A Most Important End-Time Sign: The Rise, Fall, and Restoration of the Temporal Power of the Papacy (Part 2)

“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.” Revelation 13:10.

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” Revelation 13:3.

The papacy is represented by the first beast of Revelation 13, who was going to receive a deadly wound that would afterwards be healed. This power was to be imprisoned as retribution for all the millions of people it had imprisoned. Because so many people had been executed during Rome’s rule, Rome was to receive a deadly wound as well. In 1798, the French army arrived with its military forces and demolished the temporal power of the Papal Government, even though the Catholic Church endured.

It was Rome’s temporal power that was lost in 1798. The power of the church to use the strong arm of the state to suppress the Protestant Reformation, to use the Inquisition to root out heresy, and to persecute people who dared to disagree with the Pope had all come to an end, and rightfully so. Since 1798, Rome is no longer the dominant persecuting power that it used to be. Today, the Popes do not have the authority to use political power to impose their views on others. But even so, Rome’s ambitions remain unchanged.

Revelation 13:3 describes a current movement that is active all over the world and that aims to heal the deadly wound. Today, the papacy is becoming more powerful and has ambassadors in every developed country. And since Rome no longer possesses temporal power, she has no other choice but to promote herself through religious and political dialogue and cooperation. However, in any working relationship that the papacy enters into, she must be acknowledged as the primary figure and seen as a symbol of unity.

In the video above, Pope Francis says that interfaith unity must recognize the “specific ministry of the Bishop of Rome.” What is the Pope’s specific ministry? Pope Francis is only expressing what his papal predecessors taught, even after 1798.

Under Pope Pius IX, the Vatican Ecumenical Council of 1870 (Vatican I) published a document called “Pastor Aeternus” (Eternal Shepherd) on July 18, 1870, which said the following in Chapter 3, Paragraphs 1 and 2:

 “The Holy Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff hold the Primacy over all the earth, and that the Roman Pontiff himself is the successor of Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the whole Church, the father and teacher of all Christians; to him, in the person of blessed Peter, was entrusted by our Lord Jesus Christ the full power to guide, rule and govern the universal Church” (Pastor Aeternus, 1870).  [1]

“We therefore proclaim and declare that the Roman Church, by disposition of the Lord, holds the primacy of ordinary power over all the others, and that this power of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, true Episcopal power, is immediate: all, pastors and faithful, of whatever rite and dignity, are bound, towards him, by the obligation of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, not only in matters pertaining to faith and customs, but also in those relating to the discipline and government of the Church, throughout the world” (Pastor Aeternus, 1870). [1]

Not only is the Pope described as having spiritual supremacy over everyone else, but they are also talking about bringing the political powers back under the authority of Rome. Apparently, Rome hasn’t learned any lessons. They have forgotten why the Pope went into captivity.

The following statements about civil society were made by Pope Leo XII in his encyclical, Emmortale Dei, published in 1885. Do not forget that this was penned after 1798:

“Paragraph #46. In these, our days it is well to revive these examples of our forefathers. First and foremost, it is the duty of all Catholics worthy of the name and wishful to be known as most loving children of the Church, to reject without swerving whatever is inconsistent with so fair a title; to make use of popular institutions, so far as can honestly be done, for the advancement of truth and righteousness; to strive that liberty of action shall not transgress the bounds marked out by nature and the law of God; to endeavour to bring back all civil society to the pattern and form of Christianity which We have described” (Emmortale Dei, 1885). [2]

This is a call to action for all Catholics to take steps to bring back “civil society” in accordance with the papacy’s ideals. Brothers and sisters, this is the doctrine of papal supremacy at work. It teaches that Jesus Christ has “all power” both “in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). However, it also asserts that Peter, the first Pope, received both spiritual and political power from Jesus and that this authority was then transmitted to succeeding popes. So even after the end of their 1260-year reign, Rome is still on a mission to subjugate every earthly political and religious power and person to the authority of the reigning pontiff.

