Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett As Pope Francis moves onto the world stage, many people are wondering how he will be generally accepted. The pleasant aura of John Paul still lingers for many, while the shortcomings of Benedict !" still color the current scene. #ore importantly, given the Pope$s e%alted position in the world, many will be as&ing how Pope Francis will change the Papacy. The fact remains, however, that since the early '(th century the )ffice of the Papacy has been set on a course of action that no individual pope will reverse. *ow can this be so+

,onstantine decreed ,hristianity the religion of the Roman -mpire

Setting the Stage for the Mystery of Iniquity n ../ A.0., -mperor ,onstantine moved the seat of the mperial Roman -mpire from Rome to ,onstantinople. By that time, he had decreed ,hristianity the religion of the -mpire in hopes that by means of its acceptance a new unifying strength could be infused into his crumbling empire. The new 1state religion2 was organi3ed much li&e the Roman -mpire$s military. t was divided into four ma4or districts, having a head over each. 5ithout persecution, the simple faith of the early church had declined, so that by the fifth century, the church at Rome was no longer a fellowship of strong believers under ,hrist Jesus. Rather it had become part of an institution dominated by a hierarchy in which the Bishop of Rome eventually commanded the most power. Mystery of Iniquity becomes Manifest

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett 6cripture spea&s of the 1mystery of iniquity.2 This particular lawlessness arose gradually within the church as the mperial Roman -mpire gave way to what became the *oly Roman -mpire. The mystery of ini7uity has been visible in the form of the 1man of sin2 for well over eight centuries. The Reformers and general population of the *oly Roman -mpire in the '8th century did not recogni3e it, however, until the recovery of the 9ospel and the Bible. The outcome of apostasy is the 1deceivableness of unrighteousness.2 6uch apostasy is mar&ed by hypocrisy and deceit, while appearing righteous and holy, and is aimed at deceiving even the very elect, were that possible. For centuries, the reigning Pope has assumed to himself the titles of 1*oly Father2 and 1"icar of ,hrist,2 which fulfills in the un7ualified sense the definition of Antichrist given by the Apostle John: 1who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.2 The Pontiff, in ta&ing these designations to himself, denies the supremacy and honor due both the Father and the 6on alone. A further 7ualification of 1the man of sin2 is that he sits in the temple of 9od showing himself to be 9od. 6ince the resurrection of Jesus ,hrist and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in ;/ A.0., it is clear from 6cripture that it is true ,hristians who are the temple of 9od. They are scattered throughout the world. 5hile the Pope calls true ,hristians schismatics, because they are not in 1his2 church, he nevertheless purports to be the head of the church of Jesus ,hrist on earth and parades himself about under the titles of *oly Father and "icar of ,hrist.
Emperor Justinian

-mperor Justinian , more than anyone else, was the one to establish the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome in the si%th century. *e did it in a formal and legal manner, bringing even things religious under the control of civil law. <e Roy -dwin Froom summari3ed,

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett 1Justinian =>?;@>8>A Bwas theC greatest of all the rulers of the -astern Roman -mpire ... B*isC great achievement was the regulation of ecclesiastical and theological matters, crowned by the imperial 0ecretal <etter seating the bishop of Rome in the churches as the D*ead of all the holy churches,$ thus laying the legal foundation for papal ecclesiastical supremacy.2 Justinian$s decree did not create the )ffice of the Papacy but rather set a legal foundation for the ac7uisition of civil ruling power by the bishops of Rome. 6oon the bishops of Rome desired to reign li&e &ings. The very thing that the <ord had warned against was now transpiring, 1And he said unto them, the ings of the !entiles e"ercise lordshi# over them$but ye shall not be so.2 "italian the Bishop of Rome from 8>;@8;? A.0., was the first to actually be addressed with the title 1Pope,2 when he was called in <atin, 1Papa "italianus2E i.e., Pope "itialian. t too& time for the Pope of Rome to spread the e%ercise of his state@ given title over the bishops of -urope and the British sles. For e%ample, even in northern taly in F// A.0., ,laude, the bishop of Turin, did not recogni3e the bishop of Rome$s authority. The Papacy Grows Strong via Civil Power From the fourth century through the eighth century, much of the growth of papal power was ac7uired in trade@offs with &ings throughout what had been the old mperial Roman -mpire. To be sure, in these centuries there was evangelism with the true 9ospel throughout the area. *owever, the pagan religion of those still heathen was not so different from the religion of the Pope, which was more easily accepted than the 9ospel. Then, too, in the eighth century, when the Pope needed defending against the 6aracens and the <ombards, the French &ings provided it and presented the Pope with ruling title to the cities they had won. As a reward, in F// A.0., Pope <eo famously crowned ,harlemagne -mperor and Augustus. Thus began the *oly Roman -mpire, ever in turmoil over issues of the legal limits of 4urisdiction of each sovereign: the Pope on one hand, and the -mperor on the other. These issues could not be solved e%cept throughout the actual course of history.

