Roman politics

[Amo]

https://adventmessenger.org/the-catholic-consecration-of-america-elevated-rome-as-the-guiding-influence-for-all-nations/

Quoted article below from link above. Where video may be viewed as well.

The Catholic Consecration of America Elevated Rome as the Guiding Influence for All Nations

On June 11, 2026, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops officially consecrated the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This ceremony was highly symbolic because it reflected a growing desire to unite American national identity with Roman Catholic spiritual authority because it included the invocation of Mary and the saints and prayers for Pope Leo as the shepherd to the universal church. The consecration also presented the Catholic Church as possessing a universal mission, serving as a moral guide and spiritual influence for all nations.

The following are statements that were made during the Catholic consecration ceremony of the United States:

• "127 years ago today, Pope Leo the 13th consecrated the human race to the most sacred heart of Jesus. In that spirit, we are here to consecrate the United States of America. As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of its birth." (Video)

• "On the threshold of our nation's 250th anniversary, we gather not first to celebrate ourselves, but to consecrate, to entrust, to place the church in the United States and indeed to place our whole nation into the sacred heart of Jesus Christ." (Video)

• "May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign pointing all nations to your infinite love. Oh desire of nations, center of history, we ask you to bless these United States of America who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy God forever and ever. Amen." (Video)

• "Especially with the most blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her spouse, with your blessed apostles and glorious martyrs, and with all the saints on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help." (Video)

• "Therefore, I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all of the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God." (Video)

• "Let us pray for our holy father Pope Leo that our American brother may have confidence in our filial piety and support as he shepherds the universal church." (Video)

This was a call to seek God's blessing through the Roman Catholic Church. It reflects an effort to connect America's future with the spiritual leadership and religious traditions of Rome. The language used in the consecration ceremony also presents the Catholic Church as possessing a universal spiritual mission among the nations. Such language is consistent with the prophetic picture in Revelation:

"And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Revelation 13:7.

"And all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.

"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15.

The repeated invocation of Mary, the saints, and their intercession highlights a fundamental difference between Catholic tradition and the teachings of Scripture. The Bible teaches that Christ alone is our only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), a truth that was strongly emphasized during the Protestant Reformation. Many of the Reformers viewed prayers to Mary and the saints as a grave biblical error. Today, however, ecumenical cooperation has led many Protestants to remain silent on these and many other teachings that were once challenged during the Reformation.

"The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience." (Great Controversy, p. 588).

Protestant America is increasingly drawing closer to Rome as conditions in our nation continue to move towards the formation of the image of the beast. The idea that America has officially been consecrated by the Catholic Church is pushing us closer to the crisis that will revolve around worship and submission to man-made traditions. The central question during the final crisis will ultimately be whether we will follow the commandments of God or religious traditions elevated by human authority.

We are living in a historic moment as our nation's identity becomes increasingly intertwined with religion and the growing role of faith in our nation. As America moves ever closer to the prophetic events described in Revelation 13, God's people are called to proclaim the message of Revelation 14 to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, exalting Christ as the only Mediator between God and man and upholding God's commandments as the only standard of truth and righteousness.

Soon no doubt, God will allow the evil one to answer those who pray to the dead, as though he was the one they were praying to. This is only right for them, as he basically is the god of the dead, so why shouldn't he answer those who pray to them.

Mat 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 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; 4 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. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 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: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[Amo]

https://adventmessenger.org/pope-leo-calls-for-a-firm-political-will-to-strengthen-multilateral-cooperation-fraternity-and-the-global-common-good/

Quoted article below from link above.

Pope Leo Calls for a "Firm Political Will" to Strengthen Multilateral Cooperation, Fraternity, and the Global Common Good

On June 22, 2026, Pope Leo XIV visited the headquarters of the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome, the world's largest humanitarian organization. During his meeting with the executive board and staff of the UN agency, the Pope commended the organization's work and expressed his support for the United Nations' commitment to fraternity and the global common good—principles that fully align with Catholic social teachings and the Vatican's vision of universal solidarity and cooperation.

The following are some of the key statements delivered by Pope Leo XIV:

• "Your institution's commitment resonates profoundly with the Catholic Church's mission to uphold human dignity and to foster fraternity."

• "The Catholic Church is oftentimes a partner in collaboration with the programs that you oversee and that you work in."

