REVELATION 17:4-7
4 And the woman (FALSE POPE) was arrayed in purple and scarlet
colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES
FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of
her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
REVELATION 14:11
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and
they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image,
and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.(INTERESTING THAT THE
VATICAN USES BLACK/WHITE SMOKE TO ANNOUNCE A NEW POPE)
PROPHECY OF THE LAST POPES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uQAAX0CyGI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EUg_hkbZR0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8hk44GfExY
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2013/02/vatican-news-with-6-days-from-popes.html
LETS GET ONE THING STRAIT.I DON'T HATE CATHOLICISM.WHEN I SAY THE VATICAN WILL BRING FORTH THE FALSE PROPHET.I'AM GOING BY BIBLE PROPHECY FROM REVELATION 13:11-18 AND REVELATION 17:1-28.THERE ARE TRUE CHRISTIAN CATHOLICS.I DON'T HATE CATHOLICS.I'M JUST GOING BY THE BIBLE.
Further, it may signal the start of the countdown to the end of the Church Age. Why do I say that? As you know, I believe and preach that there are no prophecies left to be fulfilled before Jesus Christ returns for His bride in the Rapture of the Church. There is nothing to prevent Him from calling us up to be with Him before I finish writing these words, or before you can read them. So why do I say Benedict's resignation may signal a countdown? Simply because an "extra-Biblical" prediction by a Catholic bishop almost nine centuries ago implied that the next pope will the last before the Roman Catholic church is destroyed. I call this an extra-Biblical prophecy because it is not included in the canon of scripture and I do not believe or suggest that it rises to the level of true Biblical prophecy. But that doesn't make it any less interesting. And it may further serve to impress upon us the lateness of the hour in which we live. I have discussed these predictions three times in the last four years. This week, I'm going to play for you a short clip from November, 2011, to acquaint you with "The Prophecy of the Popes." Here's how I described it then:
Almost 900 years ago, Pope Innocent II summoned Malachy O'Morgair, the Bishop of Armagh, in what is now Northern Ireland, to come to Rome. While there, this Bishop purportedly experienced a vision in which he saw the popes from that time until the end of the Roman Catholic church. He recorded his impression of each of the remaining 112 popes in a series of cryptic phrases.Today, Saint Malachy's vision is called "The Prophecy of the Popes." Written in 1139, it was rediscovered in the Vatican's archives in 1590, and first published in 1595.I do not believe Saint Malachy's predictions rise to the level of the Bible's prophecies in either their detail or accuracy. However, his predictions have been remarkable in their own way and bear relevance to the times in which we live.You see, Saint Malachy's prophecy seems to predict that the current pope, Benedict XVI, will be the next to last pope of the Roman church. After him will come a pope called Petrus Romanus, or Peter the Roman. Malachy appears to indicate that he will be the one who cooperates with the Antichrist, then will be turned upon and destroyed by the leader of the confederacy that rises out of the old Roman Empire.When you consider the fact that Benedict XVI is almost 86 and in declining health, the world might not have to wait very long to learn if Saint Malachy's final prediction comes true.
Obviously, when I wrote that description in 2011, I didn't consider the fact that Benedict might choose to step down rather than die in office. This week's announcement further heightens the intrigue surrounding Saint Malachy's predictions and the uncertainty facing the leadership of the Roman church. This week, I'm also going to discuss the role I see for the pope in the Bible's prophecies regarding the end-times. I believe he will be a major player in the rise of the Antichrist, a player whom the prophet says will meet a disastrous end. The question now is: Will the next pope -- who will be chosen in the coming few weeks -- be that man? Tune in this week and I'll discuss these Biblical prophecies and how Saint Malachy'sextra-Biblical predictions may shed some light on them. Don't miss this week's Report here Sunday.
God Bless,Hal Lindsey
PROPHECY OF THE LAST POPES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uQAAX0CyGI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EUg_hkbZR0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8hk44GfExY
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2013/02/vatican-news-with-6-days-from-popes.html
LETS GET ONE THING STRAIT.I DON'T HATE CATHOLICISM.WHEN I SAY THE VATICAN WILL BRING FORTH THE FALSE PROPHET.I'AM GOING BY BIBLE PROPHECY FROM REVELATION 13:11-18 AND REVELATION 17:1-28.THERE ARE TRUE CHRISTIAN CATHOLICS.I DON'T HATE CATHOLICS.I'M JUST GOING BY THE BIBLE.
