--With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,
--and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation 17:1,2
"On January 7, 2026, Pope Leo XIV addressed pilgrims during a General Audience at the Vatican, using the occasion to reflect on the legacy and ongoing relevance of the Second Vatican Council.
"On January 7, 2026, Pope Leo XIV addressed pilgrims during a General Audience at the Vatican, using the occasion to reflect on the legacy and ongoing relevance of the Second Vatican Council.
In his remarks, the pontiff emphasized a vision for the Roman Catholic Church that prioritizes ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and fraternity as the primary means of engaging the modern world.
According to the Pope’s statements, the Church’s mission today must be focused more around the pursuit of unity—among Christian denominations, non-Christian religions, and even political and secular institutions. This approach, he challenged, must be grounded in what he described as the “rich traditions” of the Catholic Church, which are presented as a unifying foundation for addressing contemporary global challenges.
The address reaffirmed the mission first articulated at Vatican Council II, revealing that Rome continues to view ecumenical cooperation as the only pathway for advancing peace and unity on the world stage. Revelation 13 and 17 have long taught that a final global religious authority would succeed in uniting the peoples and nations of the world. Prophecy indicates that this emerging unity will not be grounded in Biblical truth, but rather will be shaped by a broad, collective opposition to God’s law and to His redemptive work.
According to the Holy See Press Office, Pope Leo expressed the following:
• “Vatican Council II rediscovered the face of God … it helped us to open up to the world and to embrace the changes and challenges of the modern age in dialogue and co-responsibility, as a Church that wishes to open her arms to humanity, to echo the hopes and anxieties of peoples, and to collaborate in building a more just and fraternal society.”
• “Thanks to Vatican Council II, the Church has something to say, a message to give, a communication to make, striving to seek the truth by way of ecumenism, interreligious dialogue and dialogue with people of good will.”
• “As we approach the documents of Vatican Council II and rediscover their prophetic and contemporary relevance, we welcome the rich tradition of the life of the Church and, at the same time, we question ourselves about the present and renew our joy in running towards the world to bring it the Gospel of the kingdom of God, a kingdom of love, justice and peace.”
These developments reveal that the prophetic themes of Revelation 13, 17, and 18 are rapidly taking shape before our eyes—a worldwide movement toward religious, political, and social unity increasingly founded upon Catholic tradition and authority."
According to the Pope’s statements, the Church’s mission today must be focused more around the pursuit of unity—among Christian denominations, non-Christian religions, and even political and secular institutions. This approach, he challenged, must be grounded in what he described as the “rich traditions” of the Catholic Church, which are presented as a unifying foundation for addressing contemporary global challenges.
The address reaffirmed the mission first articulated at Vatican Council II, revealing that Rome continues to view ecumenical cooperation as the only pathway for advancing peace and unity on the world stage. Revelation 13 and 17 have long taught that a final global religious authority would succeed in uniting the peoples and nations of the world. Prophecy indicates that this emerging unity will not be grounded in Biblical truth, but rather will be shaped by a broad, collective opposition to God’s law and to His redemptive work.
According to the Holy See Press Office, Pope Leo expressed the following:
• “Vatican Council II rediscovered the face of God … it helped us to open up to the world and to embrace the changes and challenges of the modern age in dialogue and co-responsibility, as a Church that wishes to open her arms to humanity, to echo the hopes and anxieties of peoples, and to collaborate in building a more just and fraternal society.”
• “Thanks to Vatican Council II, the Church has something to say, a message to give, a communication to make, striving to seek the truth by way of ecumenism, interreligious dialogue and dialogue with people of good will.”
• “As we approach the documents of Vatican Council II and rediscover their prophetic and contemporary relevance, we welcome the rich tradition of the life of the Church and, at the same time, we question ourselves about the present and renew our joy in running towards the world to bring it the Gospel of the kingdom of God, a kingdom of love, justice and peace.”
AdventMessenger