• "The international order has become increasingly fragmented, arising in part from the crisis of the multilateral system. As I noted recently in the Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas: 'the institutions established to safeguard the concept of a common future for all peoples and a global common good appear to have been weakened'."

• "For this reason, a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation is essential."

• "In an increasingly fragmented and multipolar world, no single State can address global challenges alone. Lasting peace and integral, sustainable human development are possible only through the participation of all, fostered by genuine international dialogue and cooperation oriented towards the common good."

• "Such an approach requires a firm political will capable of transcending short-term perspectives and investing in global public goods. This goal can only be achieved through the convergence of effective policies and the coordinated and synergistic implementation of interventions. The call to walk together, in fraternal harmony, must become the guiding principle."

• "Your Excellencies, dear friends, what is at stake is not only the effectiveness of an agency but also the credibility of international cooperation itself. Your organization demonstrates that a renewed path is possible."

Pope Leo XIV's call for stronger multilateral cooperation, global fraternity, and the common good points to the growing union of religious and political powers on the world stage. The United Nations and other international organizations will be used to unite nations and encourage them to embrace the Papacy as a moral guide in addressing global problems. Institutions like the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, and others are powerful instruments that are being used to advance Catholic social teachings.

The Pope's call for "firm political will" and renewed international cooperation demonstrates how religious influence is being used to shape global governance. Revelation 13 and 17 point to a future alliance between church and state that will culminate in a global power grab seeking to impose a false worship upon the Earth. These prophecies bear a striking resemblance to the developments unfolding in our world today.

The Vatican's repeated emphasis on fraternity, the global common good, and international cooperation is laying the foundation for a united global order. These efforts are helping to restore the Papacy's influence and heal the deadly wound in preparation for the mark of the beast crisis.

[Amo]

https://adventmessenger.org/protestant-america-awards-the-catholic-pope-a-liberty-medal-on-its-250th-anniversary/

Quoted article below from link above.

Protestant America Awards the Catholic Pope a Liberty Medal on its 250th Anniversary

On Friday, July 3, 2026, the U.S. National Constitution Center, established by Congress in 1988, awarded the prestigious Liberty Medal to Pope Leo XIV on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The public ceremony took place on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, literally steps from Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were debated and signed.

The Pope accepted the award via livestream from the Vatican, thanking the American people and emphasizing interfaith dialogue and the pursuit of common ground as defining pillars of the American experience. Yet these concepts are not the constitutional principles upon which the United States was founded. Rather, they are central themes of modern Roman Catholic social teaching, especially as articulated since the Second Vatican Council. Their purpose is to foster cooperation among the world's religions by emphasizing a shared belief and common witness while setting aside theological differences in the interest of peace and unity.

America's founding documents do not establish interfaith dialogue as a national mission, nor do they authorize government to unite religions in pursuit of the common good. Instead, they limit the power of civil government so that religious liberty and freedom of conscience remain outside of governmental control. What Pope Leo XIV is actually doing is revising our history to push the Vatican II agenda of dialogue, fraternity, and the common good and move us away from Protestant constitutional principles and into Rome's model of church-state unity.

This indeed is a historical and unprecedented event, especially when our Founding Fathers viewed the Pope of Rome with deep suspicion because he was a symbol of the union of church and state and of religious persecution. Many early Americans were Protestants whose families had fled Europe precisely to escape Roman Catholic persecution. The Spanish Inquisition, the Roman Inquisition, the wars of religion, and the enforcement of Catholic tradition by monarchs backed by papal authority were events that were contemporary to our Founding Fathers.

Today, Protestant America has honored the very symbol that the Founding Fathers rejected. And they did it from the very birthplace of this nation. The medal ceremony was held at the very site where the American experiment in limited government and separation of church and state was born. This nation deliberately rejected European models in which a religious authority, whether pope or king, could claim both spiritual and political power.

And to honor the head of the Roman Catholic Church with a "Liberty Medal" on the eve of the 250th anniversary is a profound reversal to what America is supposed to represent. Our nation is literally bestowing honor on the very system many had fled many centuries ago. The Pope hasn't changed. He is still the embodiment of church-state union. In the Founding Fathers' minds, the Papacy stood for tyranny. The Pope's claim to universal authority and temporal power remained deeply problematic to our nation at its founding. In fact, the U.S. Constitution was written to keep any such authority — foreign or domestic — from gaining a foothold in our nation.