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty was signed between the Kingdom of Italy and the Papacy. Under the terms of the agreement, the Italian government recognized the Vatican City as a sovereign and independent state and financially compensated the church for the loss of its territories. Just one year before the signing of this historic treaty, Pope Pius XI published in 1928 an encyclical titled, “Mortalium Animos” in which he expressed the following:

“Paragraph #11. Furthermore, in this one Church of Christ no man can be or remain who does not accept, recognize and obey the authority and supremacy of Peter and his legitimate successors” (Mortalium Animos). [3]

Again, this statement and the ones before it are clear that the papacy’s stated goal is to convert the entire globe to Roman Catholicism. The Catholic Church has continued advocating for everyone to acknowledge Rome’s supremacy, even after 1798. Its temporal authority must be regained, which means that religious freedom and liberty of conscience must come to an end. This is their stated purpose.

Rome’s Attack Against the Protestant Principles of Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State

The Protestant principles of liberty and secular government emphatically reject the doctrine of papal supremacy and temporal power and instead emphasize the individual freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state. Protestants believe that each person should have the freedom to interpret the Bible and worship God according to their own conscience, without interference from the government or any other authority. These principles flourished worldwide when the papacy lost its temporal power in 1798. What the world owes to the rise of Protestantism is beyond what any human being can describe. Protestantism allows all men and women the freedom to think. The Roman papacy regards this freedom as an evil to be rejected and opposed. Popes who were elected after 1798 echoed these views as well.

Pope Leo XIII published his encyclical, Diuturnum, on the Origins of Civil Power in 1881 and said:

“Paragraph #5. Indeed, very many men of more recent times, walking in the footsteps of those who in a former age assumed to themselves the name of philosophers, say that all power comes from the people; so that those who exercise it in the State do so not as their own, but as delegated to them by the people, and that, by this rule, it can be revoked by the will of the very people by whom it was delegated. But from these, Catholics dissent, who affirm that the right to rule is from God, as from a natural and necessary principle” (Diuturnum 1881). [4]

In other words, God is the only ruler, and He has given His authority to Jesus, who has transferred that authority to Peter, and the Popes of Rome have inherited God’s right to rule. We can see clearly that the papacy rejects the fundamental principle that asserts that legitimate governments derive their authority from the will of the people. The doctrine that people have the right to participate in the decision-making process and to hold their leaders accountable is a Protestant principle.

The principle that government leaders have to rule with the consent of the governed is enshrined in many modern political systems, including the United States, where it is a foundational principle of the Constitution. In all free societies, leaders are elected by the people and are expected to act in their best interests. If leaders fail to do so, the people have the right to replace them through free and fair elections. However, Pope Leo XIII emphatically rejected these sentiments.

In 1864, Pope Pius IX also denounced the Protestant principles of freedom in his controversial document called “The Syllabus of Errors.” This goes to show that Rome has learned nothing. Is it any wonder that under the reign of Pope Pius IX, Rome lost the Papal States, which were massive sections of land on the Italian Peninsula? The Syllabus of Errors was issued by Pope Pius IX to condemn a wide range of beliefs and practices that were considered contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The following Protestant principles were denounced:

“15. Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true.” [5]

“24. The Church has not the power of using force, nor has she any temporal power, direct or indirect.” [5]

“37. National churches, withdrawn from the authority of the Roman pontiff and altogether separated, can be established.” [5]

“55. The Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church.” [5]

Protestants view these alleged “errors” as foundational principles of true liberty, whereas Roman Catholics refer to them as the “principal errors of our time.” From the perspective of the pope, the time when the church had temporal authority and used coercion was a glorious time for humanity. From the Protestant viewpoint, this period was known as the Dark Ages. Because Rome lost temporal power in 1798, she could not do anything about the errors of Protestantism. All they could do was denounce them through papal decrees.

