At 8 P.M. on Thursday, the Catholic church will enter into a period known as “Sede Vacante” (“Vacant Seat”) in which cardinal Tarcisio Bertone takes over interim powers before a new pope is elected. All senior leaders of the Roman Catholic Church have to resign when the pope steps down. This means that Bertone will have to resign his post of Secretary of State and remain only as Camerlengo. The Camerlengo has traditionally had the role of officially certifying the death of a pope, he used to do so by striking the pontiff’s forehead on his deathbed with a special silver hammer and calling out the words “Holy Father”. [Blasphemy!] He is also the Vatican official charged with destroying the pontiff’s “Fisherman’s Ring”, a gold signet ring, in order to prevent the use of the official seal on any counterfeit documents issued in the pope’s name. (Only one official does not have to resign and that is the Major Penitentiary, who heads up the Vatican’s court for "forgiveness of sins." The post is held by Portuguese cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, 74.) During the interregnum, the Camerlengo and the cardinals cannot take any decisions that apply beyond the election of a new pope or impinge on the exclusive prerogatives of the pontiff, like appointing new cardinals. The Camerlengo takes over interim possession of all the papal properties including the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican where the pope resides and Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence outside Rome. He also organises meetings of cardinals known as "congregations" ahead of the conclave which help identify possible candidates for election. Doves, If Bertone is Peter the Roman (the AC or the False Prophet) will the church be gone prior to 8 p.m. on the 28th? (11 a.m. Pacific time, 2 p.m. Eastern time.) The Apostle Paul reveals in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 that the Anti-Christ will NOT be revealed until THE RESTRAINER is removed. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-11 The Man of Lawlessness "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us, whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter, asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day WILL NOT COME until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness IS REVEALED, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY." THE FOLLOWING DAY IS MARCH 1: SABBAT PARAH: Shabbat Parah ("Sabbath of the Red Heifer") takes place on the Shabbat before Shabbat HaChodesh, in preparation for Passover. Numbers 19:1-22 describes the parah adumah ("red heifer") in the Jewish temple as part of the manner in which the kohanim and the Jewish people purified themselves so that they would be ready ("pure") to sacrifice the korban Pesach. http://www.ou.org/chagim/fourshabbatot/parah.htm On the Shabbat after Purim, two Torah Scrolls are removed from the Ark. The Sidrah of the week is read from the first, and from the second, the chapter of Parah Adumah, the Red Cow (or Red Heifer), is read. It gives the procedure through which people can purify themselves from the contamination caused by a human corpse. The reading of this chapter was instituted for this time of the year because Jews were required to purify themselves before coming to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festival of Passover. The Haftarah read on the Sabbath of Parashat Parah contains the verse, "And I shall sprinkle pure water upon you, that you be cleansed. From all your contamination and from all your filth I will cleanse you" (Ezekiel 36:25). There are other parallels in the Haftarah between the concepts of sin represented by contamination, and atonement represented by purity. Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus, purify your Bride and take us home!