Two Roman Catholic priests, Sergio Biancofiore [1] and Alfredo Gabrielli [2], celebrated the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bari, Italy, on Saturday, January 22, 2022. Valerio Bernardi, the local pastor of the Church of Christ, was also there. Santa Abiusi, the female head elder of the Adventist Church in Bari, Italy, served as the officiating elder for this ecumenical event. [3] Santa Abiusi not only serves in the local church in Bari, but she also works for the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventists in the Women’s Ministry Department. [4] [5]
The Bari Seventh-day Adventist Church published the video above of the ecumenical service, titled “Guided by the One Lord.” Santa Abiusi, the Seventh-day Adventist head elder, stated in the video the purpose and importance of the candle lighting ritual during the worship service. Santa Abiusis said:
Minute 57:25 – “Now we have a small symbolic gesture that represents what we are experiencing these days. It is a small metaphor we have created here in this corner. The central candle represents Christ, the light of the comet (star). These arms that we see around the candle are all of us following love. This light is a symbol. Don Sergio (catholic priest), Pastor Valerio, (Evangelical pastor) they will light those slightly smaller candles that represent us, faithful people who follow the light that leads to Christ and who become light for the world in which we live.”
Santa Abiusi was the Seventh-day Adventist presiding elder.
So here we have Santa Abiusi, a representative of the Italian Union of Adventist Churches, explaining to different religious groups that the candle lights represent all churches that follow Christ. All of them. This event took place during the 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. These candles symbolize the visible unity that is being created among the many churches. The ecumenical movement is all about participating in Catholic liturgies and sacraments that are designed to bind us with Rome, not about accepting the word of God, experiencing repentance, or promoting conversion or holiness. Is this how we want our churches to be? Is it something we are going to start sponsoring in our churches with Roman Catholic priests?
Notice some of the other remarks made by Santa Abiusi during this ecumenical celebration at her local Seventh-day Adventist Church. These words were spoken during an intercessory prayer session in which they performed repetitious readings and singing, similar to what is done during a Catholic mass:
Hour 1:00:04 – “We pray today for the Christian communities all over the world and their diversity of worship and tradition. We ask you Lord, preserve these treasures.”
Is it God’s will for Seventh-day Adventists to follow this path? Are we meant to be pleading with God to keep people in their erroneous beliefs and false traditions? Who is it that is causing our people to do this? The prayers continued:
Hour 1:01:12 – “Strengthen the bonds of unity and mutual love between churches and help us to cooperate in witnessing to work tirelessly to defend the oppressed and welcome the marginalized.”
How about working tirelessly to defend the faith that has been destroyed by the traditions and doctrines of men? How about strengthening our bonds with the truth of God’s word? People who don’t desire the Bible or its teachings but yet want to be spiritual might participate in these kinds of celebrations in which they are seeking some kind of sense of fulfillment without committing to God’s word.
Hour 1:02:50 – “The birth of Jesus was good news for all and brought together peoples from different nations and religions to adore the holy child. We pray for the commitment to pursue harmony and dialog with the other religions. Grant us Lord the humility and patience to walk with others respecting their path.”
How about making a commitment to preach the Three Angels’ Messages so that we can finally go home to be with Jesus? How about committing to taking the book, The Great Controversy, and distributing it to all the churches to help them get ready for what is coming to our world?
Hour 1:03:41 – “We pray for our churches in a changing world. Lord, help us to find new ways to follow you and be witnesses so that the world believes.”
Are we looking for new ways to follow Jesus? Will these “new” ways include seeking out the “old paths” that the Christian world has abandoned and is unwilling to walk in (Jeremiah 6:16)? We are specifically told not to forget our past experiences:
“We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history” (Life Sketches, p. 196).
Hour 1:04:17 – “Make us one in the Lord Jesus who is the way, truth and life, and who taught us to prayer.”
This is a deception and a fraud. God’s word will never bind us to Rome. This is not something that God is calling Seventh-day Adventists to accomplish. It’s the Pope’s appeal, not God’s, that is bringing the churches together. The ecumenical movement has fully made its way into the church because we are following Rome’s principles on unity as outlined in Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli Tutti.”
Catholic Priest Sergio Biancofiore (standing) with Pastor Valerio Bernardi of the Church of Christ (sitting).
