The Pope, Rome’s Virgin Mary and Islam
For many years, the Antichristian Church of Rome has promulgated blasphemously wicked and soul-destroying views of Mary, the mother of the Saviour. Things have not changed, as is seen from the briefest review of Rome’s many articles advocating her veneration. Of course, the vast array of Rome’s superstitious nonsense about their “Blessed Virgin Mary” is not to be confused with the humble Mary, the mother of the Saviour, whom we find drawn to our attention in the simple language of the Holy Scriptures.
Today, under the present pope, devotion to Mary is possibly more significant than it has been for some years. It may be that, in Francis, Rome is finding a means of employing their idolatrous association with Mary to promote its expansionist agenda, particularly in connection with Islam and its followers. In a visit to a prison in Italy, where many prisoners are followers of the false prophet, the Pope recently stated, “The figure of Mary is a figure common to both Christianity and Islam . . . she unites us all!” In developing this theme, he told the prisoners, as though to entrap them subtly, “God is one. . . . Our cultures have taught us to call Him by different names, and to find Him in different ways, but He is the same Father of us all. He is one, and all religions, all cultures, look to the one God in different ways”.
Is it possible that Rome is endeavouring to establish a way whereby she can form a rapprochement between its devilish views and the equally Satanic ways of Islam? If so, this would be a vastly different way forward for Rome than that advocated by Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), who, in his day, argued vehemently against any form of syncretism.
However, even as far back as 1981, Pope John Paul II had warmly mentioned the “bonds of dialogue and trust which have been forged between the Catholic Church and Islam. By means of dialogue, we have come to see more clearly the many values, practices and teachings which both our religious traditions embrace: for example, our belief in the one almighty and merciful God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the importance which we give to prayer, almsgiving and fasting. I pray that this mutual understanding and respect between Christians and Muslims, and indeed between all religions,
will continue and grow deeper, and that we will find still better ways of cooperation and collaboration for the good of all.”
While Rome may pragmatically twist and turn depending on the prevailing direction of the wind, the Islamic authorities are perhaps less gullible. An Islamic historian has recently stated that the remarks of Francis are “yet another attempt to try to convince Catholics that Islam is somehow similar to their faith when, in fact, Islam appropriates the names and sacred auras of biblical figures, but then recasts them with completely different attributes”.
In one of his many publications, this scholar explains, “Far from being the Eternal Virgin . . . Islam presents Mary, the Mother of Christ, as ‘married’ to [and having intimate relations with] . . . Muhammad in paradise”. Elsewhere, he stressed, “Far from creating ‘commonalities’, it should be clear that such appropriation creates conflict”. Italy’s Ministry of Justice fears this conflict is evident in the growing phenomenon of Islamic radicalisation of inmates in Italian prisons, including forceful proselytism and training for terrorism.
As can be seen from the above quotations and those that follow, Rome’s blasphemous extolling of their unscriptural “Mary” is a terrible evil and a gross abomination to Almighty God. Most solemnly, their idolatrous devotion to Mary is destroying the souls of multitudes of our fellow beings throughout the world as it perniciously diverts sinners from the all-glorious and ever-blessed person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one and only Saviour of sinners.
At the beginning of this year, Pope Francis urged Roman Catholics to “entrust 2024 to the Mother of God, who knows our needs and always intercedes to make grace overflow in our lives”. He urged those whom he addressed to “consecrate their lives to Mary, noting that she will lead us to Jesus . . . All of us have our shortcomings, our times of loneliness, our inner emptiness that cries out to be filled. Who can do that, if not Mary, the Mother of fullness? He further “underscored Mary’s continued role in mediating the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians today, just as she did at Pentecost”.
Pope Francis went on: “Welcoming the Mother into our lives is not a matter of devotion but a requirement of faith”. The Pope emphasised this point by quoting Paul VI, who said in a 1970 homily that, “if we want to be Christians, we must be ‘Marians’”. He urged his fellow Roman Catholics “to turn more readily to the Blessed Mother for aid and intercession”.
Rome puts Mary before Christ and foolishly exhorts man “to walk hand in hand with Mary”, deviously questioning, “How can we not turn our gaze toward her, who looks at us with sweetness and compassion?” Rome does
its utmost to obscure the way of salvation, incorrectly informing all who hear her that “in the plan of salvation, the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place. . . . Everything that Mary said and did leads to Christ”, wilily asking, “Who knows a child better than a mother?” How solemn it is that so many in our day are in darkness and error under Rome’s wholly unscriptural, powerful and evil delusions, whilst so very few are under the light of the glorious gospel of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Let true believers therefore show their love to Christ and their scriptural, spiritual burden, and loving concern for their fellow men. Let them do so by uniting in prayer for those who are yet where believers themselves would still be, but for the grace of God, dead in trespasses and sins, without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world!
What need there is in the dark and evil day in which we live for the truth of God, accompanied by the power and unction of the Holy Spirit, to be proclaimed in all its fullness, freeness and richness among all the peoples of the world! Then by His grace many may come under the convicting and converting power of the Holy Spirit and know for themselves that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Then they may flee to the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, knowing that “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). DPR
Rome and Miracles
In May, the Church of Rome published a new document on “norms” which are to be followed in judging whether recent “wonderful” events have been genuine “miracles”. These norms replace a previous document from 1978. The problem with the previous document was that it was taking too long – even decades – to come to a decision. The new norms occupy a full seven pages, but, in summary, they suggest that bishops should avoid committing themselves to a decision but should simply issue a “nihil obstat” – or, no obstacle – meaning that the incident would not formally be recognised as a miracle but that there would be no barrier to its “spiritual use” (for example, as a site for pilgrimage).
Meanwhile, the Pope has accepted as miraculous a cure attributed to the intercession of a dead boy named Carlo Acutis. Carlo was born in London but died of leukaemia in Monza in Italy in 2006, aged 15. One miracle has already been attributed to him, in 2020, and this second so-called miracle opens the way for his canonisation, which is imminent.
Satan uses these false and deceitful miracles – along with the gullibility, folly and superstition of the human race – to entice many people into the
Church of Rome, and to keep them distracted there so that they never come to the realities of the gospel. They have the language of Christianity – and even the Bible now – but they never get beyond these “signs and lying wonders” (2 Th 2:9) to the knowledge of Christ. One of the duties of the Free Presbyterian Church is to warn people against the deadly dangers of Romanism. These dangers are an intrinsic part of the system, and they will continue to be a snare until the prophecy concerning the Man of Sin is fulfilled: “whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming” (v8). DWBS