A Changed America, Not a Changed Papacy

The contradiction arises because America has changed dramatically since 1776. In today's pluralistic, post-Vatican II era, the United States can honor the Pope for his so-called advocacy of religious freedom without seeing it as a threat to the republic. The Liberty Medal award cites the Pope's advocacy for religious liberty, a position the modern Catholic Church has strongly affirmed since the Second Vatican Council's Dignitatis Humanae in 1965.

The problem, however, is that the American and Roman Catholic understandings of religious liberty are not the same. The United States Declaration of Independence describes our rights as "inalienable," meaning that they cannot be legitimately taken away, surrendered, or transferred because they come from the Creator rather than from the state. By contrast, Roman Catholic teaching affirms religious freedom, but not as an unrestricted or absolute civil right; Vatican II's Dignitatis Humanae says religious liberty exists "within due limits," and the Catechism places rights within the framework of "the common good" and public order. Therefore, the American model emphasizes that rights are absolute and that government exists to protect them, while the Catholic model allows civil authority, in certain cases, to limit individual freedoms in the name of a higher common or moral good.

The current situation reveals one of history's greatest ironies: America, a nation founded to protect itself from religious establishments, which lead to tyranny, now pays tribute to the leader of one of history's oldest church-state institutions. In the early days of America, there was a healthy, widespread suspicion against the Pope due to his temporal power. This gesture of bestowing a high honor upon the same Pope—the Medal of Freedom—truly represents one of the greatest ironies of our modern time.

Our Founding Fathers saw the Catholic Church's hierarchical structure, its claim of papal supremacy over secular rulers, and its history of using state power to suppress "heresy" as completely incompatible with a constitutional republic, religious liberties, and individual conscience. That is why the First Amendment was designed to prevent any church from gaining the kind of privileged and coercive relationship with the state that had existed in Catholic Europe.

Unfortunately, that has all changed today:

"Protestants have tampered with and patronized popery; they have made compromises and concessions which papists themselves are surprised to see and fail to understand. Men are closing their eyes to the real character of Romanism and the dangers to be apprehended from her supremacy. The people need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty" (Great Controversy, p. 566).

Let it be remembered, that this is the same institution which has recently supported and or called for greater internet and social media censorship, and the subjugation of all sovereign nations and individuals to the unelected officials of the UN and other international organizations regarding certain issues it has in common with them. Not to mention repeatedly attacking Capitalism, while seemingly praising Socialism, and even Chinese Communism as most closely demonstrating ideal Vatican implemented government. Let's not forget either, Catholic social teaching regarding the universal destination of goods, in relation to the issue of private property rights. Just to mention a few problems addressed on this topic and others within this SDA forum over the years. Hardly issues that would warrant the giving of Liberty Medal to the Pope of Rome.

[Amo]

https://adventmessenger.org/new-york-magazine-reports-that-a-catholic-resurgence-is-taking-over-america/

Quoted article below from link above.

New York Magazine Reports that a Catholic Resurgence is Taking Over America

On July 6, 2026, New York Magazine published an article titled "The Young Catholic Elite Poised to Take Over MAGA," arguing that Roman Catholicism is doing more than increasing its presence through political appointments and elected officials. According to the article, it is also providing much of the governing philosophy behind today's conservative movement. It contends that Catholic social doctrine—rooted in papal encyclicals beginning with Rerum Novarum—is increasingly shaping the intellectual framework upon which conservative public policy is being built. If Roman Catholic social teaching continues to exert growing influence over American political thought and public policy, then we are drawing ever closer to the final crisis foretold in Revelation.

New York Magazine published the following:

• "On a muggy Saturday evening in May, 30 young men and a few women, all Christian and mostly Catholic, filed into a 19th-century redbrick building on Capitol Hill, part of Hillsdale College's Washington, D.C., campus. The occasion was the monthly meeting of the Cicero Society, a parliamentary debating club committed, according to its terse website, to 'developing excellence, preserving the Western intellectual tradition, and forming young leaders."

• "These young Christians are not interested in withdrawing from politics to practice their faith in private. They want to wield political power for Christian ends. And the politician who makes that Christian ambition feel most plausible is Vance."

• "Catholic social teaching offers a language of family, labor, solidarity, limits, obligation, and the common good articulated through papal encyclicals. Its modern starting point is Rerum Novarum, Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical on capital and labor."