The Roman Catholic priest from the parish of Santa Anna, Sergio Biancofiore, gave the following remarks:
Minute 51:57 – “We, as Catholics, have the great masterpieces of art, great philosophers, and those we call the fathers of the church. Perhaps enough for us. Perhaps enough for us. Perhaps enough for us to possess the truth and not raise our eyes to heaven. Woe betide. Woe to us if we believe those who have a monopoly on the truth. I once entered St. Peters and entered a crisis. I was thinking about entering the seminary and I was a bit intimidated by this ‘enormous’ they had made. What is it used for? To say how big we are, or, on the contrary, it serves to say how poor we are. When we are miserable so much that we desire greatness that only God can give, then it is not a monument of greatness but a monument to man’s poverty.”
A monument to poverty? Not at all. Inspiration says that Rome has become a monument to apostasy, rebellion, disobedience, and sin. The Catholic priest, Sergio Biancofiore, then goes on to spread his ecumenical heresy. Here he is speaking about the diversity that he claims was present at the nativity scene when Jesus was born:
Minute 53:24 – “Now the great miracle happened there. If it is true that the shepherds concentrated and the Magi were there, people from the north, for example, Joseph, Mary … there were people of different cultures, of different traditions, and different languages. Maybe they don’t understand each other by speaking, but they understand each other by adoring the only Lord … All those who come from different paths today, let’s focus on that little house in Bethlehem where we meet a you of yours in Jesus.”
The truth is that all of these compromised ecumenical leaders, including our people, are fulfilling Bible prophecy, but not what they imagine. Just as Eve was deceived by the sweet words of Satan, today too many of our people are under a terrible delusion because of all the smooth talk found in the ecumenical movement:
“Satan has carried his first great work of deception down through all the ages, and will until the close of time. In Antichrist, he has a living agent. When the Christian world shall make void the law of God when church and state are united, when Protestantism shall reach its hands across the gulf to unite with Romanism, allegiance to the law of God will be fully thrown off and the decree will go forth against the people of God. But when men trample on the plainest requirements of God’s word, the prayer will go up to heaven, ‘It is time for thee, Lord to work; for they have made void thy law.’ [Psalm 119:126.] And God will work. Satan will then inspire men, and even professedly Christian men who refused to receive the love of the truth, to accuse and slander those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus” (Manuscript, 104, 1893).
Notice how Santa Abiusi, the Seventh-day Adventist representative, introduced the last speaker, Catholic Priest Alfredo Gabrielli. She introduced him to her fellow church members as the “reverend of ecumenism.”
Hour 1:07:22 – “Before receiving the final blessing I want to give the floor to the reverend of ecumenism Alfredo Gabrelli for some words.”
Catholic priest Alfredo Gabrielli.
The Catholic Priest Alfredo Gabrielli, or the “reverend of ecumenism,” expressed the following words in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He basically invited everyone to the Catholic Church on Sunday:
Hour 1:07:25 – First of all, thanks to the Adventist community that hosted us for this evening of prayer. Thanks to Pastor Valerio Bernardi of the Church of Christ and Don Sergio Biancofiore of the parish of Santa Anna for having shared your reflections from the word of God. Tomorrow, Sunday, at the Basilica of St. Nicholas at 6:00 p.m., we will have a great moment of prayer in the presence of all the pastors and all the communities present in our territory of Bari. And then again, the Week of Prayer extends for two more appointments. On Monday, we will be guests of the Lutheran community that meets at the Waldensean Church at 7:00 p.m. And on Tuesday, we will be at Modungo at the Immaculate Parish at 7:00 p.m. We thank the Lord above all things, and now we ask him for the blessing.
The lighting of the candles which represent all of the churches united in their journey to Christ.
How scandalous to have candle-lighting, non-doctrinal worship and prayer services led by Roman Catholic priests inside our churches. By hosting these events in our churches and by pushing their agenda, we are actually doing Rome a big favor. The more and more these interfaith unity events take place, the more dangerous and deceptive they become. When did it become our mission to promote any of this?
The Facebook post above is from the Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto. They are announcing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 22, 2022, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church and have also provided a link to the video taken at the Adventist church.
It’s difficult to watch how this type of ecumenism has been operating virtually unopposed by anyone in the church. The leaders who are pursuing these interfaith encounters have never heard a voice telling them that this is not God’s will for us. Today’s top leaders aren’t telling our people to stop fooling around and getting involved in these shenanigans. Our people have been living in an ecumenical bubble for so long that it has never even occurred to them that any of this could be so wrong. Why wouldn’t they be at ease when they have the full support of the church’s highest-ranking officials telling them to keep doing what they’re doing? That is why these ecumenical efforts are repeating themselves year after year after year.
It defies all biblical reason and logic whenever we start bowing and making offerings to the representatives of Pope Francis in our houses of worship. Why do we honor them? Why do we praise them? Well, it’s what Rome demands and expects from all the churches. They want us all on our knees, begging them for forgiveness and pledging loyalty to their false dreams and delusions of a world-wide universal fraternity with Pope Francis as its head.