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett

n '?/. as head of the state religion, the Pope nnocent began through its courts of n7uisition mandatory sub4ection to its unbiblical doctrines enforced by the civil state. This papal &illing machine wor&ed tirelessly for si% hundred years, standing at least on par with the largest bloodbaths that 6talin, #ao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, and other ?/th century dictators managed to inflict on humanity. Thus the form of the mystery of ini7uity, the state@ordained Roman ,atholic ,hurch with its )ffice of the Papacy, grew in strength and civil power throughout the 0ar& and #iddle Ages. t had amassed to itself wealth, property, and influence through the n7uisition and other cruel, unethical, totally unbiblical means, including murder and wholesale theft.
Pope nnocent who in '?/. started the n7uisition of Torture and Burning at the sta&e.

The eformation !rings the ise of the Mo"ern Era n '>G;, the ,hurch of Rome went fully apostate at the ,ouncil of Trent when it formally declared, f anyone shall say that 4ustifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for ,hrist$s sa&e, or that it is this confidence alone by which we are 4ustified: let him be anathema BcursedC.

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett From the si%th century until the Reformation of the si%teenth century, the mystery of ini7uity had ac7uired great political power and earthly wealth. Hevertheless, the murderous n7uisition of the Papacy was unable to stop the spread of the Reformation throughout northern -urope, -ngland, 6cotland, and the 6candinavian countries. n the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, thousands of Bible believers were unmercifully persecuted. Providentially, many were able to flee to the new land of America, a country born out of the Reformation. n '8GF, the Treaty of 5estphalia ended the Thirty Iears$ 5ar between the ,atholic ,hurch and the <utheran and ,alvinistic princes. The Reformation first of all had restored the absolute authority of 9od$s written 5ord, the Bible. Then with the widespread recovery of the 9ospel of grace, and the Bible being made available in the ordinary languages of the people, the forms of civil government were bound to change because the religion of many people had changed. Thus, it was agreed that each nation was to be sovereignE there was to be no *oly Roman -mpire to which sovereign nations bowed. 5ith that idea manifested in force by treaty, the #odern -ra began. ,learly, such a monumental change as the destruction of the *oly Roman -mpire might have signaled the end of the Roman ,atholic ,hurch. *owever, the mystery of ini7uity, the heart and soul of the Papacy, was not so easily finished. Mystery of Iniquity#s Transition into a Mo"ern $ation State n ';(F, after the removal of Pope Pius " from his throne by a staff general of Hapoleon$s army, it appeared that the Papacy as an institution of the collapsed *oly Roman -mpire might also be at an end. That was not the case. Rather, throughout the nineteenth century, the Papacy was reorgani3ing. True, it had lost its power in the civil arena, having now no official civil status over the modern nation states. *owever, it still had its visible institutional structure, infrastructure, and JesuitsE its religious rituals, false gospel, and traditionsE its clergy and laity. All these remained in placeE oiled and functioning. -%ternally, the Papacy lost no time in attac&ing -ngland, which had produced so many strong and staunch Puritans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. n the nineteenth century, -ngland was still in the forefront of sending forth many -vangelical missionaries to far corners of the earth. Thus, in 'FGG, the Papacy launched the )%ford #ovement through John *enry Hewman to bring the ,hurch of -ngland bac& under its thumb. The strategy was to gradually remove by stealth the teaching of the 9ospel and the great doctrines of faith from the Bible. These were to be replaced with rituals and personal testimonials. f the Papacy could accomplish this, -ngland could again be a ,atholic country.

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett

nternally, to strengthen the hold on ordinary ,atholics, the Papacy in 'F>G declared #ary to have been immaculately conceived. 5ith their elevated #ary, the Papacy had manufactured an alternate but 1visible2 figurehead to which the ,atholic faithful could be united in prayer. The attention of the faithful was thus deflected away from the 1invisible2 <ord Jesus ,hrist and *is 5ritten 5ord. 5ithout these, their attention naturally focused on the visible image in front of them as the center of their prayers.
Pope Pius ! was responsible for the dogma of Papal nfallibility at "atican ,ouncil in 'F;/

