Could christianity disappear before the second coming?

[Asking]

“however, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

This made me think, and I remembered a quote from Martin Luther (sorry for quoting him) that was written in the time when the Turks threatened europe, in which he says something like that even if the turks kill all the christians in the world, and no one believes in christianity any more, christianity will still be the truth.(I am a catholic but I read some of his book when I was younger, my father is protestant)

Is that a theologically sound position for a catholic? Are we bound to believe there will be a pope in rome the day Jesus returns?
Is there an official interpretation of that Jesus quote?

The main arguments I could think against that Idea I thought is that it cant be right because, then, hell prevailed against the church.
And also if there is no more church, then, the people who inhabit the earth in the last days would be unfairly judged because they never had a chance to be christians.

Although some counter arguments could be made, a different interpretation of the hell prevailed against the church verse, and anyway the future people would still have encyclopedic historic knowledge of what christianity was.But with no sacraments would it mean anything?

I just see that the world is more and more secular in christian countries, I live in a latin american catholic country and less than 20% of the peopl are practicing catholics, people see marriage as outdated and now they dont baptize their kids,Abortion is still illegal but that may change in the near future, and in europe it is worse.

When the church lost the northern european countries, she gained latin america, now that she is losing europe, and latin america, though not as fast as europe, unless a miracle happens like china or russia converting I see catholics being a very little minority in 100 years.

edit: some spelling mistakes, hope you all can understand my english well

 

[Liberian]

Asking,

If I may quote the previous Pope, “Be not afraid!” I think serious Christians have always been the minority. And the Church has weathered some stormier times than what we have now; just look at the shape she was in just before the Reformation. The gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church; the Church will survive. There may be another Lepanto, where the Turks were ready to destroy the European fleet and conquer Europe when suddenly the wind changed and the advantage swung to the European ships. Russia will be converted, the Church is growing rapidly in Africa as well, and all is not lost in the Americas and Europe.

• Liberian

 

[Sanctus]

Could christianity disappear before the second coming?
Answer: No–Catholicism may not be as big the church may not be in it’s present form (promanent, public institution) it may be persecuted in some places or everywhere…but we’ll still be there…the Holy Spirit will make sure of that.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Asking,

Jesus said, “I am with you until till the end of time.” The Church will last until the the end of the world. He also said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus’ success was his resurrection. So will ours. Everything else is detail.

Verbum

 

[ironmonk]

If the Catholic Church disappeared, that would mean that there is no God… we know there is a God, and His Church is the Catholic Church… therefore it will be here durning the second coming.

We can also look at Scripture… In St. Matt 5 Christ tells the Apostles that the Church will be like a city on a mountain for all to see. In St. Mark 13 and St. Matt 24 we see that the last days will be shortened so that the elect will be saved (these are also great verses to correct our lost brethern about the falsehood of the “rapture”).