conspiracy theorists QUESTION from Kim H September 14, 1999 A good friend of mine whom I know to be a serious traditional Catholic has recently been convinced that Pope John Paul II is the anti-Christ. This person and I have prayed and struggled together against liturgical abuse, Liberalism, Freemasonry, abortion, etc. She does not jump to conclusions and is a faithful daughter of the Church, even when others are not. Is her theory something that a serious, devout Catholic should consider? Please answer me privately if it is inappropriate for a public forum. I want the truth as you see it. Nothing watered down.
Ad Jesum Per Mariam, Kim H
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius on September 20, 1999 Dear Miss Kim:
No person claiming to be Catholic can call Pope John Paul II, or any Pope, the antichrist. The Chair of Peter is protected by the Holy Spirit. Even when corrupt men have been elected Pope, the Chair of Peter has been protected.
In the 6th Century a man by the name of Vigilius was elected Pope. The man was a heretic. The Empress Theodora and Vigilius conspired to murder two preceeding popes in order to get Vigilius into the Chair of Peter. The idea for the Empress was to get Vigilius elected so that he could bring the Church into heresy.
Well Vigilius was elected. But something happened to him. He sat in THAT chair and then he wrote Theodora a letter. He said, Far be it from me, Lady Augusta. Formerly I spoke wrongly and foolishly; now I assuredly refuse to restore a man who is a heretic [referring to Patriarch Anthimus who was a puppet of Theodora and important to her scheme to bring heresy to the church who had been excommunicated as a heretic earlier]. Though unworthy, I am Vicar of Blessed Peter the Apostle, as were my predecessors, the holy Agapetus (who’s death is suspected to have been caused by Theodora and Vigilius) and Silverius (who was killed by Vigilius).
Theodora was furious and put Vililius into exile. Several years after her death, Vigilius was allowed to return home but died in route.
The man who would be heretic pope, could not go through with it once he sat in the Chair of Peter.
The Chair of Peter is protected.
While it is possible to have anti-popes (invalid popes), the legitimate Chair of Peter is protected by the direct promise of God. God is not a liar.
Pope John Paul II was legitimately elected, thus he is legitimate Pope
It is laudable that your friend is concerned about the abuses and liberalism that has infected our Church. But the smoke of hell cannot be cleared from the sanctuary by jumping on personal opinions and presumptions that effectively place one’s own view above the Church and above the facts.
The Bible itself establishes how to identify the antichrist. Pope John Paul II Please read, and have your friend read the follow Scripture verses carefully. Ask your friend to take the counsel of St. John and reaffirm her faith in God, His Church, and His appointed Prime Minister – the Pope.
1 John 4:1-6 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
I John 2:18-29
Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.
I write this to you about those who would deceive you; but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him.
God Bless
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