This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report' FEB 15,13
The world was stunned this week by Pope Benedict XVI's abrupt announcement that he is stepping down from the papacy on February 28. It has been 600 years since a pope has left office alive. Traditionally, he dies at his post.Pope Benedict cited failing strength as his reason for resigning. He said that the duties of the highest office in the Roman Catholic church demand strength of mind and body. Apparently he feels that both of these are rapidly declining in him..Of course, the pope's surprising announcement has enormous repercussions. Not only has it set in motion the top-secret, mysterious, and rigidly ceremonial machinery for choosing his successor, but it may set the stage for a struggle over the future direction of the Roman church.Further, it may signal the start of the countdown to the end of the Church Age. Why do I say that? As you know, I believe and preach that there are no prophecies left to be fulfilled before Jesus Christ returns for His bride in the Rapture of the Church. There is nothing to prevent Him from calling us up to be with Him before I finish writing these words, or before you can read them. So why do I say Benedict's resignation may signal a countdown? Simply because an "extra-Biblical" prediction by a Catholic bishop almost nine centuries ago implied that the next pope will the last before the Roman Catholic church is destroyed. I call this an extra-Biblical prophecy because it is not included in the canon of scripture and I do not believe or suggest that it rises to the level of true Biblical prophecy. But that doesn't make it any less interesting. And it may further serve to impress upon us the lateness of the hour in which we live. I have discussed these predictions three times in the last four years. This week, I'm going to play for you a short clip from November, 2011, to acquaint you with "The Prophecy of the Popes." Here's how I described it then:
Almost 900 years ago, Pope Innocent II summoned Malachy O'Morgair, the Bishop of Armagh, in what is now Northern Ireland, to come to Rome. While there, this Bishop purportedly experienced a vision in which he saw the popes from that time until the end of the Roman Catholic church. He recorded his impression of each of the remaining 112 popes in a series of cryptic phrases.Today, Saint Malachy's vision is called "The Prophecy of the Popes." Written in 1139, it was rediscovered in the Vatican's archives in 1590, and first published in 1595.I do not believe Saint Malachy's predictions rise to the level of the Bible's prophecies in either their detail or accuracy. However, his predictions have been remarkable in their own way and bear relevance to the times in which we live.You see, Saint Malachy's prophecy seems to predict that the current pope, Benedict XVI, will be the next to last pope of the Roman church. After him will come a pope called Petrus Romanus, or Peter the Roman. Malachy appears to indicate that he will be the one who cooperates with the Antichrist, then will be turned upon and destroyed by the leader of the confederacy that rises out of the old Roman Empire.When you consider the fact that Benedict XVI is almost 86 and in declining health, the world might not have to wait very long to learn if Saint Malachy's final prediction comes true.
Obviously, when I wrote that description in 2011, I didn't consider the fact that Benedict might choose to step down rather than die in office. This week's announcement further heightens the intrigue surrounding Saint Malachy's predictions and the uncertainty facing the leadership of the Roman church. This week, I'm also going to discuss the role I see for the pope in the Bible's prophecies regarding the end-times. I believe he will be a major player in the rise of the Antichrist, a player whom the prophet says will meet a disastrous end. The question now is: Will the next pope -- who will be chosen in the coming few weeks -- be that man? Tune in this week and I'll discuss these Biblical prophecies and how Saint Malachy'sextra-Biblical predictions may shed some light on them. Don't miss this week's Report here Sunday.
God Bless,Hal Lindsey
Conclave's rituals, oaths and secrecy explained
By | Associated Press – Sat, Feb 16, 2013- View PhotoAssociated Press/Osservatore Romano, ho - FILE -- In this photo from files taken on April 18, 2005 and released by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel
VATICAN CITY (AP) —
It's a ritual as rich in tradition and symbolism as the Catholic Church
can muster: secret oaths, hypnotic Gregorian chants, scarlet-decked
cardinals filing through the Sistine Chapel — all while the public outside in St. Peter's Square watches for white smoke or black to learn if it has a new pope.
Much of the ritual's current incarnation is the work of Archbishop Piero Marini.The Vatican's
master of liturgical celebrations for two decades under Pope John Paul
II, Marini organized the funeral rites for the late pontiff and the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.
He was by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's side minutes after the election
when the new pope uttered the words "I accept" — officially launching
his papacy on April 19, 2005."I still remember, with some emotion, the silence that there was —
the participation of the cardinals," Marini recalled in an interview in
his Vatican offices. "It was an event that had been prepared with great
care."Next month's conclave
to elect the 266th leader of the world's billion Catholics will have
all the grand trappings of papal elections past — with the added twist
that this time around the current pope is still alive.Benedict's
resignation, the first papal abdication in 600 years, has caused chaos
in the Vatican:
Nobody knows for sure what he'll be called much less what he'll wear
after Feb. 28. But one thing is clear: The rules and rituals to elect
his successor will follow Marini's "bible" of how to run a conclave — a
dense tome of footnoted decrees, floor-plans, directions and photos. The
book will serve as a guide when 117 cardinals gather in the Sistine
Chapel to elect Benedict's successor.The Vatican said Saturday that the Holy See in the coming days or
weeks would publish an update to the main apostolic constitution that
guides the papal transition with some ceremonial tweaks, perhaps taking
into account the influence of Benedict's more tradition-minded master of
liturgical ceremonies who replaced Marini in 2007. But the fundamentals
will likely remain.The conclave begins with the cardinals in their red cassocks filing
into the Sistine Chapel, chanting the monophonic Litany of Saints
followed by another sacred song, Veni, Creator Spiritus, imploring the
intervention of the saints and Holy Spirit as they take their places
before Michelangelo's "Last Judgment."The cardinals place their hand on the Gospel and promise to observe absolute secrecy both during and after the conclave, and to "never lend support or favor to any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention ... in the election of the Roman Pontiff."While the Vatican is notoriously obsessed with secrecy, there are actually good historical reasons why conclave proceedings are kept quiet and why cardinals promise to vote independently, said Monsignor Robert Wister, professor of church history at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.Up until the early 20th century, papal elections could be vetoed by the kings of France, Spain or the Holy Roman Emperor, Wister noted. The power was rarely invoked but was used in the 1903 conclave to replace Pope Leo XII. Leo's No. 2, the Vatican's secretary of state, was in the lead when his election was blocked by Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph.The eventual winner, Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, took the name Pius X — and promptly abolished the veto power. Still, the memory of outside intervention has continued to weigh over the College of Cardinals, leading them to be sequestered until they have a pope.Now they have a Vatican hotel to stay in while not voting, but are forbidden from having any contact with the outside world: no phones, no newspapers, no tweeting."There is that fear," Wister said. "Going back previous centuries, kings did interfere, sometimes with an army."Secrecy under penalty of excommunication also ensures that the winner doesn't know who among his cardinals voted against him — an important element going forward to keep the church's top leadership unified."It's not the Renaissance where he'd be poisoned, but it's a matter of human respect," Wister said.Once the final oath is taken, the master of liturgical ceremonies gives the order "Extra omnes" (everyone out) and all those not taking part in the conclave leave the frescoed walls of the chapel.An elderly cardinal, over age 80 and thus ineligible to participate, remains and reads a meditation about the qualities a pope should have and the challenges facing the church, after which he and the master of ceremonies leave the cardinals to begin voting.