Vatican II: Ecumenism, Religious Liberty, and Social Justice have Made Rome Much More Dangerous

Many claim that the Vatican has undergone significant changes since the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). It has been said that the church has been modernized and has changed. Some look to Vatican II’s decrees Dignitatis Humanae, which affirmed the right of every person to religious freedom; Unitatis Redintegratio, which emphasized the importance of Christian unity; and Nostra Aetate, which recognized the value of all non-Christian religions, as major changes to Catholicism.

First of all, Rome had no other choice but to take these reconciliatory positions. What other choice did she have? She didn’t have any temporal power to do otherwise. There was no alternative but to seek peace, especially when the current papacy doesn’t have the same power it had during the Middle Ages. Rome’s only option, for now, is to temporarily seek for peace.

“In those countries where Catholicism is not in the ascendancy, and the papists are taking a conciliatory course in order to gain influence” (Great Controversy, p. 563).

But let us see what position the papacy will take when her temporal power is once again restored:

“The Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage-ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is” (Great Controversy, p. 581).

Secondly, Rome cannot change and will never change because she claims infallibility. The fact that people believe that the modern papacy has changed while continuing to uphold all of its ancient, unbiblical, and abhorrent creeds makes Rome even more problematic and dangerous. And the worst part is that she can’t change without admitting that she was wrong. Rome cannot reject any of her previous pronouncements, encyclicals, doctrines, or decisions as wrong or error because she is beholden to her past by her doctrine of infallibility, which says she has never erred or can never err. This means that the papacy cannot retreat from her ancient creeds without admitting that her claim to infallibility is wrong.

As a result, Rome is now even more dangerous than it was before. The papacy has been forced to change its strategies as a result of losing its temporal authority after 1798. As stated in Vatican II, Rome no longer presents itself as a powerful foe of Protestantism but rather as a friend. Instead of persecuting Protestants, which she couldn’t do today even if she wanted to, Rome has chosen to guide and lead them in ecumenical relationships. This only serves to demonstrate how much more dangerous the papacy has become.

You see, a false friend, while appearing to be a true friend, will not act maliciously and hurtfully toward you. On the other hand, an avowed enemy is openly hostile and may be easier to recognize and avoid. An open enemy will certainly be treated with caution and suspicion, which can help protect you. However, a fake friend who poses as a real friend is much more dangerous than any open enemy because they instill feelings of trust that will only give you a false sense of security. Have we forgotten the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre and all the vows of friendship and solidarity that were made?

“Rome never changes. Her principles have not altered in the least. She has not lessened the breach between herself and Protestants; they have done all the advancing” (Signs of the Times, February 19, 1894).

“And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III are still the principles of the Romish Church. And had she but the power, she would put them in practice with as much vigor now as in past centuries” (Great Controversy, p. 580).

“Rome never changes. She claims infallibility. It is Protestantism that will change. The adoption of liberal ideas on its part will bring it where it can clasp the hand of Catholicism” (Review and Herald, June 1, 1886).

Rome’s goals have not changed; only her strategies for achieving them have. Her goal is to reclaim her temporal power and papal supremacy. But since she lost her temporal authority in 1798, she is unable to use the strong arm of civil government. Now, what can she do? She only has one option. Vatican II was part of the papacy’s strategy to present a fair front to the world while growing her political power through a variety of secular and liberal policies. Through Vatican II, Rome has returned to its secular roots, and as a result, she has surpassed all expectations in terms of increasing her political clout and influence in the world. Remember, in Part 1 of this two-part document, we learned from the historian J. A. Wylie, that the papacy wasn’t 100% religious. Rome possessed equal secular and religious elements, which was what enabled her to obtain papal supremacy.

Today, the Vatican is active in a wide range of global initiatives. Rome participates in every international program that exists today. These programs cover a wide range of topics, including politics, humanitarianism, religion, culture, economics, climate change, sustainability, peace, education, immigration, and every other social justice issue. In fact, Pope Francis’ encyclicals are being used as the blueprint for both secular and religious policies.

