Pope Benedict Is NOT The Antichrist

Ever since his election as Pope, there has been speculation in many circles that Pope Benedict could be the Antichrist.  Others speculate that Pope Benedict could be the "false prophet" who will promote the worship of the Antichrist across the globe.  Actually, both notions are way, way, way off base.  While it is true that Pope Benedict is promoting a one world government, a one world economic system and a one world religion, the reality is that Pope Benedict simply does not even come close to matching the characteristics of the Antichrist as described in the Scriptures.

Much of the speculation surrounding Pope Benedict has focused on his recent encyclical entitled Caritas in Veritate, or Charity in Truth. In that encyclical, Pope Benedict publicly called for a "true world political authority" with "real teeth".

Real teeth?

Language such as that got the attention of a lot of people.  While some apologists for Pope Benedict have tried to insist that he is actually fighting world government, the truth is that the language of the Pope's encyclical was exceedingly clear.

It is not as if the encyclical was a spur of the moment thing.  The 144 page encyclical was the end result of an extensive 2 year effort by Pope Benedict to bring Catholic social teaching "up to date" on issues such as economic development, terrorism, sex slavery, population issues, bioethics and the environment.

In the encyclical, Pope Benedict was abundantly clear about his desire to see a strong world government arise:

"There is a strongly felt need... for a reform of the United Nations Organisation, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth... there is urgent need of a true world political authority."

There is urgent need of a true world political authority?

According to who?

According to Pope Benedict apparently.

How can anyone read the words "a true world political authority" and not understand what that means?

But Pope Benedict went on in the encyclical to describe what the job of the "world political authority" would be.

According to the Pope, one of the primary tasks of a world political authority would be "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."

A world political authority to manage the global economy?

Could he have been any clearer?

The truth is that Pope Benedict is calling for a one world government to manage a one world economy.

Does Pope Benedict not even realize that he is promoting the establishment of a system which the Antichrist could use to control the world in the last days?

But not only is the Pope promoting a one world economic system, he is also suggesting that the one world economy should be openly socialist. In his encyclical, the Pope wrote that the one world economic system should "open up the unprecedented possibility of large-scale redistribution of wealth on a world-wide scale".

What in the world?

Since when was it the job of the Pope to push for the "large-scale redistribution of wealth"?

So what would a large-scale redistribution of wealth mean?

It would mean taking wealth away from Americans and Europeans and giving it to people who live in other nations.

In addition, Pope Benedict has continued the radical ecumenical push of his predecessor.  Not only is Pope Benedict promoting the idea that all Christian churches should reunite under Rome, but he is also continuing to uphold the theological nonsense from Vatican II that people from all religions can be saved.

Perhaps you have never heard that the Roman Catholic religion believes that people from any religion can be saved without Jesus Christ, but is true.

But don't just take our word for it.

The "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium" (1964) says this:

"The non-Christian may not be blamed for his ignorance of Christ and his Church; salvation is open to him also, if he seeks God sincerely and if he follows the commands of his conscience, for through this means the Holy Ghost acts upon all men; this divine action is not confined within the limited boundaries of the visible Church."

Not only that, but a shocking document entitled "Dominus Iesus' on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church" was published on August 6, 2000 by then Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict).  In that document, Cardinal Ratzinger taught that elements of the Roman Catholic faith were placed in other religions by the Holy Spirit.

But Pope Benedict took his push for a one world religion to ridiculous extremes during his visit to the Blue Mosque in Turkey in 2006.  During that visit, he received "instruction" from Mustafa Cagriche on the basics of Muslim prayer, he turned towards Mecca and offered his prayer without making the sign of the cross or giving any other indication that it was a "Catholic" prayer that he was offering.

But does everything that we have discussed so far mean that Pope Benedict is the Antichrist?

Absolutely not.

In fact, we can absolutely and positively say with 100 percent certainty that Pope Benedict is NOT the Antichrist.

In a previous article, we identified 32 key characteristics of the coming Antichrist.  The following are just a few of those key characteristics that Pope Benedict does not meet.....

#2) The Antichrist is someone who "once was, now is not, and yet will come".  There is absolutely no indication that Pope Benedict has ever existed previously.

#6) The future Antichrist will be able to perform Satanic miracles, signs and wonders as it says in 2 Thessalonians 2:9.....

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders." 

Pope Benedict has shown no capacity to perform any kind of miracles, signs or wonders (Satanic or otherwise).

#7) The coming Antichrist will deny that Jesus is the Messiah.  (1 John 2:22)

Pope Benedict clearly teaches that Jesus is the Christ.

#8) All of the nations in the world will follow and worship the Antichrist.  (Revelation 13:3-4, 8 )

Nobody is worshipping Pope Benedict as God.

#11) The Antichrist will arise to power only after the "ten horns" come to power.

The ten horns have not come to power yet.

#13) The Antichrist will exalt himself above all other gods and will speak blasphemy against the true God.  (Daniel 7:25, 11:36-37; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:5-6)

That is clearly not the case with Pope Benedict.

#16) The Antichrist will rule every tribe, people, language and nation.  (Revelation 13:7)

Pope Benedict is not the leader of a world government, and although he is promoting one, he shows absolutely no desire to lead it.

#29) The rule of the Antichrist will be during "a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then." (Daniel 12:1)

While things are starting to get bad, the truth is that we are not yet living in a time of distress that is worse than any other time in the world.

The reality is that the Antichrist is going to be a supernaturally powerful world leader of such charisma and such Satanic power that the whole world will be amazed and will follow him.  Pope Benedict does not even come close to matching the kind of man that the Antichrist will one day be.

One other thing that we should mention is the "Prophecy of the Popes" by Saint Malachy.  Wikipedia describes St. Malachy's prophecy this way.....

The Prophecy of the Popes, attributed to Saint Malachy, is a list of 112 short phrases in Latin. They purport to describe each of the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few anti-popes), beginning with Pope Celestine II (elected in 1143) and concluding with a pope described in the prophecy as "Peter the Roman", whose pontificate will end in the destruction of the city of Rome.

According to Wikipedia, Pope Benedict is the next to last Pope to serve according to Saint Malachy's prophecy.  Benedict is identified as "Gloria olivae" or the "glory of the olive" in Malachy's prophecy.  Even prior to the papal conclave where Benedict was elected, there was speculation that the next Pope would be from the Order of Saint Benedict, whose symbols include the olive branch.  Well, Cardinal Ratzinger was not from the Order of Saint Benedict, but he did choose Benedict as his papal name. 

If the prophecy of Saint Malachy is true, then Pope Benedict is the last Pope to serve before "Peter the Roman".  Could it be that the Antichrist will arise during the reign of "Peter the Roman"?  Could "Peter the Roman" help to establish the kingdom of the Antichrist or will he fight it?

In any event, the prophecy says that Peter the Roman will rule during the time "when the city of seven hills will be destroyed".  If this prophecy is true, then it looks like the destruction of Rome is not too far into the future.

What do you all think about this?  Do you think that Roman Catholicism will fight the Antichrist in the future, or do you think that they will help establish his kingdom?  Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.