Further, Pope Pius ! was highly instrumental in bringing about the declaration of 1papal infallibility.2 5ith remar&able ingenuity, against not only the 6criptural absurdity of the concept, but also in spite of the historical fact of popes declared heretical by the same Roman ,atholic ,hurch, this was made doctrine at "atican ,ouncil in 'F;/. This doctrine consolidated in the hands of the reigning pope dictatorial powers heretofore un&nown within the ,atholic ,hurch. 6ucceeding popes reestablished the Papacy internally by reorgani3ing Roman ,atholic law into the '('; Code of Canon %aw. %atican &chieves Civil Status in the Mo"ern Era The apparent mortal wound of ';(F was healed in '(?(, when, under #ussolini, the "atican was again recogni3ed as a sovereign civil power, &nown as the *oly 6ee, where "atican ,ity is seated geographically within the city of Rome that encompasses all seven hills. The concordat with #ussolini was only the beginning of many civil concordats, one of the most infamous being that between Pope Pius ! and Adolf

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett *itler. Thus, the Papacy had consolidated its power from within by the '('; Code of Canon %aw and from without by legal concordats with various nations. ,onse7uently, the "atican has a growing civil power with which to be rec&onedJfor it has its own faithful living within most sovereign nations around the world while its civil agreements with the same nations allow the ,atholic ,hurch to teach the faith to its people. This is a double cord of power. The individual ,atholic fearing for his salvation, and laden with his first allegiance being to 1*oly #other ,hurch,2 becomes a pliable pawn in the hand of the Papacy. Mystery of Iniquity Ma'es Strategic Change "atican ,ouncil ='(8?@'(8>A formally declared the Papacy$s strategic change of tactics regarding the reunification of Protestants under ,atholicism, along with incorporating other faiths under its rule. Therefore, the ,ouncil moved from a position of 1separation from other religions2 to one of an all@encompassing ecumenism, not only with the religions of the world, but also with Bible believers in particular. 16eparated brethren2 was the new term for these Bible believers who previously were called heretics. slam, Buddhism, and *induism previously called pagan religions were now accepted as religions that contain, 1what is true and holy.2 This new approach was established by the Roman ,atholic ,hurch to win the world to herself, primarily by means of dialogue. The ,ouncil formulated its rules and goals of dialogue, which are carefully spelled out in her post@,onciliar 0ocument Ho. G?, on ecumenism. t states that, 1dialogue is not an end in itself ... it is not 4ust an academic discussion.2 Rather, 1ecumenical dialogueKserves to transform modes of thought and behavior and the daily life of those Bnon@,atholicC communities. n this way, it aims at preparing the way for their unity of faith in the bosom of a ,hurch one and visible.2 Lnli&e the Body of ,hrist, whose unity is in Jesus ,hrist, the unity for which the Roman ,hurch strives is an outward, visible unity, and one that will be enforceable through civil law M as her 1,ompendium of the 6ocial 0octrine of the ,hurch2 spells out by means of many deceptive words. The Pope$s official position is that 1ecumenical encounter is not merely an individual wor&, but also a tas& of the Roman ,hurch, which ta&es precedence over all individual opinions.2 The Papacy e%pects this process of dialogue to ta&e time. The Roman ,atholic ,hurch$s aim of bringing 1all ,hristian churches2 under her authority is her clearly stated goal. 6he says, 1Klittle by little, as the obstacles to perfect ecclesial communion are overcome, all ,hristians will be gathered, in a common celebration of the -ucharist Bthe #assC into that unity of the one and only ,hurchKThis unity, we believe, dwells in the ,atholic ,hurch as something we can never lose.2