The “common good,” for instance, is one of Pope Francis’ favorite catholic social doctrines. This phrase appears 30 times in Laudato Si’ and 34 times in Fratelli Tutti. The “common good” is a dangerous philosophy that refers to the idea that laws should be passed that will promote the well-being of the majority while sacrificing the personal interests of the minorities. We saw how this worked during the global pandemic of 2021 and 2022, when personal freedoms, including the right to worship, were suspended for the sake of the common good. We were told to comply with oppressive health mandates out of consideration for others. We were told to take the vaccine in order to save the lives of others. How long before Sunday rest by law will be advocated as needed for the common good of society? This will spell the end of our civil and religious liberties.

“They will lament the great wickedness in the world, and second the testimony of religious teachers, that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday” (Great Controversy, p. 591).

“Yet this very class put forth the claim that the fast-spreading corruption is largely attributable to the desecration of the so-called ‘Christian Sabbath,’ and that the enforcement of Sunday observance would greatly improve the morals of society” (Great Controversy, p. 587).

Pope Francis, however, is advocating for more than just the common good. He is urging for the establishment of a global political authority to carry out the “global common good.” Once established, this world political force will fulfill the very same role that the doctrine of papal supremacy did during the 1260-year reign of terror. Notice what the Pope is calling for in his two encyclicals:

“It is essential to devise stronger and more efficiently organized international institutions, with functionaries who are appointed fairly by agreement among national governments, and empowered to impose sanctions. When we talk about the possibility of some form of world authority regulated by law, we need not necessarily think of a personal authority. Still, such an authority ought at least to promote more effective world organizations, equipped with the power to provide for the global common good” (Fratelli Tutti #172).

“Although this has always been true, never has it been more evident than in our own day, when the world is interconnected by globalization. We need to attain a global juridical, political and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity. Ultimately, this will benefit the entire world” (Fratelli Tutti, #138).

“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; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority” (Laudato Si’ #175).

“A change in lifestyle could bring healthy pressure to bear on those who wield political, economic and social power. This is what consumer movements accomplish by boycotting certain products. They prove successful in changing the way businesses operate, forcing them to consider their environmental footprint and their patterns of production. When social pressure affects their earnings, businesses clearly have to find ways to produce differently” (Laudato Si’ #206).

A global political authority that has the ability to “force” people to change their ways and conform to the majority is the way Rome operated during the reign of papal supremacy. Rome has not changed. Remember, Rome hates the Protestant principles of freedom of religion and liberty of conscience. She condemned these as “errors.” The character of the papacy is to use force, coercion, discrimination, and restriction, which will all lead to the loss of civil and religious liberties.

The Protestant Churches and the Sunday Law Crisis

But the strongest evidence that suggests that Pope Francis’ influence has achieved a universal sense of respect and wonder is found in the role that he is playing in uniting Protestant churches and bringing them into the fellowship of Rome. According to Ellen White, this unity is essential for Rome to reclaim its lost supremacy. Sister White also tells us that an ecumenical bond is needed for the coming Sunday law crisis. In fact, the Spirit of Prophecy makes it abundantly clear that without ecumenism, there will never be an image of the beast. We will share some quotes from the pen of inspiration that demonstrate how the ecumenical movement headed by Pope Francis is necessary to bring about the final crisis during the mark of the beast.

The most important questions at this point are: Who is pushing for this Protestant-Catholic confederacy? Who is advocating this? Who is dedicated to this ultimate objective? Who is working overtime right now to make this happen? Who is leading this work? Rome not only published two documents during Vatican II to advance this agenda, but now Pope Francis has fine-tuned the message in his latest encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, and is calling on the entire world—Protestants, Adventists, Muslims, pagans, atheists, Orthodox, secularists, Jews—and every belief system in the world to recognize, celebrate, and join the universal brotherhood of all human beings, regardless of what you believe or don’t believe. The world has responded en masse and is coming together in solidarity by forgetting about the past and ignoring Bible truth.

