Why do some people think the Pope is the antichrist?

[JonNC]

=DavidFilmer;11182087]The Church doesn’t teach that there will be a particular individual who will be THE antiChrist.

But, if there ever were such an individual, of course he would be a Pope. It would surely not be a Baptist, or a Lutheran, or a Methodist. He would be a Catholic, and not just any ol’ Catholic, but the Pope of the Church.

Of course he could be a Baptist or a Methodist.

Do we Catholics still not understand that the road to Christ is a road of irony? This King of Kings, who was born in an animal stable, lived a humble life, and died naked on a Roman cross?

Who did Jesus choose to be our first Pope? Peter! Whose first words to Jesus were, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Who had faith enough to leave the boat, but then started to drown. Whom Jesus rebuked, “Get behind me, Satan.” Who betrayed Jesus three times (Judas only did it once). THAT GUY was our first Pope???

Yeah, THAT GUY was our first Pope. And he was a GOOD Pope. There have already been evil Popes (Alexander-4, for example).

IF there is one specific antiChrist guy, it MUST be a Pope. But, like the sinful Popes who have already come before him, he will still be protected from teaching error.

This was great, David, until the last line. When we spend time speaking about a specific end-times beast, we sound like a bunch of Dispensationalists, or whoever believes such.
From a Lutheran perspective, it has to do with specific teachings, which we consider against Christ. Steido was quite specific. He also quoted the position of the Lutheran Church that, were there a change in that teaching:

Concerning the pope I maintain that if he would [clearly] allow the gospel, we, too, may (for the sake of peace and general unity among those Christians who are now under him and might be in the future) grant to him his superiority over the bishops which he has “by human right.”

But, he could still be a Baptist or a Methodist.

Jon

 

[DavidFilmer]

This was great, David, until the last line. When we spend time speaking about a specific end-times beast, we sound like a bunch of Dispensationalists, or whoever believes such.

I have said that the Church has no such teaching (and I don’t believe it myself). I was pointing out that we have ALREADY had Popes (about five of them) who were “anti-Christs” (evil men who were flagellant sinners). The Church survived their reigns without any stain upon Her doctrine. Those sinful Popes were hypocrites, but they never did anything that the Church says that a Pope cannot ever do.

But, he could still be a Baptist or a Methodist.

Nope. If you were the devil, and you wanted to appoint your earthly tool, you would pick the guy who was the leader of the largest Christian Church.