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett Pope John Paul , while initially having been thought to be liberal and modern, further consolidated the dictatorial powers afforded him by the '('; Code of Canon %aw and by his purported infallibility, be7ueathed him by "atican ,ouncil . This he did by revising the '('; Code, ma&ing it even more conservative than it had been, and he was careful to appoint new bishops in line with his centrali3ed way of thin&ing. <i&e another *ildebrand, John Paul was determined to build, by both ,hurch and civil law, the structure by which the Papacy can again wield might and authority among the nations at the appropriate time. This same Pope John Paul was adamant in his efforts to update the laws of the Roman ,atholic ,hurch. 6ince the days of *ildebrand, popes have seen the necessity of ma&ing iron@li&e, infle%ible church laws before attempting to control their sub4ects, and those not ,atholic, by compulsion if necessary. n '(F., John Paul $s revision of the '('; Code of Canon %aw added to the Roman ,atholic laws. For e%ample, 1The ,hurch has an innate and proper right to coerce offending members of the ,hristian faithful by means of penal sanctions.2 -%amination of these laws shows them to be even more absolute and totalitarian than those of the past. f one re4ects submission of his intellect and will to the Pope, or re4ects some doctrines of the Papacy, by church law he can be severely punished. For e%ample, ,anon '.'? Para ? states, 1The law can establish other e%piatory penalties which deprive a believer of some spiritual or temporal good and are consistent with the supernatural end of the ,hurch.2 Mystery of Iniquity( Power Player in the Post)Mo"ern Era The Roman ,atholic ,hurch is not content to rule only over her own faithful. Rather, now with the dawn of the Post@#odern era, globalism is the manifesting idea of the day, a day for which the Papacy throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has been preparing. The 1,ompendium of 6ocial 0octrine of the B,atholicC ,hurch,2 which began to be collected by the end of the nineteenth century under Pope <eo, is a catalog of ,atholic law. t lays out the Papal ideas and strategies for restructuring the current civil political world and e%tends the application of its laws and dictates to all individuals worldwide. For instance, it states that all human individuals worldwide are part of 1the common good.2 -verybody has a share in the common good and everybody has something to contribute to the common good. The rallying cry of the ,ompendium is for 1fairness, e7uality, social 4ustice, economic 4ustice, etc.,2 which defined by them means that everyone must participate in sharing what he has with whomever the state says he must, regardless of whether or not one agrees with this view. For a while, those who maintain such bac&ward and recalcitrant attitudes will be toleratedE then individuals will be coerced into ta&ing part. Both John Paul and Benedict !" called for a new governmental structure to rule over the 9eneral Assembly of the Lnited Hations =LHA. This new governmental

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett body, conferring among themselves, is to hand down laws and dictates which the nation states of the LH would then enforce M in other words, a new sovereign world empire in which the nation states are simply to enforce the laws and dictates of a higher, unelected body. All goods, resources, and property of any &ind would be sub4ect to management by the LH and the nations. n a word, the Papacy wants a totally centrali3ed world government, one in which the Roman ,atholic ,hurch will be the moral and 4uridical authority. To that end, the Roman ,hurch has been increasingly bold in infusing into national and international public forums her agenda for restructuring the civil secular world. Regardless of the type of #ersona Pope Francis displays, he will not change this central ob4ective of the Papacy. The ,ompendium is constantly being updated as information is gathered, collated, and taught to individual lay ,atholics. #ost ,atholics have not recogni3ed the agenda that is behind the change in what they are being taught. Iet, it is the specific duty of all lay ,atholics to change the thin&ing within their societies to align with the Papal understanding of church and civil government. n the fifty years since "atican ,ouncil , dutiful lay ,atholics in every wal& of life have been 7uite successful at rolling ,atholic social doctrine li&e a new Tro4an horse into all sorts of religious, political, and social groups. The -vangelical church, for the most part, has felt honored to receive such a pri3e. For at least seventy years, ,atholic social doctrine has been mainstreamed into the political arena. 5itness the bu33words of today, coined not by #uslims, *indus or Buddhists, but by the Roman ,atholic ,hurch: phrases such as 1redistribution of wealth,2 1social 4ustice,2 1economic 4ustice,2 1dignity of the human person,2 1the common good,2 1fairness,2 and the 1right to life, food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, education, and employment.2 ,atholic social doctrine is pushed worldwide by individual ,atholics and ,atholic groups, as the latest addenda to what the Papacy says are included in evangeli3ation. The Papacy says this is the particular duty of the ,atholic laity. Thus, the 1mystery of ini7uity,2 made manifest in the institution of the Roman ,atholic ,hurch and its )ffice of the Papacy, has for the last century been moving effectively into the civil governmental sphere, everywhere pressing its own unbiblical ideas into the public forum. These ideas are to be formulated into ruinous and un4ust laws to the enslavement of those living under them. Ltopianism, socialism, communism, totalitarianism are children of the Papacy$s doctrine and practice. These ungodly ideas are found in the ,ompendium as integral parts of Roman ,atholic social doctrine. Lnder the civil title of *oly 6ee, the ,atholic ,hurch has ambassadors in many nations. 0eclining to come under the dominion of the Lnited Hations, she preferred to ta&e an official place as observer rather than member. The *oly 6ee has observer status

