The events of this next week, and the election of a new pope will influence the entire world. The size and influence of the Catholic Church cannot be underestimated. Encyclopedia Britannica states:

The number of Roman Catholics in the world is greater than that of nearly all other religious traditions. There are more Roman Catholics than all other Christians combined and more Roman Catholics than all Buddhists or Hindus. Although there are more Muslims than Roman Catholics, the number of Roman Catholics is greater than that of the individual traditions of Shiʿi and Sunni Islam.

The influence this system has can be seen by the number of world leaders attending Pope Francis funeral. These included US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden, Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron,  Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, and Ukraine’s President Volodymir Zelensky.

Presidents from Poland, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Switzerland, the EU, the Philippines, Honduras, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, East Timor, Central African Republic, Armenia, Cyprus, and the European Commission President.

Prime Ministers from Ireland, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, India, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and the UN Secretary General.

Canada and Australia were represented by the Governor Generals as they were both in mid-election.

There was also royalty in attendance, such as Prince William of Britain, the Kings of Sweden and Belgium, and Spain, the Queen of Denmark, and the crown princes of Monaco, Liechtenstein and Norway. Middle Eastern dignitaries included King Abdullah II of Jordan and Crown Prince of the UAE.

Delegations were sent from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Iran, Oman, and Sudan were in attendance. Israel sent its Ambassador to the Vatican.

In all 142 out of 193 UN member states were in attendance, including 61 heads of state and 31 heads of government.

Due to the massive influence the papacy has throughout the world, having its oar in the national politics of many countries, kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers rush to be at her side. Or, as the book of Revelation describes the scene:

“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” (Revelation 18:3)

Gone are the days of her isolation after the loss of the papal states under Napoleon and Garibaldi. Today she sits on top of the world (or at least on top of the European beast):

“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” (Revelation 18:7)

Britannica defines the papacy as “the oldest continuing absolute monarchy in the world.” Much of its regalia came from the Pagan Roman system, as Britannica relates:

Roman paganism continued to exert other, permanent influences, great and small. The emperors passed on to the popes the title of chief priest, pontifex maximus…. The ecclesiastical calendar retains numerous remnants of pre-Christian festivals—notably Christmas, which blends elements including both the feast of the Saturnalia and the birthday of Mithra.

The apostle John also indicated that a false religious system would develop out of the 1st Century congregations and separate itself:

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:18–19)

This is in keeping with the words of Thessalonians that describe a religious system that has had a continuous existence since the time of the Apostles and would last until the return of Christ:

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (holds back or restrains) will let (or restrain), until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8)

What we are seeing today is the full development of that system with all its pomp and ceremony. When looking at the gathering cardinals arrayed in scarlet and surrounded with gold and precious stones, one cannot but think of the words of Revelation 17:

“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:4–5)

The cardinals gathered in the Sistine chapel, next to St. Peters. Overlooking the courtyard where many were spectators gathered awaiting the white smoke to fume out of the chimney is a mural entitled “mater ecclesia” or “mother church” fulfilling the words of Revelation 17.

We turn our attention to the Conclave of 2025. CBC reported the gathering of 133 cardinals to the Vatican to elect the pope was historic:

With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday begin the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith's 2,000-year history.

Hailing from 70 countries, the cardinals will be sequestered from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent them from all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.

The 2025 conclave is the largest held in the history of the Catholic church. The cardinals vote up to four times a day until their mission is complete to elevate one of their own. A two third majority was required to elect the pontiff. The decisions were communicated by smoke signals going up a chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel for this purpose. Black smoke signified the cardinals had not reached a consensus; white smoke or “fumata bianca” signified one of the candidates achieved a majority, and was followed by the announcement “Habemus papam” or “We have a pope!”

The world held it breath awaiting the white smoke to come up the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. The Globe and mail reported:

The vote could easily be done electronically, with the result zapped to a Vatican app. But that would make lousy TV. When the white smoke does billow out, the 4,000 journalists accredited to the conclave – more than the number accredited to the last Winter Olympics, in Beijing – will immediately send video and photo images of it around the world.

