Death of the Former Pope
The death of Joseph Ratzinger, the late Benedict XVI, has been marked by tributes from leading politicians and religious leaders across the world. In this we see a little of the prophecy being fulfilled concerning the papacy, that all the world wonders after the beast (Rev 13:3). In 2013 he became the only pope in modern times to have resigned from the papal throne. It was widely reported that the key factor in triggering his resignation was his inability to deal with the corruption, which was particularly rife in the Vatican during his period in office. Ratzinger had also been criticised for failing to deal appropriately with cases of immoral abuse perpetrated by priests under his jurisdiction while he was Bishop of Munich. He apologised in 2022 for his failings in this connection.
Not the least of the absurdities and soul-destroying errors of Romanism is the fact that its teachings cannot give assurance of salvation to its own followers. The prayers by Romanist worshippers across the world, for the former pope after his death, show this. Prayer for the dead is harmful for those who remain behind because it tends to confirm them in dreadful error about salvation. It obviously strengthens attachment to the unbiblical figment of purgatory. And it is also utterly useless because the eternal destiny of every soul is fixed at the point of death; “in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be” (Ecc 11:3).
The solemn fact for each occupant of the papal office, however, is that, by taking that position, they put themselves in the awful position described in 2 Thessalonians 2 as the visible head of the whole system of antichrist. The apostle John (1 Jn 5:16) warns us that there is no prayer to be made for those who have sinned “a sin unto death” while they are still alive: “I do not say that he shall pray for it”.
Thus we see that the popish way of salvation cannot even bring its living embodiment surely to eternal life. The gospel according to Rome is a religion of works mixed in with elements of gospel truth. As Rabbi Duncan said, it is wheat laced with arsenic. Like every other version of human self-righteousness, popery presents “another gospel” and thus leaves those who follow its way under the curse of the broken law and covenant of works. It is therefore entirely unable to give a sure salvation even to those who are most devoted to its teachings. AWM