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett in many other international bodies as well. #oreover, the Roman ,hurch has a viable infrastructure in most countries of the world. Therefore, she is in an e%cellent position to ta&e advantage of the burgeoning idea of globalism in every sector of life that the statists, utopians, and totalitarians intend to harness to their own ends. 6he, with her 1fifth column2 in every nation, is able to pervert the 9ospel, sideline the truths taught in the 6cripture as irrelevant or false, and deceptively divert Bible believers away from the love of the truth. 5hat then is to stop her from once again ma&ing wholesale merchandise of men$s souls in deals with modern leaders of the nations to the glory of her own power+ Conclusion The 1mystery of ini7uity& arose under the mperial Roman -mpire and survived the empire$s demise. n >.; A.0., Justinian gave the legal base for it to ac7uire civil power, which it did throughout the course of the ne%t ten centuries. ts temporal power was arrested by the recovery of the Bible and the 9ospel during the Reformation of the si%teenth century. t was held at bay by the Puritans of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Hevertheless, it survived the demise of the *oly Roman -mpire to become a sovereign nation in the ?/th century and is now set to be a ma4or power player in the Post #odern -ra. ,urrently Pope Francis is the visible head of the Roman churchE but the mystery of ini7uity is still the power behind the throne. The mystery of ini7uity is nothing less than the satanic counterfeit of the mystery of godliness. The 6cripture states, 1 without controversy great is the mystery of godliness' !od was manifest in the flesh, (ustified in the S#irit, seen of angels, #reached unto the !entiles, believed on in the world, received u# into glory.2 The 1mystery of godliness2 is the great revelation of 9od, which had its full manifestation in the Person of the ,hrist of 9od. Thus, 6cripture proclaims, 1!od, who at sundry times and in divers manners s#a e in time #ast unto the fathers by the #ro#hets, hath in these last days s#o en unto us by his Son, whom he hath a##ointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds) *ho being the brightness of his glory, and the e"#ress image of his #erson, and u#holding all things by the word of his #ower, when he had by himself #urged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the +a(esty on high.2 As we behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Father, we also behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of the <ord Jesus ,hristE for as mediator, *e has the nature and perfections of 9od in *imself. The <ord Jesus ,hrist alone can satisfy our hearts. There is absolutely no church system that satisfiesE it is only our personal relationship with our <ord that truly satisfies. Thus, *is 5ord e%presses it, 1 *hom

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett have , in heaven but thee? and there is none u#on earth that , desire beside thee .2 *ow trivial and vain are the promises of the Papal system compared to the Person of the <ord Jesus ,hrist, 5ho is revealed as the 1 chiefest among ten thousand.2 5ere it not for the recovery of the absolute authority of the Bible alone and the 9ospel of grace in salvation during the Reformation of the si%teenth century, the 1mystery of ini7uity2 might still be undetected. ,ontrary to this, and in spite of the mystery of ini7uity being so rampantly displayed in the world today, the *oly 6pirit still convicts individual men of their sin before *oly 9od, sends them repentance unto life in ,hrist Jesus. 1 For by grace are ye saved, through faith) and that not of yourselves' it is the gift of !od' not of wor s, lest any man should boast.2 The true believer is thus 1acce#ted in the beloved, in whom we have redem#tion through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.2 The frightening words of the <ord in #atthew ;:?' ought to ring in the ears of those who have spent their whole lives believing a religious system, 1not every one that saith unto me, %ord, %ord, shall enter into the ingdom of heaven) but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.2 Ho person, by merely ac&nowledging ,hrist$s authority, believing in *is divinity, professing faith in *is perfection and in the infinite merit of *is atonement, shall have any part with 9od in *is glory, but only he who does the will of *is Father. The <ord put the command to believe in a nutshell when *e said, 1this is the wor of !od, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. 2 <i&ewise, the Apostle Paul and 6ilas declared, 1believe on the %ord Jesus Christ , and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.2 The godliness of Jesus ,hrist stands, so also is *is call on your life. Before you the 7uestion stands, have you tasted of 1the mystery of godliness2+ To personally &now ,hrist Jesus is to &now the everlasting arms of the All@*oly 9od. 0oes your very heart and soul cry out to *im, 1 Abba, Father2+ The water of life is offered to you in the abundance of grace, which far surpasses the evils of sin. Thus, the <ord$s call in 6cripture says, 1the S#irit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him ta e the water of life freely.2 )nce a convicted sinner believes on ,hrist Jesus alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, as his only surety and refuge before the All@*oly 9od, he finds himself not only freed from his sins, but made to 1 reign in life ... for if by one man$s offence death reigned by oneE much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.2 Those who receive the abundant grace given by ,hrist are not only redeemed from the dominion of death, they live and reign with ,hrist as they are sanctified daily through *is 5ord by the *oly 6pirit, and by constant fellowship with *im. 5ith *im, they shall reign forever and glorify *im for all eternity. Believe on *im alone and you will be secure in *im, 1 to the #raise of the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the -eloved .2 Then you will behold 1the

Pope Francis Elected, Mystery of Iniquity Continues

By Richard Bennett mystery of godliness.2 1.herefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature' old things are #assed away) behold, all things are become new.2
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