On Day 1, only one round of balloting is taken; after that cardinals cast two votes in the morning, two in the afternoon until they have a victor. A two-thirds majority is necessary.Each cardinal writes his choice on a paper inscribed with the words "Eligo in summen pontificem," or "I elect as Supreme Pontiff." They approach the altar one by one and say: "I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected."The folded ballot is placed on a round plate and slid into an oval urn. After the votes are counted and the outcomes announced, the papers are bound together with a needle and thread, each ballot pierced through the word "Eligo." Then they are burned with a chemical to send black smoke (meaning no) or white (meaning yes) out of the Sistine Chapel's chimney.
On April 19, 2005, a stunned Ratzinger accepted the charge and was brought into a side room to change into the white vestments of the papacy. Off came the scarlet cassock; underneath was the simpler black clerical garb of a cardinal."Naturally the pope couldn't change completely at that moment, so he went out with those black sleeves — we could see his sweater!" Marini recalled. "But even that was a human gesture of how he was dressed as a cardinal."Marini accompanied Ratzinger out onto the loggia of the basilica overlooking St. Peter's Square where a cardinal announced "Habemus Papam" (We have a pope) to the thousands of people below. The cardinal announced Ratzinger's name in Latin, and then Benedict uttered his first public words as pope, saying he was but a "simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord."
Marini noted that that first encounter of the new pope with his flock traces its history to the ancient tradition that the bishop of Rome is elected by the people."This appearance by the pope on the balcony, the applause and cheers of joy that erupt when he comes out," he said, "in some way represents the Roman people accepting their pope."It's one of the potent symbols of a tradition-drenched conclave."A religion relies on its customs and practices," said Monsignor Kevin Irwin, former dean of theology at Catholic University of America and professor of liturgy. "This is not like putting up posters and getting a poll of who is winning. This is an act of God."___Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield
Twelve to watch as cardinals gather in Rome
By Cindy Wooden and Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Wherever journalists and bookmakers may be getting the names on their lists of top candidates for the next pope, it's not from the cardinals who will actually vote in the election. Both custom and canon law forbid the cardinals to discuss the matter in such detail with outsiders.
Moreover, the true "papabili" -- literally, pope-ables -- are likely to emerge only after all the worlds' cardinals -- not just the 117 who will be under 80 and eligible to vote -- begin meeting at the Vatican in the coming days.
One thing is already clear, however: because of their experience and the esteem they enjoy among their peers, certain cardinals are likely to serve as trusted advisers to the rest in the discussions and election.
Here, in alphabetical order, are 12 cardinals expected to have a major voice in the deliberations:
-- Conventional wisdom has long held that the cardinals will never elect an American pope, lest the leadership of the church appear to be linked with the United States' economic and geopolitical dominance. But the extroverted and jocular Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, 63, charmed and impressed many in the College of Cardinals in February 2012 when he delivered the main presentation at a meeting Pope Benedict XVI had called to discuss the new evangelization. The pope himself praised the New York archbishop's presentation on how to revive the faith in increasingly secular societies as "enthusiastic, joyful and profound."
-- Although not a familiar name in the press, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, 60, is a major figure among his peers in Europe, the church's traditional heartland and the region of more than half the cardinal electors. He was elected to a second five-year term as president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences in 2011.
-- Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 68, is a member of the Society of St. Sulpice, whose members are, strictly speaking, diocesan priests but which is normally considered a religious order. Hence he is one of only 19 members of religious orders among the cardinal electors, who are overwhelmingly diocesan clergy. He is prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, which coordinates the nomination of bishops in Latin-rite dioceses around the world, so his work has brought him into frequent contact with most of his fellow cardinal-electors. As president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, he is well acquainted with one of the church's largest and fastest-growing regions. The former archbishop of Quebec, who taught at the John Paul II Institute at Rome's Pontifical Lateran University, is also a well-respected theologian.
-- Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, 70, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, was the prelate chosen by Pope Benedict to lead his 2013 Lenten retreat, which will make him a prominent voice at the Vatican in the run-up to the election. The cardinal, a scholar with little direct pastoral experience, has been leading the universal church's efforts to develop a non-confrontational dialogue with non-believers, trying to make Christianity intelligible to the modern mind and build a reason-based consensus on key moral issues.
-- Another Salesian, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, 70, is president of Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella group of national Catholic charities around the world. As a result, many of his peers have come to know the multilingual cardinal as the person spearheading assistance to the neediest of their people. He aroused controversy in 2002 with remarks about clergy sex abuse that struck some as overly defensive of accused priests and the church's past policies. But he was already widely mentioned as a possible pope before the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict.
-- Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 69, was born to parents of Italian descent and has maintained strong ties with both Italy and Argentina. As prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, he is familiar with the challenges facing Eastern Catholics and the pastoral concerns of the church in the Middle East. He has worked in the Vatican for more than a dozen years, and previously served as nuncio to Venezuela and then Mexico. His only experience in a parish was a brief assignment shortly after his ordination as a priest.
-- Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, 67, is president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," which promotes Catholic charitable giving. He has used his leadership to emphasize Pope Benedict's teaching that Catholic charitable activity must not be simple philanthropy, but an expression of faith, rooted in prayer and Catholic identity. A scripture scholar and former diocesan bishop, he served nine years as secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
-- Another leading voice of the South American church is 63-year-old Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the country's largest diocese. The son of German immigrants, he also has strong ties to Rome. He studied philosophy and theology at Rome's Pontifical Brazilian College and Pontifical Gregorian University and worked as an official of the Congregation for Bishops from 1994 to 2001.
-- Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, 68, has known Pope Benedict for almost 40 years, having studied under him at the University of Regensburg, Germany. Even before his former professor became pope, the cardinal was well known at the Vatican and in wider church circles. He was invited in 1996 to preach Blessed John Paul II's Lenten retreat and was the main editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was published in 1992. As the church in Austria has struggled with declining attendance and calls for change in some of its most basic disciplines, Cardinal Schonborn's response has received increasing attention, with some praising his prudence and pastoral sensitivity, and others calling for more decisive action.
-- Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola, 71, is the archbishop of Milan, the archdiocese led by both Popes Pius XI and Paul VI when they were elected. He previously served as patriarch of Venice, once the see of Blessed John XXIII. The cardinal, a respected academic theologian rather than a popular preacher, has longstanding ties to one of the new church movements, Communion and Liberation, which is based in his archdiocese.(STANS PREDICTION)
-- Philippine Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila, 55, is one of the youngest and newest members of the College of Cardinals. Although he did not receive his red hat until November 2012, he had already made a name for himself at the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in 2008. This leader of one of the world's fastest-growing churches is a popular speaker with a doctorate in systematic theology and has served on the International Theological Commission, an advisory body to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
-- Cardinal Peter Turkson is the 64-year-old former archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana, and current president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The cardinal, a biblical scholar who was active in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, has frequently appeared on lists of possible popes. He aroused controversy in 2011 with a proposal for a "world central bank" to regulate the global financial industry, and then in October 2012 when he showed bishops at the Vatican a video warning about the growth of Muslim populations in Europe.
END-http://www.catholicnews.com/stories.htm
Pope Benedict XVI begins week-long spiritual retreat
Agence France-Presse
Pope Benedict XVI AP PHOTO
Vatican radio has said it will be making available one of Ravasi’s prayers per day as a podcast so that Catholic faithful can pray along with the pope.In the first prayer late on Sunday, extracts of which were broadcast by the Vatican, Ravasi compared the pope to the Biblical figure of Moses who prayed for the Israelites on a mountain while battles raged in the valley below.“This image represents the main function, your function, for the Church, that is of intercession,” Ravasi said.“We will remain in the valley… where there is dust, where there is fear, terror, nightmares but also hope, where you have been for these past eight years with us,” he said.“From now on, however, we will know that on the mountain there is your intercession for us,” he added.Ravasi said the spiritual retreat would “liberate the soul from the dust of things, from the mud of sin, from the sand of banality, from the nettles of chatter which, especially in these days, are constantly in our ears.”
Conclave Electing New Pope Could Start Before March 15: Vatican
Published: Saturday, 16 Feb 2013 | 11:19 AM ET
Getty Images-Black smoke is seen from the roof of the Sistine Chapel.
The conclave to choose Pope Benedict's successor
could start earlier than expected, giving the Roman Catholic Church a
new leader by mid March, the Vatican said on Saturday.Less than
two weeks away from a historic papal resignation, the Vatican also
stressed again that the pope was not abandoning the Church in times of
difficulties and urged the faithful to trust in God and in the next
pope.Five days after Benedict announced his resignation in Latin
to a small group of cardinals, the Vatican was still in a state of
spiritual and bureaucratic shock, groping for ways to deal with a
situation without precedent for at least six centuries.
Some 117 cardinals under the age of 80 will be eligible to enter the secretive conclave to elect Benedict's successor. Church rules say the conclave has to start between 15 to 20 days after the papacy becomes vacant, which it will on Feb. 28.
