Pope Benedict XVI called three hundred religious leaders to a gathering in Assisi, Italy, for the purpose of dealing with the violence perpetrated “in the name of God,” fueled by “fundamentalists” across the world. The event, termed the "Day of Interreligious Council," held Thursday, October 27, in the town where St. Francis of Assisi was born, was meant to be a “journey of reflection, dialog and prayer for peace and justice in the world,” according to the Vatican. More than fifty Islamist representatives from a number of countries were scheduled to attend the talks, including those from Saudi Arabia and from Iran.
A report announcing the meeting stated:
They will be joined by rabbis, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, a Zoroastrian, a Bahai and representatives of Taoism and Confucianism as well as of other traditional religions from Africa and America…
For the first time, four atheists will also attend the meeting, which is traditionally organised so as not to coincide with the Muslim day of prayer on Friday, the Jewish one on Saturday or the Christian one on Sunday…
At the end of the day of talks, the main participants will renew their commitment to peace in the square in front of St. Francis’ Basilica.
A burning torch will be symbolically presented to the delegations in the hope that they will take the message back with them to their communities. ("Pope to Promote Peace in Talks with World Religious Leaders," Capital News, Agence France Presse, 10/25/11)
Although Pope John Paul II was instrumental in getting the ecumenical agglomerate organized initially, this pope and his Vatican power base have moved things forward in a portentous way. When considering his strongly asserted efforts this past week to influence another area of prophetic import–the global economy— the lateness of the hour shouldn’t be missed by the student of Bible prophecy.
The Vatican called Monday for radical reform of the world's financial systems, including the creation of a global political authority to manage the economy.
A proposal by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace calls for a new world economic order based on ethics and the "achievement of a universal common good." It follows
Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 economic encyclical that denounced a profit-at-all-cost mentality as responsible for the global financial meltdown.The proposal acknowledges, however, that a "long road still needs to be traveled before arriving at the creation of a public authority with universal jurisdiction" and suggests the reform process begin with the United Nations as a point of reference. ("Vatican Calls for New World Economic Order," Associated Press, 10/24/01)
What we are witnessing just within the past week, I believe, is the woman putting on her seductive clothing and harlot’s make-up for her prophetic date with the “kings of the earth,” who are represented by the composite beast of Revelation 13 and 17. The prophecy is one that we have covered many times in these commentaries. But, never has the timing of developments seemed more profoundly relevant than at present. The ultimate act of bestiality is about to take place.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 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. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 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. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (Revelation 17:1-9)
Terry