Fox News Columnist Goes Off The Rails, Links Pope Francis to Satan

  • Thread starter Thread starter sms
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

sms

Guest
Could anyone give some insight in how I can respond when someone indicates that they believe Pope Francis is a false prophet as they have done recently? This saddens me greatly, and I’d really like to be able to respond kindly but justly, and I don’t want to say the wrong thing. Thanks so much.
 
I would start by asking them to explain the basis for their assertion that He (or any other Pope) is a false prophet, that will assist you in framing a response.

Most likely it is based upon their denial of apostolic authority. The response to that (if that is the basis) is directing them to scripture where Peter was expressly given the keys to the kingdom and the ability to bind and lose, to forgive sins (with other apostles) and instructed by Jesus to feed his sheep. This combined with the apostles replacing of Judas with another to “take his office” (demonstrating a scriptural example of apostolic succession) and the writing of the earliest Christians (direct disciples of the apostles - some while the apostles were still living) instructing the faithful to follow the directives “of the bishop” and that this concept of succession was not challenged in any meaningful way until the reformation some 1500 years later - that is a good start :-). Of course, the challenge to do this with love even when confronted with someone who is very argumentative and judgmental (which, sadly, is often the case among, well intention-ed no doubt, fundamentalists).

Blessings,

Brian
 
I would say the Pope, either current or previous, doesn’t claim to be any kind of a prophet, and I’d ask them to explain themselves.
 
seagal said:
I would say the Pope, either current or previous, doesn’t claim to be any kind of a prophet, and I’d ask them to explain themselves.
Click to expand...
Agreed.
Who thinks a Pope is a prophet?
That’s odd.
 
Thank you very much for your responses. I will definitely proceed with caution and follow your advice. From what I can surmise knowing their political leanings, they seem to think that the Pope’s writings and speeches/opinions regarding such things as climate change and equality in distribution of wealth are part of the reason they consider him a “false prophet.”
 
sms said:
Thank you very much for your responses. I will definitely proceed with caution and follow your advice. From what I can surmise knowing their political leanings, they seem to think that the Pope’s writings and speeches/opinions regarding such things as climate change and equality in distribution of wealth are part of the reason they consider him a “false prophet.”
Click to expand...
I agree with the answers below and would add one more…have them define a “true prophet” Maybe even have them name a few.

John
 
seagal said:
I would say the Pope, either current or previous, doesn’t claim to be any kind of a prophet, and I’d ask them to explain themselves.
Click to expand...
Good course. and when you ask them to explain themselves I pray you would say something along the lines of–there must be some confusion somewhere but I’ll be glad to help clear up any misunderstandings…and not–can you explain yourself (with that --well you’re stupid and wrong—hint in your voice…that so many in all faiths seem to do sometimes). Not saying you would, just including it.

Make a bridge or blow up a bridge. Everybody has a choice.
And speaking of bridges, cant wait to see the interfaith service tonight on C-SPAN.
When we work together, its truly a touching thing.
 
pianistclare said:
Agreed.
Who thinks a Pope is a prophet?
That’s odd.
Click to expand...
There are quite a few who do. They have blogs or web pages denouncing not only the Pope but seemingly every single person of any denomination who has either spoken about faith on TV or written a book on the subject, people who have experienced an apparition or been declared a saint. The headings tend to scream FALSE PROPHET even though the accused has never made a prophecy and the alleged evidence is so flimsy as to be imaginative.

I think you need to worship the person writing the articles to escape being accused. 🤷 So sorry to my Lutheran, Evangelical and even atheist brothers and sisters, you to would be declared a FALSE PROPHET by some of these people.
 
sms said:
Thank you very much for your responses. I will definitely proceed with caution and follow your advice. From what I can surmise knowing their political leanings, they seem to think that the Pope’s writings and speeches/opinions regarding such things as climate change and equality in distribution of wealth are part of the reason they consider him a “false prophet.”
Click to expand...
And remind them,those are his personal beliefs. I do not agree with everything he says, But when it comes to teachings of the church, official teachings, nothing has changed. I have heard these arguments recently too and they say he is the anti-christ. An anti-christ would have tried to change official teachings. This pope has not.