Some 117 cardinals under the age of 80 will be eligible to enter the secretive conclave to elect Benedict's successor. Church rules say the conclave has to start between 15 to 20 days after the papacy becomes vacant, which it will on Feb. 28.
Pope Benedict XVI has announced
he will resign. NBC News Vatican analyst George Weigel and Cathy Ruse,
Family Research Council senior fellow, provide perspective.But since the Church is now dealing with an
announced resignation and not a sudden death, Vatican spokesman Federico
Lombardi said the Vatican would be "interpreting" the law to see if it
could start earlier.Cardinals around the world have already
begun informal consultations by phone and email to construct a profile
of the man they think would be best suited to lead the Church in a
period of continuing crisis.The Vatican appears to be aiming
to have a new pope elected and then formally installed in a solemn
ceremony before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week
services leading to Easter.The 85-year-old Benedict was
having as normal a Saturday as possible, considering that his remaining
scheduled public appearances can now be counted on one hand.
The
Vatican has been at pains to stress that the pope was leaving
exclusively because of diminishing spiritual and physical forces and
that the pontiff was certain it was the right thing to do and would not
hurt the Church.
"Benedict is not abandoning us in times of difficulty," Lombardi said in his weekly editorial for Vatican Radio. "With confidence, he is inviting the Church to trust in the Spirit and in a new successor of St. Peter."
Deteriorating Health
Benedict's papacy was rocked by crises over sex abuse of children by priests in Europe and the U.S., most of which preceded his time in office but came to light during it.His reign also saw Muslim anger after he compared Islam to violence. Jews were upset over his rehabilitation of a Holocaust denier. During a scandal over the Church's business dealings, his butler was convicted of leaking his private papers.Meanwhile, new details emerged on Saturday about the state of Benedict's health in the months before his shock decision.
Peter Seewald, a German journalist who wrote a book with the pope in 2010 in which Benedict first floated the possibility of resigning, visited him again about 10 weeks ago and asked what else could be expected from his papacy.According to excepts published in the German magazine Focus, the pope answered: "From me? Not much from me. I'm an old man and the strength is ebbing. I think what I've done is enough."
Asked if he was considering resigning, the pope said: "That depends on how much my physical strength will force me to that."Seewald said he was alarmed about the pope's health."His hearing had deteriorated. He couldn't see with his left eye. His body had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with newly fitted clothes. ... I'd never seen him so exhausted-looking, so worn down."Keeping to his schedule, Benedict met a group of Italian bishops and Guatemala's president on Saturday morning and in the afternoon was receiving caretaker Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in a farewell audience.Monti, a devout Catholic, is leading a centrist coalition in next week's elections but the Vatican says the farewell meeting has nothing to do with the vote.On Sunday, the pope will hold his customary noon blessing from his window overlooking St Peter's Square before going into a previously scheduled, week-long Lenten spiritual retreat. He will emerge from that on Feb. 23.He will then say one more Sunday noon prayer on Feb. 24, hold a final general audience on Feb. 27. The next day he will take a helicopter to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, flying into the history books.Vatican officials said he would stay there for the two months or so needed to restore the convent inside the Vatican where he will live out his remaining years.
"Benedict is not abandoning us in times of difficulty," Lombardi said in his weekly editorial for Vatican Radio. "With confidence, he is inviting the Church to trust in the Spirit and in a new successor of St. Peter."
Deteriorating Health
Benedict's papacy was rocked by crises over sex abuse of children by priests in Europe and the U.S., most of which preceded his time in office but came to light during it.His reign also saw Muslim anger after he compared Islam to violence. Jews were upset over his rehabilitation of a Holocaust denier. During a scandal over the Church's business dealings, his butler was convicted of leaking his private papers.Meanwhile, new details emerged on Saturday about the state of Benedict's health in the months before his shock decision.
Peter Seewald, a German journalist who wrote a book with the pope in 2010 in which Benedict first floated the possibility of resigning, visited him again about 10 weeks ago and asked what else could be expected from his papacy.According to excepts published in the German magazine Focus, the pope answered: "From me? Not much from me. I'm an old man and the strength is ebbing. I think what I've done is enough."
Asked if he was considering resigning, the pope said: "That depends on how much my physical strength will force me to that."Seewald said he was alarmed about the pope's health."His hearing had deteriorated. He couldn't see with his left eye. His body had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with newly fitted clothes. ... I'd never seen him so exhausted-looking, so worn down."Keeping to his schedule, Benedict met a group of Italian bishops and Guatemala's president on Saturday morning and in the afternoon was receiving caretaker Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in a farewell audience.Monti, a devout Catholic, is leading a centrist coalition in next week's elections but the Vatican says the farewell meeting has nothing to do with the vote.On Sunday, the pope will hold his customary noon blessing from his window overlooking St Peter's Square before going into a previously scheduled, week-long Lenten spiritual retreat. He will emerge from that on Feb. 23.He will then say one more Sunday noon prayer on Feb. 24, hold a final general audience on Feb. 27. The next day he will take a helicopter to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, flying into the history books.Vatican officials said he would stay there for the two months or so needed to restore the convent inside the Vatican where he will live out his remaining years.
