The Pope's Apology
 

[Treatise]

Part V

Indulgences and
Corporal Punishment Today

Papacy is still selling indulgences. They still believe in temporal, corporal punishment.

Jeremiah 51:7-9– Babylon had been a golden cup in the hands of the Lord, but she filled it with her abominations. Suddenly she’s fallen. It says, "We would have healed her, but she would not be healed."

The Reformation tried to heal Babylon, especially the Papacy, but she wouldn’t be healed. Then the Reformers compromised– Daniel 11, "they helped a little bit." But then they fell, too. Protestants adopted the same relationship with the arm of the State. They compromised, and became daughters of the harlot–the nominal systems, the Protestants. Today they’re hardly protesting. She will not be healed. "Come out of her, my people." The Word of God has foretold this. There’s a principle of showing this association of guilt, when you have increased knowledge and light on a subject.

I Timothy 5:22– "Lay hands suddenly on no man. Neither be partaker of other men’s sins. Keep thyself pure." We see the very specific application of this, but what we want to do is to look at the underlying principle. There is demerit by association. Those who are associated with the Papacy and the nominal systems share in the demerit, because by being associated with these systems, they are acknowledging (more or less) that they are in support of them.

As an illustration, The Mark of the Beast and the Mark of his Image. The Mark on the Forehead represented that these people who had this mark would intelligently agree with the position of the nominal systems. The Mark on the Hands show that they work in harmony with it, and didn’t resist it. This is the guilt by association. The whole history of that system, which cannot be healed, will now bear on this final generation.

Isaiah 23:18– Papacy is pictured here by Tyre, which had been forgotten and was then brought to remembrance as she went about the city singing sweet melodies. Certainly we’ve seen in this pope that singing of sweet melodies all about the City of Christendom, going about as this wonderful, pious-seeming representative to the nations. "And her," that is Tyre’s or Papacy’s, "merchandise (or her gain) and her hire." What kind of hire does she have? Verse 17 says she commits fornication with the kings of the world. Again. This is the pay of the harlot. That pay shall be Holiness to the Lord. Do you believe that? No. That’s how she portrays it and how the world views it. "It shall not be treasured up, nor laid up." Papacy will not keep it for herself entirely. "For her merchandise will be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, for durable clothing." She’s presenting herself today as a protector of the poverty-stricken masses. The pope gives long homilies, telling how the wealthy nations should forgive the debt of the poor nations, and how they represent the poor, down-trodden.

In the Dark Ages, when the Papacy was in the seat of control, it took the money of the people to build up the Vatican City–their gold, their statuary, their arts, and their buildings. Today, they can’t do it the same way. They are not in the same position of power. Through an ecumenical position, they are still trying to increase their power as they go about the city, trying to re-commit this fornication with the kings or governments of the earth by setting up ambassadors in the nations to influence and control governmental decisions. What other church is represented at the U.N.?

Papacy portrays her gain as helping the poor people–feeding and housing them. It seems respectable in the world’s eyes, so they’re willing to cooperate to that extent. It is portrayed as being the Lord’s work. We know the Lord is not in it. How deceived the masses become. This apology by the pope for past sins, not of the Church but of misguided Christians, misguided sons and daughters– this apology is part of Papacy’s public ploy, making sweet melody, to distance themselves from the past and remove the condemnation of the past from the current administration..

II Kings 9:30– Jezebel heard Jehu coming to execute judgment. She painted her face and looked out the window. The Papacy is trying to put on a good face. She realizes she is not in the position of power she once had. The master of leopard-like spots is camouflaging–painting its face to appear more attractive to the governments and people. Their apology is a further face-painting. Papacy is responding now to the effects of people clamoring for their rights.

There are a lot of apologies by governments going on for past wrongs. In South Africa, when the current administration came into power, they had a specific court of trial trying to reconcile the nation for the wrongs done against the black population over the years. People could come forward, particularly whites who had been in positions of culpability–whether it was the police, the army, or the government–and they could confess their faults and seek forgiveness. It was called a Reconciliation. This was trying to heal the nation. They would be granted amnesty from any legal punishment due them.

And so there is this spirit abroad over the earth, because of people crying for their rights. There are these methods of trying to reconcile. The pope falls into that same category. It is a popular thing to do today. It’s easy to say, "We’re sorry for what others did in the past." They work very hard to not have any responsibility attached to their organization today, not trying to right any wrongs it is has committed.