your Saviour, you will be receiving God’s ONLY means of Salvation for you. Are you willing to forsake YOUR righteousness and receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your ONLY HOPE for Salvation? Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Are you willing to forsake your own righteousness, and trust Jesus Christ alone? He will save you just as He promised. Why not receive Him today and trust Him to give you a better way of life? source

8. Deception?

EXPOSED: Pope’s ‘Surprise’ Meeting with Illegal Alien Girl Was Planned a YEAR in Advance to Promote Amnesty 

Pope Francis is currently in Philadelphia, the last city he’ll visit during his six-day stint in America. Because Francis is so left-leaning liberals love him, while truly religious Catholics are indifferent.

It’s funny how the left loves this Pope while still having the audacity to support abortion – but it’s Francis’ take on capitalism, illegals, and global warming that really gets them going.

If you saw pictures of the Pope in Washington D.C. during his parade shortly after arriving, you might’ve noticed a young “immigrant” girl who was ushered forth by security to personally say hello to the head of the Catholic church — “surprising” the pope and receiving massive media fanfare, including a statement from the White House.

Well it turns out it was all a scam: the little girl was just an illegal immigration prop used in a ploy that was planned for nearly a year, reportedly with the cooperation of the pro-amnesty Vatican…

From The Blaze via John S. Roberts:

Sophie Cruz’s brief encounter with Pope Francis during his parade in Washington this week appeared to be the kind of spontaneous moment that is so endearing about this pope: an initially hesitant young child wrapping an arm around his neck as he offers a kiss and a blessing.

But for 5-year-old Sophie, the moment unfolded as perfectly as it was scripted by members of a coalition of Los Angeles-based immigration rights groups. They had been preparing for nearly a year for the young girl from suburban Los Angeles to make a dash for the popemobile to deliver a message about the plight of immigrant parents living in the country illegally, in close cooperation with backchannel advisers in the Vatican.

"And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:4)

"Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming 'I am he', and will deceive many." (Mark 13:5)

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray" (1 John 3:7)

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1)