Pope, nearing retirement, says pray "for me and next pope"
By Philip Pullella | Reuters – 1 hr 29 mins ago FEB 17,13- View PhotoReuters/Reuters - Pope Benedict XVI waves as he leads the Sunday Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican February 17, 2013. Pope Benedict, speaking before a larger than usual crowd at his penultimate
A number of cardinals have said they would be open to the possibility of a pope from the developing world, be it Latin America, Africa or Asia, as opposed to another from Europe, where the Church is crisis and polarized.After his address, the pope retired into the Vatican's Apostolic Palace for a scheduled, week-long spiritual retreat and will not make any more public appearances until next Sunday.Speaking in Italian in part of his address about Lent, the period when Christians reflect on their failings and seek guidance in prayer, the pope spoke of the difficulty of making important decisions."In decisive moments of life, or, on closer inspection, at every moment in life, we are at a crossroads: do we want to follow the ‘I' or God? The individual interest or the real good, that which is really good?" he said.
FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH
Since his shock announcement last Monday, the pope has said several times that he made the difficult decision to become the first pope in more than six centuries to resign for the good of the Church."In a funny way he is even more peaceful now with this decision, unlike the rest of us, he is not somebody who gets choked up really easily," said Greg Burke, a senior media advisor to the Vatican."I think that has a lot to do with his spiritual life and who he is and the fact he is such a prayerful man," Burke told Reuters Television.
The pope has said his physical and spiritual forces are no longer strong enough to sustain him in the job of leading the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics at a time of difficulties for the Church in a fast-changing world.Benedict's papacy was rocked by crises over the sex abuse of children by priests in Europe and the United States, most of which preceded his time in office but came to light during it.His reign also saw Muslim anger after he compared Islam to violence. Jews were upset over his rehabilitation of a Holocaust denier. During a scandal over the Church's business dealings, his butler was convicted of leaking his private papers.
People in the crowd said the pope was a shadow of the man he was when elected on April 19, 2005.
"Like always, recently, he seemed tired, moved, perplexed, uncertain and insecure," said Stefan Malabar, an Italian in St. Peter's Square."It's something that really has an effect on you because the pope should be a strong and authoritative figure but instead he seems very weak, and that really struck me," he said.
The Vatican has said the conclave to choose his successor could start earlier than originally expected, giving the Roman Catholic Church a new leader by mid-March.Some 117 cardinals under the age of 80 will be eligible to enter the secretive conclave to elect Benedict's successor. Church rules say the conclave has to start between 15 and 20 days after the papacy becomes vacant, which it will on February 28.But since the Church is now dealing with an announced resignation and not a sudden death, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Vatican would be "interpreting" the law to see if it could start earlier.
CONSULTATIONS BEGUN
Cardinals around the world have already begun informal consultations by phone and email to construct a profile of the man they think would be best suited to lead the Church in a period of continuing crisis.
The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected and then formally installed before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week services leading to Easter.New details emerged at the weekend about the state of Benedict's health in the months before his shock decision.Peter Seewald, a German journalist who wrote a book with the pope in 2010 in which Benedict first floated the possibility of resigning, visited him again about 10 weeks ago and asked what else could be expected from his papacy.
According to excepts published in the German magazine Focus, the pope answered: "From me? Not much from me. I'm an old man and the strength is ebbing. I think what I've done is enough."Asked if he was considering resigning, the pope said: "That depends on how much my physical strength will force me to that".
Seewald said he was alarmed about the pope's health."His hearing had deteriorated. He couldn't see with his left eye. His body had become so thin that the tailors had difficulty in keeping up with newly fitted clothes ... I'd never seen him so exhausted-looking, so worn down."The pope will say one more Sunday noon prayer on February 24, hold a final general audience on February 27. The next day he will take a helicopter to the papal summer retreat at Castle Gandalf, south of Rome, flying into the history books.Vatican officials said he would stay there for the two months or so needed to restore the convent inside the Vatican where he will live out his remaining years.(Additional reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Pope blesses thousands at St. Peter's Square
By | Associated Press – 3 hrs ago FEB 17,13- View PhotoAssociated Press/Gregorio Borgia - Faithful gather to listen to pope Benedict XVI's Angelus prayer in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. Pope Benedict XVI blessed the faithful from his
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI
blessed the faithful from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square for
the first time since announcing his resignation, cheered by an
emotional crowd of tens of thousands of well-wishers from around the
world.Smiling broadly, Benedict
raised his arms outstretched to the massive crowd in his second-to-last
Angelus blessing before leaving the papacy. A huge banner in the square
read: "We love you."The Sunday noon appointment is one of the most cherished traditions
of the Catholic Church, and this moment is one of Benedict's last
opportunities to connect with the Catholic masses.The pope's voice was strong and clear as he looked into hazy sunshine
over the square packed with at least 50,000 pilgrims, whom he addressed
in Italian, English, French, German, Polish and Spanish.
Benedict made no direct reference to his stunning decision to step down on Feb. 28. But in his comments to Spanish-speaking pilgrims he asked the faithful to "continue praying for me and for the next pope." And he thanked the faithful for their "affection and spiritual closeness."The crowd broke out into cheers and wild applause.The pope gave particular thanks to the "beloved inhabitants of the city of Rome," a possible hint at the title he will take after retirement. The Vatican has suggested he may be called "emeritus bishop of Rome."