• "Vance seemed to be adapting these teachings to Republican politics when he was a senator, working with economic progressives on railroad reform, insulin prices, credit-card fees, and clawbacks from bailed-out financial executives."

• "Catholicism has never felt more powerful or politically salient in the places where American conservatism governs. Six of the nine Supreme Court justices are Catholic. So are more than a third of the members of Trump's second-term Cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Prominent non-Cabinet figures in the administration including press secretary Karoline Leavitt and border czar Tom Homan are also Catholic. And then, of course, there is Vance."

• "Much of the legal, institutional, and intellectual machinery behind the contemporary right is Catholic-led as well, including Leonard Leo at the Federalist Society, Tim Busch at the Napa Institute, and Kevin Roberts at the Heritage Foundation."

• Evangelical Protestantism may be more powerful as a mass political force, but Catholicism has a deep theory of the world."

• "According to Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archdiocese, which covers the District of Columbia and surrounding suburbs, welcomed 1,755 people to the Church, up from 1,566 in 2025, which was already the highest figure in at least 15 years. 'The number of those joining the Church this year is a record for the archdiocese,' the cardinal told 60 Minutes."

• "The Catholic resurgence on the right coincides with the emergence of Pope Leo."

There is no doubt that Catholic social teaching is increasingly being incorporated into the Republican Party's governing philosophy. The article specifically notes that Vice President Vance has sought to introduce principles of Catholic social teaching into public policy discussions, embracing concepts rooted in papal encyclicals. This indicates that the Roman Catholic Church is exercising increasing influence over America's political and legislative agenda. New York Magazine further argues that Catholic influence now reaches every major branch of the federal government. In other words, more Catholics are serving in powerful positions where they help shape conservative laws, government policies, and the direction of the nation.

It is no coincidence that Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, is rising to global prominence at the very time Roman Catholic influence is expanding throughout the nation's political institutions. New York Magazine itself describes this phenomenon as a "Catholic resurgence on the right." According to Revelation 13, the United States will ultimately form an image of the Roman Papacy by uniting civil power with religious influence. As Catholic ideas increasingly shape the nation's political life, these developments are helping set the stage for the fulfillment of this prophecy. They point to a time when America will follow in the footsteps of Rome, departing from its historic commitment to religious liberty and the separation of church and state.

[Rella]

https://adventmessenger.org/new-york-magazine-reports-that-a-catholic-resurgence-is-taking-over-america/

Quoted article below from link above.

https://adventmessenger.org/new-york-magazine-reports-that-a-catholic-resurgence-is-taking-over-america/

Quoted article below from link above.

And there is this, which certainly cannot be by chance.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-10/pope-leo-jesuit-major-superiors-audience-ai-poverty-margins.html

Pope Leo to Jesuits: 'Go to the frontiers with courage and discernment'

Pope Leo XIV addresses the Major Superiors of the Society of Jesus, urging them to remain faithful to their missionary tradition of discernment and service at the frontiers of culture, faith, and human need.
By Linda Bordoni

Speaking in the Vatican to participants of the Meeting of the Major Superiors of the Society of Jesus (MMS), the Pope thanked Jesuit Superior General Fr. Arturo Sosa and encouraged the Society "to discern new ways of living out your mission in today's world."

The MMS — the first since 2005 — brings together around 100 Jesuits from across the globe, including Provincials, Regional Superiors, and Conference Presidents. The ten-day meeting, which began on 17 October, includes moments of reflection, communal discernment, and a Jubilee pilgrimage through the Holy Door.

READ POPE LEO'S FULL DISCOURSE HERE

Called to the frontiers
In his wide-ranging address, Pope Leo XIV described the present as "a change of epoch," marked by rapid transformations in culture, technology, and politics. "Artificial intelligence and other innovations are reshaping our understanding of work and relationships, and even raising questions about human identity," he said, noting also the threats of ecological degradation, inequality, and polarisation.

"Yet into this world, Christ still sends his disciples," he affirmed, recalling how Saint Ignatius of Loyola and his companions "did not fear uncertainty or difficulty; they went to the margins, where faith and reason intersected with new cultures and great challenges."

Quoting Saint Paul VI's 1974 address to the Jesuits, the Pope reiterated: "Wherever in the Church, even in the most difficult and extreme fields... There have been, and there are, Jesuits."