Once again the Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto share the following message: “Some shots in the Adventist Church. And tonight everyone in the Basilica!”
Well, God will have a very small remnant who will not honor men or any man, especially these men who are completely wrong on just about every point of biblical faith. Furthermore, Rome’s ecumenical leaders have turned into narcissists, attempting to bully everyone while imposing their views on the entire world and on all the churches. They don’t care about anyone or anybody, but only about what serves Rome’s interests. They are advocating for Sunday rest to all the political leaders of the world. They are demanding vaccine mandates, a universal health enforcement protocol, the end of the free-market system, and the transformation of our world on the basis of Catholic social doctrine. Rome will say or do anything as long as their ideology wins at the end of the day.
Rome is only concerned with the enforcement of its policies because that is all that matters to them. They represent something that is not only unbiblical, but also evil, according to Bible prophecy. God’s word still says in the Holy Scriptures that her intentions are not good but wicked and their house is filled with bad actors that will bring our world to its greatest crisis ever.
“And in her (Rome) was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” Revelation 18:24.
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” Revelation 17:6.
“For they (the beast and those who receive its mark) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” Revelation 16:6.
It is time for Seventh-day Adventists to engage in some serious soul-searching. It might do us well. I believe that Warren Hick from Australia summed it up best when he wrote to me this week and said:
“I wonder if the Seventh-day Adventist Church administration will ever come to the realization that if you go to bed with the enemy, you also come out of that bed with a deeply stained character. If you choose to play with fire, you will get burnt. May God have mercy on all of us.”
Sources
[1] https://www.arcidiocesibaribitonto.it/clero/sac.-sergio-biancofiore
[2] https://www.arcidiocesibaribitonto.it/clero/diac.-alfredo-gabrielli
[3] https://hopemedia.it/santa-abiusi-primo-anziano-chiesa-bari/
[4] https://ministerifemminili.avventista.it/team-members/santa-abiusi/
[5] https://ministerifemminili.avventista.it/chi-siamo/
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The first mistake that our church made was making a woman an elder! That began the road down this slippery slope. Forgive them, for they know not what they do!
Andy,
As a retired pastor and seeing this happening in our churches, I’m honestly sick at heart. What happened to the teaching in Revelation 17 about the harlot mother on the beast and her harlot daughters?? Now we have so-called SDA’s holding an ecumenical service with Idolaters (Sunday worshipers), thieves, murderers, etc, ie. Commandment breakers James 2:10. Does light now have fellowship with darkness. Apparently so in Italy. Does this please our Lord. I think not. Israel made the same mistake in their history and now, once again, history repeats itself. Thoroughly disgusted and fearful for our church as it does appear to have fallen.
PS: Have a good day.
“A great proportion of those who are supposed to be genuine will give heed to seducing spirits, and will turn traitors and betray sacred trusts. They will prove our very worst persecutors.” (Review and Herald, June 8, 1897).
“When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.” (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 136).
Pastor St. Hilaire, these tragic events are supposed to increase our zeal, courage, warmth, and loyalty to our faith when we see them happen. That’s what God promises He will do for us when these things come to pass. I pray that our faith and love for our historic teachings grows stronger for you and the rest of the faithful in Canada and the rest of the world.
This infurates me. Where’s our World Headquarter’s leaders in putting a stop to this? Where’s Ted Wilson? If this church doesn’t cease and desist from this practice, then that church needs to be removed from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and it can go their seperate ways. As long as our world leaders let this type of “worship” go on, it’s only going to get worse and worse.
EGW said it will appear like the church ⛪️ has fallen but it will not because Christ is the captain 👩✈️ leading the ship don’t leave the ship 🙏
A union of communion with the Whore of Rev. 17. The SDCCC (Seventh Day Corporate Communist Catholics) fully engaged in unity with the Great Whore of Babylon. An apple does not fall far from the tree. If you have the fruit, you have the root. Harlot Daughters are trained by the Great Mother in doing evil and forsaking the faith once delivered to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, and all the apostles.
No, no, Linda F. Taylor, “the first mistake that our church made was” NOT “making a woman an elder!” GRADUALISM MUST BE UNDERSTOOD. SATAN IS IN NO HURRY!!!
In 1540, Ignatius Loyola deceived Pope Paul III in accepting the Society of Jesus as his own personal and secretive army toward Counter-Reformation. But Loyola’s intent was to control the Vatican. It took 482 years to install a Jesuit as Pope — Pope Francis I.
However, it took only a century of GCSDA GRADUALISM to change the original principles of the original SDA Church from a NON-Trinitarian Church into a Trinitarian Church.
