On April 24, 2025, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Italy issued a public statement on the death of Pope Francis, which was published by Hope Media Italy. In their statement, which mentions Pastor Andrei Cretu, president of the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Churches, Adventists in Italy acknowledged that Pope Francis had a distinctive style and message that resonated with a significant portion of believers, even outside the Catholic Church. They also affirmed that many had a positive view of Pope Francis—as a “good Pope”—highlighting the respect, even affection, felt toward him by so many. And it confirms that the top Adventist leader in Italy publicly expressed solidarity and support to those grieving the loss of the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The official statement expressed by the Adventist Church in Italy said in part:
• “On Monday, April 21, at 7:35 a.m., news of the death of Pope Francis was given. The news, as always happens when a Pope dies, has shaken many and has immediately set in motion, in Italy and in the world, the formidable media apparatus that on such occasions wants to give cover to an event that generates discouragement in the Catholic people and calls together personalities of culture, politics, the church, and entertainment to offer an often grateful greeting to the bishop of Rome who has left his life.” [1]
• “To the many believers who have identified themselves with his style, with his message, and mourn him like a good pope who tried to shake the Catholic Church and indicate an evangelical practice, the President of the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Christian Churches, Andrei Cretu, addressed his own message of solidarity and condolence.” [1]
• “The theological production of Pope Francis has mostly dealt with certainly important and current themes, but not exactly of a dogmatic nature, such as conjugal love, Amoris laetizia, social friendship and fraternity, Fratelli Tutti, the right ethical attitude towards creation, Laudato Si’, although his little-cited Lumen fidei (2013) is, in the opinion of the writer, among the sharpest and most successful works also from the most precisely dogmatic point of view.” [1]
These words published by Seventh-day Adventists are a respectful acknowledgment of Pope Francis’ theological contributions to the world. It praises the Pope for his encyclicals, highly lifting his pastoral and ethical legitimacy. The statement recognizes Pope Francis’ positive impact and relevance, showing appreciation that Pope Francis had the “right ethical attitude.”
It is virtually impossible—and fundamentally contradictory to everything truthful, moral, and sacred in Seventh-day Adventist faith and history—for our people to express solidarity with the Antichrist system that has openly declared its intention to change the law of God and persecute His saints (Daniel 7:25). The Vatican has built an identity described in scripture as the one “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
From a theological perspective, to stand in solidarity with someone means more than offering emotional support—it reflects a deep, spiritual commitment to identify with them. However, it is misguided and irresponsible to make this kind of statement because one cannot stand in solidarity with actions or ideologies that are contrary to divine truth, God’s law, or the mission of God’s people. Solidarity is a sacred act of aligning oneself with others—not just relationally, but covenantally. And we as Seventh-day Adventists cannot enter into any acts of solidarity with unrighteousness, error, apostasy, or sin.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we are called to stand in unwavering solidarity with our historical roots and with the faithful Sabbath-keepers who, during the dark centuries of the Catholic Inquisition, faced persecution, torture, and death for upholding the truth of God’s Word. From the days of Constantine’s first Sunday laws, faithful men and women chose loyalty to Christ’s Sabbath over conformity to human tradition, preserving the sacredness and the integrity of Scripture at the cost of their lives. To now stand in solidarity with Rome—a system that historically sought to suppress those very truths—is a tragic betrayal of their sacrifice and a denial of the prophetic identity entrusted to us. Our allegiance and solidarity are with the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12), not with the beast power of Bible prophecy that tried to extinguish these truths.
“The papacy is just what prophecy declared that she would be, the apostasy of the latter times. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.” (Great Controversy, p. 571).
Do we now stand in solidarity with the great apostasy of the end-times? The leadership in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, either the Inter-European Division or the General Conference, has the responsibility to uphold and protect the integrity of God’s truth and the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When sentiments arise—whether through public statements, alliances, or gestures—that misrepresent our distinct message or blur the prophetic identity entrusted to us, it is imperative that those in leadership act swiftly and faithfully to correct them. Failure to do so risks leading many into confusion and spiritual deception, causing people both inside and outside the church to be lost.
“Those who become confused in their understanding of the Word, who fail to see the meaning of antichrist, will surely place themselves on the side of antichrist.” (Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 949).
Silence or compromise in such moments does not preserve unity—it undermines it by weakening our foundation in truth. Now more than ever, we must be clear, courageous, and faithful to the mission and message God has given us.
Sources
[1] https://hopemedia.it/la-morte-di-un-papa/
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