Hello Steve,

>LL>What kind of pontiff will Pope Benedict XVI be?  Here is a short
>LL>quote of what then Cardinal Ratzinger had to say on Monday, while
>LL>addressing the other cardinals just before being sequestered in the
>LL>Sistine Chapel -

>LL>"We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not
>LL>recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal
>LL>one's own ego and one's own desires."

>SA>I have a feeling we are moving toward a dictatorship of another kind,
>SA>and that Pope Benedict XVI may be central in bringing it about. After
>SA>his election comes the analysis of his ambitions, such as his pledge
>SA>to work to unify all Christians and reach out to other religions.
>SA>("New Pope Vows to Work to Unify Christians" - Associated Press)

>LL>It has long been a desire of popes for reunification with the
>LL>Orthodox church.

SA>I haven't specifically followed this issue, as it isn't prominent
SA>in Oz.

It has been a dream of Roman Catholic pontiffs for a thousand years.

>LL>As well as better relations with other Christians,

SA>I have specifically followed this, e.g. ARCIC (Anglicans and Roman
SA>Catholics in Communion); Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue;
SA>rise of Pentecostal / Charismatic movements, etc. It will make
SA>it easier to promote Europe as a united continent if its various
SA>Catholic & Protestant churches unite and recognise the Pope as
SA>head of the "Universal Church"; Presidents and leaders are
SA>fawning all over JP 2 (and now B 16) as great moral authorities.

JPII was a theological conservative.  Benedict XVI appears to also be
a theological conservative, following in the footsteps of the late JPII.
But JPII was definitely NOT a political conservative.  And I would tend
to doubt that B XVI is a political conservative, although I could be
wrong on that matter.

>LL>along with Muslims and Jews.

SA>Finding a political / spiritual leader which appeared to be "Christ",
SA>"Messiah", "Mahdi" (etc) might be a means of
unifying humanity, and
SA>deceiving them into accepting an imposter, whose number is 666.

That is why Antichrist is more likely to come as "spiritual" leader,
rather than a "political" leader.  Of course, there is always the False
Prophet, kind of like a modern-day John the Baptist.  ;)

--Lee


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