The traditional noon appointment normally attracts a few thousand pilgrims and tourists, but city officials prepared for a crush of people seeking to witness a moment of history."We wanted to wish him well," said Amy Champion, a tourist from Wales. "It takes a lot of guts to take the job and even more guts ... to quit."
From Sunday evening, the pope will be out of the public eye for an entire week: A meditation service at the Vatican marks the beginning of the traditional Lenten period of reflection and prayer.Rome threw on extra buses and subway trains to help deal with the crowds, and offered free shuttle vans for the elderly and disabled.While cardinals elect his successor next month in a secrecy-steeped conclave in the Sistine Chapel, the 85-year-old Benedict, the first pontiff to resign in 600 years, will be in retreat at the Holy See's summer estate in the hills southeast of Rome.After several weeks, he is expected to move into a monastery being refurbished for him behind Vatican City's walls and lead a largely cloistered life.The Vatican hasn't announced the date of the start of the conclave, but said on Saturday that it might start sooner than March 15, the earliest date it can be launched under current rules. Benedict would have to sign off on any earlier date, an act that would be one of the last of his nearly eight-year papacy.Meanwhile, the first cardinals started arriving in Rome to begin a period of intense politicking among the "princes of the church" to decide who are the leading candidates to be the next pope. Guinea-born Archbishop Robert Sarah, a cardinal who leads the Vatican's charity office, told reporters when he arrived Sunday at Rome's airport that the churchmen should select their new leader with "serenity and trust."__Daniela Petroff contributed reporting.
GIULIO ON TAMAR YONAH SHOW TALKING ABOUT THIS STORY
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/4515
NEXT POPE MAY FOCUS ON ISRAEL
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/4511#.USIwQ_IwneE
Benedict made no direct reference to his stunning decision to step down on Feb. 28. But in his comments to Spanish-speaking pilgrims he asked the faithful to "continue praying for me and for the next pope." And he thanked the faithful for their "affection and spiritual closeness."The crowd broke out into cheers and wild applause.The pope gave particular thanks to the "beloved inhabitants of the city of Rome," a possible hint at the title he will take after retirement. The Vatican has suggested he may be called "emeritus bishop of Rome."
The traditional noon appointment normally attracts a few thousand pilgrims and tourists, but city officials prepared for a crush of people seeking to witness a moment of history."We wanted to wish him well," said Amy Champion, a tourist from Wales. "It takes a lot of guts to take the job and even more guts ... to quit."
From Sunday evening, the pope will be out of the public eye for an entire week: A meditation service at the Vatican marks the beginning of the traditional Lenten period of reflection and prayer.Rome threw on extra buses and subway trains to help deal with the crowds, and offered free shuttle vans for the elderly and disabled.While cardinals elect his successor next month in a secrecy-steeped conclave in the Sistine Chapel, the 85-year-old Benedict, the first pontiff to resign in 600 years, will be in retreat at the Holy See's summer estate in the hills southeast of Rome.After several weeks, he is expected to move into a monastery being refurbished for him behind Vatican City's walls and lead a largely cloistered life.The Vatican hasn't announced the date of the start of the conclave, but said on Saturday that it might start sooner than March 15, the earliest date it can be launched under current rules. Benedict would have to sign off on any earlier date, an act that would be one of the last of his nearly eight-year papacy.Meanwhile, the first cardinals started arriving in Rome to begin a period of intense politicking among the "princes of the church" to decide who are the leading candidates to be the next pope. Guinea-born Archbishop Robert Sarah, a cardinal who leads the Vatican's charity office, told reporters when he arrived Sunday at Rome's airport that the churchmen should select their new leader with "serenity and trust."__Daniela Petroff contributed reporting.
GIULIO ON TAMAR YONAH SHOW TALKING ABOUT THIS STORY
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/4515
NEXT POPE MAY FOCUS ON ISRAEL
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/4511#.USIwQ_IwneE
Op-Ed: The Pope was Not a Friend of the Jews
Published: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 8:47 AM
If you read the records, the picture that unfolds is not the rosy one Israel described upon hearing of the Pope's resignation.
Giulio Meotti
The writer, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Frontpage and Commentary. He is at work on a book about the Vatican and Israel.