Linda F. Taylor, do you not know about the Martin-Barnhouse meetings with “Adventist” Froom during the 1950s? At the conclusion of those meetings, the GCSDA was welcome aboard the Ecumenical Train to Rome. Linda F. Taylor, you should know!
Very sad to see. We were told this would happen but seeing it is surreal.
Leaders at the highest levels are responsible for this if they do NOTHING! They condone this.
For those who are not aware…lent was celebrated in Auburn California SDA church some time ago. Type in Dan Appel SDA Lent Auburn SDA into a search bar to see for yourself. It isn’t in just Italy. We have been flirting with the whore for years here in Kalifornication aka California… nothing was done by the local SDA conference or anyone above them in leadership. They are hirelings! All they care about is money! We have been CURSED with false watchmen and false shepherds for years…
Leadership started indoctrinating our children through “Our Little Friend” children’s paper decades ago. Evidence: Our Little Friend volume 109, Number 24. You change the thinking of the children; get them use to the idea of women pastors, lgbtqia, socialism, and when THEY become church leaders, naturally they will implement what they were spoon fed as children.
Also, if your conference is liberal, then expect to be sent liberal pastors. Our little conservative church has been FORCED to accept an ‘ecumenical’ pastor that has NO problem with allowing a preacher from another community church (non SDA) to present the message if he thinks it is a good one. Our hireling even bragged about celebrating Good Friday at the previous SDA church he ‘pastored,’ inviting to that celebration pastors from the other Sunday community churches who took part in the program. I took a screenshot of the announcement from HayforkCommunityChurch.org website last year in late March. The event was for April 02, 2021 at the Hayfork SDA church in Hayfork, California. So it is not just in European countries. It is wherever the SOP has been tossed onto ‘the trash heap of history.’
If your ‘SDA ‘ pastor refuses to allow SOP to be read or referred to, if he is quoting from any other bible than the KJV on a regular basis, if he is a member of the local community pastor breakfast club or any variation thereof, if he is all into “building bridges” through community “events,” if he loves social justice warrior issues, if he has be a participant in BLM events or similar social justice events, (to name a few symptoms of a hireling) you have a BIG PROBLEM on your hands. Oh, and if you don’t go along with their agenda be prepared to be called a “den of vipers.” That’s what we were called by our hireling because we didn’t go along with his agenda. The Bible says that our foes will be those of our own household. Matthew 10:36. E.G. White said that we would have more to fear from within… 1SM 122.3
“Now is the time for God’s people to show themselves true to principle. When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason. The nation will be on the side of the great rebel leader.” 5T 136.2.
Loyalty from their treason…the only way a person can commit treason is to first declare themselves loyal to said organization, just as Judas could not be a betrayer of Christ if he hadn’t first declared himself a loyal friend. You cannot be betrayed by an enemy; you already have no TRUST in them but you can be betrayed by a friend.
Thank you Andy for your willingness to report this. A well written piece!
Rose, you stated it so well, thank you for this post. I was just mulling over the thought that most SDA’s who are still members will simply have the “It’s not happening here” mindset, and resume their slumbers. But it IS happening EVERYWHERE and they are blissfully unaware. They are just staying with corrupt, rotten, broken up “ship”. Come out of her My people.
If we had leaders like Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Josiah and other godly men, this be stopped immediately.
Weeping.
There’s not much more I can ad to this comment section, so I will quote some Catholic persons who stated plainly if it doesn’t “preach against The Catholic Church it ceases to be Seventh Day Adventist”
The Papal people know what we preach/believe Historically, by compromising with them we have won zero people to the truth,
The church that goes through isn’t a backsliding one that lessons the distance between itself and Rome or one who does the opposite of Nehiamiah, building bridges for errors to flow into the church, it’s the one who uplifts Truth even at the cost of their lives,
EGW warned every SDA aught to study the History of the Waldensees, many were killed by soldiers, but unfortunately the Waldensees eventually befriended the Harlot and followed her in her doctrines,
Matthew 18:20 KJV
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
The Name/Character of Christ,
(Christ never joined himself to Rome.)
Any activities that the local churches should do first specially like this situation is to let the board members approve first and also if the agenda items need to coordinate the congregation as what written in the church manual then do so.. and if it is contrary to sda doctrines and causes lot of discussion and division then tabled the agenda items and consult the conferences by the local church pastor and report the matter and let the conference dicide this issue before anything else goes on.
therefore my brethren be aware as what the Bible tells us about the roaring lion be prepared and ready .
Pray 🙏 and let it known to our GOD everything in our daily life ❤️
May GOD bless us all 💝