According to Britannica, other titles held by this new pope will include:

• Bishop of Rome
• Vicar of Jesus Christ
• Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
• Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church (Pontifex Maximus)
• Patriarch of the West
• Primate of Italy
• Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Rome
• Sovereign of the State of Vatican City
• Servant of the Servants of God

The Bible is clear on several points regarding the appointment of a “pope”. First, according to Encyclopedia Britannica,

Pope, (Latin papa, from Greek pappas, “father”), the title, since about the 9th century CE, of the bishop of Rome, who is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest of the three major branches of Christianity.

The Catholic Church does not view the Bible as an authority, but for those who do it is not silent on this definition. The Lord Jesus Christ was clear on this subject:

“But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8–12)

The clear instruction from Christ is to “call no man Father (or papa, or pope) upon the earth as there is one father which is in heaven.”  The Apostle Peter was also clear about the organization of the 1^st Century congregations stating the elders were not to be “lords over God’s heritage, but ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3). Yet the Church sees the pope as the Lord of the earth. Consider some of the statements made by Catholics throughout the ages. First is John Tetzel, seller of indulgences to fund the building of St. Peters Basilica during the time of Martin Luther (1485-1519) who stated:

“The Lord our God no longer reigns. He has resigned all power to the Pope.” -

Or Pope Pius V who reigned from 1566-1572:

“The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth.”

Pope Leo XIII (one of the namesakes of the current pope) in his encyclical letter written June 20, 1894:

“We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty”

Pope Pius IX, July 13, 1895:

“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself hidden under the veil  of the flesh.  Does the Pope speak?
It is Jesus Christ who speaks...”

These statements speak to the description given by Paul in Thessalonians when he described the false religious system that would develop out of the 1^st Century congregations:

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4)

The descriptions by the popes themselves make claim to the title of the “man of sin” as they believe they sit, as God, in the temple of God, and show that they themselves are God.

The Protestant churches used to identify the Roman Catholic System and its head as the Antichrist of whom the apostle John spoke, the Man of Sin the of whom the apostle Paul spoke, and the Harlot of Revelation and False Prophet Jesus describe in his last letter, the Book of Revelation. The very word Protestant is rooted in the idea of protesting against the Papacy, its teachings, and practices.  Some of the main protestant leaders such as John Wycliffe and William Tyndale put their emphasis on Bible reading, translating the Bible into the English tongue, and identifying the Papacy with the man of sin.

Wycliffe, who lived from 1324-1384, writing “On the Truth of Holy Scripture” stated:

Why is it necessary in unbelief to look for another Antichrist? In the 7^th chapter of Daniel, Antichrist is forcefully described by a horn rising in the time of the fourth kingdom… so do our people see the lord pope, as it is said of the eight blaspheming little head.”

Tyndale, writing an Exposition of John in 1531, wrote:

“The bishop of Rome made a law of his own to rule his church by, and put Christ’s out of the way.  All the bishops must swear unto the bishop of Rome, and all curates unto the bishops, but all forswear Christ and his doctrine... Now though the bishop of Rome and the sects give Christ these names, yet in that they take from him of the effect, and take the significations of his names unto themselves, and make him but a hypocrite, as they themselves be, they be the right antichrists, and deny both the Father and the Son.”

Wycliffe’s bones were dug up and burned, while Tyndale was burned alive at the stake for translating the scriptures in to the tongue of the common man.

Martin Luther, writing in 1537, stated:

“This teaching shows forcefully that the Pope is the very Antichrist, who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be saved without his power, which nevertheless, is nothing, and is neither ordained nor commanded by God….and condemns, murders and tortures all Christians who do not exalt and honour these abominations above all things.”

Even the preface to the 1611 King James Bible remarked on the power of the word of God over Catholicism:

“… by writing in defense of the Truth, (which hath given such a blow unto that man of sin, as will not be healed,) and every day, at home, by religious and learned discourse, by frequenting the house of God, by hearing the Word preached…”

However, as Bible reading and study has become a thing of the past, the wound to the man of sin, imagined by the translators of the 1611 Bible has been healed.