Pope Benedict
XVI just
resigned and Israel’s chief rabbis have already lauded the relations the
Pontifex cultivated with the State of Israel and the Jewish people.The
contrary is the case. The Pope has not been a friend of the Jewish
people and he supported the world's most important source of
anti-Semitism: the Palestinianism.The proof is in the Pope's travel in
Israel in 2009, when Benedict most went closely in touch with the
Israelis.The
Vatican authorities avoided calling the “State of Israel” by name but
preferred to use the empty denomination “Holy Land”. And the Pope
presented the Arabs as “victims” and the Israelis as “oppressors”. It
was clear from the Pope’s speeches in Bethlehem and its surroundings
that the Catholic attitude to the Jewish people remains unchanged since
the Second World War.Benedict called the Palestinian Arabs “the
people who have suffered so much”. Benedict told President Mahmoud Abbas
that “the Holy See supports the right
of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your
forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within
internationally guaranteed borders”. After expressing clear support for
the Palestinian state, the Pope added that “Palestinians like any other
people, have a natural right to marry, to raise families, and to have
access to work, education and health care,” hinting that the Israelis
are not allowing poor Palestinians to marry and to have access to work,
education, and medical care. Rather, the contrary is true.Pope Benedict
did not condemn Arab terrorism, but launched an appeal to young people:
“Have the courage to resist any temptation you may feel to resort to
acts of violence or terrorism.” His words “temptation for terrorism”
hinted at the Vatican’s claim that Israeli policy is the root of
Palestinian terrorism, while the truth is exactly the opposite.Pope Benedict
XVI’s message at the village of Al Aida, near Bethlehem, was meant to
symbolize the Arab claim of the “right of return”, according to Fouad
Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Benedict XVI attacked Israel’s security fence
saying that “it is tragic to see that even today walls are erected” and
later added that “walls can be brought down,” a clear incitation to
violence.
The Pope made Israel responsible for the “the
alarming
decline in the Christian population of the Middle East, including
Israel, through emigration.” Not only the Pope's accusation is not
corroborated by facts. But it ignores the Arab-Islamic grand plan to
purge the Middle East of any Christian presence.Pope Benedict XVI
proclaimed the “land of the ancestors” of the Palestinian people and
the State of Israel as defined by the Holocaust and facing a real
people, aboriginal and native, heir of ancient Israel. This has been the
frame of the entire Benedict’s course: piety on the Holocaust for the
Jewish people and political sovereignty for the Arabs.Why did the Pope
visite a refugees’ camp if not to certify the Palestinian propaganda? In
his speech in the Palestinian territories, Benedict said: “May He
blesses with peace the Palestinian people!”. At the Aida camp: “May God
blesses his people with peace!”. In the Manger Square: “You, God’s
chosen people in Bethlehem”. And to Palestinian president Abbas: “I
invoke upon all the Palestinian people the blessings and protection of
your heavenly Father”. Unfortunately, we didn’t hear the same blessings
on the people of Israel. Pope Benedict’s words contained an
encouragement to violence.By praising the “right of return” of
the refugees, the Pope was asking the disappearance of the State of
Israel. The Pope expressed his “solidarity with all Palestinians who
have no home and waiting to
return to their homeland”. This is the best way to uphold the
Palestinians in their plan to eradicate the Jewish State.And how
to find words of peace in the Pope’s condemnation of the “wall”? He
said, “I saw the wall that intrudes into your territories, separating
neighbors and dividing families. Although walls can easily be built, we
know they do not last forever”.
Had the Pope forgotten that before the barrier Palestinian terrorism was rampant in the Israeli cities and Jews were slaughtered in the number of 2,000? Why did the Pope define the failure to commit terrorist acts as “courageous”, if not to assume implicitly understanding such a “temptation”? The Pope said to the Palestinians: “Have the courage to resist any temptation you may feel to resort to violence or terrorism”. To condemn the blockade of Gaza, the Pope has shown the same selective memory about “the embargo to be lifted soon”. Not a word about Hamas and the 15.000 rockets that Israel received from that territory after it destroyed Gush Katif in 2005.Moreover the Pope resorted to anti-Jewish theology when he said that “I have seen with anguish the situation of the refugees who like the Holy Family were obliged to leave their houses,” which recalls the Gospel of Matthew (2,13): 'Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.... Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him'”.If the Israelis are like Herod, are the Palestinians the modern version of Jesus? The Pope’s last most important political decision was that of granting an audience to Mahmoud Abbas. The Vatican should not have blessed the audience with overt political significance by accepting from the Palestinian leader the gift of a mosaic of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, bearing the inscription that it was presented to him by “the President of the State of Palestine”. A few days later, the Pope’s official notes began referring to the “State of Palestine”.In this day of revolution for the Catholic Church, the Israeli Jewish people didn’t lose a friend. They lost a contender.
Had the Pope forgotten that before the barrier Palestinian terrorism was rampant in the Israeli cities and Jews were slaughtered in the number of 2,000? Why did the Pope define the failure to commit terrorist acts as “courageous”, if not to assume implicitly understanding such a “temptation”? The Pope said to the Palestinians: “Have the courage to resist any temptation you may feel to resort to violence or terrorism”. To condemn the blockade of Gaza, the Pope has shown the same selective memory about “the embargo to be lifted soon”. Not a word about Hamas and the 15.000 rockets that Israel received from that territory after it destroyed Gush Katif in 2005.Moreover the Pope resorted to anti-Jewish theology when he said that “I have seen with anguish the situation of the refugees who like the Holy Family were obliged to leave their houses,” which recalls the Gospel of Matthew (2,13): 'Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.... Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him'”.If the Israelis are like Herod, are the Palestinians the modern version of Jesus? The Pope’s last most important political decision was that of granting an audience to Mahmoud Abbas. The Vatican should not have blessed the audience with overt political significance by accepting from the Palestinian leader the gift of a mosaic of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, bearing the inscription that it was presented to him by “the President of the State of Palestine”. A few days later, the Pope’s official notes began referring to the “State of Palestine”.In this day of revolution for the Catholic Church, the Israeli Jewish people didn’t lose a friend. They lost a contender.