"Today," he continued, "I repeat: the Church needs you at the frontiers, whether they be geographical, cultural, intellectual or spiritual. These are places of risk, where familiar maps are no longer sufficient."

The Pope invited Jesuits to discern boldly and to practice the Ignatian principle of "holy indifference," which he described as "the readiness to let go of cherished structures or roles when the Spirit leads the apostolic body elsewhere for a greater good."

Pope Leo addresses the MMS
Pope Leo addresses the MMS   (@Vatican Media)
Synodality and reconciliation
Among the "major frontiers" facing the Church today, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the path of synodality, calling it a journey that "requires listening more deeply to the Holy Spirit and to one another." He thanked the Society for its contributions to the synodal process and for helping ecclesial communities "walk together in hope."

Turning to the theme of reconciliation, he said the world continues to suffer from "conflict, inequality and abuse," and that many wounds "remain unhealed across generations and peoples."

"We must oppose the globalisation of powerlessness with a culture of reconciliation - meeting one another in truth, forgiveness and healing," the Pope said, urging Jesuits to become "experts in reconciliation, confident that good is stronger than evil."

Discernment amid technological change
Pope Leo XIV devoted part of his address to the ethical challenges posed by new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. He called this an "important frontier," observing that while it holds great potential, it also carries risks "of isolation, loss of work and new forms of manipulation."

"The Church must help guide these developments ethically, defending human dignity and promoting the common good," he said. "We need to discern how to use digital platforms to evangelise, to form communities and to challenge the false gods of consumerism, power and self-sufficiency."

Pope Leo addresses the MMS
Pope Leo addresses the MMS   (@Vatican Media)
Universal Apostolic Preferences
Referring to the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus,  confirmed in 2019 by his predecessor, Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV described them as "frontiers calling for discernment and courage."

Recalling the first Preference, he encouraged Jesuits to lead people to God "through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment," noting that "many today search for meaning, often without realising it." Citing Saint Augustine, he said: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

He called on Jesuits to "meet people in that restlessness... in retreat houses, universities, social media, parishes and informal spaces where seekers gather," and to remain "contemplatives in action, rooted in daily intimacy with Christ."

Addressing the second Preference - walking with the poor and excluded - the Pope denounced "an economic system driven by profit above the dignity of the person," citing his recent exhortation Dilexi Te in which he warned against "the dictatorship of an economy that kills."

"This global imbalance pushes countless people to migrate in search of survival," he said. "True discipleship requires both denunciation of injustice and the proposal of new models rooted in solidarity and the common good."

He encouraged Jesuit institutions — including universities, social centres, publications, and the Jesuit Refugee Service — to "promote systemic change" and to resist "compassion fatigue or fatalism," trusting instead "in the transformative power of God's love."

Walking with the young and caring for creation
Turning to the third Preference - accompanying young people — Pope Leo XIV said that youth "share a thirst for authenticity and transformation" and that the Church must "find and speak their language."

"It is important to form spaces where they can encounter Christ, discover their vocation, and work for the Kingdom," he said, noting that the upcoming World Youth Day in Korea will be "a key moment for this mission."

Regarding care for our common home - the fourth Preference - the Pope described ecological conversion as "deeply spiritual," calling for "renewing our relationship with God, with one another and with creation."

"Let your communities be examples of ecological sustainability, simplicity and gratitude for God's gifts," he said, echoing Pope Francis' Laudato Si' and its call for integral ecology.

Pope Leo and Fr Arturo Sosa, SJ
Pope Leo and Fr Arturo Sosa, SJ   (@Vatican Media)
"Remain with Christ"
Concluding his address, Pope Leo XIV invited the Jesuits to remain close to Jesus through prayer, the Sacraments, and community life.

"From this rootedness," he said, "you will have the courage to walk anywhere: to speak truth, to reconcile, to heal, to labour for justice, to set captives free. No frontier will be beyond your reach if you walk with Christ."

He expressed his hope that the Society of Jesus may continue to "read the signs of the times with spiritual depth," embracing "what promotes human dignity" and remaining "agile, creative, discerning and always in mission."

"May the Lord lead you to the frontiers of today and beyond," the Pope concluded, "renewing the Church and building a Kingdom of justice, love and truth."

________________________

It still remains remarkable how the Jesuit Catholics are seemingly working their way into every corner of not only the US, but the world. From many on the SCOTUS to those within Congress. Certainly bears watching and keeping an ear to the ground.