Every form of complimentary adjective has been employed to describe the pope who has just died.
Considering that he and all previous popes, have assumed titles which they have no right to and are guilty of blasphemy by so doing, I, along with all who believe the Bible, believe he was not what the duped followers of his religious teachings believed him to be.
He, along with all previous popes, led a religious organisation which, despite its claim to be the only ’true church’, was in world-wide violation of God’s Law, especially that stated in the ten commandments, Exodus 20:4-6, and repeated many times throughout the Bible.
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
This law is broken repeatedly every day in all Roman Catholic places of worship and in the homes of the ‘faithful’!
That which God forbids is a chief feature of the religion of the popes!
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 25:6 says this of all popes:
‘There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.’
That view was shared by Protestants generally from such men as John Wesley to Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
I well recall seeing his angry and bad tempered display when a poor benighted woman devoutly clasped his hand in misplaced affection. He slapped her hand away in a most irritated manner.
I believe that the world was given a true glimpse of the man and the highly ‘stage-managed’ persona of the ‘holy, humble, gentle’ deceptive facade was breached.
Here is a link to a video of that incident back in 2020!
Indignant Pope Francis slaps woman’s hand to free himself at New Year’s Eve gathering
He claims that he is ‘Christ’s Vicar on earth’, that is, he is Christ’s representative on earth. That title has been rightly called a blasphemy for centuries, even by some Roman Catholic priests long before the Protestant Reformation!
True Adjective
One adjective, I believe, can now be truly used of the dead pope. I believe him now to be a much ‘wiser’ man! He has learned that all his bowing and genuflecting, his offering of ‘Masses’, his counting of beads, his praying to Mary and the saints, have NOT brought him eternal life in heaven but rather, because he rejected the simple teaching of the Word of God, he is eternally lost!
Here is what the Bible teaches.
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:20-23.
How I long for Roman Catholics, indeed everyone, to simply test what they believe and hope in for eternal salvation against the Word of God.
They would learn, as did the apostle Paul that:
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men,” Titus 3:3-8.
Good Works
Good works FOLLOW true conversion. They do not EARN or MERIT salvation as taught by ALL false religions.
It is the spiritual change that faith in Christ’s atoning work ALONE brings about that leads to good works springing up in the life of the convert.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Dear reader, no matter into what religious society you were born, I would that you learned this wonderful truth by reading and believing the Bible.
“This is the way, walk ye in it,” Isaiah 30:21.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein,” Jeremiah 6:16.
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. . . . Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,” Acts 4:10, 12.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
22nd April 2025