Brothers and sisters, if the following Spirit of Prophecy statements are not a fulfillment of what we are seeing today, then what planet or solar system will we apply the warnings to? If what we are currently seeing develop before our eyes doesn’t apply to what we will read below, then when will it ever come to pass? However, if what we are seeing today in the modern ecumenical movement is consistent with the following statements, then Rome’s temporal power will be restored sooner than we can imagine:

1. The Protestant world will unite with the Man of Sin to form a confederacy that will aid in restoring Rome’s lost supremacy:

 “The word of God plainly declares that his law is to be scorned, trampled upon, by the world; there will be an extraordinary prevalence of iniquity. The professed Protestant world will form a confederacy with the man of sin, and the church and the world will be in corrupt harmony. Here the great crisis is coming upon the world. The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain its lost supremacy, and that the fires of persecution will be rekindled through the time serving concessions of the so-called Protestant world.” (General Conference Bulletin, April 13, 1891).

2. All who war against the truth will come under one head – the Papal Power – because Rome is uniting them:

“The world is filled with storm and war and variance. Yet under one head—the papal power—the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses. This union is cemented by the great apostate. While he seeks to unite his agents in warring against the truth he will work to divide and scatter its advocates.” Testimonies, Vol. 7, p. 182).

3. The religious denominations will unite with the Pope to persecute God’s people:

“When the religious denominations unite with the papacy to oppress God’s people, places where there is religious freedom will be opened by evangelistic canvassing” (Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 478).

4. Ecumenism will lead to the Mark of the Beast:

 “When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the State to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” (Great Controversy, p. 445).

5. Ecumenism will inspire Protestants and Catholics to work together to exalt Sunday:

“These records of the past clearly reveal the enmity of Rome toward the true Sabbath and its defenders, and the means which she employs to honor the institution of her creating. The Word of God teaches that these scenes are to be repeated as papists and Protestants shall unite for the exaltation of the Sunday” (Great Controversy, p. 578).

6. A Three-fold ecumenical union of Protestants, spiritualism and the Roman power will bring the Sunday law crisis:

“By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near” (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 451).

7. Sunday will serve as the foundation for the Protestant ecumenical bond with Rome:

 “Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul, and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of Spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of Spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience” (Great Controversy, p. 588).

Conclusion

Revelation 13:3 says that the deadly wound will be healed, and the entire world will wonder after the beast. This describes the moral dilemma that our world is in. But that’s not the end of the story. In Revelation 14:9–11, there is a world-wide proclamation that is being given right now, warning the people against the worship of the beast and his image and against receiving his mark on the forehead or in the hand.

It is obvious that these two events, the healing of the deadly wound and the warning against the beast, the image, and the mark, will occur at the same time. What this means to us, the faithful commandment-keeping, non-ecumenical members of the Remnant Church of Revelation 12:17, is that we have but a short time in which we can proclaim to the world with power the messages of Revelation 14:6–12 before the voice of the dragon is heard and the fires of persecution return.

The reason why the restoration of the papacy’s temporal power is one of the most important signs of the end times is simply this: There will be many wars and rumors of wars. There will be numerous earthquakes, pandemics, hurricanes, and other natural and man-made disasters. But when it comes to the healing of the deadly wound, as we are witnessing today, this is an event that only happens once. Let us do everything we can to advance the cause of truth in this world today while the forces of darkness are being restrained.

“The opposition of the enemies of truth will be restrained that the third angel’s message may do its work. When the final warning shall be given, it will arrest the attention of these leading men through whom the Lord is now working, and some of them will accept it, and will stand with the people of God through the time of trouble” (Great Controversy, p. 612).

Sources

[1] https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/i-vatican-council/documents/vat-i_const_18700718_pastor-aeternus_it.html

[2] https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_01111885_immortale-dei.html

[3] https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19280106_mortalium-animos.html

[4] https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_29061881_diuturnum.html

[5] https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius09/p9syll.htm