King Charles had his coronation blessed by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, while Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state and No 2 to Pope Francis sat in the abbey. This was the first time in 500 years a Catholic Cardinal was involved in the coronation of a British monarch. Wiliam, the future King of England, who is supposed to carry the title “Defender of the Faith” rushed to the funeral of Pope Francis.

When the white smoke finally did billow out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, the crowds below erupted into cheers and song. A cardinal came to the balcony of St Peters and announced “Habemus papam!” meaning “We have a Pope!” Shortly thereafter, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an American born in Chicago was announced as Pope Leo XIV.

Popes named Leo before Robert were Leo the Great, who met Attila the Hun in 452 to dissuade his destruction of Italy during the barbarian invasions that would see the downfall of the Roman Empire, Leo III who would crown Charlemagne in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and Leo XIII who was known as the “social pope.”  

The new pope has mostly been hidden from the spotlight until now. Some of his posts on X have been reposted articles critical of President Trump and Vance’s policies on immigration. His X account had only 800 followers until he became pope and then it exploded to almost 400,000 by the following morning.

USA today ran an article suggesting that if you are a Trump supporter you would view “Pope Leo XIV a ‘WOKE MARKIST POPE’, stating:

“the Vatican gets a U.S. pope who: believes climate change is an urgent crisis; hails from Chicago, a city Trump has routinely derided as a liberal sanctuary city; preaches love for immigrants; and, like his papal predecessor and most humans, doesn’t seem to like Vice President JD Vance.”

The same article went on to quote Sean Feucht, a Christian pro-Trump supporter as stating:

“This is all a very calculated move people. IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP! They chose a globalist and woke Pope from the West ON PURPOSE to stand up and criticize the leaders of the Free World.”

The Advocate magazine ran an article which stated:

By choosing Pope Leo XIV, the church not only breaks with convention but also signals a desire to reclaim moral authority and provide a counter-narrative to the prevailing political discourse in the United States that is the despicability of Trump and his ilk.

The National Post of Canada ran an article with a title “Expect Pope Leo XIV to bring more liberal controversy” where it stated:

He has already supported allowing divorced Catholics to receive Holy Communion and allowing same-sex blessings

It would appear the new pope will continue the policies of Pope Francis, as the National Post went on to state:

Leo has already signalled that he intends to continue Francis’s legacy, thanking him profusely in his speech from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica and talking of his “courageous” voice.

Conversely, the Guardian ran an article entitled “Unearthed comments from the new pope alarm LGBTQ+ Catholics.” Interesting they had to “unearth” the article, as this new pope seems to have remained somewhat below the radar. It complained:

In a 2012 address to the world synod of bishops, the man who now leads the church said that “Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel – for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia”…. After some of the comments were reported by the New York Times, American LGBTQ+ Catholic groups expressed alarm but also cautious optimism that the papacy of Francis had moved the whole church forward.

However, as with all things time will tell. John Paul II was initially thought to be a liberal, but things didn’t quite turn out that way.

If Leo turns out to be “a liberal Marxist” it would be in keeping with words or Revelation:

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:13–14)

The teachings of the French Revolution “liberty, equality and fraternity” with all their modern manifestations are the spirits of demons with the eventual effect of gathering the nations against Israel to the Battle of Armageddon. These teachings are to come out of the mouth of the False Prophet (the Vatican), as well as the Beast (Europe) and the Dragon (Russia).

We wait to see the direction in which this new pope will steer the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and the “kings of the earth” over which it exercises great influence.  

While the world was gripped in anticipation, waiting the rising of the smoke to signify the coronation of next pope, the scriptures point to a future day when the kings of the earth will watch smoke arise from the Vatican – but it will be of a different sort – it will be a smoke of judgment:

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” (Revelation 18:8–10)

The admonition for true bible believers is to make sure they remain separate from Rome and all her teachings:

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” (Revelation 18:4–5)

For the Bible in the News, this has been Jonathan Bowen joining you.