And then pray for them
 
Seething over this Pope’s demonstrated compassion towards the poor, his embrace of immigrants, and his exhortations to preserve the natural environment, the Republican Party has apparently settled on a strategy of, quite literally, demonizing him. In a stunningly wretched column truly worthy of the unofficial mouthpiece of the GOP, Fox News Channel’s “Senior Judicial Analyst” and former Judge, Andrew P. Napolitano makes the breathtaking leap to linking Pope Francis to the Biblical Antichrist:
Click to expand...
dailykos.com/story/2015/09/24/1424435/-Fox-News-Columnist-Goes-Off-The-Rails-Links-Pope-Francis-to-Satan?detail=email#
 
Thorolfr said:
I don’t know why this is in the Non-Catholic Religions sections in view of the fact that Andrew Napolitano is Catholic and went to Notre Dame Law School, the oldest Roman Catholic law school in the US.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Napolitano
Click to expand...
Its on NCR because I simply don’t know where else to put it. I don’t know if it is ‘newsy’ enough to be in World News, but nevertheless, it IS news.
If Napolitano is Catholic, he’s certainly hit every fundamentalist lie point by point.
 
dsfgsadfgsdfg said:
Good course. and when you ask them to explain themselves I pray you would say something along the lines of–there must be some confusion somewhere but I’ll be glad to help clear up any misunderstandings…and not–can you explain yourself (with that --well you’re stupid and wrong—hint in your voice…that so many in all faiths seem to do sometimes). Not saying you would, just including it.

Make a bridge or blow up a bridge. Everybody has a choice.
And speaking of bridges, cant wait to see the interfaith service tonight on C-SPAN.
When we work together, its truly a touching thing.
Click to expand...
Good recommendation. Thanks dsfgsadfgsdfg…God’s blessings always.
 
Avila123 said:
There are quite a few who do. They have blogs or web pages denouncing not only the Pope but seemingly every single person of any denomination who has either spoken about faith on TV or written a book on the subject, people who have experienced an apparition or been declared a saint. The headings tend to scream FALSE PROPHET even though the accused has never made a prophecy and the alleged evidence is so flimsy as to be imaginative.

I think you need to worship the person writing the articles to escape being accused. 🤷 So sorry to my Lutheran, Evangelical and even atheist brothers and sisters, you to would be declared a FALSE PROPHET by some of these people.
Click to expand...
I’ve sadly seen quite a bit of that on the internet also, Avila. Thanks for your insight, and God bless!
 
AZDean said:
And remind them,those are his personal beliefs. I do not agree with everything he says, But when it comes to teachings of the church, official teachings, nothing has changed. I have heard these arguments recently too and they say he is the anti-christ. An anti-christ would have tried to change official teachings. This pope has not.

And then pray for them
Click to expand...
Excellent points, AZDean. And so important on the prayers for them as well. I already started! Thanks for sharing, and God bless you.
 
I think alot of this comes from totally false quotes from the Pope, awhile back I saw a statement in FB, that claimed it was directly from the Pope, it basically said its OK not to attend mass, not to donate money, as one can find their ‘own church’ in themselves, in nature, in things they enjoy, etc. It was worded in a way that make it look authentic, just yesterday, I saw another friend on FB had shared this same exact thing, it had over 100 likes within the day, plus, I saw it had been shared 1000s of times, so there is many people out there believing this is true and coming from the Pope…this is very dangerous.
 
“…if his concern is more for the secular than sacred…”

This false distiction between two realms is part of the problem. The kingdom of heaven is to permeate the so called “secular” realm. That is what the Church and the pope are all about…bringing about that kingdom.
 
Michael_Mayo said:
“…if his concern is more for the secular than sacred…”

This false distiction between two realms is part of the problem. The kingdom of heaven is to permeate the so called “secular” realm. That is what the Church and the pope are all about…bringing about that kingdom.
Click to expand...
Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. After this system is destroyed we will have a new heaven a new Earth and new glorified bodies. Thy kingdom come.Thy will be done.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top